An exciting new project has recently been completed in Mid Wales, that is hoped to bring plenty of visitors, tourists and mountain bike enthusiasts to the area.

The Melindwr Trail is NRW’s first blue-grade mountain bike trail in Mid Wales. It is a five-kilometre, intermediate-level trail suitable for people with previous mountain biking experience.

The trail has two loops that allow riders to vary the length, and it offers fun, flowing descents and berms (steeply banked corners).

The trail adds to the brilliant facilities already on offer at this visitor centre, and it’s well worth a day out to explore it, if you haven’t been before. Close to Aberystwyth in Mid Wales, Bwlch Nant yr Arian Visitor Centre sits at the head of a dramatic valley and has commanding views of Cardigan Bay and the Cambrian Mountains.

It is well-known for its long established tradition of daily feeding of red kites, Wales’s National Bird of Prey. There is a range of trails for walkers, mountain bikers, and runners which are waymarked from the visitor centre. There is also a skills park with a purpose-built track for mountain bikers to practice their technique and a waymarked circular trail for horse riders along forest tracks, paths and quiet tarmacked roads.

The new Melindwr Trail has two loops; riding both loops is 5km:

• Loop 1 is under 2km with one forest road climb, a fine view with a bench and one super fun flowy descent with lots of berms back to the visitor centre.
• Loop 2 takes you up the beginning of ‘Italian Job’ before descending the ‘Half Pipe’. Take care on the next two-way shared use section before climbing round ‘The Nose’ for a distant view to the sea. Recover on the bench before a long, flowing descent with fun rollers and berms. The return forest road climb has one section of 12% gradient, but you’ll be well rewarded by the exciting final

The Melindwr Trail joins some other fabulous mountain bike trials in North and Mid Wales – such as the trails in Coed y Brenin, Llyn Brenig, Machynlleth and Llandegla. North and Mid Wales is fast becoming the UK destination for Mountain Bike sports!

You can find out more information at

• www.naturalresources.wales/days-out/places-to-visit/mid-wales/bwlch-nant-yr-arian-forest-visitor-centre
• http://www.mbwales.com/listings/melindwr/