Brechfa - Gorlech - Dragons Breath

As sw.Wales is such a long way from home I decided that I'd make the effort, get my sorry butt outta bed bright and early on our last day at Nonni Barn, hit the Brechfa's red graded Gorlech trail and be back before breaky.  A great plan being back by 9.30am would mean getting up at 5am - gulp.  Ah well never mind, off to sleep I dropped.

Tick, tock, 5.15am and I'm wide awake - WTH!  I lay there and pondered a while before slipping from under the cover and to peep outside, the weather looked favourable so I figured WTH and saddled up.

The drive over the moor was a mix of clear skies and low sun into really thick "dragons breath" that made spotting the sheep and ponies tricky.  Popping out the top it was reminiscent of The Smoky Mountains, awesome.  20 minutes in the V-dub had me at the Abergorlech trail head with a couple of sleeping MTB campers for company.

The initial fireroad crank soon turns to a lovely steady singletrack rise that creeped up through the mist into the cool morning sunlight.  A warm up has NEVER been soooo INSPIRING.  It's not long before the climb ducks into the woodland and eventually you find the swoopy trail edging you into a middle ring crank, that's still climbing (just).  Oh my, now I'm smokin' and pop into a fab section of swoopiness that definitely make the climbing worth the effort.

Towards the end the red grading starts to glow purple as a trail steepens and switches back down the hillside.  There are a few techy bits to keep you on your toes and some of the descents egg you on into some serious speed.  Interestingly I found that the more speed you carry (if you dare) then the more sense the curves and "yumps" make.  They flooooooow brilliantly - well done to the trail pixies.

The views up top are far reaching and with the lifting mist I had to stop several times to gawp.  A couple of hours of fun later and I'm rolling past the still closed tent and start packing up.  A quick drive back over the moor to find that I'm back at base camp, a quick shower and I still have 10 minutes before another slap up breaky from Rosemary / Jim - you're the best.

Yeah the ride has a fair amount of fireroad climbs (most do) but some of the sweetest buff singletrack that you'll find upon this isle.  Sure Brechfa's trails are long way west but they're well worth the effort, I lurve it.

Alas no pic's, the camera got left back at the Magic Kingdom.

Posse: Farqui (5Spot) aka "Billy No Mates" that get up quite that early
Mechanicals: none
Weather: cool, clear and sunny
Injuries: none (note to self: must try harder)

Brechfa - Derwen - rash

Last Sunday I showed Roger and his lad (noobie alert, aged 11) around Brechfa's gentle green/blue graded route, the Derwen.  After a hearty Nonni Barn breakfast we drove over the moor and took in some breath taking views before plunging into the valley and to the busy trail head.  While the gals ambled off for a gentle woodland walk our small posse cranked up the fireroad and Ryan soon began to wonder if all this effort would be worth it - after all, his guides had already been labelled "bike freaks" - charming little chap ;)

Eventually the trail swings into the woods with some more gentle climbing that cleverly undulates and doesn't feel as bad as a continually upward fireroad stomp.  The tracks are wide and well scrubbed in with loose slate at the edges, so our little charmer was eased in gently soon started to smile.  Kids are such fast learners and without any fuss we soon completed the short green loop.

Taking a breather at the green/blue intersection the noobie was keen to push on with the slightly harder blue rather than head back on the easy green - what a trooper.  Unfortunately the blue winds it's way upwards on a steeper gradient than the little chap could handle but he did a sterling job, digging in and winching his way upwards wherever he could.

At the top some well deserved snacks were gulped down and the energy lift soon had our legs cranking into the woods for some big time downhill action.  The gradient was again a little steeper and more challenging but it didn't phase our v-braked buddy and even the switchbacks didn't slow him down too much.

Riding from the front I didn't get an opportunity to directly see his progress but I figured that he wasn't too far back so seemed to be doing well.  His pah meanwhile kept an eye on the youngerster who only needed a gentle reminder now and again.

The final few sections are a swoop fest of corner after corner and 'yump' after 'yump' - brilliant they are and we were soon back at the trailhead to meet the rest of our adventurers.  We then hit the new Drop Off cafe bus (operators formerly ran Afan's excellent Drop Off cafe) and I can see why the trail head was so busy.  Their munchies and coffee are as good as ever :)

Food is a great motivator and before packing up the bikes we decided to pop back up the fireroad and re-ride the very last section again.  With pah up front our lickle 'borrower' didn't need any encouragement to dart off downhill while I kept a close watch behind.  I don't thnk it'll be long before this little chap is going to be giving us 'old timers' a run for their money 'cos he's non too shoddy behind the bars.  Ripping between the trees (aka Star Wars 'speeders') it didn't take long before we rolled past the bus roof top and into the last few turns.

Then someone hit the slow-mo button...as we turned into the last few gentle switchbacks our noobie opted to shoulder a tree on the exit which sloooowly lofted him off his rig and into a superman dive down the trail.  At one point I was sure he'd beat dad to the fnish but alas gravity was stronger - the gravel bit into his left side and to top it off the bike landed on top of him!  Ouch.  Now pinned to the ground he needed assistance to unravel limbs from bike and considering how painful gravel rash can be he did well to stop yellin' as soon as he did.  With no serious injuries he was soon showing off his busted knee.  Oh and Ryan, next time you decide to drop-it can you pick a spot out of sight of your mum!

