I’m considering a trip over to escape the Inlaws before Christmas but all the uplifts are full. What’s the ride up like or am I better off going somewhere else and leaving BPW until I can get on an uplift.

The ride up take about 20 minutes if you motor from the visitors centre.

You can peel off half way down & do some laps of the top section too, if you don’t fancy doing full climbs back to back.

Every time i’ve been there you can normally jump on the uplift anyway, there seems to have been more spaces as the weather has got worse.

it’s fine if you’re used to a bit of a ride, it would probably be hell if you’re a fat DH chuffer on a ‘sled’

the trails are worth it, don’t let lack of uplift stop you going

use the search, been done to death in the past

yeah its fine. i tend to ride to the top up the climb, then when i get to the first fireroad on the way down, loop back up the fireroad a few times (go right as your looking downhill) then do a full descent for lunch. how many full descents occur after lunch depends on how wet and cold i am 😐

I went last Friday and it was horrendous, it was heavy rain and foggy and the climb really dragged on. We went with the intension of riding up a few times and getting the uplift a few times.

I don’t think the ride up is worth what you get on the way down, it really needs the uplift to work.

Turned out they only ran 1 bus, even tho it was fully booked up. There were plenty of day pass people like us waiting for the uplift so it would have been feasible to put another bus on. However the one thing that pissed me off the most was 4 of us had waited 30mins for the uplift, there was enough room on the bus so we put the bikes on the trailer and was just about to set off on the bus when a guy with an uplift pass turned up so the bus driver made us get off, unhook the bikes and let him on wasting the best part of an hour.

I think BPW are really missing out on extra revenue because of this. They have extra busses, the diesel to drive to the top each time would be minimal and I would imagine the drivers aren’t particularly well paid. For the 4 us, at £4 each would have paid £16 over and over again just to get more runs in.

I don’t think the ride up is worth what you get on the way down, it really needs the uplift to work.

First time I’ve heard that POV.

I think it depends a lot on if the rider is used to long climbs on their bike, and the bike they’re on.

The more gravity orientated the rider and bike, the more they’re going to think the uplift is essential.

Obviously the ratio of up to down is the same as any other trail centre (1:1!), I’d say the BPW runs are steeper and faster than the typical Afan etc trail. So they take less time, changing th down to up time ratio.

that pissed me off the most was 4 of us had waited 30mins for the uplift

you could have ridden to the top in that time, kept warm and chatted to your mates on the way, instead of standing around in the rain waiting.

did you try and book uplift in advance? I guess if they have enough bookings to keep one bus busy, it’s a bit of a punt for them, especially calling in an extra driver, to run a second bus.

I think it depends a lot on if the rider is used to long climbs on their bike

I’m used to big climbs, regularly ride welsh trail centres and quite happy to plod up hill. I think its that after a couple of times its really boring. I guess the weather had a big affect on the climb, a nice sunny day in mild temps would probably make it a lot better then driving rain, fog and a few metres visibility.

did you try and book uplift in advance?

Yeah, but it has been booked up on fri, sat and sun for ages. I think what just annoyed me the most was we got on the uplift, but at the last moment had to take bikes and everything off again.

Another thing, was the uplift stopped for an hour from 1 till 2pm, if your paying for a lift you want it there all the time. You don’t see ski lifts close over lunch.

Yeah, but it has been booked up on fri, sat and sun for ages. I think what just annoyed me the most was we got on the uplift, but at the last moment had to take bikes and everything off again.

And you would be even more p*ssed off if you had booked your uplift and got to the bus to find out they had given the last spaces to people who hadn’t booked…

Another thing, was the uplift stopped for an hour from 1 till 2pm, if your paying for a lift you want it there all the time. You don’t see ski lifts close over lunch.

Yeah, the difference is, people don’t drive lifts, and are guided by tacho rules. It’s the same at Cwmcarn & various other places.

When I went in early Nov with uni all the xc lycra lout types did the climb. Granted most were on proper xc bikes (I think I had the biggest bike with a 456!) and we did the climb in about 25mins. I would recommend not taking the trail route up and just take the fire road.

Poonprice, I think that was me and a mate who kicked you off the uplift 🙂 Sorry, but if you haven’t booked then you cant expect to get priority. Weather probably made your cycle ups a lot worse, it was pretty grim and can see that getting tedious.
I think pretty much all the afternoon uplifts were 1/2 empty, so easy to get a lift up.

Yeah, the difference is, people don’t drive lifts, and are guided by tacho rules. It’s the same at Cwmcarn & various other places

Really? Even on private property?

To answer my own question, yes it is. The climb isn’t too much of a chore, cutting some of the descents in half makes it not too repetitive. It helps not to leave your bag with car keys, wallet and phone at the top of the hill on the last run, cheers Rowan:-)