Five reasons why our new green trail isn't just for beginners

If you're the sort of rider that eats up our Red-graded runs for breakfast and then brushes your teeth with a Black run before a gargling with a Pro Line, you'd be forgiven for thinking that our new Green trail has little to offer you. Well, we'll forgive you, but you'd be wrong. Our new Kermit trail might be designed for those new to the sport, but here are some reasons why even riders with years of mud, sweat and tears behind them should add this green into their riding diet.

1) It's proper singletrack, not wide fireroad

Even though this is our first top to bottom beginner graded trail, we weren't going to make a ten foot wide motorway, as trail designer Rowan explains: “We’ve been pretty clear from the outset that if we were to build a green trail, the vision was always for it to be true to the rest of the trails at BPW. It has to give a real sense of what bikepark trails are and cannot be too tame or easy or it will leave a chasm between the Green trail and our Blues. So, the trail is singletrack top to bottom and has a certain level of challenge to keep that excitement...”

2) It's the longest descending trail in the UK

Hey, we know that quantity never replaces quality, but with 5km of continuous descending, Kermit is the longest uplifted singletrack in Britain and delivers both of those like no other. If you want to spend the maximum amount of time going downhill versus riding up or being sat in the uplift van, this is the trail for you. It's used the entire drop of the hillside too, so you're not being short changed when it comes to totting up the vertical metres at the end of the day.

3) It's all about flow and fun

Okay, so a trail designed with less experienced riders in mind is never going to deliver quite the same adrenaline drenched thrill as rattling into Enter the Dragon at full speed, but even the best riders will be able to appreciate the non-stop roller coaster ride. Rowan and the team worked incredibly hard to maintain the fun and flow over such a distance: “The design of this trail has been a lot tougher than any other trail in the park! Over the years and after 40 trails at BPW I’m pretty dialled at judging line, speed, flow and features for all of our graded trails but have had to recalibrate and learn a whole new outlook with the green.”

4) You'll have time to enjoy the views

Views? What views? If you find yourself asking that, then it's likely that you've visited the park when the Welsh weather hasn't been playing ball, but even riders who visit when the sun is shining often forget to soak up the mountain views on offer. That's not a good idea if you're tackling the tougher trails – please, do not start appreciating nature just before dropping in to Blackadder – but Kermit will give you plenty of chance to absorb the vista while also enjoying the ride.

5) Greens are good for you

Even if you're the sort of person that picks lettuce out of your burger, You'll find that our green trail is both tasty and good for you. While there aren't any big trail features to push your limits on, concentrating on maximising your pump and pop through the mellow turns without pedalling will help dial the basic skills that are essential to hitting the tougher stuff confidently. It's also the ideal warm up trail, so you can get your head back in the game after a drive here – or night out in Merthyr...