# Riding in Wales



## kamelherder (Mar 5, 2007)

Guys.
My partner and I will be in Wales (from Oz) in early October and have one day allocated to riding. I'm after recommendations on the best place to do so given the limited time.
We prefer fast, swoopy singletrack. Probably around red standard.
We will need bike hire (preferably on site and including helmet) as we're not bringing any gear with us. We'll have a car so transport isn't really an issue.
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Jono


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## Jonesy33 (Mar 18, 2008)

BIKE or Mountain bike action or mountain bike... can't remember which one, did an article a few months back about riding in Wales. I'll take a look through my back issues and see if I can't pin down which magazine and which issue for you...


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## mcgemski (Nov 6, 2008)

Check out this web site
http://www.mbwales.com

My personal favourite trail centres are Afan, Cwm Carn and Brechfa. I would say any of these trails would be perfect for swoopy single track. You will be able to hire bikes at both Cwm Carn and Afan. If you go to Afan then try Skyline cycles rather than the hire shop at the forest park. they have a range of top bikes like Orange, etc. Brechfa would be a little more of a problem but you could hire bikes in Swansea possibly.

Hope this helped.


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## trusz (Mar 16, 2009)

Afan is your best bet! I would recommend you do the W2 trail. Lots of single track and woopy stuff. Bike hire on site from skyline cycles too.

Map for you
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&source=hp&q=glyncorrwg+ponds&ie=UTF8&z=16

onsite shop/hire website:

http://www.skylinecycles.co.uk/

If you want to hire a full susser, for an extra £10, I'd probably phone up a couple of weeks in advance and say you want to book a demo on an Orange 5 for the the day over a Kona Dawg 

As long as you have a backpack or something to carry some food/water you'll be fine. There's a great on-site cafe too that sells all sorts of food.


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## Nsynk (Sep 30, 2008)

You don't say where in wales you will be based.It is not that small a country that you would want to wake up in the North and ride in South.

So for recomendations. In the south definately Afan I personally think it is the best in wales.
in the middle-coed y brenin
north west machynlleth
north east-Coed Llandegla

Enjoy it (and bring a waterproof-it will be raining)


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## trusz (Mar 16, 2009)

Nsynk said:


> Enjoy it (and bring a waterproof-it will be raining)


Don't be so pessimistic


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## MarkFu (Jul 29, 2008)

As mentioned above, if you're in the South - Afan, and if you're in the North - Coed y Brenin. Lots of choice at both trail centres. They are the biggest two in Wales and have the most variety and trailhead facilities. Personally i like Penmachno in the North, but it's only one trail (Well 2 loops really), there is no visitor centre and you'd have to go into Betws y Coed to get a hire bike.

If you go to Afan, i would park up at Glyncorrwg visitor centre and ride the W2 trail, if you go to Coed y Brenin i would probably ride the Dragons Back or the Beast (A lot of fireroad on this though).

Whatever you do, have fun. Wales has some great mtb'ing.


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## rhyko (Nov 10, 2008)

i live in south wales near cwmcarn, i enjoy riding there along with Afan and Brechfa but i must say that coed y brenin is the daddy!


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## majmun325 (Jun 11, 2007)

I live in Caerphilly now for 3 weeks. Since I came here it didnt stop raining...I still dont get it how that can be sayin to me that im gonna get used to it  been on the bike twice in this time. First time went to cwmcarn to do the twrch trail and i was sooooooooooo wet. Woke up in lovely clear sky with some sun shining, as soon as I got my ass on the bike it started pouring down  I said fu.. it and went on, thought that it will pass, but it did not, and the trail was unbelievably wet. So I ended soaking wet with my waterproof clothes on...Probably it would be awesome at the normal time of the year, but at the moment it is just bloody to wet...And I did try my luck again after 4 days. I ended up washing my bike again for an hour! The worst conditions ever for riding the bike. And on top of it I am looking at pics on facebook of my mates from Slovenia riding bikes in mint conditions at this time of year


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## Nsynk (Sep 30, 2008)

Told you it will rain!

In fairness the past three weeks have been extra ordinarily wet across the whole od the British Isles. Just look at Cumbria!

Once the rain stops and it turns colder the frosty hard ground is actually great fun to ride on, you will enjoy it and if not you will get used to the rain eventually! all that slip sliding in mud can only make you a better rider.


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## majmun325 (Jun 11, 2007)

well dont get me wrong, I enjoy being wet and I just love biking in wet. But all the sand and the mud that you have now it makes it really hard for the bike. Bike cleaning is really something that took me an hour after each ride. 
Im hoping for the frost to come ASAP 

Where are you from again? Im down in Caerphilly, so if you are from south wales we can arrange to meet and go biking!


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## trusz (Mar 16, 2009)

I went to Cwmcarn after work last night and got ****ing soaked! Worst thing was the gritty spray which meant I had my eyes pretty much closed for half of the final descent in to the car park. Lucky my mate offered to drop my bike off in his van or I would have had to take the wheels off and try and put it on a sheet in the back of my car without getting marks all over the roof! 

When will this damn rain stop!? I thought it was going to stay nice today and just as I leave work, it pisses down again Suppose I can now spend an hour or so cleaning the bike from last night. I only gave it a quick hose down and some WD40 on the drive train


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## AndrewDrummond (Dec 10, 2007)

trusz said:


> I went to Cwmcarn after work last night and got ****ing soaked! Worst thing was the gritty spray which meant I had my eyes pretty much closed for half of the final descent in to the car park. Lucky my mate offered to drop my bike off in his van or I would have had to take the wheels off and try and put it on a sheet in the back of my car without getting marks all over the roof!
> 
> When will this damn rain stop!? I thought it was going to stay nice today and just as I leave work, it pisses down again Suppose I can now spend an hour or so cleaning the bike from last night. I only gave it a quick hose down and some WD40 on the drive train


Try one of these:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=24478

a riding mate has an inner tube rigged up to do the same and was'nt getting any spray/mud in the eyes.


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## trusz (Mar 16, 2009)

The missus bought me one for Christmas  It works great.


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