Hi Guys,

Am a bit of a noob I am working in Bristol on Monday so thought I would take the Bike to Afan on Sunday. What is the best route to go for first? I have reasonable fitness but not amazing. I want impressve views good riding for minimum effort 😀

Alex

IMO Penhydd would be my first choice, followed by Whites, although there are some great views on the longer Skyline trail.

Penhydd was my first route and the one I'd recommend as well as starting point.

ok, I sort of predicted that would be the answer. Do you think it i worth wearing pads?

I have never worn them before but I am used to the flatness of Kent.

Alex

depends – are you planning on falling off?

Personally, I'd start at Glyncwrrg as it has the better cafe to finish at. I'd do the W2 starting with the Whytes climb and after the Wall descent, I'd do the Penhydd if I thought I had the legs, before doing the return leg of W2. Beer, food and medals at the Drop Off.

Start at Penhydd but ride the W2 trail. Means you get the best Cafe halfway round…

He said he's a noob, probs best not to do the longest and most challenging trail first time eh? Penhydds a great loop.

who said anything about doing the Skyline ?

Ok, my mistake 😉 but W2's only 2k shorter!!

The best views are probably from Skyline but I reckon Penhydd gives most bang for your buck. Once you've done that – should take well under 2 hours – and are nicely warmed up you can stay at the Afan Argoed car park and do the Wall (decent views down the valley) or go to Glyncorrwg and do Whites.

Penhydd then Whites would be my recommendation for what it's worth. I don't think you'll be too disappointed whichever trails you choose though.

I ride there a couple of times a week and have never used pads but I see plenty of people that do so whatever you feel comfortable with I guess.

Rode it for the first time this weekend, did the Wall in the morning, Whites in the afternoon, enjoyed both, but felt that Whites was better for the descent, although the climb was harder – but also more interesting.

If I was going to choose one of the two, it'd be Whites.

Also the food/sandwiches in The Drop Off are awesome.

whites and w2 are both doable in a day!

gives you a sore arse by the end though!!

What time you looking at going?
Where in bristol are you leaving from?

Either penhydd or whites. One or the other then you can always do the other if you feel fit enough. Do not do W2 or skyline if fitness is an issue. Whites is fantastic and you have the cafe at the end.

W2 straight up for a Noob??????????????????????????????? Are you mental guys? I would say Whites ( leave out the black run!)is the best beginners trail as long as they take it easy on the descents. Penhydd is shorter but some nasty bits in it for a beginner/ At least on Whites it flows more. If you want to make a day of it do both with lunch at the Drop Off. But W2 with probably one of the more technical descents in Uk might be a tad much don't you think after 44k's??

With SpeedyG on this one guys. I've done all the routes, did W2 last Saturday and was both physically and mentally knackered by the end. Graveyard towards the end nearly was the death of me. I consider myself to be OK fitness wise with some technical ability and I definitely wouldn't recommend W2 or Skyline (again due to the technical descent at the end when kanckered) to a noobie. Penhydd is a good starter, probably followed by The Wall although there are exposed parts and the fireroad slog to put people off. White's is excellent but requires a reasonable skill and fitness level or you'll be walking a lot.

Totally agree about W2.

White's is excellent but requires a reasonable skill and fitness level or you'll be walking a lot.

Where would he be walking? I can't really think of anything on whites tht would stump a beginner, apart from the odd climb.

im no fitness god but i did whites and w2 on saturday just gone!!

ok i was knackerd after the second climb up at the start but after then its all ok.

whites isnt that technical tbh.

You did whites and W2?

So you did whites twice?

yep you do the long climb and then you do the first proper section which brings you to "energy" i think it was called and then go off to do w2 which includes some of the wall and then back to do the rest of whites!!

i was dying at the end mind 😀

Yup, to echo the above, Penhydd or/and White's for a noob. I've taken mates (both unfit) on these and they've been fine once over the initial shock of the climb. Mate 2 came a little unstuck on the boardwalk of White's and had to get off but was fine taking it easy on the descent.

