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Bicyclemania cycling code |
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Address
Afan
Forest Park Visitor Centre,
Cynonville,
Port Talbot,
West Glamorgan,
SA13 3HG.
Telephone: 01639 850564
E-mail:
afanforestpark@npt.gov.uk
Car Parking
Short Stay - £1.00 up to an hour
Long Stay - £2.50 for full day
Season Ticket - £23.00 (includes parking at Glyncorrwg Mountain
Bike Centre)
Miners Museum entry fee
Standard - £ 1.30
Child under 16 - 65p
Concession - 65p
Under 5 - Free
Camping Prices:
£1.95 per person per night.
Accommodation
Swansea tourism
centre Tel: 01792 468321
How to get there:
From Junction 40 on the M4, follow the brown and white signs
for Afan Forest Park, then pass Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre
and head towards Cymmer, take a sharp left turn towards
Glyncorrwg. For more information, telephone the Centre on: 01639
851900.
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Opening Hours |
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Times |
Dates |
Days |
Info |
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April -
September |
9.30 am
- 5 pm |
Monday
to Friday
(6pm on weekends and Bank Holidays). |
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October
- March |
10.30 am
- 4 p.m. |
Monday
to Friday
(5 p.m. on weekends and Bank Holidays). |
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Afan
Forest has two Visitor Centres, Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre
& Glyncorrwg MTB Centre.
Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre
The Visitor Centre, which is run
by Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, offers a conference
room, campsite, café and shop, as well as being the place to
find out more about the entire Forest Park. There are walking
trails, family cycling and exhilarating mountain bike trails.
Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre is the trailhead for two world
class mountain bike trails, the ‘Penhydd’ and ‘The Wall’
mountain bike trails. The South Wales Miners Museum is also
situated in the Visitor Centre, which illustrates the history of
the Forest Park.
Please note that the café in the Centre is being refurbished and
is expected to be finished by the end of April 2006. Temporary
catering is available - light snacks, tea and coffee.
Facilities:
Bike Hire will be available from December 2005.
Activities
26 station course - recommended courses or use your own.
Maps available for £1 from the shop.
How to
get there:
Situated on the A4107 - follow
the road from the M4, Junction 40 for about 6 miles. Look out
for the signs for Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre. For more
information, telephone Afan Forest Park Visitor Centre on: 01639
850564.
Glyncorrwg Mountain Bike Centre and Ponds
Set amidst the beautiful mountain
bike scenery of Afan Forest Park, the ponds are perfect for
canoeing and fishing. The newly opened Mountain Bike Centre is
based at the start of two world class mountain bike trails,
‘Skyline’ and ‘White’s Level’. The Centre also has a fully
stocked bike shop, showers, campsite, jet wash and a café that
provides quality food and service.
There is also a Wales Tourist Board graded caravan and camp
site.
Facilities:
Bike Shop
Activities
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~ PENHYDD TRAIL ~
22km (1.5-3hrs A mix of tightly technical,
twisting, arm wilting single-track plus climbs & downs)
~ ROCKY MTN WALL TRAIL ~
23km (1.5-3hrs Fast swooping single-track
mixed with beautiful views & a downhill run at the end)
~ WHITE'S LEVEL TRAIL ~
24km (1.5-3hrs Very technical tough riding
with drops, step downs and long single-track climbs)
~ SKYLINE TRAIL ~
46km (5.5-7hrs Epic trail high up on level
single-track, but still tough going)
The 9feet.com and MBR-sponsored trail launched a 9.5 mile
way-marked gem. Climbing predominantly on fire roads with
descents on single-track. Daffyd Davis from Coed-y-Brenin
advised the single-track. It is more of a flowing trail than
technical. Afan Argoed is situated a convenient 10 minutes away
from the M4. There is also a separate family level trail within
the forest. All the trails are fully way-marked, plus an updated
map will shortly be available from the Afan Argoed visitor
centre. Afan Forest park is the fastest growing mountain bike
centre in Britain and located only minutes from the M4 it’s
perfect for those wanting to reach a variety of fantastic riding
fast. The original testing 20km loop of the Penhydd
trail. (The chosen course of the 2001 World
single-speed championships) has now been joined by two more
fabulous trails.
