Dyfi Bike Park as an average rider

So on the weekend I was lucky enough to have a day at Dyfi Bike Park when the weather was absolutely perfect. I had never been before so was a little apprehensive because of its reputation.

Turns out it is AMAZING fun, and anyone who feels like they’re a fairly average skill level and not sure whether to go, I say just do it! There are a couple of red runs you could session all day and have the best day ever, and even the blacks and double blacks are actually relatively fine. It was one of the best days on the bike I think I’ve ever had. The place is built so well, the uplift is relatively fast and if you get good weather like I did you’ll feel like you’re in another country!

I made a little video about it too in case anyone wants to have a look at some raw footage of a normal person instead of Dan or Gee!

Yep, happily average rider here and had a blast late last year.
THE most intimidating car park ever; sponsored riders, race gazebos and young ‘uns jibbing around like they were born on two wheels…but then you get in the queue and everyone is sound and chilled and just there to ride.
There is usually a smattering of Athertons hanging around, food is great and the trails are excellent.

I need to go again!

Good video; your line choices and attitude to jumping are very similar to mine! 😉

Good video, i get what you mean about it looking like being abroad when its sunny.

your line choices and attitude to jumping are very similar to mine!

Hah that’s reassuring to hear! Yeah the video is basically all my first blind runs so line choice especially was all over the place. A lot of the jumps are so well built I actually felt pretty good sending them.

I need to go again!

we do indeed! If we book** it we will go*.

The best centre uplift vibe we’ve ever experienced. Again again!

*assuming I’m not moving house.
**Consider my hand firmly on my head.

That was remarkably watchable mate 🙂 way more than many i’ve seen. May have actually changed my mind about visiting there.

That was remarkably watchable mate 🙂 way more than many i’ve seen. May have actually changed my mind about visiting there.

Thanks! And yes you should definitely visit, you’d have a blast.

I was there with some mates last weekend as well.

It was great! As you say intimidating, but full of sound folks.

I wasn’t quite fast enough to get my phone out when both Rachel and Dan Atherton boosted over an enormous jump right Infront of me. I’ll just have to remember it!

Yep, watched the whole video 🙂 Your cam position was ideal for seeing the whole trail.

Turns in the Ferns looked the most fun trail – was that a red or black? Pretty steep in places by the look of it.

Does look good, keep meaning to visit but haven’t got around to it. Where is your camera mounted?

Yeah Turns in the Ferns was a red. The first few berms were pretty steep and it was quite exposed in places but it’s never like that for long. Managed to see Dan Atherton send it off the huge drop on the Oakley like as well, it’s insanely big.

Edit: Camera is mounted to the chin of my full face.

I’ll second that being very watchable, good work there.

Has an Inners vibe about it but bigger and more of it, quite fancy it now. Had a look at the site and the map/location description is amusing if you don’t know Wales, tells you a lot without telling you anything at all.

Looks fun, so you reckon dh bike or tail bike would be most fun there?

I was on my G1 and it was in its absolute element. A trail bike would be fine honestly, it can get quite chattery and rough in places but they would be alright on most things.

@reluctantjumper – has Jon set a date to go to this place yet? I might need to remember what my bike looks like before committing to coming with you

Great vid, tetrode! Got my hairs standing up remembering my day there last year. Need to get back!

Looks fun, so you reckon dh bike or tail bike would be most fun there?

Depends entirely on you, I reckon. If you’ve got a DH bike and want to use all of it, spend your time on the blacks and smash the DH lines as fast as you can, hit the biggest jumps with the most confidence, then DH bike all the way.

If you want to check the place out for the first time, have a ball on the reds and the smaller jump lines, happy that you’ll be a bit slower on the DH blacks, and might not fancy the biggest features there, go trail bike

Cool, probably do what i usually do at uplifts, take the big bike first then once happy take the trail bike.
Wouldn’t be hitting the massive jumps but having a bit more forgiveness always helps.
Might have to persuade a mate to drive so can fit a bunch of bikes in the van

What a great video!
Thanks for posting – I think I could ride the majority of that looking at it.
Interesting how GoPro usually flattens the steep stuff – but some of that looked steep!!

Awesome video.

I always presumed Dyfi was full of huge jumps and only for big-air hoodlums – and as a wheels-on-the-ground (and ageing) rider always considered it to be way out of my comfort zone. I’d definitely consider a visit after watching that.