Well done Ryan, you're now officially one of the 'bike freaks', complete with scars :p

Appologies for no pic's, I forgot my camera.


Posse: Roger (Spesh FSR), Ryan (24" wheeled iron horse), Farqui (5Spot)
Mechanicals: None
Weather: sunny with a light cool breeze
Injuries: Ryan shoulder a tree - ouch, gravel rash - double ouch

NANT YR ARIAN - May 2nd 2010

Last year Chas and I visited Nant Yr Arian for the first time. We rode the Summit trail which is a very enjoyable Red graded trail but completed the ride quite quickly and were left feeling that it was somehow too short. Nant Yr Arian is located in mid Wales around an hours drive from Aberystwyth on the coast. It is a very rural and quirt part of Wales and last years family holiday was such a success that we decided to repeat the holiday on the same weekend this year.

This time around we resolved to ride the longest route on offer, the Syfydrin Trail. Its Black graded, 35Km long with over 3000ft accent and encompassed the Summit trail that we rode last year. The trail route map contained the following description:


"We almost don’t want to tell you about Syfydrin because it’s the wild, desolate, lonely beauty of the far loops of this route that create its magic. A unique mix of technical singletrack and ethereal emptiness, this genuine mountain route is one to savour, but certainly not one to underestimate."



I'd say that the above description could not be more accurate. The ride starts from the car park and the initial trail sections are classic trail centre single track..tristy berms and switchbacks...I really great start to the ride. However, its not long before the trail breaks off and using some short road sections quickly develops into remote double track. At first its uphill, then as it plateaued we were subjected to very wet (knee deep puddles!....all I could think of was my bottom bracket and suspension sealed bearings being washed out!) . Finally, it descends. It remains double track but the decent in places is rocky and moderately severe. It's certainly the most technical challenging section of the route and I found it enjoyable but a handful in places. As a result about 50 yards from the bottom I found myself travelling too fast, taking the wrong line and on wet slippery rock drop offs.....WIPEOUT. I'm now the proud owner of a very big black and purple bruised arse!! A bit shacken up...I resolved to ride on in hope that the pain would subside.




Not long after this section the ride began a gradual but long accent across wild open countryside and on route back to the shelter of woodland and the Summit trail. This isolated section of the ride was fantastic. I real feeling of wilderness and towards the top of the climb fantastic views of the sea and Welsh coastline (I wasn't expecting that!). On a wet and windy day, I can imagine that this section of the ride would be quite gruelling. Fortunately, just like last year...we had great weather!



Once back in the forest we picked up the Summit trail and set about making the most of the single track sections. However, the best of these (towards the end of the ride) are interrupted by a climb referred to as 'the log burner'. It's around 3 miles continuous uphill and I was very pleased when it was finally over and I could enjoy the last two single track woodland sections back to the car park.



Great ride. I will ride again and would recommend.



To add to the feeling of wilderness....we arrived at Nant Yr Arian on a Bank Holiday Sunday. We rode a great trail and for 3 1/2 hours only saw 5 other riders!!



Trail: Syfydrin - Nant Yr Arian

Riders: Chas, R2

Rigs: 2x canyon's

Mechanicals: none

Incidents: R2 Wipeout....ouch

AFAN - Penhydd, 4th October 2009 (pm)

After the disappointment of the morning’s mechanical problem I was glad for the chance to get back out on my bike. So Willy and myself loaded our bikes into the car for the short journey down the road to the other trail centre. As we pulled into the car park the attendant was there collecting money, it would appear that my (unfounded) reputation has even made it to Wales, I asked him how much, to which he replied ‘£1 for an hour or £3.50 for all day’ slight pause ‘so make that £2’ (I wasn’t going to argue).

We quickly assembled our bikes and set off. The climb starts with some nice twisty singletrack, but then does become a bit of a slog up the fire roads, I didn’t mind too much as I could just plod along and watch Willy’s rear wheel disappear into the distance. I really do enjoy a couple of sections on this trail, no matter how many times I do them. The hidden valley was good fun, I now just ignore the drop to one side and I am getting better at the switch backs, but still had a couple of dabs (well a dab on one and a walk on the other). I think my favourite section is the sidewinder, carrying lots of speed from one corner to the next and no drops to worry about if you get anything wrong. The only thing to watch out for on this section is the little tree stump on the outside exit of every bend (outside foot down???).

Route

Posse: Dozer (Canyon), Willy (Cotic)
Weather: Fine.
Mechanicals: Both of us had our chains come off at the same time, Willy at the front jamming between the cranks and the frame (day one of the Alps again) and mine at the rear, jamming between the spokes and the cassette.

