I love my inlaws
stumpyjon
Posts: 3,983
Or rather I now love where they live, Cardiff. It's just dawned on me that both Afan & Cwmcarn are very very close 
. So instead of the usual flying weekend visit I've suggested we come down for the week.
Hopefully off to Cwmcarn tomorrow and Afan for a couple of days after that. So if you see a nervous looking git on a Stumpjumper FSR fixating over a tiny drop off somewhere it'll be me.
Thinking about getting some shin and elbow pads, would it be a good idea? I'm not the most confident rider and I'm wondering if these might help my confidence a bit.
Any recommendations or advice on the trials at Afan?
. So instead of the usual flying weekend visit I've suggested we come down for the week.Hopefully off to Cwmcarn tomorrow and Afan for a couple of days after that. So if you see a nervous looking git on a Stumpjumper FSR fixating over a tiny drop off somewhere it'll be me.
Thinking about getting some shin and elbow pads, would it be a good idea? I'm not the most confident rider and I'm wondering if these might help my confidence a bit.
Any recommendations or advice on the trials at Afan?
It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result
I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result
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Comments
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Ha ha good work with the location. I've got a friend moving to Swansea for uni. I'll be visiting almost every weekend i think!
If you're as nervous as you sound with riding, knee/shin pads would be a good idea for cwmcarn and Afan. They're not the smoothest of trails in places but great fun.
Cwmcarn not much advice here as its only one trail but take it steady. the climb is a killer but the downs are good fun and keep the brakes covered and eyes open!
Afan - you've got the choice of 5 trails in theory. although we might ignore skyline (46km) and W2 (whites level and the wall combined as 1 ride) for now. The wall, Penhydd and Whites level. I wouldn't say that much divide those three. All red trails and all certainly worth doing if you've got time.
The wall has a mostly boring fireroad climb but the descent is really long and I rate it.
Whites level the climb I find to be really engaging and seems to pass quite quickly as you're concentrating so much, again, they don't hold back on the descents and the newer "energy level" section in the middle is worth it.
Penhydd is the only one I haven't done much of. Last time i did a short route of it. The climb is pretty demanding although not as bad as cwmcarn in my books. I find that unlike the wall this has got several outstanding descents rather than just the one at the end.
Basically it won't matter which you do as they're all among the best trails in the UK in my eyes. The climbs are killers but the descents make up for it.
A friend has just gone to afan today leaving me at home with no rear wheel...
hence the nattering in this post ha ha0 -
Nice one, I've got more enthusiastic about visiting my in-laws since I realised the Yorkshire Dales are less than an hour from Leeds.
If you've got lots of time at Afan, do them in the following order...
Penhyd, Wall, White's, Skyline.
Allow a full day for Skyline, but the otehrs can easily be done two in a day (three if you're keen).
On pads - I didn't think of getting them uintil I'd cut me knee open really badly and ruined a biking holiday on my first day - so I'd definitley say buy some knee pads.
Whether you get ones with shin pads too is your call - I find them a bit hot for big XC rides. I also wear elbow pads for rocky terrain.0 -
I strap them to the camelbak for the uphill then put them on for the descent.Chaka Ping wrote:Whether you get ones with shin pads too is your call - I find them a bit hot for big XC rides.0 -
Cheers guys, got some knee pads this morning, some softish 661 pads, not the Vegy ones the slightly more expensive ones. I'm not too worried about the hills, I live in the Pennine's and hills come as standard. I'm a bit nervous about the downs, I generally like to keep both wheels on the ground, however this may be due to the fact I've only ever ridden natural trails and you never know whether the landing zone is going to be OK or not. I might just be over awed by all the comments on here about the Trail centres, rough stuff doesn't bother me too much, ridden my fair share of rock gardens etc.
Will see tomorrow, if I'm posting tomorrow evening it all went well 8)
PS I'm in Cardiff all week so it's Cwmcarn tomorrow and then hopefully Afan for at least 2 of the other days.It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result0 -
Dirtbiker - I do that too, but it's not always practical on rides with a series of uphill/downhill bits. So I've got some 661 DJ knee pads for £10 off ebay to wear all ride in place of my 661 Race pads sometimes.
Jon - I hope you won't be disappointed. The trails at Afan and Cwmcarn are very good - but probably nowhere near as technical as you're imagining.
They're quite fast and flowing, with small rock steps in places and some low-level woodwork.
Let us know your verdict!0 -
Stumpy thats why I go and see my cousin up in Wales
Regarding leaving the ground I try to keep the
bike compressed so I hover over the the jumps
Bit like peaty I dont like doing big air Just scared of hights 0 -
I find Whites Level the most technically challenging of the trails at Afan. The new energy section is pretty awesome, I found some of it quite intimidating as I went through it, at one point I came off and ended up about 5m from the trail looking up at the tree tops!
