Two new mountain bike trails have opened at Cwmcarn Forest attracting hundreds of visitors.
The downhill and ‘Cafall’ cross-country trails were tested by former junior downhill world champion Manon Carpenter and doubles the capacity at the popular centre.
Caerphilly’s Manon, who will be competing in the first downhill races of the year in Portugal this month, first visited Cwmcarn with her dad at the age of 12.
She said: “Cwmcarn is a really good place to train and the fact that they’ve got new tracks is great.
“With the downhill track it’s one of the best places to ride in South Wales and the more trails there are for people to ride the more successful mountain biking in the area will be.”
The trails opened on February 19 and are run by Cognation.
The new trails now make Cwmcarn a prime destination in the UK.
Visitor numbers are already up, with more than 1,200 people going through the doors of the visitor centre in the first two days of the trails opening.
Centre worker Mandy Lewis said: “We’ve had an increase in people using the cafe and there’s a lot more bikers around.”
The cross-country trail offers 15 kilometres of technical challenges that take in stunning views, but the downhill trail is less extreme than the current Y Mynydd, making it suitable for intermediate riders.
Peter Cloke, Forest District Manager of Natural Resources Wales, said: “Cwmcarn has always been a popular mountain bike destination, with the addition of the new cross country and downhill trails Cwmcarn is sure to be a must on most bikers ride list ensuring South Wales remains one of the top mountain biking destinations.”
VIDEO: Champion rider Manon Carpenter tests the new downhill trail.