A recent trip to Afan

T1berious

Good Morning,

I just wanted to share some of my experiences and hear the thoughts of others who have ridden at Afan.

We did The Wall and Penhydd runs, probably in the wrong order (Penhydd first) and qas really surprised by the amount of gates that stopped you dead in your tracks and you had to walk the bike through.

I can understand this if it was to protect walkers (why not just set up a pile of rocks to negate? that could slow you down?) but some of these gates were set 10 meters or more away from the next trail and also at the base of a climb. Anyone know why this is the case?

Is it just to ensure everyone stops to admire the nPower sponsorship signs and section names?

Really enjoyed the trails (especially the graveyard just wish there we more sections like it there) but the gates were sucking the joy out of it?

I just wanted to hear some thoughts on it.

hoochylala

T1berious wrote:

I can understand this if it was to protect walkers (why not just set up a pile of rocks to negate? that could slow you down?) but some of these gates were set 10 meters or more away from the next trail and also at the base of a climb. Anyone know why this is the case?

I would suggest that they are mos tlikely there to stop motorbikes accessing the trail?

weeksy59

hoochylala wrote:

T1berious wrote:

I can understand this if it was to protect walkers (why not just set up a pile of rocks to negate? that could slow you down?) but some of these gates were set 10 meters or more away from the next trail and also at the base of a climb. Anyone know why this is the case?

I would suggest that they are mos tlikely there to stop motorbikes accessing the trail?

Agreed.

T1berious

Ahh that would explain it.

stomith

Whites level is worse. I swear as you progress thru the trail.... the gates get narrower and narrower, which really freaked me out. I thought I was getting fatter as each section completes. weird.

T1berious

Seems a shame they have to do that as it pretty much kills the flow of the trail in places, namely climbs.

At one point i thought it was to get nPower logo's more exposure

el loco pollo

The gates are there to stop horse riders and motorbikes. I don't really know what you're whining about - the gates are at the start and finish of sections.

stumpyjon

T1berious wrote:

it pretty much kills the flow of the trail in places, namely climbs.

Not half as much as a few MX bikes up and down

There is a technique to getting through them quickly, hop off the back, front wheel up vertical and push through. Getting back on quickly though can be more diffiuclt, reversing the the getting off manouvre can be a little embarrasing :oops: