A dedicated off-road riding training centre has opened at Afan Forest Park in South Wales.
Riders who stay at Bryn Bettws Lodge Mountain Bike Centre will be able to hone their skills on the area’s world-class trails.
The training will be administered by Afan Valley MTB, who already run MIAS-accredited Mountain Bike Leader courses in Wales and at Cannock Chase in the Midlands.
As well as this advanced training for prospective mountain bike guides and instructors, there’ll also be courses for riders who just want to brush up on their off-road riding skills, whatever their ability.
Afternoon courses start at £38 per person, and two-day Adventure Training rides are £149.
Paul Massey, one of the qualified instructors, said: “We’re right on the edge of the Wall trail and the instructors are all local, so they know the best routes in the area. We can tailor the routes we take riders on to their ability, which is great for them.
“Most people will be coming from the M4 corridor, and for those coming from London we can pick them up from Neath or Port Talbot train station. They can stay at the Lodge, use one of our KHS or Giant bikes, get trained and we’ll take them back to the station on Sunday.”
A dedicated skills trail with berms, tabletops, rhythm sections, technical climbs, technical descents, rock drop-offs and more is under construction, and should be completed for Easter 2010.
For more information, head to AfanMTB.com.