My 12 year old son and I are heading to Pembrokeshire for a weeks camping (must be mad) this weekend and we will be looking to get out riding.

He is pretty capable so we are looking for flowy singletrack routes with a bit of red run type of terrain thrown in.

If you have any knowledge/gpx files of the area I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Take a pair of road bikes 😉

there was a feature in Singletrack magazine a few months ago with a route round the Preseli Hill starting from Trefdraeth (Newport). Haven’t done it myself tho

I tried to find some routes around that area, to no avail. What really got me was the amount of published bridleways had been closed up by the local farmers. 👿 One significant route I planned had to be aborted because the farmer had built a shed, and a paved parking area for his tractor, making the bridleway impossible to access. I gave up. +1 for the road bikes.

The Preselis are pretty good if a trifle short and fairly mellow there’s a well-worn bridleway along the ridgeline if you can call it that 🙂

Was riding there the morning of Diana’s death I wondered why it was so quiet.

There’s also a reservoir nearby with a family route around it

The lanes are not too shabby either mostly quiet and traffic-free. Plenty of interesting places to visit along the fabulous coastline

Maybe a trail centre on the way there or the way back. Other than the preselis there really is very little Bridleway.

Lots of lovely roads for cycling

Surf board hire (newgale or white sands)

coastal path

rock climbing

sailing dinghy hire (dale or solva)

jet boat/rib trips (book in st davids)

coastering

swimming or snorkelling

All make Pembrokeshire great

As ampthill says! hardly any MTBing but loads of road cycling.

I’ve done all his list and this summer we added Kayaking from Fishguard with Ant from kayak-king.com. A great experience.

Don’t forget a trip to the Tafarn Sinc

🙂

Ampthil +1
Although there is a bit around Canaston Woods near Narbeth.
Given the weather, I wouldn’t bother with the Preselis.

did someone mention coastering?

the last two bottled it!

route ideas
http://www.tourofpembrokeshire.co.uk/index.php/the-route

Second that for the Tafarn Sinc have a ploughmans the cheese is from the farm next door. Go to the farm and get a wheel of cheese you will not regret it
Pantmawr farmhouse cheeses

Take a look at The Golden Road Pembrokeshire

All the above is true. Def have a go at coasteering. Try TYF in St David’s for this and other activities.

I stayed at Bluestone in March and did the ridge ride along the Preselli Hills from Rosebush. It was, and had been, dry but even based on that I can’t say I’d really recommend it, especially with a younger rider. It’s pretty cut up, boggy in places and hard going at the best of times.

I also rode round Canaston Woods in the evening which had some nice singletrack sections but not much to string together, more suitable for a quick spin before dinner!

My wife rode with our toddler round the Llys-Y-Fran reservoir family trail while I did the Preselli route, but it’s not really much of a challenge and pretty short.

The best option would be, as others have said, to do some road routes, enjoy the coastline and maybe do Brechfa on the way there and on the way back for a trail centre experience (if you’re heading east!).

the last two bottled it!

…as did I 👿

It always seems so much colder in the blue lagoon compared to the open water there too. And last time we went, it was chocka with organised coasteering groups practically queuing up to get to that jump.

Much nicer natural stuff around St Non’s bay once you know where to get down 8)

Second that for the Tafarn Sinc

Must have changed hands, last (and only) time I went there it was empty but still had ‘Locals Only’ signs on many of the tables and anti English rhetoric in the toilets that didn’t seem altogether light hearted.
I’m 1/2 Welsh but apparently the north doesn’t count 😀

I stayed at Bluestone in March and did the ridge ride along the Preselli Hills from Rosebush. It was, and had been, dry but even based on that I can’t say I’d really recommend it, especially with a younger rider. It’s pretty cut up, boggy in places and hard going at the best of times.

I’d second that – it’s nicer as a walk up to Foel Cwmcerwyn and watch the Tornadoes fly under you. I wouldn’t take younger children on bikes it’d be a bit frustrating for them on smaller wheels.

CyB is not too far up in terms of miles (depending on where you’re staying) but that coastal road takes an absolute age.

many thanks for all the replies.

When I saw there had been 16 replies I thought ‘wow, should be some good routes in there’ but it is as I thought, not alot to be had re mtbing.

We will probably trip out to somewhere one of the days depending on how things go.

We are already booked on the coasteering trip and I was planning on a walk up the Preseli Mountains, we also have our surfing gear and a bunch of power kites so we will have plenty to keep us busy.

Weather looks average aka wind and rain so nothing unexpected… just hope we get to have a few campfires as we have several bags of marshmallows packed!!

Where in pembs are you staying?? I live here so you just gotta know where to ride. Theres some fun coastal path rides which are hard pack and very rideable. Give us a shout if you fancy spin in south pembs. Forcast is for rain on saturday dry and sunny sunday and getting wetter again later on monday.

Cloudnine, whereabouts are you down there? Used to live in Haverfordwest, and now go down to hunt with the S Pembs and shoot, ride, drink etc near to St Petrox.

Stunning part of the world! Am very jealous!

I live in St Florence near Tenby

Brechfa isn’t too far.

