Brechfa

Great weekend of riding, but I do have to wonder…..

Where the hell were any other riders? We saw very few groups in the whole weekend, probably no more than about 12 riders in total. There was no evidence of other riders having been on the trails either, tyre tracks etc. OK, so it was a little cold, but surely more people are out riding there?

Diversions for logging were a bit loose on the Raven/Black trail. Could well have got rather lost without having map and brain on the ride! (We had both.) Some of the huge bermed sections on the Raven were a hoot, overall I like it!
The Gorlech remains a really nice little trail. A great mix of playground stuff and (semi) natural feeling trails. The ice and thaw had taken it’s toll on some parts, but overall it was riding really well, great fun.

Black Lion in Llansawel was a top spot. OK, so the food wasn’t great, but the locals were a fine bunch, great banter and chat from the moment we walked in. Oh, and the ale was top notch as well!

All in all, I reckon it’s a place that either needs to grow, or else to stay all back of the bus and quiet……I can’t really decide which! I loved the fact that we had the place to ourselves, but can’t help thinking that for all that investment, more people deserve to enjoy it!

it always like that, which adds to its charm

I second all that. Want to go again but it’s a trek even from Somerset. Perhaps that’s why it’s not over-run.

CFH: its always been like that when I have riden it. I can count on one hand the other cyclist you see on the trail. There are usually a few cars in the car park, but they often turn out to be locals walking the dog!
I guess its the lack of cafe, shop, bike wash etc that keeps the masses away. I actually like the fact that it is still pretty unknown and unspoilt.

Matt

For a lot of us, it’s a long, long drive away and you have to pass Cwmcarn and Afan to get there.

I’ll ride it one day 🙂

Are there any pubs near to Brechfa itself? was considering it for a weekend away but there doesn’t seem to be much in the surrounding area.

Went there yesterday – excellent riding and the final descent(s) were worth the boring slog up the hills on the Raven trail (just).

Went there new years day!! Love it, is not all torn up like Afan. Guess am lucky to live 50mins drive away. Is scarey when the gorund is frozen solid and the tyres can;t find any grip mind!

I don’t really get why they’ve built such awesome trails where few people can be arsed to get to, but I’m not complainging!!

How much further is it from Afan/Port Talbot then?

chakaping – its about 40 mins drive from Afan.

Matt

Its about 45 miles further from Afan for us (Devon) but the roads are narrow & twisty.

Cheers, was aiming to fit it in on my next Welsh trip in a few weeks.

Are both red and black do-able by an average rider in one day? I will do my own research at some point I promise.

Is there a B&B called Bed and Brechfast? If not, there should be!

yep a pub in the town which is full of very friendly locals & you can stay here: http://www.bikebrechfa.co.uk/

chapa, You could happily do red and black in a day, yes, but bear in mind that they start from two separate car parks (About 4 miles road between the two, IIRC). You can, however, link the two up. Have a look at the trail map on the MBWales site.

As to Bed & Brechfast – Genius!

Thanks guys.

🙂

not sure if it was the black lion i supped in but if it was the owners are not actually local, they are from Redditch originally, which is where i work…in the midlands 🙂

What’s the blue and green like at Brechfa? My wife has mastered the local stuff in Bristol but a trip to Penhydd, whilst was going very well, ended in a split second of over confidence and a fairly traumatic first stack. I guess I’m looking for some trail centre esq descents but maybe something a little tamer than the Afan reds…

We’re staying in Pembrokeshire for a weekend in the spring so thought we’d check it out…

Gary, the Blue and Green are a hoot! For a beginner, they;re a great intro to bigger riding (With picnic tables, shelters et al), really well thought out.

There’s one bit on the Blue loop (An extension of the Green) that’s a bit big, but as long as you take it easy, she’ll enjoy it.

Whereabouts in Pembrokeshire? A part of the world I know well….!

i went a few years back for a weekend..never agin i thought it was rubbish boring all except for the final descent of the gorlech trail..

CK – You can easily link the Black and Red from eithr start point as they come within 100 yds of each other at the top of the last Red descent and it’s sign posted, together it’s about 37k with about 1200m climbing, you should do it in about 4 hours.

GL – The Green and Blue will be fine for a beginner as it’s all rollable and on the Blue the few tabletops have chicken runs but it’s also good for a better rider as the faster you ride the harder it gets!!

I live about 20 mins away from Brechfa and it is great that its quiet but I think it is set to grow over the next couple of years. The Raven black trail has only just been finished so I think it will rise in popularity as it now has 4 trails to offer plus a massive amount of trails that are not official. Maybe I will open up a burger van/cycle spares shop on weekends in the summer make some money out of you!

the blue and green are pretty easy, as the bumps and lumps make a nice rollercoaster ride and are built in a way that with a little pump you fly off them.

Cap & Nilo: Sounds good, it was actually on hidden valley that she crashed on, managed to survive the whole way down and then 20 yards from the end tasted her first bit of unintentional “air” lost it on landing and went off down the bank with the bike following not so gently down the slope. I know she can take Penhydd whenever we go back but your first “big one” does seem to get the better of your confidence!

We’re going to be staying near St Davids, plan to pop over to brechfa one day and spend another doing Ramsey Island…

(Any tips for seeing the Puffins, naturally she wants to see the Puffins!)

😉

As someone said previously most of us have to pass Afan/GC to get to Brechfa. That extra hour could be spent on skyline or whites rather than sat in your car. That said, whites is a pain lately as there are just so many people.

For Puffins get ye over to Skomer in the springtime. Google ‘Dale Princess’ or Skomer Island.

And I too like the quietness that is Brechfa. In fact nowadays it is positively teeming with people in comparison to how it once was, ‘back in the day’.