AFAN 3rd 4th October 2009

After much discussion, it was decided that the camping group would go down to Afan on Saturday morning. The Uphillas decided they needed their beauty sleep so advised the remaining 5 riders (including a non regular, Jonny, my brother in law) to “start without them” and the three cars rolled into a wet Glyncorrwg car park around 10.30. Unfortunately much of Skyline (the original planned Saturday route) was closed due to forestry activities and so we decided eventually after customary faffing around to do W2 which comprises Whytes Level plus the Wall (geddit?). The route up to the top was still quite dry and therefore not too bad to get up although 10km of climbing is tough whatever the conditions. However the downs were really enjoyable, not too slippery but with enough roots and rocks to get you thinking. About half way around Whytes Level at the top of the “Energy” descent you take a fire road link to the Wall which then takes you down close to the Afan side of the park. Again the downs were fun – nothing too outlandish and fortunately no tabletops for me to crash on. Part way down we passed the B&B where Rob#2 and Chas were staying where it was unanimously agreed that camping was far better and who on earth would want a dry warm place to sleep with a slap up breakfast included?

From sWales'09

By this time it was also clear that Jonny had a level of fitness and speed that the rest of the group had not had for some time (if ever) so Darren cunningly managed a couple of pinch flats to give everyone a short break. Jonny soon realised that at our pace, he was never going to get home in time to baby sit the kids and with the fear of his wife’s retribution in his veins, set off for Glyncorrwg at a pace that beggared belief. For some reason I was nominated to go with him and there followed what felt like a lifetime (actually about 90mins) of gruelling climbs and seat of the pants descents with barely a break for banana bread between. I don’t remember too much of that part of the ride except falling off the north shore bit (no witnesses fortunately as Jonny was way in front by then) and arriving totally sh*gged back to the car at 3.45. Jonny leapt into his car and was home in two hours so clearly drives in the same way he cycles. The rest of the group arrived back about 30 mins later having spent the afternoon in the pub and cadging a lift back (that bit is not true btw). At roughly the same time we met with the Uphillas who were heading up for the second time to do the end piece of Skyline – which some of us managed to do on Sunday.

The rest of the afternoon was spent putting tents up, cleaning the bikes, drinking tea and beer with a great dinner in the café by the campsite serving up huge portions of lasagne and potatoes. More beer on the comfy seats followed by more beer back at Les / Darren’s place (ie tent) with cakes and crisps provided by Mrs Les. Unfortunately sleep was not easy to come by; Darren p*ssing into a glass and Dave’s snoring not to mention considerable contributions to greenhouse gases by some of the party, kept the whole site up until the early hours.

The next day dawned (eventually) and it was clear that the weather was going to be good. The Uphillas were not riding Afan (black mountain route which no doubt will be blogged in due course) so the remaining four went off up to the top again to do the bottom piece of Skyline. Sadly, Dave’s rear freewheel gave way part way up (it’s not as if it is under any stress is it?) so it was left to Darren, Les and me to struggle once again to the top – a quick couple of miles on the fire road to an intersection with the trail. Then down….virtually non stop perhaps 20 minutes of fast and furious descent with some big (for me anyway) drops swoopy curvy bits and twisty switchbacks. What an absolute hoot – overall a bit more difficult than previous day’s fare but more rewarding I think for being like that. By the end, Darren’s rear mech cable had failed so he was stuck in 8th but that just made him go faster so the small uphill bits without having to pedal. One of the best things about it was that because most of the trail was shut, virtually no one was to be seen and big thanks to Uphilla for working out the way off the signposted route.

We met up with Dave at the campsite and eventually Les and Darren left to get back to their loved ones…but not without having the largest bacon and egg sandwich ever in the Dropoff Café. Dave eventually managed to get the freewheel fixed and we went off to the other side of the park to do a ride there – Dozer will post that in due course.

Thanks to Dozer for organising a great weekend. Camping certainly added a dimension but unsure whether to be repeated….

More Pic's and also here.

Posse: Dozer (Canyon), Darren (Heckler), Les (Pitch), Jonny (Trek Fuel thingy), Willy (Cotic)
Weather: Damp on Saturday but mild. Sunday fine but overcast. Not bad for October in Wales!
Mechanicals: Darren: 2x pinch punctures, rear gear cable failed; Dozer: rear freewheel failed; Willy: front and rear mech minor niggles.
Injuries: Dozer, minor scratch falling off going uphill.

Penmachno

It's been roughly 3 years (to the day) since I first rode Penmachno on a set of Marin trail weakened pins. Although "rode" isn't accurate as I was completely shattered and don't remember much except the never ending pain. Both Uphilla and I were keen to revisit this trail, this time on fresh legs and also try a new loop donated by the trail pixies.

With busy weeks behind us and daylight savings kicking in we decided on a later than normal start and took a leisurely amble up the autobahn arriving at roughly 1pm, in glorious sunshine. Now don't get carried away, this is Wales and it's fickle weather also supplied a fairly brisk'n'chilly breeze that kept us from standing idly around. Although with knobblies promptly unloaded we didn't need any further encouragement to leap off up the fireroad...

My ride buddy has a fresher and more favourable recollection of this trail which helped spur on his wibbly wobby legs. After a couple of tentative opening sections (these trails ain't like those in the flat lands) we started to find our groove and start hammerin' along. The original trail follows the hillside in/out/up/down and is a relatively point'n'shoot afair with plenty of grip on hand 90% of the time. The other 10% was spent "catching" ourselves from near tumbles :p

The extended loop starts with a long fireroad descent (boo) but then show us some crackin' flowing singletrack that tempts you to lay off the stoppers and keep your speed up. Until it all gets too much and your forced to reign yourself in (a little) - beltin' stuff.

