AFAN BIKE PARK
afan Forest may not be the first place that springs to mind when you think of bike parks, being one of the UK’s oldest and largest trail centres, but it has a neat little bike park hidden away at the top of the hill, which was revamped last year. While it isn’t very big, it’s ideal if you’re learning how to jump and want to progress your freeride skills. There’s also a pro line that you shouldn’t underestimate, although it isn’t on the same scale as some of the others here.
The park has four main lines, which vary in difficulty, as well as a short cross-country loop, technical climb challenge, berm track and skinny-log line. All of the trails are made from hardcore, so their surface is weatherproof. The park is all about flow and jumps – there aren’t any tech trails, but Afan has plenty of these outside the bike park, of course. Expect to find tabletops, doubles, drops and berms, all of which are rollable, which can help you build confidence when trying something new.
Thanks to the smooth surface, you can comfortably ride a hardtail here, and it’s not necessarily a full-face venue either. Just know your skill level and equip yourself appropriately if you’re attempting new features. There’s no fee to ride here, so that’s a bonus, and you can either ride the park on its own or use it as a fun way to split up your day if you’re hitting the trail centre loops (it sits at the top of the final section of the Y Wal red route). This is a great little place for learning and improving your jumping and berm-schralping, with enough to keep the experts entertained too.