As title going this weekend and looking forward to it. But riding my boardman 29 ht! Doable
Yeah, you'll be fine! It would probably be more fun/fast/forgiving on a FS though. The Blues are very flowy and for the most part smooth too.
Yeah, no bother- I had my ragley and it's not only a hardtail, it's a [i]26er[/i]. They did make me go up the back of the bus though. I think the only thing I missed was 50 shades of black, that's not for me regardless of bike though 😆
Depends if your any good
Last time I went there was a dude on a 26er hardtail keeping up with me on my 160 full susser for about 80% of the runs - and the other 20% didn't kill him. I wouldn't fancy it though - its pretty rough
Done it a few times. You'll be fine, I can't wait to go back and do the 4-5k new blue section they've got!
I can't wait to go back and do the 4-5k new blue section they've got!
We did it a few weeks ago...won't be doing it again.
Yes, you will be fine, but if you're anything like me you'll start looking for a full suspension bike as soon as you get home! I had a great day but just felt like I was on the wrong bike, spent alot of time having to push hard to keep up with my mates that I'd normally be quicker than and had arm pump like I'd never experienced.
Imagine a trail centre with an uplift, if you can get round a trail centre ok on your hardtail you'll be fine.
I'm taking my 29er hardtail at the end of October. Everyone seems to suggest you'll hurt a bit more and be a bit slower but you'll be fine
Its basically the down bits of a welsh trail centres. They are generally fine on a hard tail. Its arguably more fun on a full suss and you obviously lose any climbing advantage. Only thing to be wary of is that you will do a lot more riding at a greater speed so you will get pounded more and probably be pretty knackered by the end of the day.
stevied - MemberI can't wait to go back and do the 4-5k new blue section they've got!
We did it a few weeks ago...won't be doing it again.
Didn't you enjoy it?
I really like Terry's belly, lots of quick direction changes and the odd rock to pop off.
Oh yeah, HT will be fine, might be worth avoiding the 'Pro Line' 😉
Yep, did it June this year. Was gutted as I found a crack prepping my FS the week before, so it was all hands to the pump to swap the kit over to my HT (normally fully rigid).
Was a little apprehensive and it was a bit rattly at times, but managed to keep up with my mates on their FS bikes. Absolutely fantastic day. Would have preferred it on my FS, but it didnt really matter.
Blues are all OK on a hardtail (I've been twice on a Trek Stache 29er).
Reds get a bit harsh, too much so to be fun really - exception being A470 Line.
Oh aye, I said "it'll be fine" but I did crack my rear wheel on (I think) coal not dole so maybe I exaggerate 😳 That was a big ugly rider error so not really to do with hardtails, though I imagine my full suss could have shrugged it off.
Done the blues and some of the reds on my Dialled Alpine, had a great time. You'll be fine!
I did all levels of trail on my old Blender and it was fine apart from a pinch flat which had me walking all the way back down from the fire road crossing 🙁 so yeah fine but maybe take your backpack and a few tubes!
More fun on a shortish travel full suspension though.
No problem on any runs, although I did need a re-true of my rear wheel after. While I was there one guy was very quick on a krampus!
I cant see many people needing more than a hardatail at BPW. The trails people seem to use most are just like riding on a canal towpath pointing downhill with a few berms thrown in
I admit that something like 50 shades of black would be interesting on a hardtail but certainly not impossible.
I cant see many people needing more than a hardatail at BPW.
Need yes....want no
you get a rigid shopper to the bottom but it wouldn't be value for money
The Blacks require a full suss unless you are a pro or out to prove a point.
The reds def more fun on a full suss
The blues I imagine are fine on anything - but your not spending long on them....are you?
I am going on my Bird Zero hardtail this weekend then again the week after on the FS to see what the difference is like.
The benchmark has to be the guy i saw there letting the air out of the tyres on his cyclocross bike for the descents.
I'd say no, it's pretty hardcore in places for a hardtail but still perfectly do-able on a hardtail. It's extra cushioning off the rollers and jumps and the rough rock/rooty sections that'll make the difference.
ndthornton - MemberThe Blacks require a full suss unless you are a pro or out to prove a point.
