Hi! I am riding the Skyline for my stag do on saturday 9th July - hopefully see some singletrackers there?
Not wishing to put a dampner on things but most of Skyline is closed or otherwise diverted. It will turn into a fire road fest unfortunately. The only trail open in its entirity at the Afan / GC complex currently is The Wall.
I did Skyline on Sunday (after the Wall). Yes - there is quite a big diversion and a lot of fire road but the diversion was quite fun and challenging if you have a low boredom threshold and like being out in the sticks (some mud and rocky doubletrack) but it was quite a slog. The final descent is quite good though - very long and plenty of rocks on singletrack.
I would just do Whites & The Wall personally if you want the most fun out of Afan but if you want more of a physical challenge, then go for Skyline.
If it is a Stag, then you may all lose the will to live on Skyline if hungover 😆
Any news on Pennhyd re-opening??
i'm going next friday and intend to W2 in the morning and the a couple of runs down the final descent of the skyline in the afternoon.
What is the actual extent of the skyline detour's?
Few of us are going tomorrow and were planning on doing skyline!
there is a full 42km of Skyline available, tho' one bit, the homeward route goes along the outward route (in reverse, obviously). There is less singletrack than there used to be, but if you want a long ride that feels a bit more "out there", it's OK
Most of Skyline is just fire road at the top, just smash in the W2, 42km with some cracking climbs. But make sure your start point is at glyncorrwg ponds.
Thanks for the ideas and pointers - we will be starting at the bike shop, so will make a final decision then, its good to go forewarned though, a couple of the riders going are more "DH" orientated and may not enjoy too much fire road......
Also - I pick up my new Cube AMS 125 today - SWEET
I did skyline about a month ago and hated it.
As others have said there's heaps of fireroad.
Detours at the end remove the last 3 sections of singletrack.
The last descen is still there but you can do that from the W2.
Most of the fireroad goes through felled forest so its pretty shit to look at.
I wanted to ride the Skyline before it closed. But hardly seems worth it now 🙁
So looks like it's the W2 for today.
W2 is much more entertaining than the Skyline. Its about 80% singletrack, the only fire road being part of the Wall climb and the link between Whites and the Wall on the traverse above the valley.
Skyline has a huge amount of fire road, its good if you want to get some miles in but nowhere near as much fun as W2. Best to start from Glyncorrwg.
If you're feeling particularly fit, you could do the same as campfreddie and ride W2 in the morning and then do Whites climb, take the shortcut from Dastardly and Muttley to Perigrine Ridge on the skyline and ride the final Skyline descent (its marked to the right of the trail with a yellow marker at a sort of 'crossroads').
Nearly all W2 is open on weekends with some restrictions on weekdays due to logging.
The closed bits at Skyline are not as closed as they appear to be - only one or possibly two sections are properly not doable. Bits like Excalabur etc are cracking but if you prefer the crowds then go for W2.
copied from Skyline Cycles website....
Skyline (open diversion between Handy Andy and Peregrine Ridge)
Grade: Red trail (Difficult)
Distance: 46km
Climb: 2000m
Time: 4 - 7 hours
http://skylinecycles.tumblr.com/trails
mbWales
http://www.mbwales.com/en/content/cms/Centres/Afan_Forest_Park/Skyline/Skyline.aspx
Kev
Do W2 you can then loop around the Wall a couple of times for 60km, three loops is 70km. Just do W2 and instead of going back along the short cut turn left and start the wall descent again. Most bang for your ascent $ Skyline is off my radar just not enough trail open and too many diversions. 60km option takes 4 hours, 3 loop 70km takes 5 :15.
Skyline is crap
Skyline is crap
Wouldn't say it is crap, really depends on what you want, i can't stand w2 just does nothing for me, whereas Skyline lets you get away from it all.
No skyline means i won't be bothering with Afan anymore.
Why can't you stand W2? Far more exciting than Skyline!
because w2 offers none of the things that motivate me to ride. To each there own, i ride to get away from it not to ride board walks and in a crowd. i found it too busy too many numpties just log jamming the climbs by having picnics, etc. Not saying W2 is a bad trail just not one that interests me, would rather go to Cwm Carn save time and fuel money.
If you want to get away from it then why do skyline.
The views are shit.
I like rides like that too but I'd rather do an epic in the Beacons like Gap road, Black mountains etc.
If I go to a trail centre I want entertainment.
If you want to "get away from it" then going to a trail centre seems odd IMO 🙂
i actually find the skyline less busy than the gap route...
There are times when i can't be bothered thinking which is when routes like the skyline come in, no thought needed, and from experience more interesting than the gap, which if i am honest was boring and busy. much more entertaining routes to be found in that part of wales.
If you want to "get away from it" then going to a trail centre seems odd IMO
It is a bit odd but as soon as you have done the first climb and got past the walkers on the first climb you tend to see no one for a couple of hours.
Why the bloody hell is it being closed down in the first place anyway????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
To build another wind farm.
There are so many bald hills nearby I don't know why they've chosen a forest to build one in though.
Just got back from Afan. There is no planing permission for the wind farm turbines YET ,and skyline cycles think it will be open for a least another year or 2 and there is a deal to build a new trail if planning is given. 🙂
MBUK did an article on Skyline last month stating it would be closed in the next few months.
I've read that there is a plan for a new trail but who knows how long that will take to complete.
Penhydd has been closed for ages.
hugor. you cycled around skyline with your eyes closed then. some cracking views over the Beacons and Fforest Fawr.
mrmo. you based in s.wales?
I saw those views. There are much worse things to look at for 5 minutes.
But the long stretches of road through tree stumps and boggy mud pits churned up by dirt bikes was what did my head in.
Each to their own but I would suggest that the reason you don't see anybody on it is because it is shit.
Otherwise it would be as popular as the Gap route particularly being on the doorstep of Cardiff.
as you say hugor, each to their own but having done the gap a few times and skyline a few times the gap is a dull ride albeit nice views. i hardly ever see anyone out at in say the doethie valley so by your measure that must be particularly pants. the gap is just overhyped for those that cant be arsed to look around. there are better routes around ystradfellte(on the doorstep of cardiff)where you hardly see a sole, pants also no doubt.
