Went riding at Afan Argoed last week. Having seen there’s a new “Rookie Trail”, graded green but with an extra blue loop, on my first trip there I allowed myself time after Y Wal to have a go at the blue loop on my uni. It says on the blurb “Trail surface may include small obstacles of roots and rock” – which I thought might be a problem as I’d only managed to fit in my little wheeled uni with the family holiday stuff. Warning, spoiler ahead: “may” can mean “doesn’t”. Was really quite disappointed with the blue trail – I reckon they should be done under trade descriptions calling it singletrack as its wide enough for 2 bikes with a smooth gravel surface which wiggles a little and has some small ups and downs at the start. Actually found it quite boring on my uni, and not really a challenge at all. I dread to think what the green “singletrack” must be like – arrow straight, dead flat tarmac?

The thing is, the blurb also suggests the blue bit might be suitable for riders looking to progress. Anybody looking to progress to one of the red trails at Afan from the blue trail is in for a bit of a shock I reckon. Surely something a bit more difficult (but somewhat easier than the existing reds) is more useful to help riders to develop rather than having to make such a huge step up in one go? Maybe something more like blue graded trails elsewhere – for example Verderers in FoD (haven’t ridden the whole of that, but the bits I’ve ridden are more tricky than anything on Afan’s blue loop).

Is there an issue with inconsistency of blue trail grading? Or is it an inconsistency with all trail grading?

the world needs more fun, swoopy blues – see Glentress for inspiration, even the climb is good fun*.

the blue at Mabie is rubbish – it’s a gravel road.

the blue at Ae is rubbish – it’s a gravel road.

etc.

*people keep banging on about a bloody chairlift at innerleithen – when a nice 15k swoopy blue would be cheaper, and benefit more people.

The blue at Brechfa is heaps of fun even for experienced riders.
Its a pity there aren’t more like it.

Even the green at brechfa is good fun when you carry some speed!

So you lot agree with me that a smooth, flat, slightly bendy, fairly wide gravel track is pretty rubbish for a blue? As you say, it’s possible for blues to be a lot better than that – I’m glad I didn’t put mini-aracer’s bike in for the holiday so he could go for a ride – as a 5yo he’d have found it boring.

The Verderers blue in the FoD is great.

Blue at Whinlatter is awesome too!

The blue at CyB is great fun as a warmup blast, bit swoopy, a few berms, couple of tiny (<6″) drops. But it is gravel and probably wide enough for two bikes on a lot of it. It’s also quite a step down from the reds there. I would imagine quite a lot of people will have done the blue quite easily, only to find they can’t even make it up the first technical climb on the tester section for the other routes.

Agree completely with the OP. The kids skills loop on the green is more rocky than the blue loop!

Not knocking it in isolation, it’s a great fun descent and a nice CX training loop for me (not sure thats what it was designed for!!!), but yes, anyone who rides that and thinks the red trails will be just a little but harder is in for a shock.

Is there an issue with inconsistency of blue trail grading? Or is it an inconsistency with all trail grading?

yes and yes. Suspect the ‘blurb’ they use to describe trail grading is standard tho, hence why it doesn’t really reflect the state of the Afan blue.

Maybe this cognation thing wasn’t such a good idea after all………. 🙁
I dread seeing what they do to Penhydd.

I’m sure when the wall was first opened it was almost as smooth as the new Green and Blues. After a few months it will bed in and become a bit more interesting.

Have to agree though that they haven’t been very ambitious with the route. Possibly limited to the lower valley to avoid future forestry operations?

Wrecker – before the blue/green Cognation has overseen the new red sections (Omega/Alpha/Elevator) further up the valley to/from the footbridge, so I think they are perfectly capable of building a good red trail. Altough I seem to recall the new Penhydd will be graded blue….

Yeah those new red sections are very good. And good for improvers as well. Learner riders can do them before graduating to the bigger ascents and descents higher up.

(Omega/Alpha/Elevator)

Do these strike you as good red sections? Seem far more like blue to me.
Penhydd will be a shadow of it’s former self.
I was pleased and excited by the formation of Cognation but they just seem to be dumbing everything down.
By all means put some blues in but at least allow the reds to become more challenging.

Brechfa green and blue should be the model – both are ace

Do these strike you as good red sections?

For red/blue debate see comment above – there’s not a lot of consistency in trail grading.