I rode most of the blacks on mine and I'm far from a pro, I'm just some dobber 😆 No point to prove, I just only had room in the car for one bike and I didn't want the big bike for other places we were going. But it was fine. I guess it's just what you're used to?
+1 Northwind
My best times on the blues are on my ht.
I'd not fancy 50 shades, rim dinger and the black one after the tunnel which I can't remember it's name.
Sure, you can ride them.. but I think it would be more enjoyable on a fs.
Terry's belly is ok, long and you can get your cornering groove on. Easy to lose concentration on and a few of our lads fell from switching off.
All depends on your level. Managable yes, enjoyable - ability will dictate that as you will tire a lot quicker on the HT after a few runs.
Either way go and enjoy! The place is rocket fast and bags of fun 🙂
Yes, you can and yes, it will be fun. I did. Trying to chase downhillers might not be so wise though- I did something to whatever in your trailing leg does the main bit of suspensioning and was feeling it for some weeks after.
I will say though, that I enjoyed it more going back with a FS.
I'll jump in here quickly but are the blacks ok at BPW? Normal trail centre black stuff is absolutely fine with me so I'm guessing BPW blacks are ok? Don't particularly like 4/5ft+ drops or big doubles...
DaveyBoyWonder - MemberI'll jump in here quickly but are the blacks ok at BPW? Normal trail centre black stuff is absolutely fine with me so I'm guessing BPW blacks are ok? Don't particularly like 4/5ft+ drops or big doubles...
All the Reds and Blacks have an Qualifier Obstacle at the start, it in theory should be the most technical element of that trail, if it's not for you, then the trail might not be for you.
As for skill level, BPW is not a trail centre, Sixapod, Terry's Belly, Melted Welly are faster, more technical and generally tougher than Blue Scar at Afan or Verderers, it's not an easy like-for-like comparison because it's smoother and wider than a trail centre, but as a rule of thumb the grades at BPW are generally a grade higher than their TC cousins - a BPW Blue is like a TC Red etc - but that's only my opinion.
Fifty Shades has what looks like a pretty tough looking step-up with a decent sized gap in the middle, I met a rider who said he'd cased it every time he tried it but momentum took him over, but I also saw a group of 10 riders carrying their bikes through the undergrowth to avoid it.
The other black trail that starts from the very top had a decent sized double on it that's not rollable either.
The Red Qualifiers are much easier, Vicious Valley used to look like this, it's a pretty straight forward drop, but the angle of it makes it blind until you've committed and the wooden platform adds to the mental factor.
[img] 
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The first time I rode it there was a pool of blood at the bottom, the nest time I took a trip up (last weekend) they'd built it up so the landing now pretty much meets the wood so you can just roll off, little skill required.
Not like this...
Cheers P-Jay. Didn't know about the qualifiers - that looks fun!
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/352/18703345881_686b73469f_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/352/18703345881_686b73469f_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/uuKx7H ]Bike Park Wales[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexleigh/ ]Alex Leigh[/url], on Flickr
Still looked like it when I was up there a couple of months ago! As everyone says, fine on a HT I'm sure (always ridden it on a FS). I reckon I'd feel a bit beaten up after a whole day, but quite worthy 🙂
DaveyBoyWonder - MemberCheers P-Jay. Didn't know about the qualifiers - that looks fun!
Yeah no worries, it's pretty cool.
As for BPW as a whole, I've been riding 10 years, I'm never going to win any races but I consider myself a decent enough technical rider, I love the Blue Trails, they give you enough room to really pin it everywhere - I see some groups up there, they see the blue signs and completely dismiss it as being boring and they're straight into the reds stone cold - personally I think they're missing out, they're generally the same guys who arrive at the bus queue wearing a thousand yard stare talking about holding on for dear life coming down the black trails - I admire their drive to push themselves, but they don't seem to be having fun.
I usually spend the first couple of runs laughing my arse off going too quickly on Sixapod, blow out my arse trying to do Terry's at (admitted my) full speed without taking a break and get into some reds after lunch. I've ridden some of the black runs, but I don't enjoy it as much - perhaps I'm just getting old.
