Cwmcarn/Afan red routes

tilt

Just after a bit of advice as to the standard required for the above reds...

My wife has fairly recently started to come out with me at our local woods - there's plenty of reasonably challenging bits (rooty sections, steepish downhills, small bits of northshore) but I was just wondering how difficult the reds are?

She's happy to get stuck in on her bike (we've been snowboarding together for the last 12 years so she's not afraid of a bit of adrenaline and getting bruised ) but at the same time I don't want to put her off completely!

Of the five reds at Cwmcarn/Afan, any suggestions on the best one to try first?

joec1

Whites all the challangeing stuff can we navigated safely an alternative way

tilt

Yeah Whites looks pretty sweet, cheers 8)

miss notax

If it's open, I would try Penhydd before Whites... There is quite a techy climb at the start of Whites which can be challenging if you're not used to that sort of stuff, and disheartening as it's right at the start. I know this because I spent years walking up in when I started riding

Penhydd is much more flowy, without the techy climb but with enough stuff to be bloody good fun. If she loves that, then try Whites!

tilt

Hmmm, climbing isn't exactly her forte tbh!

Looks like Penhydd is shut though.

Maybe we'll just try White's then, I don't mind walking with her if she struggles. Thanks for the advice.

miss notax

Cwmcarn red trail is also an option but if climbing isn't her thing, ride up the fireroad to the top of the xc course and then re-join the trail. The xc climb is super-techy and I would steer well clear of that! The descents are really nice so worth doing.

Such a shame about Penhydd - it's my favourite trail I think. Can be ridden slowly and carefully, or faster when it gets really flowy

tilt

Yeah, Cwmcarn is a bit nearer too which would be a bonus. Let's face it anywhere there are good descents then there are going to be less than enjoyable climbs first, sure she'll be fine.

welshkev

tilt wrote:

Hmmm, climbing isn't exactly her forte tbh!

Looks like Penhydd is shut though.

Maybe we'll just try White's then, I don't mind walking with her if she struggles. Thanks for the advice.

check out the wall, i much prefer it to whites and the climb is easier, alright so a lot of it is fireroad that's why it's easier but the singletrack is awsome

miss notax

welshkev wrote:

tilt wrote:

Hmmm, climbing isn't exactly her forte tbh!

Looks like Penhydd is shut though.

Maybe we'll just try White's then, I don't mind walking with her if she struggles. Thanks for the advice.

check out the wall, i much prefer it to whites and the climb is easier, alright so a lot of it is fireroad that's why it's easier but the singletrack is awsome

Yep, agree with this!

If you ride Cwncarn then I would definitely give the xc climb a miss and go up the fireroad - it's harder than the Whites Level climb and equally as soul-destroying! When I ride it now you can generally see at least one miserable person pushing their bike up :?

J@mesC

I just didn't get CwmCarn. The climb was definitely techy and hard going, but quite rewarding for it. However, I found the downhill sections to be rough, rocky and just didn't flow well. It felt like I got to the bottom and had constantly been on the brakes the whole way down - no where you could open up and let it flow. I also felt shaken to bits by the time I finished due to the rough surface!!

miss notax

J@mesC wrote:

I just didn't get CwmCarn. The climb was definitely techy and hard going, but quite rewarding for it. However, I found the downhill sections to be rough, rocky and just didn't flow well. It felt like I got to the bottom and had constantly been on the brakes the whole way down - no where you could open up and let it flow. I also felt shaken to bits by the time I finished due to the rough surface!!

I've probably ridden Cwncarn about 15/20 times over the past few years and i've only just got it... The last time I rode there I eased up on the brakes and honestly had the best MTB blast EVER on the downs. I think it's one of those trails that needs the right speed etc to get it to feel right (I have only just worked this out!) - or it did for me anyway :oops:

tilt

Some mixed opinions!

Was checking out Cwmcarn on youtube last night and it looked pretty nice to me, guess it's hard to tell from that though. Rocks/roughness don't worry me as I'm riding an AM full suss but the Mrs has a hardtail so probably better to start on something a bit smoother...

