[Closed] Bike Park Wales is taking bookings again.

Miss the place, it'll be horrific the first few weeks of opening again though, last couple of times i went there were major offs and shut downs, hopefully folk go easy and not rush into going too hard too fast!

Yeah good point, we were going so often and getting pretty good for a couple of old biffers. Definitely need to take it easy, saying that, had plenty of big offs.
Also need to Shagura up my Maguras.

Lol - are they suggesting that most people who ride there are over 50? ie vaccinated (not that a vaccination makes any odds)

Not a cat in hells chance

Well me and my mate are vaccinated, but I know there’s a good chance it may get moved or that we’ll be pedalling.

Not looked at their pricing for a while, but hell, weekends are looking expensive.

After April 29th, it looks like they are splitting weekend uplifts into 2 groups, a morning session and an afternoon one, both 4.5 hours. With each session being £37.

So to do a full weekends uplift, you need to pay for 4 sessions, a cool £148. Or am I reading that wrong?

To be fair i think they've extended their hours to fit, they also have to limit numbers in the buses, so this is to counter that problem. Just before they shut down we did the morning 4.5 hour session, was good enough, you're not taking any breaks, so it's purely 4.5 hours of uplifts and downhill, then lunch afterwards.

It'll be sold out even at that price

Jesus, things have changed in the uplift world.

I preferred it when it was £25, you were in the back of a quarry truck trying to stop your bike getting smashed to bits and you had to hold on to the nearest person who was holding on to something... 😅

For someone like me coming from a distance with fuel too, that's a big chunk of change.
Still, doubt that's a concern of theirs.

Hopefully the less busy, harder parks will not go crazy with prices too.

Never been a lot cheaper in the Forest of Dean mind the A417 project is only 5 miles away from home never been there either even though I look down on it a lot riding to Cranham.

I'm amazed any of you are even considering uplifting it...

We're going to book 20th March, but we're not uplifting...

£14... bargain !

Yeah I noticed the double session setup just before they closed down last time. So if I want to get a day’s riding in it’s gonna be £74? I’ll be going elsewhere.

Saying that you just do 4.5 hours without breaks is just ridiculous, when they run the full 6 or 7 hours you go 7 hours ‘without breaks’ (the way the uplift has slowed down over the years you get plenty of rest waiting for the drivers to stop chatting/faffing anyway) if you’re actually there to ride not hang out in the café and get nice pics. Especially as mentioned above for those coming from far away, I’m not going to get a boat and drive most of the day to do 4.5hrs

I am fully aware that BPW probably don’t care about me not going there. Maybe they are doing it this way to make it better for locals, which is understandable

But most of all this:

It’ll be sold out even at that price

I'll probably make it a long weekend and drive up to Golfie, now that's some proper riding

I wonder how much charge my generator can put in the e-bike battery at lunchtime though ?

Makes much more sense on an eeb these days.
How much is an eeb pass?

So does this mean BPW know's something about restrictions being lifted that we dont?

Or is it a case of them hoping for the best?!

Just booked end of april, so i will also be hoping for the best!

I'm guessing a case of the latter.

I'd love to get to BPW some day, maybe even this year at some point.

Or is it a case of them hoping for the best?!

I’d wager this. I don’t think there’s a hope in hell of the masses being allowed to descend on Merthyr by then

chrishc777
Free Member
Yeah I noticed the double session setup just before they closed down last time. So if I want to get a day’s riding in it’s gonna be £74? I’ll be going elsewhere.

Saying that you just do 4.5 hours without breaks is just ridiculous, when they run the full 6 or 7 hours you go 7 hours ‘without breaks’ (the way the uplift has slowed down over the years you get plenty of rest waiting for the drivers to stop chatting/faffing anyway) if you’re actually there to ride not hang out in the café and get nice pics. Especially as mentioned above for those coming from far away, I’m not going to get a boat and drive most of the day to do 4.5hrs

Not seen many folk ride 6 or 7 hours non-stop, last time i was there they did the 4.5 hours, it was slicker than usual, so more uplifts in the time, we were on the first bus and last bus, if you really want, you can go back and cycle up, but we were all knackered as if you know you have 4.5 hours, you use it, prep to start and ride until last bus, any time i've been there before it's been lunch stops, water refills, toilet breaks, etc, etc.

I wonder how much charge my generator can put in the e-bike battery at lunchtime though ?

Can you charge them whilst riding?

https://idmbackboss.com/en/index.html

If they let me keep moving the booking, I’ll keep trying.

Not seen many folk ride 6 or 7 hours non-stop, last time i was there they did the 4.5 hours, it was slicker than usual, so more uplifts in the time, we were on the first bus and last bus, if you really want, you can go back and cycle up, but we were all knackered as if you know you have 4.5 hours, you use it, prep to start and ride until last bus, any time i’ve been there before it’s been lunch stops, water refills, toilet breaks, etc, etc.

When it runs the standard service I'm on first and last as are many others on the bus. Used to be able to get 16 runs in but now (well last time I went at least) it was down to maximum 10-12 if you were lucky. In 4.5 hours there's no way I could get a decent amount in, sounds like you did though so maybe I'm just an outlier here or just not their target customer

In fact I got more elevation in a Golfie pedal-up ride than the last BPW uplift trip! 7,400ft vs 7,150ft

Are they reducing the numbers on each bus, that could speed the loading process?

