Where to go mountain biking in Wales

Wales is home to some of the most beautiful and challenging mountain biking terrains in the United Kingdom. Every year riders from around the world come to test their endurance and skill on the many trails and tracks.

The British Cycling Federation reports that several competitions are held every year in the country including the MTB Downhill Series at Revolution Park in Rhyd-Y-Felin. We will take a look at some of the best mountain biking trips and trails in Wales both off road and on.

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The Bike Radar has a long list of mountain bike trails all over Wales. One highlight from the list is the forest of Brechfa, which features a combination of natural riding and manmade trails designed by professional downhill rider Rowan Sorrell.

Speaking to UK mountain bike magazine Wide Open, Sorrell stated that “Brechfa is in a stunning and quiet part of the country with decent trails to match.” The forest has several trails catering for every ability level.

facebooktwitterpinterest Mountain biking Revolution Park, Wales. Photo Flickr Dai Williams

Bike Park Wales is the UK’s first full scale mountain park and is located in the heart of the South Wales valleys. The park has some of the most challenging courses in the country with many of them designed by professional riders. Mountain Bike Rider (MBR) state on their website that the park was opened in 2013 and has proved a huge hit. What makes the park appealing to riders is that the trails are constantly evolving.

Liz Scaife, one of the directors at the bike park, told MBR that to ensure people come back “we’ve got to tweak the trails and build new ones”. The elevation drop at the park is 240m.

facebooktwitterpinterest Revolution Park, Wales. Photo Flickr Dai Williams

One fan of cycling in Wales is the former manager of Swansea City, Francesco Guidolin. The former manager is from Italy and is known as a keen cyclist having completed some of the most “brutal and storied climbs in the world,” according to Wales Online. The news site prepared a cycle trail for the manager that would take him up two of the most popular mountain passes and racing climbs in the UK.

The trail starts and ends at the Swansea’s home ground, the Liberty Stadium and is 107km in length. The trail is detailed on the news site with a map for anyone interested in following it.

While the trail has many ascents and descents, Guidolin’s time as Swansea manger came to a sharp end this October with footballing news website Betfair stating that the manager had been replaced this October after a poor run of form, according to regional journalist Dan Fitch. And while Guidolin certainly won’t be attempting the course anytime soon, that doesn’t mean keen mountain bikers can’t try it themselves.

Visit Wales states that there is no better time to be a rider in Wales. With courses designed by some of the best riders in the world, Wales provides a true experience for all riders of all abilities.