Forum

If someone has planned to go to South Wales I'll be there. Weather forecast is changing all the time. Hope it doesn't rain much

Where do you normally stay? We're 2 and just found out the campsite is open from April to October...

I'm at BPW Friday and Afan Saturday (other people are rideing sunday as well), plan to do the blade and maybe another loop depending on weather and beers before. I have stayed at bryn bettws lodge, nice and cheap and easy

http://www.brynbettws.com/

Brynbettws sounds good if the one I want to go is closed. I have 2 options in Afan . Ride all the trails in one day or take the route linking Cwcarm to Afan but I'm not confident. Looks too much. I may see you Matt

I personally loved the Afan Lodge, but it's not cheap!

...if I can find the car keys

They'll be in the last place you look

What an adventurous first time trip to Afan!!

I was supposed to leave Thursday afternoon after work but couldn't find my van keys until late evening, so we left early on Friday.
My friend and I arrived at brynbettws some time Friday midday. We set up the tent for him; I slept in the van, at the grass patch behind main building with good views.
I knew rear hub of my bike was starting to give me problems lately so I wasn't really confident. My friend forgot his spd shoes and we started doing W2 trail (he was wearing trainers and spd pedals, scary!"). 40 minutes later my rear hub gave it up, so back coasting to base camp. We rushed to the nearest bike shop to buy spd cleats and shoes. Then I started fixing hub, found out freebody hub has teeth worn out. We still manage to rebuild it using only 3 out of 6 pawls.

Saturday was cloudy despite being told it'd be even sunnier and warmer than Friday. Anyway, I tested my bike at the dirt track. To my surprise it was fine but just about to go to ride w2 trail, the hub gave up again. We drove to nearest bike shop at Afan forest again and rented one of those Marin bobcat 27.5 hardtails for Saturday and Sunday at £30 each day. Finally we left for the trails. Still a bit confused and disoriented, I didn't know if I was going north, or around or which trail was nearby. We just followed W2 and asked for directions when needed. Fantastic trails with a killer technical long climb. Beautiful!! Bike surprised me in a good way. I adapted to it very well taking into account I had brought a rigid single speed titanium under 9 kg and I was on a 100 or 120 aluminium 2x10 12 or 13kg bike. Lots of fun!!

Sunday was rainy and i had to commit to those £30 paid for the day. My friend doesn't like cold and rain and he spent all morning sleeping. Time was passing by quickly. I wanted to ride another of those trails starting more to the north but just decided to go for the red one (forgot the name). Ok, just remember now the Y Wall, which is bassically the lower part of the W2. I finished the ride in less than 90 minutes so still had some time and went for another lap, quicker and now trails drying. Had to snake bites on the rear tyre (missed not riding tubeless) and made on schedule to pack, have a shower, clean bike and return bike. The ground ion the garden was very soft after the rain and my van got stuck 1 metre before reaching the gravel. We put some of that gravel at the front and at the back of front wheel and sorted the problem. Returned my bike 5 minutes before shop closed. Perfect timing )

Despite all sort of problems and not being able to ride my bike and not being able to ride other trails I enjoyed loads and still wonder why I haven't been there before. That technical climb on rigid single speed would have been terribly challenging!

Afan, I'll see you next time

Glad you still had fun not been in years but it was my favourite Welsh centre

&

If you thought that climb was challenging, try the blade

Sounds like an adventure dude - I always break stuff at Afan... no idea why