BLUES CRUISE PT.2 WALES

WE ENTER THE LAND OF DRAGONS IN OUR QUEST TO HUNT DOWN BRITAIN’S BEST BLUE TRAIL – ONE THAT’S PURE FUN FOR PINNERS AND POOTLERS ALIKE

We enter the land of dragons in our quest to hunt down Britain’s best blue-graded trail – one that’s pure fun for pinners and pootlers alike – and aren’t disappointed...

We pause at the top with smiles spreading from ear to ear, eager for the thrills we know are coming on Wales’s most fun and flowing blue descent, one that’ll weave us to the base of the hill through a whirlwind of berms, rollers, jumps and drops. The sun is shining, the trails are dry, we’ve got shiny new Saracen bikes between our legs and, bar a strong breeze, it’s a perfect day.

Our hunt for Britain’s best blue-graded trail has taken us across the Severn Estuary, and we couldn’t have timed it better. After hours spent pooling the MBUK team’s own extensive knowledge, reaching out to contributors and consulting our followers on social media, a clear Welsh favourite has emerged. So now it’s time to ride it afresh and see what all the fuss is about!

We’ve got just two criteria to bear in mind. Firstly, our overall winner has to be fun for both the people it’s designed for – classed as ‘intermediate’ cyclists, but really beginners in MTB terms – and more advanced riders. Pootlers and pinners, if you like. Which means it needs to be enjoyably flowy at lower speeds but a corner-smashing, roller-manualling, gap-finding blast when ridden flat-out. To judge this fairly, we’ve sent along our newest team member, Julia, accompanied by experienced racer Luke.

Secondly, it has to be ridable as an entertaining loop – so the climb can’t just be a long, dull fireroad slog all the way to the top, and we’re not including bike park runs that can only be accessed via a push-up track or by hopping