Afan - Whites Level Times

msp1

Rode Whites Level today, as on my previous visit last month thought I'd time myself as a way of measuring fitness and I suppose skill level.
Times are from leaving the car park to geting to the bench at the top and from the bench back to the carpark.

Sept - 57 mins up, 47 mins down - few stops / chats on the way up.
Oct 7 - 52 mins up, 52 mins down - 2 short stops on the way up, got tallking to a couple of lads from Somerset on the way down.

All in all another great day out. Consider myself to be medium fitness and average rider. Be interested to see other riders times. Have read posts saying the up is do-able in 38 mins, I must try harder

welshkev

i've never actually timed myself but going on the clock in the car the last time i did it, it took me about an hour and a half.

couldn't do it in that time now though, it'd take me that long just to get out of the car park

Anonymous

Both times I've done Whites it's been nearly an all day affair, what with lots of stops for chats, snacks, photo/videos

Though do you do the black DH at the top as part of Whites? That's a must for me.

njee20

Last time I was there we did the climb in 38 minutes, but that was doing W2 and Penhydd, so wasn't really pushing it, did the whole thing in just over an hour a couple of years ago.

Thewaylander

Yeh hole trail is sort of an 1hour10, to 1hour30 depending if we mess arround alot or not, its only 18Km or so

othello

I'm at Afan tomorrow so I'll time myself!

First time for me so should be fun. Is it a straight choice between the black run and the 'normal' run or does the black run loop back and then you do the trail as normal?

Looks like good weather for it too

Thewaylander

it's just an addtiotion loop, its not long and really easy, so you may aswell do it to extend the trail a bit.

msp1

njee20 wrote:

Last time I was there we did the climb in 38 minutes, but that was doing W2 and Penhydd, so wasn't really pushing it, did the whole thing in just over an hour a couple of years ago.

:shock:

If I can shave the climb down to 40 mins I'll be very content. I do the whole climb in the saddle, is this what others do?

Should have added the bike detail as well, Lapierre Zesty 314.

Thewaylander

Why would you stand up to pedal up hill on a bounce bike it's inefficient.

njee20

And tiring, that's not to say there aren't times when a few out of the saddle efforts help, out of the switchbacks particularly.

I tend to climb in the saddle, with the inevitable burst out of the saddle.

38 minutes was on a Top Fuel 9.9, so got a somewhat more racey bike to do it on! I was riding with some pretty fit guys too, which spurs one on!

Anonymous

Thewaylander wrote:

Why would you stand up to pedal up hill on a bounce bike it's inefficient.

That's what lock outs are for. A good lock out practically turns it into a hard tail.

Or systems like on mine (I Drive) are designed to not induce pedal bob in these situations.

Not that I can stand for long myself climbing be it on a hard tail or full sus. If it gets to that point I get off and push, but then the achievement for me is not in the climb anyway.

njee20

Most short (and an increasing number of longer) travel bikes pedal really well anyway, I've got an RP23 shock with ProPedal and never touch it, the days of FS bikes bouncing around all over the place when you're pedalling are thankfully long gone!

weeksy59

Mine is about 42 mins or so up, however i've not done the down many times as we often do Skyline. I'll have a go next time over there though

legin

i thought i was slow doing the climb in 40 mins and the whole trail about 1.25 i dont feel so bad now

othello

I did Whites for the first time on Saturday with three friends and had an amazing time!

To get to the top (which I assume you mean is where the black run splits on the open fireroad) took us 44mins actual riding time. Plus another 30mins of stopping I reckon, though oddly I cannot get that data out of my Garmin!

Must be me, but I found the climb on The Wall harder. Must have been the psychological factor of the fireroad stretching out seemingly forever!

njee20

The Wall climb is soul-destroyingly boring! Helped very slightly if you do W2, as you at least avoid a chunk of fireroad from the visitor centre.

You must have auto stop/start on, so you'll only have the moving time recorded.

othello

njee20 wrote:

You must have auto stop/start on, so you'll only have the moving time recorded.

I turned on auto stop/star after I forgot to turn it back on once and it didn't record an entire ride! I'll time myself the old fashioned way next time I go

rhyko7

I can get round in an hour & 10 mins if i clip in and dont do the black, normally takes onwards of hour and half in flats and ride the black twice tho :?

im tempted to do the mash up-wish they had a no spd's section, cos i hate the things, but they make you so much quicker. :roll:

Richard2118

It takes me from when I start it until i finish it