The concrete ramp is far easier than the last section before the fire road at the top, once you know it’s there.

Anyone got any pics of this Brechfa one? Going by the Red it all seemed very smooth.

tram road out of Talybont on Usk

Really? Crossing the bridge from the pub car park can catch people out but after that it’s not too bad. There’s one or two short steep sections but hardly challenging.

Trail centre climbs are becoming stupidly sanitised and I don’t understand why. We accept that there are sections that inexperienced riders might walk on the way down so why trailbuilders are removing anything even vaguely challenging from the ascents is beyond me. No-ones going to hurt themselves. One of only two vaguely tricky bits of the CwmCarn climb has been removed and the only step-up on out of Glyncorrwg had gone the last time I rode at Afan. The CwmCarn concret ramp doesn’t need skill, just strength (and the right gear early enough)

Properly challenging, but achievable by mortals? The climb out of Watendlath on the Borrowdale Bash. Getting round the first corner in one go is a major achievement but doable. That’s on big rocks and needs a fair bit of skill

On the North Downs there’s a super steep Bridleway up from BKB that’s doable. A lot less skill – just a lungburner really, but a group of riders seemed mighty surprised when I passed them on it as they pushed up a while back. Probably not one for winter.

One of only two vaguely tricky bits of the CwmCarn climb has been removed

Which are the tricky bits? And what did they remove and when?

Last time I did it 6 months or so ago it was tougher than ever, but then I am trying to do it in a sub 30 min lactate fest.

Is that list in any sort of order because the first 20 odd are all in the south? No. 30 was the first one in The Peaks and the Lake District hasn’t had a mention yet either.

I would have thought that Hardknott and Wrynose would be up there as they are a struggle to drive over!

Mol, the trickiest bit I find is the gurt log across the trail near the bottom of the climb down by the stream. I can’t see a line through it and as such never seem to approach it correctly. I’ve tried a few different ways and nothing seems to work! A slightly tricky bit were some roots to get over near the top before the fire road starts which have now been smoothed over /removed.. the rest of it is alright though always a good challenge for climbing skills, not steepness, just technically. My lap time for the whole trail seems to have slowed a bit recently, I used to do it in an hour or just over, now it’s about an hour and ten. As for other trail centres in Wales I don’t think the climbs match at all, there is one on the Raven at Brechfa which I remember being pretty steep and rocky but it’s not like Cwmcarn. For steepness I find the climbs around Rhayader are the most challenging, like Bonk Hill. Forced to use the lowest gears at the bottom and at about two thirds of the way up it gets steep enough to pop the front wheel if you’re not careful. Black Cottage Climb is another one and there’s a couple more I can’t remember the names of.

Kev

HTS – It’s in that order in the book, where it is done by region.

I didn’t put the ratings on the map as I thorght this would be a bit cheeky, it was more to help find them quickly as there is no overview map in the actual book.

(the hardest one is in Scotland)

but then I am trying to do it in a sub 30 min lactate fest.

Can’t be done 🙂

Course record is 35mins i think

Rode Brechfa for the first time last weekend and think I might have to agree. It didn’t necessarily help having ridden a very short version of Skyline and all of W2 at Afan the two days before but the first proper climb and then the big one half way round on the Raven nearly did me in!

I rode Gorlech and Raven back to back and although I was a bit **** at the end I don’t recall the Raven climbs to be particularly hard. The one halfway round had me in granny ring but if I remember correctly it’s not that long. There are harder climbs than that.

Kev

Course record is 35mins i think

I thought it was 38 mins by that Mojo lad who lives nearby, whatsisname… However I’d like to know when that was set because imo the course is getting slower and slower with time.

Oh and for a climb to be hard on steepness alone it has to be either stupidly steep for a while or massively long – imo 🙂

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q7K1bBhjkY[/video]

oi, oi 😉

1) ludicrous car to be attempting to tow that van with, as I am sure they knew, and
2) why the f was someone videoing his mate fixing a puncture?

cymcarn is not an easy climb. Just got back from there. Struggled, wriggles, hopped and grunted a single speed 29er up it this morning. But would rather ride a ss than have to push one of those full on DH bikes up there.
Whites level is another toughy.

I would far rather push a DH bike up there and do the DH course than mince around on a SS 29er 🙂