Cwmcarn Trails

Sah1990

Hi there,
Me and a friend have planned a trip to Cwmcarn in July as his Nan lives in Magor, which is only a train ride to Cwmcarn.
I would just like to know more about the CwmDown service they offer and more about the trial center itself.
We was looking at going to ride there on Friday and Saturday and maybe Sunday at a push.
My question is, if we want to ride the XC route on the Saturday does that require a CwmDown pass/booking? Or do you just start, go up, down and around then your back at the start/finish?
If we decide to do the Downhill section on Friday and purchase the CmwnDown service I take it last all day? So we could do maybe 5-6 runs? Depends how we feel lol.
If we don't wish to use the CwnDown service is there anything else we have to pay for?
Such as General use of the trials?
I don't mean to sound tight, but where just trying to add up how much its going to cost us:)

Cheers

popstar

Cwmcarn has got 2 trails. Twrch(15km) = XC red* and Y Mynyyd downhill (2km)black*. Twrch trail has got some nice technical climbing and 2 versions of trail at the top of hill once you finally climb it. 1 of them is beutifully flowing and the other one is more play style like called Airstream. If you are into jumps-berm-jumps then you gonna enjoy it. Little video mind you we did ride it 1st time, so no mental speeds there.

You don't need to pay anything for parking nor do you have to buy CwmDown uplift service. Unless if you don't want to climb you can buy single uplift £3.50, x5 uplifts for £15 or all day uplfit for £25.Pass can be bought either online, in trail-center or from driver I pressume. You could use uplift for XC loop too. Having pre-booked uplift service gives you priority of boarding a van which is very usefull during weekends, on normal weekdays you wouldn't have a problem of boarding a van really.

Wish you have a good weather on a day and enjoy yourself.

Sah1990

Thanks for the reply.
Must say that video is awsome!
Well as I said, on Friday we was going to do the Y Mynyyd DownHill route and Saturday the XC Route.
How hard is the climb up to the Downhill route? and would it be best to book the CwmDown?
I only have a GT Avalanche 1.0 HT so would this be ok for the DH route, say taking it easy?
I'm sure it will be fine for the XC route tho

Cheers

craker

Sah1990 wrote:

How hard is the climb up to the Downhill route? and would it be best to book the CwmDown?
I only have a GT Avalanche 1.0 HT so would this be ok for the DH route, say taking it easy?

It's tarmac all the way up (it pretty well runs alongside the XC route). 30 minute grind maybe?

I've cycled the XC route lots but never done the DH. Not sure why. The idea of spending £4 to get a lift up a hill for a 2km blat down pales next to the excellent xc route. Depends what you're into I suppose. I ride HT and have been assured by my DH mates that it's well doable, just don't have a go at the big drops if you're not confident of landing them.

Not so sure about a train service from Magor to Cwmcarn, your nearest stations are Severn Tunnel Junction and Newport. If you can get a lift there then Cwmcarn's not so much futher away.

Sah1990

Not to bad then
We will see I spose.
Its cool about the trian as we have already sorted that out, as you said go from Severn Tunnel Junction which is only 4 Miles from the house

Cheers

popstar

Downhill run is perfectly doable on HT, just skip 1 drop and majority of places is perfectly rollable. Last time, with group rides other guy did ride a couple of times and was scared then pleased. So yea, enjoy without worrying!

Do pay respect even to XC trail, it took some casualties with group rides.

topo

Weekdays you could probably get runs done with the uplift without much trouble and by paying on the day. Weekends is when you would be best off booking your place as it gets busy and i believe they over sell the seats so you will be hard pushed to get a space, and if you do then prepare to get kicked off if someone comes with a full day pass behind you.
I am lazy and not an XCer so whenever i do the xc i get a lift up to the freeride and ride it from there . And on a side note dont go to the freeride its a waste of time.
Im also from magor and weve got wentwood about 10mins away so if you have a free day let me know and i will show you around

welshkev

topo wrote:

Weekdays you could probably get runs done with the uplift without much trouble and by paying on the day. Weekends is when you would be best off booking your place as it gets busy and i believe they over sell the seats so you will be hard pushed to get a space, and if you do then prepare to get kicked off if someone comes with a full day pass behind you.
I am lazy and not an XCer so whenever i do the xc i get a lift up to the freeride and ride it from there . And on a side note dont go to the freeride its a waste of time.Im also from magor and weve got wentwood about 10mins away so if you have a free day let me know and i will show you around

i wouldn't say it's a waste of time, it is fun but it's not the same now they've taken the ladder drops and wall ride away

and yes, wentwood is good and much closer to magor

topo

Ok i will correct my statement.
If you are doing the xc then you could justify a stop off there, nothing much there now apart from a few small tables iirc.
But if you were booked onto the uplift (full day) then it would be a waste of time/money plus the anger of your fellow bus passengers who have to wait for you and your bikes to be taken off :P

craker

One of you gents will have to explain how to get the best out of the Wentwood DH. I tried it twice; never found the top (can't have been too far off though) , ended up upside down in a hedge after getting stuck in a rut etc etc.

It's a bit of a blast but a grind to get back up. Any other single track in Wentwood worth looking at? I've found the odd bit of bridleway on the Earlswood side of things, and seen some folk descending from Gray Hill. (Just checked my map, it is on bridleway).

btw, as for getting from the freeride area of Cwmcarn to the top of the DH, there's some excellent singletrack to get you there... it's the XC route. And stopping the bus to get off is hardly a crime is it.

topo

I will e-mail you over some directions now.
Push up isnt very hard imo despite the occasional moaning from people. Theres a nice bit og singletrack i usually ride before i go back to the car, ive been told it is a loop and if you follow it round it will get you to where you started although i havent tryed that yet as i havent had time. There is some good singletrack to get you from there to the DH but myn point is its not worth stopping off at the freeride if your planning a day on the DH as its not worth it. But as hes planning a day of xc and naother of DH it doesent really matter. And the bus bit was a joke hence the smiley face.

welshkev

mr_si wrote:

One of you gents will have to explain how to get the best out of the Wentwood DH. I tried it twice; never found the top (can't have been too far off though) , ended up upside down in a hedge after getting stuck in a rut etc etc.

It's a bit of a blast but a grind to get back up. Any other single track in Wentwood worth looking at? I've found the odd bit of bridleway on the Earlswood side of things, and seen some folk descending from Gray Hill. (Just checked my map, it is on bridleway).

btw, as for getting from the freeride area of Cwmcarn to the top of the DH, there's some excellent singletrack to get you there... it's the XC route. And stopping the bus to get off is hardly a crime is it.

i had to get directions e mailed to me and then it's easy to find. worth a trip. anyone know if they're planning anymore races there?

TOPO oh yeah, definately wouldn't say to do it on an uplift day.

topo

welshkev wrote:

i had to get directions e mailed to me and then it's easy to find. worth a trip. anyone know if they're planning anymore races there?

TOPO oh yeah, definitely wouldn't say to do it on an uplift day.

Dont want to steal this fellas topic but nothing is planned, unless one of the established organisers wants to use it as a venue. A new track may emerge soon though so watch this space