During my first visit I don't recall the wonderful almost panoramic vista of the Snowdon range, complete with snow capped peaks - awesome.

The new loop also has some of the longest board walk I've ever ridden. It's also got a fair number of turns that keep your focus at 110% Oh and a part fallen tree almost forces you to slow and duck underneath...tempting you to dab, but on we soldiered :-)

Shortly after the start I was grateful to find that the climbing eased off to a nice gradient with plenty of steady winches through rock gardens to keep you focused. The exposed, pedalie open section of the original is still there...along with the same 'orrid head wind :x

Unfortunately I missed my ride buddy take one of his now typical over-the-bars dive on a hidden dip that suddenly reared itself. Thankfully he came out unscathed.

Although the car park busier than we've ever seen it, we only saw two riders on the hillside so pretty much had the place to ourselves :thumbu

Worth the trip.

Tracklog

Posse: Farqui (5Spot), Uphilla (5Spot)
Mechanicals: None
Weather: Bright'n'sunny (no really!)

Coed-y-Brenin, MBR Trail

After lunch we three headed out around the familiar MBR trail and the opening rocky section soon had DD doubled up with a headache. The tough lickle soldier soon shrugged it off and plodded around the rest of the trail without so much as a "where's the short cut" :p

I can't recall if Uphilla somersaulted here or on a later section but as usual our rubber pal immediately jumped back on and cranked off into the distance.

We've all ridden this several times before and mostly remembered what was coming although I'd forgotten how much fire road crankin' there is. Fortunately excellent sections like The Pink Heifer make the toil bearable.

Unfortunately none of us cleared the tricky bridleway climb up from the ragin' river but we were all quite tired by this point.

The trail was again much drier than anticipated with just the odd puddle here and there to remind you it's autumn. The sunshine was doing it's best to keep us warm but as the day light receded, so did the temperature.

The drive back through torrents of rain (from Telford on) which made me chuckle at just how good the weather had been for us - quite unusual for me this year.

Photo's.

Tracklog.

Posse: DDave (4x), Farqui (5Spot), Uphilla (5Spot)
Mechanicals: None
Weather: Fabulous autumnal day, cold breeze but dry and sunny

Coed-y-Brenin, Tarw Trail

Uphilla and I had already hatched a plan to take in a couple of the north Welsh trails before the end of the year, namely the extended Penmachno and Coed Llandegla.

The day before arrived and we were pleased to see that the weather forecasts all looked favourable and before we set off we quickly checked the trails websites for the latest maps, etc.

"Oh-no", Penm was closed with a rally AND Coed-L had it's car park closed due to snow ! :O

Over the next few hours a sketchy plan-b was hatched with options of Coed-y-Brenin (which has lots of choice) and even Machynlleth to the south (time permitting).

The 'hillas' made their way NW after the Friday rush but by bedtime I still hadn't received final confirmation of our venue - so I guessed the lads were out in wilderness without a signal. Come 5am Saturday morning (yawn) and they'd managed to find a signal to confirm CyB @ 9.30am was indeed the center of choice(b) - game on.

3hrs later I'd enjoyed traffic free drive and been rewarded with inumerable truely jaw dropping views of the autumal colour with picture postcard snow capped peaks. All under a bright blue sky - which has been quite a rarity this year. Actually the drive wasn't without incident as I had a near miss playing chicken with a pheasant (thank you mr.ABS) and a windscreen strike serveral turns later of either it's dumba$$ cousin or a partridge. I do know that it was big, went with an almighty and in an instant took my ticker from calm and relaxed to pounding harder than Afan's 6km climb. But I digress, where were we ?

Whilst I waited for the center to open I assembled my trusty steed and watched the car park gradually fill as the daylight ticked by. The casual 'hillas' rolled up, unloaded, twiddled with this'n'that before we all rolled down to the trail head to decide which of the 6 routes we'd tackle.

Our opener was to be the medium length Tarw trail and off through the 'horns' we dived.

We've all ridden this in the past but not since CyB's overhaul and after a few short sections of singletrack we began our climb up the fireroad to into the short Heart of Darkness. I don't know about you but I find I need a few miles to adjust to these trails (they're so different from my home patch) and I through here I took many a bad line and fumbled plenty of dodgy gear choices. However I soon settled down and hammered through Snap, Crackle and Pop which were familiar from the ol'Red Bull trail. My 5Spot felt great with loads-a-grip from the NNic's, amble braking from my Mag's and the Pike felt so good being rammed into every rock that came my way :thumbu

Onwards we cranked and after thumpin' our way through the Rocky Horror Show, Mantrap and Flightpath a quick glance at my buddies showed the same moosive grin that adorned my chops :p

Back at the cafe we plunged into some lunch whilst deciding what the afternoon might offer...

The only photo I snapped was in the car park, before 9am.

Tracklog.

