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Hopefully off to Brechfa 1 day next week and I've heard even the blue is worth doing. Which trails are worth doing there and how long to do them all? Not looking to bust a gut to set records or owt but if it's worth getting up there early to fit them all in that'd be good to know! Also, what's the eating like round there? Should I carry enough food for a days riding?
Cheers
Interested too, as I maybe trying them out for the first time next w/end
Only been once before but IIRC then the blue and the green are ok but not particularly taxing, the black is much more fun with some really great bits. I think you start the red from a different car park so I didn't bother with it. I lost count of the number of times I did the black and the decent bits of the blue/green in the 5/6 hours I was there.
I went up there a couple of weeks ago for the 1st time. The plan was to do Red+Black runs. We started at Abergorlech carpark, not a lot around except for a portaloo, so maybe best to fill water before getting there. We spoke to a local who had a hose outside and he let us fill.
Its all signposted, so easy to follow, and easy to join onto the black just before the final red descent, so dont panick! However, the black run joins the blue for a short stretch and its very easy to continue on the blue to rejoin the black further on - missing out a large section of black. This is what we did, I can now see where we went wrong from a vid (I commented at the time)!
Red and 1/2 black took us about 3 hrs max, and that was taking it nice and easy up the hills with my mate. I would think 4hrs for red+black at an easyish pace.
I thought there was a lot of fireroad climbs on the red, and a bit disappointed with the short descent sections, although the 1st and last were very good. The black was starting to look a bit better overall, but we didnt do it all. Both trails were very smooth when compared to Afan, so a lot less harsh on the bikes and bodies!
I need to go back to fully appreciate it 8)
Blue/Green can be knocked off in just over an hour or so quite easily. The Red and Black combined with the link are probably about 4-5 hours if you don't revisit anything- it's about 40km for both.
My itinerary is turn up early evening, ride blue/green, sleep, rise early, ride red/black, have lunch on the way home.
IMO, you need to go fairly hard at Brechfa else it's not the most exciting of places, and the views aren't good enough to make meandering worthwhile. There's not too many technical demands, but you need to carry your speed well to enjoy it, else it can get tedious. IMO, again. More fireroad than you might expect too.
Cheers all. Looks like we'll be heading up fairly early so should have time to do it all and maybe do the good bits again. Prob camp at afan and do a few laps of whites level the next day to finish things off.