Having been an urban mountain biker, although I’ve been told I own a hybrid. I got dragged off to Wales to get it wet & muddy for the first time. What a hoot !
Some forest near Coedpoeth (GPS coordinates to follow) purpose built tracks through some managed forest just like your ski runs, green, red & black, all signposted out through the woods & free ! Decent car park, top cafe that’s just won an award for bacon butties, but the full english breakfast was better. Found a campsite (farmers field with toilet & shower at £3.50 a night just a couple of miles down the road & 150 meters from a pub)
The green run took us about an hour. The red run took 1 3/4 hrs & made the legs work harder. Hybrid urban tyres just about coped with the red run. I didn’t try the black as I think my tyres weren’t up to the job. Proper chunky jobs are required to keep grip on some of the hills. Enough there to keep us occupied for a day or two.
Then we used a book called Bikefax for Wales to try a longer & more challenging route along lanes & bridle paths. No bike, regardless of tyres, would have kept going through the puddle & peat bog that was that deep. My friend with fancy clip on shoes, found that as the front wheel sinks into peat bog, you can’t unclip your feet fast enough to stop you from an inpromptu cold bath. Urban hybrid wins again, although I would have liked chunkier tyres.
November 16, 2009 at 8:51 pm |
I’ve been to Wales, went to Afan forest last year. Was one of the best weekends I’ve ever had. Again with the Black, Red and White runs. The views were fantastic after the long climb up. And the downhill is superb.