Posse: DDave (4x), Farqui (5Spot), Uphilla (5Spot)

Mechanicals: None
Weather: Fabulous autumnal day, cold breeze but dry and sunny

Mabie - First Taste

After a couple of aborted visits I finally got to my knobbly's out around Mabie earlier this week.

Before you ask, "yes it was wet and falling from the sky" :-( Comically it was bright and sunny when we arrived, before the heavens opened whilst I changed into my ride togs. Which then cleared for 5mins whilst I assembled the bike and then dumped big time just as I rolled off road. Fortunately I then only had to tackle a strong wind and the odd spot of drizzle.

The red graded Phoenix trail unfolded as a typically well drained trail (thankfully) consisting of a slate, small rocks and mud with a good dose of slippery roots which made me feel right at home :p The trail doesn't have any long nasty climbs or descents and keeps you busy with little challenges throughout.

There are a few 2-3ft drops dotted around to keep you on your toes but they can all be taken carefully - although one at the end of a board walk really made me grin as I floated into a level drop :D

Did I mention raised board walks ?...there's a few of these and the first is the worst being uphill, around a couple of corners and off camber. Oh and like Dalbeattie there are short technical black sections available to those with many more skills than I. I did commit to x1 "black" right at the end which simply turned out to be a steep roll back to the fire road :rolleyes

There's even a couple of small stream crossings which were good fun and flowing strongly.

A number of small open berms (unlike Brechfa) were great fun and easily railed even though I didn't know what was coming around the next bend.

"The Scorpion" is a fairly challenging steep albeit relatively short climb that played with my mind and seemed to repeatedly yell "dismount" as my legs and lungs burnt. It was a shame that riders were resting at the top (the fireroad) which forced me to dig deep and crank my way ever upwards atop my knobblies ;)

The route isn't very long at 10miles-ish and although it's graded "red" I'd say it'd be a good trail for a competent rider to cut their teeth on as it doesn't have any nasty surprises but has plenty of nice bits to entertain.

A special thank you must also go to Mabie House for making this trip as special as the others.

Tracklog.

Penmachno/Llandegla 1st November

A while back Farqui an myself did the first Penmachno loop straight after the Marin Trail. It is a great trail, but we were not at our best and struggled a bit!

We have put diaries together again and come up with Saturday 1st November as date to give this now extended and much loved trail another try.

Daanhilla and myself are heading up Friday eve and meeting Farqui at the trail head Saturday am. If time and energy allow we will head back via Llandegla and see what is going on there.

Please feel welcome to come along!

Black Mountains Killer Loop - 4th October 2008

"This is proper wilderness mountain biking with some ace high-level, ridgeline singletrack thrown in"

Anyone interested in riding this 'Classic' route? It is one I have wanted to attempt for some time, so I have finally booked a date - Saturday 4th October. One or two other folk have said they will come along, so I hope that we get a late summer as this is not one to do in poor conditions.

The advice to allow all day and to be well prepared as parts are very remote and mobile phone coverage is not good. There are also some very demanding climbs, in fact one involves around 30 minutes scrambling on foot. There are stunning views and brilliant descents to compensate.

I suggest a start time of around 10 am from the Castle Inn at Pengenfford. A similar route can be done from Crickhowell, but it does add some unnecessary miles - this route is about 23.3miles. with 4650ft climbing. I will be travelling down Friday evening and staying at a nearby YHA for simple B & B. Start location is probably just over 2.5 hours from Northampton if the roads are clear. I guess if the weather is too bad I might just head for Afan.

Tracklog

Hope you can come along!

CRUG MAWR video

RHIW TRAMAU video

Gorlech

After a month or so of sullen rain swept commutes had sapped my enthusiasm for getting up in a morning let alone riding off-road we forced ourselves to adhere to our scheduled trip to Wales last weekend. We left work good and early on Friday afternoon and against all the "news advice" that ALL of Wales was under water didn't drive through any floods or showers of note until we were a few miles away from our b&b. When the heavens opened briefly and dumped big time, thankfully this was the worse downpour of our trip.

A crackin' meal at the Belle followed by a long soak in our b&b's hot tub washed away the 5hr journey (+1hr delay of Friday madness) and our spirits were lifted ;)

The near constant showers on Saturday didn't bode well for a ride and I feared my rig would stay in the bike bag for the duration - just like our last trip to Mabie :( So we spent the day checking out the local area, duckin' the showers and even managed a walk around the start'n'end of the Brechfa trail.

Sunday dawned as another overcast, gray day (surprise, surprise) but after another hearty breakfast I decided that I was riding and that was that. I was so determined that I barely noticed the rain as I loaded up the jalopy. 20 minutes later and I was unloading at the Abergorlech trail head and it was dry - hurrah.

On the fireroad winch from the carpark, with my thighs grumblin' I remained in high spirits and soon started to calm down and "get my head into gear" for the route ahead.

The Gorlech starts off on a wide fireroad that then swings off onto a narrower path before you then start a bit'a'duckin' and divin' between the trees. It's a terrific route that starts off easy and then gets more and more challenging. Even though the climbs are still there they I don't find that they beat ya's up too much either :thumbsu

The first section of singletrack is a real treat and I'm grateful to the local lad who ripped past and soon had me lifting a chainring a pursuit. Otherwise I'd probl'y have continued my granny ring winch through a fabulous atmospheric and flowing climb. The Nobby Nic's were hooking up nicely and after a few more miles my familiar Bonty wiggle was all but forgotten.

