Afan Forest Mountain Bike Trail Centre

Description

The Afan Forest Mountain Bike Centre can be found in South Wales. Afan is made up of four bases. The first is the Afan Forest Visitors centre itself where the Y Wall, The Penhydd, Blue Scar and the Rookie start from. The second is the Glyncorrwg Ponds mountain bike trail centre a little down the road where The White's Level, Blade and Skyline start from. The third is the Afan Bike Park with its numerous short downhill progressive runs. Finally there is Afan Masts the off-piste unofficial base.

Together these three bases offer mountain bike riders trails and lines for all abilities. In total there are eight main trails covering one black, four reds, another blue with red sections, one green and a bike park.

Rheilffordd Low Level Cycleway - Forest Road

• This is one straight line so you turn around when you want but in total, this is 14 miles of the old railway track to explore the valley. Parking options are Rhyslyn car park or Glyncorrwg Mountain Bike Centre. Very gentle, very flat.

The Rookie (Green)

• The Rookie is a family-friendly 5.8km green trail with an optional blue 2.4km extension.

Blue Scar (Blue) & Penhydd (Red) 

• Blue Scar is 7km and has an optional 6km Red section incorporated called Penhydd leaving and returning to the Afan Visitor Centre.

The White's Level (Red with Black option)

• The White's Level Red (with black option) is 15.2km long and has more than most trails all in one. A route up takes you to a black rocky section (you can take an alternative route) that has rocks, technical corners and is steep, steep, steep. Later in the ride, there is a Northshore section as well as some fun rock drops (chicken run options exist too).
• There is also a red grade descent trail Tyn y Pant situated 70 metres up the fire road from the old start (top) of ‘The Darkside’ that takes you swooping 1,700 metres down to the valley floor. Hence two there are choices of descents now, Darkside & Tyn y Pant.

The Skyline (Red)

• The Skyline is 46km long and-has steep technical up's and down's, great scenery and best you are fit for this one. The first up-is shared with the White's where it then parts off. 
• After being closed for several years due to the development of a nearby wind farm, the Skyline Trail has been redesigned and it reopened in October 2021. The trail shares the same climb as White’s Level. Call out technical sections are ‘On The Edge’ and ‘Excalibur'. It includes 2 short-cut loops.

The Y Wal Trail (Red)

• The Y Wal trail is a swooping 23km mainly singletrack loop with epic views and breathtaking descents to keep your heart pumping all the way around. Watch out for The Graveyard section and hang on for the searingly fast final descent. Tough climbs followed by fast descents. Jumps, rock slabs, skinnies, shore and rollers. There is also an extra section of trail that is a fun option on 373 of the Y-Wal.
• There is a section of trail on Y Wal that will work as a loop (and can, therefore, be ridden as much as you want) and offers riders the opportunity to have a bit of a downhill singletrack adrenaline buzz. This section can be accessed after the Graveyard section and before the Final Descent Zigzag.

Blade Trail - (Red)

• The Blade Trail is a 23km red graded trail leaving and returning to the Glyncorrwg Visitors Centre. It is big on singletrack combined with ‘classics’ like ‘Peregrine Ridge’ and ‘Jetlag’. It shares the same sheep track climb out of Glyncorrwg with the ‘White’s Level’ trail but then the Blade takes you out to higher and more remote areas. There are tough technical climbs and fast flowing descents. Sections of note are the  ‘Groovy Gully’ and ‘The Rock’ & ‘Ghost Train’ sections that will test your climbing and descending skills. There is also the option to add in the 23km top loop of the classic ‘Skyline’ trail with some amazing views to extend your ride. 

W2 (Black)

• W2 links the Y Wal and White's Level trails with a high level linking route to make  44km epic. It can be started from either Afan Forest Park or Glyncorrwg visitor centres too, with the other centre providing a welcome halfway watering hole en route.

Afan Bike Park

• Jumps, drops, berms, skinnies the lot and just built by Rowan Sorrell and the Back on Track team. 
• The Bike Park is located near Bryn Bettws Lodge, Gyfylchi and can be accessed from Y Wal trail. The adult bike park has a range (around 5) of different Orange dot graded runs each with different types of berms and jumps.
• Afan Bike Park is situated above the village of Tonmawr, at the Bryn Bettws Lodge MTB Centre. There is parking at the centre car park. Postcode: SA12 9SP

Afan Masts

• Full of a myriad of off-piste unofficial trails. You need to use a trail finding app or hook up with someone who knows the trails. Not waymarked.

Clubs and Groups

• Afan Trail Volunteers Facebook Page manage the trail development. If you’d like to donate to ATV for new tools etc, every little helps thanks, please follow the link.
  
• Aberdare MTB Group have 180+ members with a regular 30+ on each ride and often ride Afan and CwmCarn. 

Bike Shops and Hire

• Afan A Blast ,Glyncorrwg, Port Talbot, SA13 3EA,  01639 851900
• Afan Valley Bike Shed, Afan Forest Park, Cynonville, Neath Port Talbot, SA13 3HG, Tel: 01639850800

Coaching

• Campbell Coaching

Share

• If you have already or do get to ride these mountain bike trails at Afan Forest then why not share your experiences with us and post a picture, video, or write a review.