Thinking of heading over to Wales and doing some trail center riding for a change.

How do Afan and Cwmcarn ride during winter? Are the trails worth visiting this time of year? What’s the mud like?

Just deciding on kit, tyres & bike to take.

Cheers!

was at cwmcarn last weekend, still a 2 mile diversion on the Cafall. Trails are fine as they are mostley surfaced.

What’s the mud like?

Brown and muddy 😆

Afan is normally excellent, the trails seem to be built really well to withstand mud and slither and are fairly weather proof.

Are the trails worth visiting this time of year?

Yes

What’s the mud like?

Vast majority of both pretty mud proof, Cwmcarn less so than Afan. If it’s wet you get a fair bit of grinding paste. Weather has been bone dry down here all week – I’d expect Afan to be 90% dry this w/e (I might head over tomorrow).

Excellent, thanks all.
Trying to work out what to do..

Was thinking:
Saturday- Afan
Evening- Air Bnb or cheap hotel (somewhere between the two).
Sunday- Cwmcarn

Would it be worth just riding Afan for 2 days, or Cwmcarn?

Weather proof, you will still get muddy and your bike will hate you from the grit lube. But you can commit to trails and there’s tonnes of grip.

I’d have no qualms about riding Cwncarn this weekend. Pretty weatherproof. You’ll get muddy, but where don’t you get muddy this time of year.

W2 last weekend in the rain. Apart from the transition between the Wall and Whytes (which you can avoid on the fireroad round the turbines) it was fine. Super grippy.

It did cost me two sets of brake pads and finished off the bottom headset bearing tho! I find Afan is better than Cwmcarn. Especially the top of the climb/first descent on Cafell. Twrch holds up really well.

Sounds good to me, cheers!
Some armored trails would make a nice change from the natural trails.

Both are pretty weather proof. I’d say 2 days at Cwmcarn would be too much unless you ride the natural stuff too, which will be muddy. Afan has plenty for a couple of days. If you’ve not been recently I’d just do two days there. That said if you are driving via the M$ Cwmcarn is on the way.

If it’s wet you get a fair bit of grinding paste.

I’d say this is true if it’s actually raining or just rained. A day later (or even less) it’s all fine again.

IMO Cwmcarn is much more fun than Afan. The ‘muddy’ bits on Cafall are actually just broken up enough to make it interesting, and less muddy in general than a normal bike ride.

Does anyone know if the twrch is still diverted?

WINTER IS WHY TRAIL CENTRES WERE INVENTED, FACT

GOOD TO KNOW KIMBERS, THANKS.

Looking at the trails, should be able to fit in 2(possibly 3) on Saturday at Afan, then 3 trails at Cwmcarn Sunday.

Trails look much smaller (length & ascent) at Cwmcarn than Afan?

Just got back in from a ride around The Wall.

Dry, hardpack, we had a frost last night. Weather forecast is dry and cold.

Some icy puddles, but not completely frozen.

Riding just like summer without the nice temperature.

Good weekend for riding, just a bit cold.

Re. Afan trails, If I have a whole day at Afan I tend to do the wall and then penhydd in the morning, have some lunch then drive over and have a cruisey afternoon in the skills park after till I’m too tired to function

Anyone know if diversions are still in place on the trails?

Cheers

Should update this..
Had an awesome time at the trails on the weekend. Everything went to plan and the weather was superb. No mud at all as it was all frozen. Trails were really quiet and well armored too.

gaberin- when I went, Twrch still had the diversion in place.