The rest of trail is just as impressive with a good mixed bag of up and down action with numerous obstacles to keep you focused.

At the start of the final descent I made a determined effort to clear a dodgy switchback between two tight trees, over roots, followed by off camber and slippery rocks that I walked last time. With a controlled entry and growing confidence in my booties I slithered through without a dab :) The subsequent berms come thick and fast to end a crackin' trail.

Although there's no autumnal Afan action for me this year I thoroughly enjoyed these few Welsh miles the blasted weather has allowed.

Many thanks to Rosemary and Jim for their warm hospitality.

Mechanicals: None
Weather: Overcast, light drizzle for a while

White's Level, Afan, Glyncorrwg.

It is some weeks now, but I finally got to do the day trip to Afan I have had in mind for a while. The idea was to drive most of the way Friday night, stay in a YHA overnight and then start riding early Saturday am. This is much less of a commitment than a whole weekend and easier to fit in, so will be doing it again before too long if anyone is interested.

My companion this time was a young friend from the midlands who is a very able and keen cyclist just about to start University. It was tempting to do the July trail at Glyncorrwg as the final descent one of the best, but I decided to start with White’s level as I had not ridden this for some years and had heard about a new section.

Overnight stay was at YHA just south of Brecon, so we were also given a hint of how good it would be to ride some natural stuff in this area. The drive down was over the hills, so very scenic.

All the trails at Glyncorrwg have that long initial climb; it is a slog, but perfectly fine. We opted to do the optional black section running from the top of this climb and both managed to clear this. Francis got a pinch flat, so I was glad of some time to catch my breath and watched other riders picking their way through the ‘Black’.

I had no memory of White’s Level, so it was like riding a new trail. The great thing is that after that long initial climb the rest is mostly downhill and real single-track blast! We soon came the new Energy Section which is a sign of how trails are going with jumps berms and ‘north shore’ – all roll-able, but actually hard to keep your wheels on the ground at times. Great Fun! Further down more North-shore has been installed, probably some of the trickiest I have tried for a while – certainly needs full concentration. The rest is just fast downhill single-track with switchbacks and optional jumps. Highly recommended

We did lunch at the Drop-Off café that was as good as always, then off to Afan Forest Park to do the Penhydd trail. Nothing different here, and it did not disappoint. It was Francis’s first visit to a trail centre and he was always way ahead of me, totally unfazed by the terrain, a great intro.

As we finished a little rain started to fall, the rest of the day had been warm and fine. Great new feature at this centre is a shower block, very welcome after our day in the saddle before heading home. We both suffered in days after with midge bites, it seems they have moved south :-(

Next time Penmachno or Black Mountains?

Posse: Uphilla; 5-Spot; Francis: Gary Fischer Marlin HT

Weather: Warm, sunny.

Mechanicals: Both suffered pinch flats

Inspirational Footage

I've never really been a fan of MTB related films as the one's I've seen have been been quite cheesy and/or dull. That all changed last night when I clocked a couple of recent releases.

The blurb reads "...captures Scotland's stunning landscape, the spirit of the place and of the people. Featuring reigning Junior World Downhill Champion, Ruaraidh Cunningham and trials phenomenon, Daniel Macaskill, Home is a must see for bike fans and film fans alike.". The footage is great, the trials segment is amazing and as it uses Scottish trails it's great to see sections you may have ridden.

Is the latest release from TheCollective, following top riders throughout a years riding. The scenery is breath taking, the slow-mo's are awesome and the footage is truly inspirational.

Both are well worth a look-see if you get the chance.

AFAN FILM

Only available for a couple more days, but may be of interest for those who love Afan and want to know a bit more about the area - only about 4 minutes about the MTB trails around 22 minutes in.
HERE

N Wales in September er well November then......

Summary,

Place Craflwyn Hall, nr Beddgelert

Date Fri 7th November to Sun 9th, 2 nights (extendable on request)

Places available 12

Price £28.35ea + opt £8.50 linen Deposit £20 required by the end of June

Decision required by 21st May

Biking choice of Gwdyr, Coed-y-brenin and Snowdon XC

Bring bed Linen and towels

Accomodation

http://www.craflwyn.org/iaith/saesneg/accom2.htm

Looks like this;-http://www.craflwyn.org/iaith/saesneg/Gallery1.htm

The Hall is fully booked for every weekend this year however they have the Bunkhouse available for the weekend Fri 7th to 9th November. This is the earliest available. A full week is available in the hall for 15 people £158+8.50 each Sat 18th thru Fri 24th October but if anyone wants to go for this you best let me know right away.

Price is £340 for the weekend and we have an option for additional nights either side ie Thursday or Monday at £150 per night or £12.50 each.

The accommodation is split into a 7 and a 5 (split again to a 3 & 2) with the larger having a practical dining area. There is one bunk bed otherwise all are full size singles, no blow-ups or fold downs. There are 4 showers and 3 loos in total. Linen is provided only as an additional charge at £8.50 each but includes a towel.