Brechfa is the nearest good riding. Road bike might be a better idea if you have them though. Twisty and lots of climbing make it feel a little like mountain biking, if that makes any sense 🙂

mtbmatt, saw you riding road west out of Solva about 10 days ago. left you plenty of space and got beeped by the driver behind me. he must have recognised you from your Wiggle kit too.

we were camping in Tretio just north of St Davids with 7 year old son. 4 days of sun. 4 days, and nights, of Gale Force 8. mental. main entry zips on tent were ripped open, rain pouring in. bought another tent the next day – main pole snapped. we bailed a day early.

best of british to you, Mbnut.

We are staying at Trefalen Farm, it is near Bosherston overlooking Broadhaven beach. Thanks Cloudnine, my lad is 12 so any ride would be at a mild pace but it would be great if you are free or even just some pointers as to what sections to ride.

I have just watched a video of the Blue at Brechfa and that looked good, either that or Cwm Rhearder (sp) which I think would be a challenge for him… either way we will get out riding at least once.

We are coming up from Kent and I suggested that we go somewhere more local as the weather looks better this end but my lad loves Wales and is so excited we are going to stick with it… we have been camping every year for 8 years and it is fair to say that it has rained and blown a gale most of the time!!

Looks like we will be pitching up in a downpour too…. gotta love it.

We are staying at Trefalen Farm, it is near Bosherston overlooking Broadhaven beach.

There’s a bit of bridlepath / landrover track into castlemartin, which might be worth a trundle. Just check the firing times. 😯

You can ride from Trefalen Farm across the coast path towards st. govans head and probably right across the MOD range if they arent firing. Trefalen is an awesome campsite albeit very basic (i hope youve booked as i know it gets very busy). I’ll probably be up for a ride on sunday as im working saturday and monday.. If you fancy a coast path jaunt which is fun but very up and down its best to go early or late in the day as these are technically footpaths but wasted on walkers. Brechfa is probably about 1hr 15mins from the campsite.
What where you planning on doing over the weekend?

One of my mates owns a surf school if your looking for something to do in the rain.. http://www.outerreefsurfschool.com/

But will probably have to book now. Its going to be pretty windy on saturday so bring your extra big pegs 😆 This weather/wind/surf forecast is pretty reliable.. http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=39151

I have just watched a video of the Blue at Brechfa and that looked good, either that or Cwm Rhearder (sp) which I think would be a challenge for him… either way we will get out riding at least once.

Cwm Rhaeadr is not overly technical, but it is lots of fun! Well worth a visit. It is quite short, so should suit a young rider. 2 laps should be easy to achieve, but there is at least the option of stopping after just 1 lap.

mtbmatt, saw you riding road west out of Solva about 10 days ago. left you plenty of space and got beeped by the driver behind me. he must have recognised you from your Wiggle kit too.

I remember that. Not sure why but drivers in Pembrokeshire seemed a little less patient than I am used to. Appreciate you leaving time/space though.

Hope you a good weekend and managed to get packed up this morning before the deluge started.
A few phone pics from my ride yesterday morning..

Cloudnine, whereabouts are those pics? i live in Pembs but don’t recognise that beach. Im always up for a ride if you ever want someone to ride with.

There’s an hour’s worth of semi cheeky riding in the woods at Little Milford. 😉

cloudnine photos are the best mtbing to be had. been going to see the wifes family there for getting on for 17 years now and never found anything of worth.
the coasteering is brilliant, i was at the blue lagoon (shown above) a couple of weeks ago and did the middle ledge, bottled the top and that was with the tide in and really high! a 12 year old lass with our party went off it and said there was nothing to it!
if you have kites and surf stuff then new gale is appropriately named but the camp site there flooded when we were there, not sure what its like now or white sands at st davids.
if you get chance try and book on the jet boat from st justinians, amazing fun.

NH.. theres heaps of cheeky coast path trails that are similar.. you just have to know where. Theres also a few trails through private woodlands that i cant mention that have been made by locals that are pretty good too.

that is the pembrokeshire coastal path, a footpath, not a ‘trail’, er what is it with some people— do you ride on pavements as well ??

Hi guys

Big thanks to Cloudnine for info and offer of a ride, as you know we have no signal at the site and i am struggling to get my email at all… we are currently sat outside macdonalds in pembroke Dock to catch up with the world.

We went to Brechfa and my lad made all the climbs and flowed great down the descents… at the end he was buzzing and saying he couldn’t believe how much fun it was at the same time as being so scary.

Weather has been pretty unrelenting and still blowing a gale and the occasional thunderstorm… gotta love it.

Good surf though so will be in the drink in the morning!!

Cheers again for all suggestions.

Good stuff.. I was surfing down broadhaven yesterday morning at dawn..

Heres me 🙂

@cloudnine – special water resistant maxheadroom hair do 😀

One for the Blue Lagooners

Vid and pics here – http://www.redbull.com/cs/Satellite/en_INT/Video/red-bull-cliff-diving-uk-video-021243255665504

We were here a couple of weeks back when they were setting up. They got lucky with the weather!!

Another pembrokeshire trail… in HD too!!

http://www.pinkbike.com/video/258731/

😯 @ Scuttler’s vid