Agree about the blues, absolute hoot to ride, you can never have too much Sixtapod. Good to get going before heading on to the other colours. Some of the lower blacks are good value also.
Viscous Valley start, talk about stupidity. Rolled up, read the sign, kept rolling one hand on bar "Oh S***!" it meant this, I got off lightly compared to others but felt a complete Muppet.
I've ridden all the blues and reds on a BFe without to much fuss although life did get a bit rattly on Rim Dinger and I won't be rushing back to Deep Navigation on it!
TBH I thought vicious valley's qualifier as it was, was bloody stupid- qualifiers are a great idea but they need to be proportional, there's really nothing else on the trail like that, guarantee you it put people off who'd have been perfectly happy riding the trail
not going to BPW now - goingto cwncarn instead.
Any good?
Went for the first time 2 weeks a go and red and blue defiantly fine on a ht. Never tried any black runs. More than enough to keep me bussy on red and blue all day. Blues are great fun at bpw. Very smooth but redicusly fast. No brake challenge!
North wind, vicious valley has a jump over a path with a steep, fast run in. I'd say that's far worse than the qualifiers. Also leads to the a470 which has got a harsher optional drop.
Qualifiers are too easy compared to some of the trails.
Hardtail was fine. 15 year old C2's wasn't. Or was it the ice?
Can't say how beaten I would be after a whole day as I face braked just before lunch. Up until then I was keeping up with friends on FS, although that might have been the brakes too.
Given how many youtube videos of A470 line are people going over the bars at the initial drop 😆 I'd say the qualifier is pretty appropriate.
alexh - MemberNorth wind, vicious valley has a jump over a path with a steep, fast run in. I'd say that's far worse than the qualifiers.
I think I know the bit you mean but it's simple enough- pretty sure you could just roll it too?
It does lead to A470 but the quali is for both- I think you could argue that the first 20 yards or so of A470 does the job of a qualifier for that, it certainly tells you straight away that it's less mellow than vicious valley. Where you've got 2 trails off one head you can't make a qualifier at the top that works for both, unless they're very similiar.
haha just seen that qualifier on A470, it looks smaller than the one for Vicious Valley which as I recall isn't a particularly difficult trail? A470 will surely have more chance to get airborne and all that? Mind you last time I went (ages ago near when it first opened) I don't think VV had a qualifier so maybe I'm thinking of a different trail?
I can't wait to go back to BPW, loved all the trails I've ridden there 🙂 Yeah the trails aren't really too tech gnarr but they're so fun that it doesn't even matter. I need to do a weekend of it I think, pedalling saturday and uplift reward sunday!
I had ridden VV previously prior to the qualifier. Everything else is rollable on VV, I thought the qualifier pretty harsh even allowing for my stupidity. Back there this weekend and will give it a go.
On a related note, is the qualifier for Dai Hard representative of the rest of that line or is it another harsh stopper?
Northwind - Member
TBH I thought vicious valley's qualifier as it was, was bloody stupid- qualifiers are a great idea but they need to be proportional, there's really nothing else on the trail like that, guarantee you it put people off who'd have been perfectly happy riding the trail
Puts me off and I had zero issue with Vicious Valley before they put that in. Nothing on there is a drop of any significance unlike the qualifier. As for a jump over a path, maybe there is but it's an option to me.
It's daft as I have done drops plenty bigger than VV's qualifier, but I have a major mental hang up on blind drops and the ramp does build it up a lot more. I've only been a couple of times since they added it and bailed both times, but I may manage to get my head around it some day.
bullroar - Member
On a related note, is the qualifier for Dai Hard representative of the rest of that line or is it another harsh stopper?
And this is another example. VV's qualifier says I shouldn't even be doing reds (yet they're no problem) and yet I've done Dai Hard before without much issue. A bit of foot down in the nasty steep gully switchback bit and sure I'm not belting down, but I can cope with it. I don't recall any kind of gap as massive as the qualifier that's on it now. Again though, probably you can make a gap but they must be options.
I mean, look at Y Mynydd at Cwmcarn. No need for qualifiers and the whole lot is rollable, but if you want you can big it up and do big jumps and drops.