My tip would be Whites and then July as a day ride.

Ride Whites, then sample the stupendous Welsh Rarebit at the DropOff (Ian, you're a legend!).

Soak up the summer sun as lunch goes down, then head up the hill again (a great climb) before hitting the good stuff on July.

July is a shortcut of Skyline. Misses out the fireroad and some of the distance in favour of the final, simply wonderful, DH.

But but but I feel that skyline is dull, even july. Far too much fireroad IMHO and even descending on it! If you do it though ignore the diversion, you'll miss some of the best bits and it's only 2 felled trees (easily negotiated).
I was planning to do the wall quick bite then penhydd. Even though penhydd is not too technical, it's still a bloody riot! Argoed, hidden valley and sidewinder are a hoot!

yep you do the long climb and then you do the first proper section which brings you to "energy" i think it was called and then go off to do w2 which includes some of the wall and then back to do the rest of whites!!

That is just the W2 trail – it combines whites level and the wall.

Oh and the best way of doing W2 is start at Glyncorrwg and once you've done the wall descent, don't bother going back to the Afan centre but just carry on back up the Wall climb and over to finish off the Whites, and then have a late lunch – you can do that in just under 4 hours without too much trouble. – Once you've climbed back up the wall, you can almost kid yourself that its almost all level and downhill from there! (just take plenty of bananas with you)

@scott_mcavennie2

thats right mate.

we did whites level in the morning and thenw2 in the afternoon

not sure what you are trying to get at tbh??

I was trying to determine if you rode whites level twice. Which you suggested that you didn't in your first answer, and you did in your second answer.

The W2 was enough for me!

yep we deffo did whites level twice !!

i could hardly walk the day after my legs were that stiff 😮

But W2 with probably one of the more technical descents in Uk

Rolling/jumping off a few rock slabs does not make it one of the most technical descents in the UK. I think you might need to explore beyond the trail centres a little.

God, get realistic guys.

For someone who's stated "I have reasonable fitness but not amazing. I want impressve views good riding for minimum effort", suggesting W2 and any of the other trails together is completely off and even W2 is a push for most people (except the STW-heroes of course, who ride W2 twice and then all the other trails including Skyline twice (both options) before lunch) without feeling pretty done in by the end.

Do Penhydd and if you feel ok afterwards, either ride the wall or my preference would be to drive to the Glyncorrwg centre and do Whites but be aware that the climb is quite hard work and long if you're already tired.

🙄

The wall followed by Whites was more than enough for me last weekend.

clubber

im 17.5 stone and as unfit as they come!!!

i did whites level in the morning and was tired after doing so.

we came back to the drop off cafe and had some lucnh by the tent to rest a bit and then we set off to do w2 in the afternoon.

yes i was a lot slower going up that bloody climb the second time round(even fell off and rolled down the hill a bit due to fatigue ) but after the climb its mostly xc trails .

ill admit i was very VERY tired by the time i got back and didnt feel like riding the day after.

to the OP i would recommend doing just the w2 trail as it takes in the whites level stuff anyway.

cheers

steve

you can tell that they are all good by the fact that nobody agrees

My preference:

For riding alone penhydd or skyline

For riding with mates whites/wall/w2

penhydd is great. just miss out froggy corner or whatever its called. complete waste of gradient and a horrible climb back out.

Bliiiimey, Im not unfit but i found W2 hard work!! By no means is it a beginner trail. How could you even suggest it to someone who (by their own admission) is a bit of a noob?

Ditto Jam bo's comment.

Depending on how "noob", Penhydd should be fine for a start (I agree about missing out "froggy corner or whatever its called"). If the OP is keen for some more, I would have thought Whites is perfectly do-able. I have only done it once but don't remember anything too scary or requiring particular techical ability.

Just to clear up I meant "one of the most technical descents" as in not an out and out proper downhill course, but for a trail centre (and I've ridden a few) it requires a lot of concentration – that's if you're riding it fast enough?