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we’ve got a long weekend booked here in august staying in Cwmcarn and plan to get some big days in to the sample the off piste delights.
Never been to the area before but doing some research and looking on trailforks, strava heat maps etc I seem to have sussed out the main areas to ride. I have seen some videos of Abercarn on YouTube of steep off piste, but it seems a bit more difficult to work out how this is all linked up. Also looks like you can do a big loop linking up the areas.
Does anyone have any tips or could kindly share some pointers (strava ride or gps) that would be fantastic and much appreciated.
Or if anyone can recommend a guide that would be 👍🏻.
Thank you!
There is loads of stuff around that area as you’ve seen. I’ve ridden all the official Cwmcarn stuff, and then the semi adopted off piste stuff at Risca. We did a day last year that was 30km and 1450m of climbing - that was just part of one of the official red loops to get warmed up on way round to the off piste - then shuttling up and down the steep tech. It’s about a 300m ish decent and then turn round and climb back up. Brutal climb - I tend to ride some / push some. Tracks are excellent though. There is also a bit called Network R just along from the adopted Risca trails - I’ve not ridden any of it yet 1 but it’s another grade up in terms of steepness.
Personally if you’re doing say 3 days I’d hit an off piste day first day / uplift day at Dirt Farm or BPW 2nd day / back to off piste 3 rd day. Unless you’re on e-bikes in which case the climbing won’t be an issue.
Im sure someone will be along with a gpx for a big loop (which I’ve not done) - you can join Risca and Willie up I think.
Not too far away you also have Tirpentwys / Barry Sidings / Smilog - none of which I’ve managed to get to yet but all of them look brilliant.
If you look on Trailforks some of the off piste is showing on there - definitely the adopted off piste at Risca.
This might help. There's a ton of stuff in the older vids aswell.
Golden valleys tour is what you want to do. Its a very big day out, but will cover all that, plus Machen.
25miles, 5000ft climbing. Some big climbs - one up to Mynydd y lan was one I wouldnt want to session! However, the descent was soo steep and a right laugh 🙂
https://www.strava.com/activities/10311677445
We're just on normal good old pedal power bikes, but steady away we can knock out back to back rides. We might go bike park wales yet on the Sunday but we'll see. I think part of the fun is going exploring and riding new places.
Last year we did Barry Sidings, Treorchy, Clydach Vale and BPW. Really enjoyed Sidings and was tempted to go there again but just means more driving and with staying in Cwmcarn we can ride from the air BnB.
I've seen the GeZeus videos and this was the inspiration to look further afield into Abercarn for example. You can work out where the tracks are on strava heatmap, but it's not as clear as how to ride up (unlike Risca for example as you can look on trail forks). Just trying to be more efficient rather than riding round exploring. Also seen some videos when they link up all the areas.... risca to Wyllie then over to Abercarn and to Cwmcarn.
I've bookmarked that Golden Valleys ride, looks ace. I could extend it (!) by starting from my house, I can get to Machen largely off-road.