The property is run by the national trust and benefits from 200 acres of it's own estate.

Catering can be organised for an additional price.

I have provisionally booked it, this will expire on Weds 21st May so a quick answer is essential.

Places are strictly limited to 12 on a first come first served basis. Once I get 8 takers I will confirm the booking and request a deposit of £20 each.

The Hall is a short riverside walk from Beddgelert and stands in the foothills of Snowdon.

Coed-y-Brenin is 23 miles http://www.mbwales.com/coed_y_brenin/index.htm
Coed Llandegla is 48 miles (but on the way home) http://www.coedllandegla.com/
Beddgelert Forest is 0.5 miles http://www.beddgelerttourism.com/snowdonia/
Gwdyr forest is 19 miles http://www.mbwales.com/gwydyr_forest/index.htm
Machynlleth is 43 miles http://www.mbwales.com/machynlleth/index.htm

The LBS is http://www.beddgelertbikes.co.uk/

The journey from Luton to Beddgelert is 210 miles or about 4 hours by car traffic notwithstanding.

For those not wanting to throw themselves off a mountain all day there are many facilities nearby including the Snowdon Mountain Railway.

Btw the SMR does not normally carry bikes but have told me in the past that if it's quiet when you show up they don't mind. Anyone fancy riding over the top of Snowdon??

As I see it, the accomodation here is perfect, very cheap, a good standard and spacious, the disadvantage is the long drive to Coed-y-Brenin although it's a good road and should be only half an hour at worst. If this doesn't suit you and you want something nearer, bigger or with a hot tub filled with very short sighted totty then say so now and I'll try to find something everyone prefers.

Dalby Red - Round Two

With relatively clear sky's the posse snaked it's way from the car park and up into the switchback loveliness of the woods.

With the snake of riders following it wasn't long before the fitter / rested riders were heading the queue and chasing tyre's up down and around the first few km's of the Red route.

As Rob and I cranked past Dixon's Hollow (where the others stopped for a play) we soon found ourselves waiting around and getting cold. So with Rob gaining in confidence (after his leg op) we dived down a short Black graded gully and had a nice challenging slime covered rock climb back up to the Red. We didn't take every additional challenge around the Red, however we did select what turned out to be a beltin' north shore section towards the end of the northern Black bits. It wasn't just long (thankfully not too tall or narrow) but had plenty of steep drops, rises and cross camber woodwork to negotiate. This was rapidly followed by a long, algae covered, narrow rocky canyon which twisted and turned it's way to a mighty difficult climb. Rob gave it a good shot and I'm thankful that my suddenly skipping gears gave me the perfect excuse to hike a bike ;-) It transpires that my inner cassette sprocket now had a substantial "ding" effectively wiping out the bottom gears. Rob pushed and grunted it straight enough to not give any further problems, a top fix mister.

Instead of myself pulling Dozer along (as per loop#1) the tables were turned as Rob hammered on and on with my now wobbly legs in steady pursuit. With just a section or two to go he even suggested I could take a bail out option back to the start and in return he got abuse and a knobbly to chew :)

On the final descent I summoned my remaining reserves and whooped my way back to a thoroughly well earned coffee, panni-whats-it and moosive slice of cake: thumbu After a quick re-charge t'was time for me to source a replacement cassette from the lbs.

With some 65km's cranked, I did wonder if my pins would be up for the 100km challenge I'd set myself for wkend...

Tracklog.

Posse: yup, loads of 'em
Weather: Dry, warm with a light breeze.
Mechanicals: Roger had skipping gears rectified by removing the plastic sprocket guard. Jenni's crank arm kept parting company with her crankset. My buckled cassette.
Injuries; Paul acquired himself a bloody leg and I'd be surprised if a few of the others didn't have a few xtra lumps at the finish ;-)

Dalby Red - A First Taste

The thought of some en-mass knobbly action in North Yorkshire with our ride buddies tempted some of the posse to make a long wkend of it. So Dozer and I loaded the car to the brim and headed up shortly after rush hour, with Uphilla/Daanhilla and C3PO not too far behind.

Some 3hrs later we were checking out the cabins and deciding on where to ride. As the accommodation wasn't available until later in the afternoon we decided not to wait around and opted to get a decent ride in over at Dalby, map.

After paying the fee to get into the forest (£7 a day, later topped up with £3 to make a handy 7 day pass - tx Uphilla) we assembled our rigs at the well equipped center amidst dappled sunshine.

Heading out from the car park sets the tone of the trail with ample switchback practice throughout the duration of the ride. As usual you initially climb your way up and out of the valley with the trail gradually "contouring" the valleys (or riggs) that flank 3/4's of the forest.

With over 20miles of Red rated trails and plenty of steady pedal-ie sections defo it puts your fitness to the test, but with fresh legs we found ourselves zipping along nicely :) Thankfully Dozer's tight rear brake was steadily freeing itself as we cranked out the miles.

