Enduro/Off Piste – Wales Vs Scotland

Being from the North East of England we always end up going North to Innerleithen/ Cairngorms/ etc for MTB riding.

I know there will be a huge amount of good riding in Wales to be found, having raced at Dyfi/ Foel Gasnach/ Afan – any ideas where else are good spots for some sweet natural/techy enduro riding?

Is it worth changing a Scottish Xmas road trip (Tweed Valley/Dunkeld/Dunoon/Aberbdeenshire etc etc) for a trip to Wales instead? Can anyone make a case for Wales????

Thanks 🙂

Loads of that sort of riding in Wales although I’m not your prime person to advise on that as I prefer flowy trail centre stuff. South Wales has Risca and numerous other spots. Having recently ridden in North Wales and seen some of the trails there I can’t believe there wouldn’t be more of what you are after.

In the Valleys you have lots of towns in very close proximity to steep wooded terrain and a generally relaxed attitude to access. This results in homemade trails galore, much of which is steep tech. Go in YouTube and Google for Wylie trails and the Masts for a flavour, then take a look at Strava heat map where you can see the trail areas clear as day.

However these places are unofficial and you need a bit of knowledge and some maps to seek them out. And you need climbing legs or an e-bike cos there’s no uplift 🙂

Is it worth changing a Scottish Xmas road trip (Tweed Valley/Dunkeld/Dunoon/Aberbdeenshire etc etc) for a trip to Wales instead?

Probably not if just because the Tweed Valley holds up so well in the wetter months, I tend to ride off-piste in Wales more in the summer.

Gwydir Forest is one of my favourite spots though, FWIW.

Id say start at Cwmcarn, do a day on the uplift and ride the Risca Bike Park stuff*, then when in the van take some pointers from the driver about the other off piste in the area and then ride that in the afternoon or next day. The Driver knows his stuff.

*its the unofficial good stuff there

Exactly what oikeith said. Risca is ridiculously good! I think it rides pretty well in the wet, it’s all steep so drains pretty well tools the other hills around there are full of gold too! Get those pedalling legs on though!

Risca sounds very interesting. How easy/possible is it to use the Cwmcarn uplift instead of pedalling up to ride the Risca trails?

Be nice to save energy for a few extra descents if it’s possible.

Cheers.

Yep, the cwmcarn uplift (is it running?) will take you to the top of all the Risca trails (or at least take the sting out of the climb if you want to do some of the stuff off Twmbarlwm too)

I ride tons in the tweed valley so I’m always excited to go to the forest of dean or wales, grass is always greener. TBH it always seems like our stuff is a bit more all weather/year round, I’ve ridden some brilliant stuff in Wales but it often seems to handle a rainy sunny day about as well as the golfy handles a rainy winter month.

I must be an idiot Risca bike ark doesn’t though any pins up on google other than a bike shop?

I must be an idiot Risca bike ark doesn’t though any pins up on google

That’s because it’s all unofficial.

Most of the Risca trails on the Cwmcarn side take you down the canal side of the hill, so it’s quite a pedal back round to the main car park to where the uplift is. I think you would only get 1 in 2 or 3. It’s actually better to lap it out on an eeb (if you have access to one).

South Wales is literally littered with trails, basically everywhere. What you hear of (or see above) is a fraction of what exists out there, from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Having done some adventure rides on those fire roads some of those trails are frigging steep and look rather intimidating too.

Barry Sidings, Loam World, Risca, Caerphilly, the Masts, Kilvey Hill – all good spots in S Wales. Loads more as well.

Further north the trail pixies have been doing good work alongside the final Climax descent next to Corris. Lots of steeper more techy stuff to complement the main singletrack flowy descent.

Last Feb just before the pandemic managed 6 uplifts at Risca riding the enduro trails to the canal
Mint.

Pontypool really good as well.

That’s because it’s all unofficial.

I wondered but it was because some called it a bike park rather than just trails so made it sound official.

Not heard of Loam World – is this a set of trails ?

Last Feb just before the pandemic managed 6 uplifts at Risca riding the enduro trails to the canal
Mint.

We did similar without the uplift, last June. Maybe not all the way down to the bottom, I can’t remember. I recorded 12 miles in 3 hours of moving time, with 1000m of climbing. It’s a hard day!

Some trail closures at Risca related to the imminent reopening of Forest Drive to cars. See theriscariders Instagram for the latest details. Looks like they’re working with NRW to keep as much open as possible.

We were thinking about Cwmcarn when we’re down that way later this year, it seems a bit weird- there’s all these offpiste trails that are accessible by the uplift, but it doesn’t seem like there’s much thought gone into actually connecting it up- they’re kind of “uplift adjacent”. Is it just a better bit of the hill to dig in, or is there some local politics that’s stopped the builders from working closer to the uplift?

IANAL, but if I was digging off piste trails I’d probably dig them away from any uplifts to keep usage down to reasonable levels.

The off piste at Cwmcarn starts from the uplift drop off, but the trails drop down the south side of the hill, rather than the north side, from the bottom you can ride along the canal path and up forest drive back to the uplift, but it’s not that quick*, and you would lose a run each time.

The other option is straight up darren road, https://strava.app.link/MJBsHlaNzgb

Edit.
*2.4 miles from the bottom of Wacko Jacko back to the car park, the canal path is currently closed, so you have to ride along the road through Risca, that was by far the scariest part of last weekends ride, pavements are to narrow to ride on and the road is lethal

https://strava.app.link/m6XDTgKNzgb

But it doesn’t start at the top of the uplift anymore. The top of Wacko Jacko is now closed for good, and I think all the trails that start on Forest Drive are having their starts moved so that they start from the push up.

Not heard of Loam World – is this a set of trails ?

Yeah, open, steep and jumpy. Just north of Pontardawe

Risca is my new favourite riding spot. Met Jacko when I was riding there the other week and had a nice chat. Was envious as he shot up the steep road climb on his ebike after.

First time I’ve actually thought “I want one of them”.

there’s all these offpiste trails that are accessible by the uplift, but it doesn’t seem like there’s much thought gone into actually connecting it up-

I doubt there’s anywhere near the same scope for off-piste digging within the trail centre zone. You’ll see if you get there, it’s a different hillside really.

shame. I loved the top of wacko Jacko…

I rode the top of Wacko Jacko on Sunday, but I can see it being a problem if the road is open. Mayhem and Bizzy Lizzie are still ace, and they start from the road.

Really helpful thread this, thanks guys. Ive been looking to try out the Risca off-piste stuff as it looks amazing. Where do i park though? main carpark near visitor centre or is there somewhere on the south side?. Im fine slogging up steep fireroads if im rewarded with some decent trails back down.

When I ride the area I park in the main car park at Cwmcarn, parking has been free for ages and there is a toilet block, bike shop and cafe. I also work my loop out to have lunch back at the car park too.

Thanks.

What fireroad should i aim for? Is it an obvious main track to head over to the Risca side?

Most of the off piste stuff in the Dyfi forest is on trailforks website. It tends to be more spread out in N Wales than S Wales. There was a great track in Gwydir forest, near LLanrwst years ago. There’s also a couple of bits off the loops at Nant yr Arian – the Reaper trail, but I’ve not ridden it.