The UK’s top destination for mountain bikers
Situated in the heart of the Welsh Valleys in South Wales just outside Merthyr Tydfil, Bike Park Wales is the UK’s first full-scale mountain bike park. The 1200-acre site features a network of more than 40 bike trails and is home to the UK’s most diverse range of all-weather mountain bike trails.
The park boasts trails for riders of all abilities, from novice to elite level riders. Whatever level you are at there are coaching classes led by a team of experienced trainers who will teach mountain bike skills from scratch or help you practice your technical skills so that you can up your game. With practice areas for beginners and dedicated green starter trails make learning and practising straightforward for those with little or no previous mountain biking experience.
There is a regular uplift service to transport you and your bike to the top of the trails allowing you to enjoy some rest between descents. For fitter riders and e-bikers, you can pedal up via the singletrack, Beast of Burden, or via fire road that takes you to the uplift drop-off point.
The trails
The trails are graded by colour to indicate the level of difficulty, green trails are the easiest with smooth wide and rolling trails to help you build confidence. Bike Park Wales works hard to make the park inclusive to all abilities and has recently invested heavily in green trails for novices.
The blues are intermediate trails, the most popular is Sixtapod which has long flowy corners followed by a series of rhythmic rollers, it’s great fun.
The red trails are for advanced riders, for example, Wibbly Wobbly runs parallel to Sixtapod but it’s more of a natural surface with rocks drops and jumps to navigate and some tricky tree roots once you get into the woods.
The black trails are reserved for expert riders. For example, Enter the Dragon which follows the route of the old Dragon downhill race track. It starts with a couple of step-downs, then some big tabletops and then even larger step-downs. The trails have qualifiers at the start to ensure that your skills are up to the challenge below.
The trails are built in sections so you can link up the trails in various combinations. Check out this trail map for more information about BikePark Wales trails or grab one from reception when you are there to ensure you end up on the trails that are right for you.
Facilities
There’s an excellent shop on-site with everything you could need for a day out on the trails including the latest gear from top mountain bike brands. You can hire a bike hire and protective helmet, knee and elbow pads. There is also a fully equipped workshop for any repairs.
There’s a huge cafe with indoor and outdoor seating areas to refuel at lunchtime, you can even enjoy a bike park wales brewed beer once the riding is done. There is a massive free car park
What does it cost?
£43 for the uplift. There is always one waiting which makes it possible to get 10 or more runs in during the day.
A standard pedal pass is £15, e-bikes are £19.
For more information or to book an uplift visit bikeparkwales.com
Getting there
BikePark Wales is located in Gethin Forest, Merthyr Tydfil. It is just off the A470 at the Pentrebach roundabout just south of Merthyr Tydfil. Grid ref is SO050034 and postcode is CF48 4TT.
Where to stay
There’s plenty of accommodation close to Bike Park Wales in nearby Merthyr Tydfil. Be sure to choose accommodation that caters for mountain bikers including secure bike storage, bike washing facilities, and a designated area to fix any problems to ensure your bike is ready for the next day.