And only 40 odd miles from my folks… could be a nice day out.

Just been diverted to look at the Dyfi website.  Most of the tracks have some really good POV footage, not sure what camera is being used, but it gives an excellent idea of the trail.  My god Fire in the Booth looks steep.

Well I looked at the thread title and saw Difi and went nah but clicked anyway then i saw 29 minutes and thought nah but im really glad i did! that was excelent I always assosiate Difi with the daft buggers that do huge jumps and stuff I’ll never do but that opened my eyes and I’m now thinking I could go there and enjoy myself without requiring a new pair of boxers after every run.

Thanks for posting 🙂

@northernmatt – nothing concrete as of yet, probably figure some options out over the Revs weekend at the end of the month.

Have always avoided it due to watching too many videos on YouTube of Brendog going skywards.
Might give it some serious thought now so thank you for posting that.

Have always avoided it due to watching too many videos on YouTube of Brendog going skywards.

Yeah while I can appreciate their skills it’s very hard to relate when they ride that hard and fast.

does look worth a trip, but gimmie a steep muddy rut any day

Have to say that’s a pretty decent video – never been but does make a lot of it look very smooth – probably a lot smoother than it really is….

Watched it, saw the air you did get (intentionally or not😂) and now feel like I am less than average rider. Those vertical face table tops give me the eeby jeebies.

Looks a great venue, but regrettably it still looks out of my skill zone with all those pesky jumps.

now feel like I am less than average rider.

Yeah, just an “average” rider… 🤣

Nice video. I almost didn’t bother when I saw it was nearly 30 minutes long but I’m glad I did and it’s given me the incentive I need to add Dyfi to my list of places to visit this year.

Agree with everyone! Great video, definitely now on my list to do, especially as I’m 1.5hr down the coast from Dyfi.

Watched it, saw the air you did get (intentionally or not😂) and now feel like I am less than average rider. Those vertical face table tops give me the eeby jeebies.

Honestly I didn’t know how to jump at all until September last year. A half day coaching session really helped me out. I still don’t clear stuff but it’s surprising how much you can learn in half a day. The vertical ones are still crazy and I can’t figure out how to do them either!

I’ve watched loads of pro’s YouTube vids at Dyfi and it does make it look intimidating to say the least, but your vids are very reassuring, especially as I live about 45 mins drive away, I just had always considered it way out of my league.

Maybe something for the Atherton’s to look at is that they are missing a heap of normal riders based on how the place is currently sold.

I wont be going any time soon though as I need a new bike, and with COVID rates as high as they are at the moment I wont be getting in any uplift vehicle.

Can you turn up and ride for free if you ride up ? (I get thats not in the spirit !)

Revolution Bike Park is 20 mins down the road from me, but I get the impression that is much serious full stop?

Brill vid – only half way through it so far. I love BPW, but this looks even more up my street – apart from the jumps. I hate jumps

It would be great if they did combine it with some more XC type stuff too. I actually enjoy pedalling a bike not just going downhill

I’m definitely a below average rider then!

That 50 hits is a black diamond run (according to the website), and you were making it look like a blue run right up until you fell off…

Can you turn up and ride for free if you ride up ? (I get thats not in the spirit !)

I’m not too sure but I wouldn’t have thought so. The uplift road would not be nice to ride up at all.

That 50 hits is a black diamond run (according to the website), and you were making it look like a blue run right up until you fell off…

Every jump on the trail is a tabletop so you can roll over them fine. If you’re not a jumper though there’s not a lot of point doing the trail because it literally just is jumps the whole way down! We did it that one time then went on to other trails which we had more fun on.

A good run is the top/open bit of Super Swooper, then turn right onto 50 hits after the underpass.

Fast, open, big turn swoopy, then into the hardcore, repeated, *must* *get* *better* *at* *jumps!* section.

Great video, but race track ended just where I was hoping you’d show me how to ride that section! I was there at the start of the year and cocked that section and the next bit up twice!

Know afew who love the place but they’re much more skilled/fearless than me so assumed it’d be out of my paygrade. Looking at the vid I was wrong, looks mint.

Sweet video, I take it like Revs you need a full face?

Awesome some vid, as others have said, it also puts it into perspective when you watch the pros do it. I think I now feel a novice rider if you are an average rider 😂