Afan - last minute visit/trail advice please?

jmillen

Evening folks,

I wonder if anyone could offer some advice please. I'm looking at planning a last minute trip to Afan this week (Wednesday & Thursday). I'll be travelling up from South Devon early Wednesday morning, so hoping to get there around 10am.

I've never been before, and I've got a bit bogged down in trail reviews and which ones start at which centre etc.

Could anyone offer some suggestions as to which trails are worth the effort, and which order is best to do them in based on where they start etc bearing in mind my limited time. I'm also keen to leave a bit of time to have a play in the bike park.

I'd be most grateful for your views and any advice/tips on visiting in general. Please let me know if you need any further info to help with an answer.

Thank you in advance,
James

benpinnick

W2 on your fist day, then blade on your second day followed by a play in the park.

dusk

That's funny, I've just got back after a couple of days and did W2 and Blade. I have to say I found W2 disappointing but Blade was fantastic. Didn't see the bike park, signposting was generally awful though.

welshkev

dusk wrote:

That's funny, I've just got back after a couple of days and did W2 and Blade. I have to say I found W2 disappointing but Blade was fantastic. Didn't see the bike park, signposting was generally awful though.

Everyone I know who's ridden blade says its crap and I love w2 :?

dusk

they're idiots, but it was quite wet on Blade still especially compared to W2 so they might have gone at a bad time. I found W2 to be lacking any flow and most of it felt pretty similar, Blade had much more variety and better flow. Of course it's my opinion but if you're a decent rider than I think Blade is better all day long, if you're less confident then W2 might be better.

welshkev

That's the complete opposite of what everyone else has told me

And the wall (part of w2) is one of my favourite ever trails

But as you say, it's horses for courses

dusk

I was really disappointed by the wall, It didn't live up to the hype for me, it was just overly rough with no real excitement. It felt a bit like it hasn't been updated in a decade.

I'll have to go and try skyline next time

welshkev

dusk wrote:

I'll have to go and try skyline next time

Meh. I was really disappointed with skyline, you'll probably like it

jmillen

Well, got back yesterday after a couple of days in Wales.

Afan on day 1 and did Penhydd, Blue Scar, The Wall and Rheilffordd (as a cool down) on day 1.

Glyncorrwg on day 2, did the main climb, followed Blade/Skyline/W2 signs until the split then went out and did the Skyline loop, and then came back onto Blade to the finish. Then went back up and did Whites Level.

All in all a great couple of days. Enjoyed the trails and the scenery. I think Coed y Brenin is next on my list !

monka106

sorry for the thread hijack, but how would the afan trails be for a relative new comer on a hardtail? ride alot of xc in the new forest, and the only proper trails i've ridden where at glentrool in scotland.

rockmonkeysc

Afan is fine on a hardtail for a beginner. There is nothing you can't roll and it all flows predictably.
The trails are red graded but no harder than most blue trails.

dusk

I went with my Brother who was on a hardtail, it's definitely doable but he did get 4 pinchflats over two rides (he does ride very quickly though!)

Ferrals

Whats do people think is better - whites level or blade?

are they both largely surfaced tracks?

p.s it says blade opens tomorrow, but clearly people have been riding it for ages?

welshkev

Ferrals wrote:

Whats do people think is better - whites level or blade?

are they both largely surfaced tracks?

p.s it says blade opens tomorrow, but clearly people have been riding it for ages?

I think the 'official' opening is tomorrow i.e, cut the ribbon, mayor and pictures in the paper etc. but the trail has been open for weeks.

how do you mean surfaced trails? do you mean as in similar to forest of dean? then no, they're proper off road, rocky, rooty trails. not done blade yet, I'm doing it on sunday. but I prefer the wall to whytes level anyway

Ferrals

I meant like blue scar which is the only afan trail I've done - obviously its their easiest but I found it a bit dull, kind of like riding on a pavement. the video of blade looked like a lot of it was the same. I'm going to do one of them on sat. I was thinking about the wall, but isnt the climb all fire road? I love technical climbs so the idea of 6ks of singletrack climb appealed on whites level.

welshkev

Ferrals wrote:

I meant like blue scar which is the only afan trail I've done - obviously its their easiest but I found it a bit dull, kind of like riding on a pavement. the video of blade looked like a lot of it was the same. I'm going to do one of them on sat. I was thinking about the wall, but isnt the climb all fire road? I love technical climbs so the idea of 6ks of singletrack climb appealed on whites level.

the climb is part fireroad yes and a bit in the middle is fireroad also, but not all of it. you like climbing? you weirdo

Ferrals

Its only cos I get scared going downhill

Ferrals

I did whites level, absolutely fantastic trail. Loved every minute

dusk

Blade is more technically challenging than White's Level or The Wall and a lot more fun and varied (in my opinion of course).

Did you do the new final descent on White's Level? I found it brutal and pretty scary at high speed!

Ferrals

Yeah I did, but I can't say I did it at hi speed

I took the easier line quite a bit as on a hard tail but my arms were a bit rattled at the bottom.

One thing that annoyed me, and I know they have them for safety, but all those bloody gates on the climb really put me off my rhythm.

How much more technical is blade? Is it all rollable? I might give it a go later in the week, but bits of whites were at the limit of my comfort zone - although I was pushing it and not resting so was a bit fatigued towards the second half.

I was thinking of doing whites again in the morning and the wall in the arvo, but maybe I'll do a whites/ blade combo instead.

dusk

There's a couple of steep rock drops on Blade but most isn't so bad and would be fine. My brother did it on a Hardtail but he rides pretty hard and got three pinch flats.

Those gates are annoying, you have to slam your brakes on at the end of some descents and can't get a run up at the start of others!

Thewaylander

Gates are better than having the trail shredded by the local MX riders..

dusk

of course, but it still doesn't make them any less annoying!

jordan_217

What's the best trail for beasting yourself without having to rely on little (read 'no') technical know how? e.g. I fancy a good few hours in the saddle without drop offs, roots, etc I want more XC and climbing over DH. Please?

welshkev

jordan_217 wrote:

What's the best trail for beasting yourself without having to rely on little (read 'no') technical know how? e.g. I fancy a good few hours in the saddle without drop offs, roots, etc I want more XC and climbing over DH. Please?

I'd say skyline probably. it does have some nice descents, but take it slow and it's all rollable. definitely more climbing and nice views than all out descending

iirc it's 44km

jordan_217

welshkev wrote:

jordan_217 wrote:

What's the best trail for beasting yourself without having to rely on little (read 'no') technical know how? e.g. I fancy a good few hours in the saddle without drop offs, roots, etc I want more XC and climbing over DH. Please?

I'd say skyline probably. it does have some nice descents, but take it slow and it's all rollable. definitely more climbing and nice views than all out descending

iirc it's 44km

Great stuff, thanks. I've just reserved an Orange Crush hire bike from Skyline Cycles. I'm visiting the in-laws in Llangennech over the w'end so I thought I'd make myself scarce

Ferrals

What is the cafe like in the main afan bit? as good as the skyline cafe? I should get up for one day on the weekend.. my thought is to do a lap of whites level again, have a bacon and egg sandwich at skyline and a rest then head down and do a lap of penhyd and a lap of blue scar before stopping for lunch in the afan cafe and then a mess around in the skills park in the arvo

Either that or if the cafe in afan is no good I will do whites followed by blade - but i reckon that might be too tiring given the extra length and technicality of blade.

Stanners79

Cafe at afan is alright but not really geared up for muddy bikers. They always look a bit irritated when a gang of muddy riders walk in.

Food is gOod enough but I'd choose the cafe up at glyncorrwg or the one by the afan bike,park by the end of the graveyard section on the wall.

Ferrals

For the greater good I decided to evaluate the cafés by having one lunch in each Skyline at glyncorrwg is definately better than the afan one in my opinion

jmillen

Yeap, the cafe at Glyncorrwg is alot better than the Afan one.
Definitely recommend Skyline if you want some saddle time. You can't ride the whole track anymore because of the windfarm constuction so it's basically a big loop off of Blade but still a cracking ride with incredible views.
Okay, so I've done Bike Park Wales and Afan/Glyncorrwg now...what's next ?!

dusk

the rest of Wales! There's plenty more to enjoy.