However they are on a par with the rest of The Wall in terms of difficulty and so are suitably ‘challenging’. If you everything to be difficult head up to Glyncorrwg.

Penhydd will be a shadow of it’s former self.

I take it you’ve seen some detailed plans/been to the future to be able to make this statement about a trail that hasn’t been built yet?

At the end of the day Cognation/Forestry are ploughing investment into the valley. Instead of moaning about that perhaps you should try engaging them and their plans for the area. I can give you the Afan Forest Park ranger’s contact details if you like.

I’m sure when the wall was first opened it was almost as smooth as the new Green and Blues. After a few months it will bed in and become a bit more interesting.

Good point. The trails at Afan get a lot rougher as they wear in.

Penhydd will be a shadow of it’s former self.

I take it you’ve seen some detailed plans/been to the future to be able to make this statement about a trail that hasn’t been built yet?

Crystal ball or not, the problem with replacing / reinstating Penhydd was that the original was much loved.

If asked which is my favourite trail centre trail, even now, the answer will be Penhydd. Too many mtbers have allowed their testosterone to affect their thinking and confuse technical difficulty with FUN. A flat out run around Penhydd was always blindingly good. If the new trail captures the flow and rythym of the original then I might be happy – but part of me will still want to be bursting my lungs on Sidewinder or scaring myself silly on a solo night run through Dead Sheep Gully

However they are on a par with the rest of The Wall in terms of difficulty

Erm…..No. Go ride it again.

If you everything to be difficult head up to Glyncorrwg.

In english please?

I take it you’ve seen some detailed plans/been to the future to be able to make this statement about a trail that hasn’t been built yet?

Do I need to? We know what their impression of a blue trail looks like and it doesn’t include the likes of sidewinder or hidden valley.

Instead of moaning about that perhaps you should try engaging them and their plans for the area.

How do you I haven’t already? I don’t get the impression that they care what we want.

Sigh…arguing on the internet and all that…

You can’t please all the people all of the time, and I think this just goes to show that. Yes, I genuinely like the new red sections, particularly Elevator, but then I quite like riding uphill (another way people are different to each other).

We’re pretty lucky to have people building a network of trails for free in the Afan Valley, and more stuff being built all the time. If some of it is easier than the existing trails, but that makes it accessible to folk new to the sport who might be daunted by red trails, fine by me.

I dont think the new sections on the wall are red, but you have to realise that there are sections along the way on the wall that are without a doubt red.

Basically i think Afan are doing a good job in grading, theyre taking the american skiing way and grading the entire route by its single toughest part.

If asked which is my favourite trail centre trail, even now, the answer will be Penhydd.

+1

I also always felt a real connection with it having spent an hour or so helping out the trail fairies there one day.

I did mean to comment that Penhydd if it still existed would be a reasonable step up for riders – arguably Penhydd could have been graded blue (though a very tough one). I just hope the new trail will retain some of the spirit of the original at least.

Basically i think Afan are doing a good job in grading, theyre taking the american skiing way and grading the entire route by its single toughest part.

In which case the blue loop should be graded green 👿

Though I have to admit I do like the new Omega and Elevator sections (as I tend to ride from Rhyslyn I’ve not ridden Alpha – must try it some time).

Not sure about grading a trail on its toughest part. Some riders might be put off trying a trail when all they have to do is get off at the difficult bit. It’s what I used to do, change that still do !

what he ^ said.

it makes sense for a rock climbing route – if you can’t do the hardest move, you can’t go any further.

it makes sense for a ski run, walking down a steep, icy red/black ‘section’ would be (at best) time consuming and boring, possibly even dangerous.

but it makes little sense on a bike trail, especially when it’s so easy to get off and walk a few metres…

Afan is my local trail center and I ride there most weeks (Wall, Whites, Masts). Rode the green/blue the other week with a few family members on entry level MTBs, and must admit that I was surprised at how rubbish the new green is. All gravel track as wide as a road. Amazingly on cycling there again last week I saw that a lot (all?) of the green has now been tarmaced, making it even easier than the old trail that was there before. Not sure why they did this?

For a great example of a blue/green, ride Brechfa. For a superb blue which is fun for all abilities, ride Verderer’s in the Forest Of Dean. i think Cognation is doing great things and I am all for getting more people into the sport but they could have done a whole lot better than the new green/blue at Afan. It just seems a bit sloppy. The additions to The Wall are fine though, and Gethin Bike Park has great potential.