Wheels Up! Incredible fun of first time mountain biking at BikePark Wales

Easy to reach and great for first time mountain bikers, Sam Bradley and his family are seriously impressed by BikePark Wales in Brecon Beacons National Park.

First time mountain biking, BikePark Wales

First time and fearless at BikePark Wales

On the surface all appears calm. We are freewheeling down a gentle mountain track, beauty on every side as we are surrounded by innumerable moss-covered pines. The stillness envelops us, allowing a sense of serenity and peace (almost!).

Although internally I’m not quite as relaxed: it’s my children’s first time on mountain bikes, and I’m quietly hoping we all get through the afternoon unscathed.

While they’ve done a bit of ‘city riding’ along tarred roads in the past, a 5km downhill dirt track (playfully named ‘Kermit’) feels like a whole new challenge. Surprisingly, this bothers them not in the slightest: turns, berms and even tracks with trees to be dodged are all met with equal enthusiasm. However, I’m relieved to see the end in sight, but it’s only a matter of moments before the inevitable ‘can we do that again’ rings out, and with an uplift minibus waiting to whisk us back up the mountain, there isn’t even an excuse to say, no.

Skills. BikePark Wales ©Visit Wales/Ian Lean

Easy trails for family cyclists and plenty to challenge expert riders

We’re at BikePark Wales in Brecon Beacons National Park, a paradise for mountain bikers consisting of 46 trails for riders of all levels. Equipped with everything from a café, showers, bike shop and even a repair centre with full time mechanics, it’s a complete service that will soon have you enjoying the trails. And they are some trails!

The purple pro lines and black expert slopes are packed with adrenaline inducing jumps, drop offs, steep descents and swooping berms, and on most days you’ll find grizzled and battle-hardened riders testing their skill and courage on the best slopes in Britain.

Also, for those new to mountain biking there are plenty of green and blue beginner slopes, including a family specific loop as well as the very gentle, ‘Badgers Run’, for little legs. And with 10 professional trail builders and a lease of 800 hectares, there are plenty of new and exciting trails in the pipeline.

Forest trails, BikePark Wales

BikePark Wales ‘Ticket to Ride’ package is perfect for families

We’re on the ‘Ticket to Ride’ package, a four hour guided introduction to downhill which includes bike rental and an ‘uplift pass’ for minibus rides to the top.

We’re delighted to be in the safe hands of our private guide Colin, a born and bred Welshmen who grew up in the neighbouring valley. A pro racer for many years, Colin’s now passing on that wisdom and experience to others, and we’re grateful to learn from the best.

He keeps it delightfully simple, encouraging us while simultaneously working on techniques such as awareness, not braking too suddenly and keeping pedals level around corners. By the end of the session, even my 10 year old daughter (already a sassy tween) tells me, ‘This was more fun than I expected.’ High praise indeed.

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Testing the terrain, BikePark Wales ©Visit Wales/Ian Lean

You get the beautiful Brecon Beacons as an added bonus

Set atop Mynydd Gethin mountain (altitude: 491m) with views over the beautiful Brecon Beacons and endlessly green Welsh countryside, it’s clear BikePark Wales is onto something special. This is confirmed by Colin, who (along with being a passionate rider and an instructor) appreciates the many benefits the park has brought to his hometown.

The roughly 100,000 visitors to the park each year provide much employment, as well as adding an estimated £30m annually to the local economy.  Aiming to be carbon neutral by 2025, the park is part of Trash Free Trails as well as investing heavily in solar energy. Bikepark Wales is even helping local wildlife, working with the Welsh Forestry Dept (who own the land) to replace pine trees with native deciduous trees which can support more animals, such as deer.

Cyfarthfa Castle, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales

Capturing castles beyond BikePark Wales

The park is set in the town of Merthyr Tydfil, and the proud history of coal mining in the area can be seen in many of the trail names.  So the next day, muscles tired from biking, we decide to instil some history into the family.

Our first stop is the delightful Cyfarthfa Castle, which not only boasts a museum and art gallery but also wonderful lawns, lake and a playground (and even a miniature railway in season). Additionally, those travelling from other parts of the UK will find the pricing a joy to behold (entrance is £2.50 per adult and free for children, as is parking).

Exterior, Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenafon ©Visit Wales

Mining the history at Big Pit National Coal Museum

Once the youngsters are successfully ‘played out’ in the giant playground, we drive half-an-hour to discover one of the most interesting tourist attractions I’ve ever had the pleasure of stumbling across: the Big Pit National Coal Museum.

Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenafon, Wales

While the name might not be particularly inspiring, the tour most certainly is: we all donned helmets and took ‘the cage’ lift shaft 90m down to explore an entirely new world. It was fascinating to see how people (including women and young children) had worked underground, often in dangerous conditions. As well as learning where the expression ‘canary in a coal mine’ came from, our animal loving kids were amazed to see the deep down stables where the horses were kept.

Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales ©Visit Wales

BikePark Wales was incredible, and we’ll definitely be back

Undoubtedly, one of the silver linings to the covid pandemic is a newfound appreciation for local travel. While those memories have faded and it’s now all too easy to jet off to Europe, it was wonderful to be reminded that we have some amazing attractions, like BikePark Wales, right on our doorstep.

Returning home I was grateful for a weekend spent learning new skills, bonding as a family, spending time in nature as well as learning about history in a hands-on way. The requests from the offspring to return have already started, so I doubt this will be our last visit to this beautiful part of Wales.

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