The Rocky Mountain sponsored Wall trail is a
swooping 24km mainly single-track loop with epic views and
breathtaking descents to keep your heart pumping all the way
round. The White’s Level Trail is the latest
but most challenging of them all, using the rocky outcrops of
the steep sided valleys to maximum ‘drop-in’ effect. Expect all
sorts of twisted, exposed single-track sections and ridge to
valley bottom descents to keep you on your technical toes but
leave you grinning from ear to ear. With beautiful view points
over the Gower Peninsula and Lundy island as well as the Brecon
Beacons, the trails will also leave you breathless in more ways
than one.
The extensive trail network in the forest also includes the
24-mile Celtic High Level scenic trail, a
unique point-to-point ride that takes you past prehistoric
forts, Roman camps, more modern industrial archaeology and
specially constructed sculptures en route. There is also a
shorter family route and literally 1000's of kilometres of ‘free
range’ marked riding within the forest. |
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Skyline
Distance: 46km
Climb: 2000m
Time: 5 - 7 hours
The latest addition to Afan
Forest Park. The trail starts with the same climb as White’s
Level – quite rocky and technical. Skyline is a giant of a
ride. Be prepared!
Sharing the same sheep-track
ascent as White’s Level and continuing on long, forest road
climbs with sweet, flowing technical singletrack descents
you will be treated to stunning skyline views of Brecon
Beacons, the Preselis. The Black Mountains and the South
Wales coast.
This route will test your
stamina and your nerve, with technical singletrack, such as
‘On the Edge’ and ‘Excalibur’ sections. Your reward will be
out-stretched views and a nerve-tingling, rocky, 6km
singletrack descent back into Glyncorrwg. There are also 2
short cut loops built into the trail and the furthest
section ‘Excalibur’ should only be attempted with sufficient
daylight hours to complete the route.
Come well prepared with
plenty of water, food, spares (inner tubes etc) and due to
the nature of the trail, some spare clothing. Skyline route
is subject to extreme weather changes and temperature
differences between the valley bottom (195m) and mountain
top (600m). The weather can be wild and can close in fast. |
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The Wall Trail
Distance 23Km
Climb: 450m
Time: 1.5 - 3 hours
This trail essentially
traverses the North side of the Afan Valley on singletrack,
which varies from fast, open and flowing to tight technical
and rooty.
Much of the singletrack
crosses some very steep side slopes and in places feels
quite exposed. The route also shares a section of the family
cycle trail along the valley bottom so please ride with
consideration for other users.
White's Level
Distance: 24km
Climb: 400m
Time: 1.5 - 3 hours
Very technical progressive
riding trail with drops, step downs and long singletrack
climbs.
A 6km sheep track climb gives fantastic views of Afan Forest
Park, extreme exposure on tight singletrack means ultimate
thrills and long, demanding descents with rocky steps to
negotiate, all leading to one outrageous trail. If this was
a slalom run it would be graded black. |
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The Penhydd Trail
Distance: 22Km
Climb: 550m
Time: 1-3 hours
This is a varied trail, which
combines forest and road climbs with tight, technical,
switchback trails through mixed woodland and open flowing
singletrack through ground with great views.
Big climbs followed by
technical descents mean this trail is not suitable for
novices and in places the trail is exposed to bad weather on
high ground. Please make sure that your bike is in good
working order and that you are adequately equipped. |
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Have a bicycle, it helps!.
Always wear a cycle helmet.
Ride with a smile, not a bashed in face ..!
Expect the unexpected because it'll never happen ...!
properly ....?
Give way to walkers/ horses & be friendly towards other
forest users, especially sheep.
Never ride whilst under the influence of drugs, alcohol or
porno's ... Boring..!
Always have enough money with you. 'Duh', to buy
Bicyclemania trailfinders a pint.
Footpaths are for walkers only, ..... "
you know what we mean "
Ride flat-out & attack every hill, it could be your last
ride, ever .. ever ... ever!.
Please do not drop litter or fag butts, stuff'em down your
shorts.
DANGER ! Keep away from all forest operations like, S.A.S.
special training op's.
...'Only teasing' .... |
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