Can't decide which one to visit for a weekend. (March next year)
What does everyone out there think?
Recomendations appreciated!
I have ridden at both, but cannot decide which one to go back to for a longer period?
Afan is poop
Coed Y Brenin - got to be twice the distance of trails. and if you really need them marin and penmachno {sp?} are not far away.
personally CYB - the new stuff is fantastic
As above Afan is boring.
I haven't ridden Afan, but just got back from riding Coed-y for two days. Unless Afan is significantly better, I would go to Coed-y, I could spend a week there and not get bored.
CYB
Afan is good, but only really two and a half main trails now. You can easily end up repeating
When i was based down south my favourite weekend away was Afan + Black Mountains/Brecon Beacons.
Big mountain loop on saturday, rag round the trails at Afan with hangover sunday.
Coed-y-Brenin, Afan crap since they closed Penhydd.
I'd say CYB too.
CYB
Living and working near to Afan, I'd love to be able to say it's great down here, but at the moment it's not.
Penhydd is due to reopen in April with a new blue section, and The Wall should have some new blue sections added at the top along with a new skills park.(info from a meeting with the FC MTB Ranger last Friday)
But for March, I'd go to Coed Y Brenin.
Then arrange a visit to Afan in the Summer to take in the new trail sections.
P.S. base yourself at Bryn Bettws log cabins to get the best of the new stuff. GC climb will be felled by then and the winter erosion will kill White's Level/ Skyline trails with no forest to protect them.
Coed all the time can't stand the one long climb before you do anything at Afan
That's not the only trail at Afan Grantway. There are many natural climbs that gently weave up to the top of Whites.
And if you start from Bryn bettws, it's a very gentle incline to the start of all the best descents.
Get away from the GC carpark and Afan climbing is far more inviting and scenic.
Or book in @ Afan Lodge, and the guys there will pont you to some really cool alternative climbs that give you all the best descents in a 2 hour average ride, with extensions up to 2 hours if that's what you require. They'll even provide a guide that can take you to some Alpine-esque descents. The waymarked trails are about 2% of Afan.
That's not the only trail at Afan Grantway. There are many natural climbs that gently weave up to the top of Whites.
And if you start from Bryn bettws, it's a very gentle incline to the start of all the best descents.
Get away from the GC carpark and Afan climbing is far more inviting and scenic.
Or book in @ Afan Lodge, and the guys there will pont you to some really cool alternative climbs that give you all the best descents in a 2 hour average ride, with extensions up to 2 hours if that's what you require. They'll even provide a guide that can take you to some Alpine-esque descents. The waymarked trails are about 2% of Afan
It still sucks.
If you can name a few of the landmarks on the myriad of natural gems that don't form part of the waymarked network of trails Flow, then you may have a point.
Until then, Your last post will just make you look foolish.
Try riding the other 98% before making such a bold claim. You may change your mind.
'They'll even provide a guide that can take you to some Alpine-esque descents'
I can back this up too. Some of the stuff there, well frankly is scary steep and fast.Dont want to say too much as our FC chums may not agree,but there are loads of trails that will take you way beyond anything that 'Afan' has to offer at the centres.
I'm based in Cardiff and ride Afan all the time. How can I find out about the non waymarked routes you guys speak of? I'd love to try something different.
As for the CyB vs Afan debate I'd choose CyB but I've not ridden any unnofficial stuff at either place.
Afan bashing is sad. It's a great area but sadly he riding has been decimated by tree disease and new windfarm development! It will however rise again once the scourge of phytophorum ramorum has been banished! Im lucky enough to live 20 mins from afan and the riding is still great but just a bit limited at the mo. trail building will resume once logging has been completed!
I heard the masts were being felled aswell!
I heard the masts were being felled aswell!
I went there about a month ago and there was alot of work going on. Alot of singletrack was very deliberately blocked by trees laid across the trail at 5 - 10 metre intervals. Shame really.
The damn tree felling at Afan has been going on over 12 months now. Surely they must be close to finishing!!
nope sadly not!! seeing that they are not having any wales rally gb stages in the area next september it seems that there is at least another 12 months to go of logging!
As climbs go, the whites climb at GC is excellent. I've not done a climb that comes close to it in terms of technical riding (all very rideable), and its ability to get you up without really noticing that steep an ascent, shame a couple of parts were tamed as they were a nice challenge to make it up. Fantastic, love it 😀
Lack of Penhydd trail for what must be 2 years now is damn annoying, and would mean I'd choose CDB instead of.
Stay at the George in Penmaenpool, ride CYB on deay from the pub/hotel up the old road 🙂 Then ride up Cadair and descend some big descents and sweet singletrack around kings.