[Closed] What is Afan looking like at the moment?

Can't say personally but 'bad enough' that Trek / Giant have cancelled their demo day on advice from the FC

http://www.singletrackworld.com/2009/02/giant-and-specialized-postpone-glyncorrwyg-demo-day/

I'm sure there is a good insurance / H&S reason for not running an organised event, and you do it at your own risk, etc., but it's one marker.

I think the M4 is currently borked quite badly. If it doesn't melt today it'll be deadly cos it's supposed to freeze tonight.

The schools in Afan Valley are closed today due snow.

Nick both the Severn bridges are closed due to falling ice smashing car windscreens.

well I can't get my car out of my drive and the 7 miles across town to the other side of the M4!! I would say that its currently a no-go 🙁

I am going down by train this afternoon... The forcast once there looks good for sat and sunday, but to be honest its very unstable. The ones from our lot that are driving have ditched it so far, unless it changes a lot today.

Bugger.

Might give it a go anyway, always fun powersliding about in snow and ice.

Bit of a journey if we have to miss the bridges though

I think you lot should re-schedule to a weekend when I can make it!!

Pretty please [flutters eyelashes] I have a new bike to ride [more fluttering]

if you only make it as far as Swindon we could always have a miserable exposure/hypothermia experience up on the ridgeway?

No its not looking good really is it chaps. I think we will be fine once there, but getting there might be another story.

There speaks a man with not much confidence!
😉

I'm at Afan at the mo. Fresh snow last night, at the visitor's center there is about 2-3" where it hasn't been cleared. There is ice under the snow tho which makes biking interesting. A couple of guys i know went to do the wall yesterday and it took them 4 1/2 - 5 hours for a trail that usually take 1 3/4 hours! The snow at the top is 6-8" deep and hard to keep plowing through. The snow also has filled in drainage ditches, holes, step downs, so effectively ur riding blind to where the obstacles are along with ice underneath. It is melting a bit and the main roads are clear, but it sounds like you won't get across the bridge anyway. Glyncorrwg is a bit higher than Afan and they have about the same situation there. Hope that helps :o)

I live in Margam which is not far from Afan, all looks rideable too me. Most of the snow has melted, getting there from Wilts may be a different story.

Thanks J - pretty much what I thought - perfectly do able but expect interesting conditions, so scaled down expectations - I agree with konastoner though, getting there might be the biggest problem!

Possibly time for an emergency relocation. Anyone know anywhere good on the south coast with gravity?

soma_rich has suggested we change the location to the Purbecks. Apparently he knows loads of routes. I will email those I know.

Cheers

shows a lack of comitment I rekon... 😆

I'll leave the studs on then for tomorrow 🙂

It was the Specialized/Giant demo that was canceled. As of now, the Trek demo at Aston Hill on Sunday is still happening.

Bugger, heard enough to ward me off spending 7 hours driving tomorrow for less than ideal conditions. I spoke to one of the lads a Skyline Cycles today who said that he had a couple of mates ride the wall and it took them 5 hours...

Next week it is then.

White.

Extremely welsh I would say - & before anyone gets upset about my use of the word welsh in describing a place in Wales, let me just clarify: Welsh weather is a law unto intself, VERY variable & almost completely unpredictable..Prepare for the worst, hope for the best - ENJOY!

Anyone ride Afan today. Much snow left?

Today afan was pretty white. A group of ten of us did the penhydd in about 3 hours at a leisurely pace with a few mechanicals. Conditions on the singletrack was pretty good but the fireroad climbs were tough going on the compacted snow/ice. Felt like singletrack all the way.

I then did the wall climb, link over to the whites and then down to glencorrwg - took bloody ages cos those trails are a lot more exposed. Was about 8 inches of snow in places over the parsons nose link. I saw a fox in the snow (where did you go) and then a few meters later loads of foxtracks and the blood of something that had been eaten,.

Really beautiful as the sun was setting, then bloody cold cycling back down the valley to the get train back to swansea.

So yeah, penhydd pretty good, whites/wall/skyline much harder work.