Thanks all for the input. The Wall sounds like a decent way to get started if the climb is easier tbh.

Silversladey

+ 1 for the Wall,
My fave of the 3 routes mentioned is Whites but the climb is a bit of a challenge. Cwmcarn is my local trail and is a really technical monster of a climb, the red downhill on Cwmcarn is awesome do what miss notax says release the brakes and let it flow .
My choice would be the Wall the climbs are much easier than Whites and Cwmcarn and the downhill is a joy. Have a great time 8)

welshkev

J@mesC wrote:

I just didn't get CwmCarn. The climb was definitely techy and hard going, but quite rewarding for it. However, I found the downhill sections to be rough, rocky and just didn't flow well. It felt like I got to the bottom and had constantly been on the brakes the whole way down - no where you could open up and let it flow. I also felt shaken to bits by the time I finished due to the rough surface!!

dude, i know it's my local trail and i ride it a lot but there's hardly any of the downs that you can't just let the bike go and grin all the way.

tilt

Excellent, thanks 8)

anjs

Don't do what I did one the Cwmcarn XC route and realise 3/4 of the way round that my forks had been locked out since the car park,

welshkev

anjs wrote:

Don't do what I did one the Cwmcarn XC route and realise 3/4 of the way round that my forks had been locked out since the car park,

DOH!!!!!!!!!!

just one other thing, i quite often 'cheat' and do the fireroad climb at cwmcarn, it's still steep but a whole lot easier than the proper climb and it's gets you to the fyn stuff quicker

tilt

Can you bail off the XC climb on to the fire road half way up if you decide it's too tough, or are you committed once you start it?

welshkev

tilt wrote:

Can you bail off the XC climb on to the fire road half way up if you decide it's too tough, or are you committed once you start it?

there's an initial climb straight out of the car park that's only about 300m long, then you go onto a nice bit of singletrack then through a gate and onto another small techy climb leading to a nice short downhill onto a road.

this is where the climb starts proper. you can either bare left onto the fireroad (over a big barrier as you're not really supposed to go that way) or follow the signs for the twrch trail. if you chose the twrch from here there's no way to get over to the fireroad as there's a big gully and stream running in between them, but it's worth a go at the climb if you fancy it as it is walkable if you struggle too much

Silversladey

There is also an uplift service if you wanted to get rid of any climbing Cwmdown i think it is called. regular bus shuttle runs to the top of the trail. It tends to be used by the downhill guys on the black run. the fireroad climb isn't to bad though and it knocks about 20 minutes off a lap time.

miss notax

Yeah, the last time I used cwmdown I felt about 100 years old and like I was wearing too much lycra.... :oops: :roll:

Silversladey

have attached a link to the company
http://www.cwmdown.co.uk/

miss notax no how you feel, mainly kids on downhill specific bikes going really fast. I have also seen people going down on supermarket specials :shock:

Dont see any reason why you cant use the uplift to ride the downhill section on the trwch trail passes are about £25 for the day.personally I like all the climbing :twisted:

J@mesC

welshkev wrote:

dude, i know it's my local trail and i ride it a lot but there's hardly any of the downs that you can't just let the bike go and grin all the way.

Maybe I was on a different trail then :P

Will give it another go as often over in Cardiff and I enjoyed the climb in a sadistic sort of way but I just felt like the downhill didn't flow nearly as well as other trail centres I've ridden.

Silversladey

Trwch is definitely a trail you get quicker on the more you ride it, the Afan trails are better kept and smoother, Cwmcarn is sometimes overgrown and allways has random large rocks and boulders as well as more exposed tree roots over it.

welshkev

Silversladey wrote:

Trwch is definitely a trail you get quicker on the more you ride it, the Afan trails are better kept and smoother, Cwmcarn is sometimes overgrown and allways has random large rocks and boulders as well as more exposed tree roots over it.

otherwise it'd be too easy you wuss