The Wall is an awesome trail once you get over the grinding climb all the way up, and Penhydd has some fantastic flowing sections. I am truly jealous that you will be spending a couple of days over there. Have fun! :P0 -
Well I'm back and didn't fall off. Did the Twrch trail twice, 1 hr 23 first time and 1 hour 18 the second (are these times any good?). Had my 661 Kyle Strait knee pads on for about 3 hrs, fairly impressed at the comfort, whilst they were warm and I could feel them at no time was I desperate to get them off or did they interfere with pedalling.
Thoroughly enjoyed it, had more trouble with the uphill obstacles than the down, it was a bit slippery on some of the roots and coming from Pennine Lancashire they're not something I'm used to. Actually overtook a couple of people, was really surprised. Felt fairly comfortable on the downhill sections, within my comfort zone, so either they're easier than I expected or I need to go faster :shock: .
Off to Afan tomorrow, going to have a punt at Penhyd and Wall,, may have a go at Whites depends on how knackered I am.It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result0 -
I forget how lucky I am living in Cardiff listening to you lot. Oh yes, and I keep a caravan Bala which is 20 mins from Coed Y Brenin and 40 mins form Llandegla... oh well life its tough sometimes eh!!
Anyway, stumpyjon, don't forget Brechfa, but further a field, about hour and half from Cardiff but getting great reviews (new trail just opened), haven't been myself
John (also on a stumpy!)0 -
Penhyd and the wall will keep you busy for the day. I'd be impressed if you can get over to whites level and do that too. If you could happily cope with cwmcarn you won't find anything too much worse technically at Afan. more of the same which is good more roots maybe as i find cwmcarn pretty damn rocky. You can always go faster too just get to know the trail first
A chap at work is paralysed from the final descent at cwmcarn...
How did you rate the uphill today?
I'd say 1hr18 is a pretty good time and certainly nothing to hide about. especially on your first two laps of a new trail. what bike you on?
I'm 24yrs old on a marin quake (7" travel and 39lbs) and really going for it my pb is 1hr13... course record i believe is around the 42min mark.
John_E you really need to try the raven route. mind blowing but you need to be able to ride berms!0 -
Well done Penhydd and the Wall yesterday. As you said Dirtbiker more roots than Cwmcarn. Think I preferred Cwmcarn overall, more intense, especially the uphill which whilst fairly sustained is more engaging than the fire road slogs on the two trails I did yesterday.
Had a mechanical on the last section of Penhydd which I did second. The sidewinder section which is very sandy ate my rear pads. No problem I though smugly I've got spare pads. Then realised I'd forgotten the spring and then after getting the new pads in realised the pistons weren't far enough apart to take the disk and I couldn't get them out again. Ended up with the caliper strapped to my seat post and only a front brake which was interresting :shock:
Might try Whites level tomorrow and maybe a final bash around Cwmcarn on Friday.
Dirtbiker, I'm 37 :roll: and riding a Stumpjumper FSR Elite which is probably the ideal bike for these trails. Quite a few people on full sussers at Cwmcarn, everybody at Afan seemed to be on hardtails :shock:It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result0 -
1hr18 is damn good then
whites level is a must. fewer fireroads I believe compared to penhyd and the wall. that first climb on the wall is pretty boring for sure.
If you felt you could cope fairly happily with the trails so far give the black section at the top of whites level a go. Its at the top of the climb and is a loop so you don't miss any red. starts at the top of the cilmb. black goes off left through a gate/gap in fence/motorbike stopper thing and red goes straight on through a similar fence thing, they're signposted but dunno how clearly it says so. They both come out of the woods at that point. the black drops down into a couple of berms and along a 100m fireroad then theres boardwalks, tabletops and exciting descents. nothing too beyond cwmcarn etc.
someone correct me if i'm wrong.
pdf map showing the black run can be found and then printed? from here:
http://www.mbwales.com/en/content/cms/C ... Level.aspx0 -
See, it wasn't that bad, was it?
Hope you get time to do Whites, it's much better than the other two and you'll enjoy the climb a lot more.
Hoping to make it over there myself in early September, and this is whetting my appetite for it!0 -
Well, cracked off White's Level today, definitely the most demanding technically and physically of the four routes I've done. No mechanicals but it did p*ss down from start to finish which made bits rather interesting (that big rocky slope in the Black run section :oops: for instance). The new Energy section was pretty good, felt quite close to the edge on a couple occaisions then realised I'd done the whole section with my rear shock locked out :roll: . I can see me suggesting more frequent visits to the inlaws in the future .
Doing the Taff trail in Cardiff tomorrow with the wife and daughter (flat family trail). Won't be quite the same but it'll be the first time the missus has been on her bike in over 2 years.It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result0 -
ahh glad you had a go at the black. know the rocky slope you mean and its good fun in the dry, god knows what it'd be like in the wet.
glad you managed to try all the trails.
how did you rate them in general compared to your normal riding?0 -
Found them more mentally sustained than my local trails and surprisingly not as physically taxing on the ups as expected. Most of my local trails are open moorland with big grinding climbs followed by semi technical descents.
Definitely be going back next time I'm in Cradiff. Also been recommended to try out Brechfa.It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result0