Dalby's Red route is interspersed with optional Black "bits" or complete sections should you fancy something more than a vanilla cross country ride. We past Dixon's Hollow, the play area, and decided to leave it for another day and crack on. As this was our 1st visit, we mainly kept to the Red and easily settled into the obstacles and terrain that typify this trail. Our knobbly's coped with a thin layer of mud, roots, sand, small rocks and numbing crocodile back "pavement" through to a full range of tight, open, fast and slow corners. Only a few climbs are steep enough to cause any headaches and there are plenty of short drops to rapidly pull your speed back. Traction was good throughout with just the later sections being a little sketchy in the dampness.

The last section is a tease as the GPS showed the finish around 1 mile away (as the crow fly's) but the trail zig zags left and right with ample climbing to shred your spirits and legs. Fortunately the final section rewards your efforts with a schweet switchback combo back to the coffee shop.

Our first taste of the area allowed us to dial in our rigs a little better and get ourselves out of our "flatland" routine ;-) I was pleased to find that Dozer getting on well with his new rig and the new spring up front (medium to x-firm) meant he wasn't rapidly blowing through his travel.

Tracklog and pic's.

Posse: Dozer (Canyon), Farqui (5Spot). Uphilla (5Spot), Daaanhilla (Commencal), Rob (Flux), Dom/Zena arrived a little later but we didn't manage to meet up.
Weather: Warm 12c-ish, light breeze, dry to start with drizzle to finish.
Mechanicals: Dozer had a dragging rear brake (new pads) which sloooowly loosened up.

Dalby

Can't wait...

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/list/?date=all&textfield=1&text=dalby

Especially:
Hehe!

FtDx3

Yesterday Dozer and I consummed the last of our annual leave and sneaked off up to Cannock Chase for some knobbly action. We'd originally considered an assault around Hope and fly down Jacobs Ladder but alas the weather conspired to put dampeners on that idea. With less than favourable weather reports we opted for the less exposed FC site of n.Brum, as it was the wind was howling on the ridges and I bet the Peaks were much worse.

As it happens this was going to be one of the more knarly rides that Dozer has attempted on his new steed and thinking about it the "Ladder" would have probably been too much too soon for the big lad who's still familiarising himself with his rig. Since bedding in his bouncer, he's been concerned that the spring within his Pike wasn't beefy enough - so gradually introducing knarlier and knarlier terrain should give us a better idea if it actually needs changing. Numerous comments on the web all suggest that someone of his "girth" will need a mega xtra stiff coil, not that we know what's inside his...

Yesterday started bright and calm here in the Magic Kingdom so we were soon loaded, stocked up on fresh coffee and heading north. Relatively little traffic meant we made good time and we were saddled up and heading over to the trail head in no time. Damn, the revised opening section is a beaut - being tight'n'twisty with the polished cobbles causing your rig to slither around underneath ya. A few subtle tweaks to our shox's calmed things down a little and after a few miles we were dialled and flicking in/out of the trees.

The trails were dry with hardly any puddles or slime to negotiate, "could this be the same Cannock that's typically submerged" :p

I was very pleased to find the new sections had bedded in much better since my last visit and that they'd not broken up into a sludge bath. There's now a good mix out there that allow you to practice berms, jumps and linking fast/slow open/tight corners - well done to the trail pixies. Actually I found some of the more established sections were faster now as they'd mostly been brushed clear of their loose marbles.

Dozer found a terrific spot to lie down, right in front of 20 youths, after failing to clean a large knarly oblique root atop a short rise. I myself was fortunate enough to have a front row seat, tx D ;)

I'd already warned my companion that I intended to hammer the next section, the sweeping open section just after we'd normally return from the heath. We found that it was blindingly fast and even though it's suffering from huge, long braking bumps I found I could clear most of them after launching off the 1st :D I railed the berms and was soon at the other end with my eyes watering from the speed and g's. I was then so fired up that I blitzed the subsequent cobbled rise in the middle ring.

Finding the final section closed we were soon back at the start and mulling over what our next loop would be. "Head up across the heath for a bite to eat at the cafe?" or "blitz around another loop of FtD?" or "both?". Either way we'd start with the opening section of FtD so after a fairly cautious first loop we both raced off into the splendid 1st section again. With much of the short trail now fresh in our minds we were able to open the taps a little and pick cleaner lines between the obstacles, well almost, towards the end I was looking so far ahead that I completely forgot about a monster puddle which was only brought to my attention by a cold and damp feeling - eek. Much to Dozer's amusement I pulled my soggy boot out of the gloop and chuckled my way back to the finish.

Completing loop#2 we headed over to Birches Valley cafe for a cup a joe and a bagette whilst we blathered about all things knobbly.

Recharged we decided to rip out another loop but found the drizzle had turned the exposed cobbles into attention focusing slippery blotches. Keeping an eye out for the damp bits we still had another fun loop that oddly seemed to dry out towards then end that soon had us both racing for the finish.

Dozers coil Pike didn't blow through it's travel and looked very supple throughout. So D's next big outing needs some pukka knarly trails before his lordship can decide if he needs a firmer coil. My Pike felt much smoother since s.Wales having soaked the stanchions in teflon, although it did start to feel notchy again towards the end of the damp 3rd loop.

Sneaky mid week rides are the best :p

Posse; Dozer (Canyon), Farqui (5Spot)
Weather; overcast, windy, drizzle on loop#3
Mechanicals; none