I find averaging half an hour a lap is a good estimate, if you are lucky you get the "bonus" one of getting on the last lift just before close and therefore your final descent is done "after closing time".
My best is 13, have managed 12 a few times. Girlfriend has managed 14 once midweek.

As above, you are riding about 10 minutes out of every half hour, the other 20 you are standing in a queue or sitting in a bus. More than enough time to eat, drink, stretch and talk to your friends.

At Inners last year with the restricted numbers on the buses, I got 6 runs in compared to the usual 9. They also had an extra minibus on.

There'll be a huge pent up demand, and maybe a reduction in capacity, so frankly if you're running an uplift company and not increasing the price you're probably some sort of philanthropist millionaire. Still hoping to get back down there for BMCC and FOD again this year and we'll chuck in BPW if we can too at the same time, but, it's obviously far from certain.

Yeah we did Inners in September and left after getting 3 runs in in almost 4 hours. Pointless

All that said I don’t envy anyone trying to make a living off an uplift business right now

There was reduced numbers on buses, so nobody in the middle, it'll be rammed when it starts up again, lots of cancelled bookings, my last cancelled booking is from the bad weather last winter, loads are in the same boat, then you have Covid cancellations, i'm not even thinking of booking until summer again, i'll stick with FoD and Cranham/417 for now, hopefully Windhill will reopen soon as well, as it's a good place to play about for the day, and a lot cheaper!

When it runs the standard service I’m on first and last as are many others on the bus. Used to be able to get 16 runs in but now (well last time I went at least) it was down to maximum 10-12 if you were lucky. In 4.5 hours there’s no way I could get a decent amount in, sounds like you did though so maybe I’m just an outlier here or just not their target customer

In fact I got more elevation in a Golfie pedal-up ride than the last BPW uplift trip! 7,400ft vs 7,150ft

Sounds good, wish i could manage that without feeling it, my shoulders/arms struggle these days!

As for this BPW timings, the reality is they need to make up the money ASAP, they've lost an entire year whilst putting money into the hill, i remember just before the last lockdown they reopened timings and almost every weekend for two months went red, there's a lot of folk waiting to rebook, as well as the rest who just want some uplift fun.

I have to say though, i do prefer just going to FoD, no rush and no crowds.

So does this mean BPW know’s something about restrictions being lifted that we dont?

Or is it a case of them hoping for the best?!

Occasionally in the past some places have been forewarned of closures, My Daughters Gym got all the dates etc from British Gymnastics a few days before it was in the press.

BPW will be pretty well-known to Welsh Gov, it's really been seen as a success story for Government investment. We're due to hear from Welsh Gov tomorrow about our road map out of lock-down, including opening outdoor centres like BPW, so I wouldn't bet against them being given a bit of a heads up, being closed 9 months out of the last 12, I'd bet they're pretty desperate to get some money in the bank.

This time we seem to be a bit ahead of England in terms of reducing restrictions our youngest Kids will be going back to School on Monday, I think it's still a hope to open Schools in England two weeks later? You might find it's open, but you can't legally travel there from England.

I live 20 mins away, I haven't been in 2 years, I might go for a ride-up day when the initial rush dies down, but I must admit, when I fancy a bit of Gravity Riding, I prefer FOD.

Looking at English guidance it will be may at the earliest, but then it’s Wales - situation where devolved government ads complexity and daftness

Makes much more sense on an eeb these days.
How much is an eeb pass?

£19

Looking at English guidance it will be may at the earliest, but then it’s Wales – situation where devolved government ads complexity and daftness

Yes agreed. All those silly Welsh people trying to make decisions for themselves and run their own country. When will they learn to let their betters make decisions for them like the rest of the world did for the last 300 years... God bless the empire. God save the Queen. I'd didn't go up to Oxford post Eton just for some bladdy provincial nobody telling us what to do. Bringing light to these unenlightened savages etc etc

I`ve booked the may BH sunday sesh. speculatively. might as well. Cant get a booking otherwise as its usually sold out. hopefully going with the kids. they love it.

Last summer i was there the first weekend it re-opened we travelled to wales on teh thurs booked the uplift in the van on thurs and was on the uplift with teh kids sunday. never ever been able to do that!

I`m happy to pay the going rate as the trails/facility is decent and worth it. you can get good riding in elsewhere or for cheaper but its a treat and they need to be paid/maintain stuff!

which reminds, me I have a BMCC booking to use up too!

Now BMCC is somewhere you shouldn't be going

That place is so fast and fun it should just be illegal full stop, COVID or not

And they run a really fast turnaround uplift, despite the initial agricultural feel of it!

Sweet Im glad I have a 700 & 500 battery now. I cant see I will ever bother with the uplifts at bmcc or bpw again, or 417 or fod thinking about it.
Still need to uplift at revs & stiniog though, I dont think you are allowed to ride up their uplift tracks yet.

oh yeah - eeb for teh win. but only if you are not taking the whole family - gets expensive buying all of them one too...

I ride a HT up at BPW when i`m with teh kids to keep it interesting. sneaky roots manouvers laps while they are having a break are awesome on the HT.

So is this still inline with Boris's roadmap and Wales restrictions?

"The ‘stay at home’ order will remain in place until March 29, when it will be replaced with advice to ‘stay local’."

Looks like BPW are taking pedal passes from the 26th March?

Accommodation is the challenge (alongside stay local guidance and Rule 1 obvs)

Have a booking with a riding buddy in April (moved from last April) and have a feeling BPW will be running but we won’t be able to stay together and will need two separate self-catering places.