Best trail centres?
Discussion
Used to visit places like Coed y Brenin and Afan quite regularly, but I haven't been for a proper MTBing weekend in years. Are they still the sort of places people head for?
As well as general curiosity, there's a specific reason for asking. I'm organising a mate's stag do and he wants to go mountain biking. We're looking for somewhere with proper marked, maintained bike trails - the usual 'aggressive XC' sort of terrain - that's not too far from London. Is the best bet hoping on the M4 for a couple of hours to Wales or could we find anything similar closer? It has to be capable of keeping a bunch of reasonably competent riders entertained for two days.
I know Woburn is pretty good for mountain biking, but wasn't sure if it was the sort of place where you had to know the local trails to get the best out of it? Like the fact you can just follow the signs round at the Welsh trail centres and be guaranteed good riding without any chance of getting lost!
As well as general curiosity, there's a specific reason for asking. I'm organising a mate's stag do and he wants to go mountain biking. We're looking for somewhere with proper marked, maintained bike trails - the usual 'aggressive XC' sort of terrain - that's not too far from London. Is the best bet hoping on the M4 for a couple of hours to Wales or could we find anything similar closer? It has to be capable of keeping a bunch of reasonably competent riders entertained for two days.
I know Woburn is pretty good for mountain biking, but wasn't sure if it was the sort of place where you had to know the local trails to get the best out of it? Like the fact you can just follow the signs round at the Welsh trail centres and be guaranteed good riding without any chance of getting lost!
Trail Centres have got better and better in the last few years, there's been some hiccups along the way, but it's all good.
On the M4 in Wales you've got Cwmcarn just over the bridge, Afan 30 mins further down the M4 and Brechfa about the same again.
If it was me I'd boil it down to two choices, go to Afan and stay at ether Afan Lodge or the lodges at the top, you've got 2 great red XC graded XC loops, two long XC loops, plus a new mini-bike park which is great fun, but you're really limited to nights out in the lodges or local pubs - not exactly Ibiza.
Or stay in Cardiff and day-trip to Cwmcarn there's only 1 xc loop there, but it's great and a DH track, but that might not be suitable if everyone's a bit rusty. Cardiff it like the wild west at night.
On the M4 in Wales you've got Cwmcarn just over the bridge, Afan 30 mins further down the M4 and Brechfa about the same again.
If it was me I'd boil it down to two choices, go to Afan and stay at ether Afan Lodge or the lodges at the top, you've got 2 great red XC graded XC loops, two long XC loops, plus a new mini-bike park which is great fun, but you're really limited to nights out in the lodges or local pubs - not exactly Ibiza.
Or stay in Cardiff and day-trip to Cwmcarn there's only 1 xc loop there, but it's great and a DH track, but that might not be suitable if everyone's a bit rusty. Cardiff it like the wild west at night.
If it were me I'd go Afan Whites Level first followed by either Cardiff or Swansea (I have a prefernce for Swansea as I've been more sucessful with women there), then Cwmcarn the following day. If you're feeling brave you could go to Port Talbot, which is a very cheap night out. We found Wetherspoons to be the most expensive bar there!!!
missing the VR6 said:
If it were me I'd go Afan Whites Level first followed by either Cardiff or Swansea (I have a prefernce for Swansea as I've been more sucessful with women there), then Cwmcarn the following day. If you're feeling brave you could go to Port Talbot, which is a very cheap night out. We found Wetherspoons to be the most expensive bar there!!!
I used to live in Swansea, so can vouch for both parts of that. 
If it was my stag do we would indeed be hitting the town afterwards, but I think this one is going to be a bit more sedate - self catering cottage with a few beers is what he's after I reckon.
I always really liked the Penhydd trail at Afan, short as it is, but the final downhill on the XC loop at Cwmcarn is/was brilliant.
Sounds like it's the same suspects as before - it's only three or four years since I've visited to be fair. Is it still just the XC loop and the uplift downhill at Cwmcarn? Might want to combine it with somewhere else (i.e. Afan) if that's the case.
South Downs is an interesting suggestion, but I'm assuming that's more MTB touring? Think we're just looking for Welsh-style trail centres.
Cwmcarn and Afan also give you the option of the Forest of Dean too. Never a big fan of cwmcarn though the free ride park at the top is ace fun on a nice day. Can't beat north Wales though, CyB, llandegla and the Marin trail near Betws... Add penmachno for the brave and you are spoilt for choice....
RatRodder said:
Swinley forest is good (also called 'the look out') near Baisingstoke.
Had a quick Google on this. Haven't a load of the trails just been closed?There was also a place just off the south side of the M25 (Kent somewhere I think) but that was quite limited when I visited a few years back - dunno if that's expanded at all?
Chris71 said:
South Downs is an interesting suggestion, but I'm assuming that's more MTB touring? Think we're just looking for Welsh-style trail centres.
South Downs is huge for MTB but there is no official trail center that I am aware of. You could ride the length of it and camp or stay near a particular point.At the east end near Jevington you can go into Friston Forest. There are loads of different trials in there and when I used to go there (many years ago) people did have permission in parts to make some dirt ramps and jumps. There are some nice wide fire trails as well which are good for some speed. The ramblers used to get arsey with bikers and at one time some tosser was leaving logs across paths at the bottom of hills but that was along time ago.
Ollerton57 said:
I live next to Swinley. It is good there, but will not keep you occupied for two full days.
Agreed, you can spend a day at Swinley - do a couple of loops of the Blue/Red trail then head off into Corwthorn woods and have a play on the loamy trails, then head over to the Surrey Hills the following day, plenty to do over there - just need to do some forum surfing to find the best trails.944fan said:
Chris71 said:
South Downs is an interesting suggestion, but I'm assuming that's more MTB touring? Think we're just looking for Welsh-style trail centres.
South Downs is huge for MTB but there is no official trail center that I am aware of. You could ride the length of it and camp or stay near a particular point.At the east end near Jevington you can go into Friston Forest. There are loads of different trials in there and when I used to go there (many years ago) people did have permission in parts to make some dirt ramps and jumps. There are some nice wide fire trails as well which are good for some speed. The ramblers used to get arsey with bikers and at one time some tosser was leaving logs across paths at the bottom of hills but that was along time ago.
richardxjr said:
Friston Forest very much alive, but local knowledge definitely needed! Absolutely no signs, but what is hidden there is well worth keeping from the masses. Actually, that applies to all the Downs I suspect, away from the SDW.
Good to know its still alive and kicking. Its been about 17 years since I used to go there. Up Butts lane, along and down in to Jevington, then up into the forest. Had quite a big off on the hill into Jevington once and ended up arse over bracket in a thorn bush. Ouch.I remember one day my mate and I taking a different route and finding an area that had been cleared and a loads of ramps, jumps and obstacles had been built. Spent hours in there.
Get down somerset and check out the quantocks and cider.
http://www.mtbtrails.info/Trail_Venue.aspx?VenueNu...
http://www.mtbtrails.info/Trail_Venue.aspx?VenueNu...
egor110 said:
Get down somerset and check out the quantocks and cider.
http://www.mtbtrails.info/Trail_Venue.aspx?VenueNu...
I used to live in East Devon and I can still remember some of the DH trails I stumbled across on a wooded area of the Quantocks. No idea where it was, but there were some huge kickers on the course (way beyond my ability). Well constructed trails, but also quite well hidden so no idea if they were official.http://www.mtbtrails.info/Trail_Venue.aspx?VenueNu...
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