Apologies if already done
According to their Facebook page they have lost the tender for the cafe to Eurest (compass group, already run the absolutely dire visitors centre cafe) and the cycle centre to CTC/Pace

Another Hub Glentress situation, established successful and popular facility thats given alot back to the sport and location given the boot, probably a worse by the FC than GT IMHO

Is this the same Purple Mountain that had no qualms in taking on the shop at Kielder when there was already a well established bike shop?

typical!

compass group, already run the absolutely dire visitors centre cafe

We’ve always found their breakfast to be excellent on a dig day. In fairness, Adrian Carter has put a massive amount into Dalby over the years, he set up SingletrAction there to build the original trails, so I don’t have a problem with Pace winning the tender. I’m not aware that the owners of Purple Mountain have been massively involved in the trail building up there whilst they’ve been in situ.

I’m surprised the CTC were involved in only one side of a commercial tender process like this – I would have expected them to just work with whoever won?

Also, getting less than a months notice to leave for Purple Mountain is probably not great for their staff?

Also, getting less than a months notice to leave for Purple Mountain is probably not great for their staff?

That does seem very unfair.

I’m surprised the CTC were involved in only one side of a commercial tender process like this – I would have expected them to just work with whoever won?

But you’re assuming that whoever won the tender would automatically want to work with CTC?.

can it be just a months notice? surely the original tender would have specified a lease period?

I was there last week and their cake was spectacular.

Cake! by J_Hphotos, on Flickr

I Just signed their petition (http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-purple-mountain-cafe-dalby.html), bit of a shame to see them go imo.

As above, given what they did at Kielder I don’t see how they can complain.

Have they (Purple Mountain)put that much into Dalby – they’ve only been there a couple of years really haven’t they?

When I first went to Dalby (going on for ten years ago now I guess), before the new centre was built, and all the car parks etc, the bike place was run by a nice bloke and his missus who were locals, rode bikes, and were really friendly (although he never turned up to open the place on time on a Sunday morning).

Then when the FC pumped a load of investment in, the new trails were built etc. he was turfed out and Purple Mountain moved in. So I hope they’ve been well and truly shafted. What goes around….

(And if it’s a contract for the service transferring from one provider to another, TUPE should apply and the staff on the ground should still have their jobs)

As far as I know it was all done very strictly by the book. I think FC were always going to be extremely careful with this considering the bad publicity from other situations elsewhere. The original tender was 3 years, plus a 3 year extension which is now up – followed by an open tender process which has ended up with the contracts going to someone else.

Personally (as a local) I never thought PM made the most of their situation. They could have done an awful lot more with the shop, the hire side and the cafe. With the investment going into Dalby from FC (and British Cycling now too) there was great potential that they never really got close to exploiting. They were never good to work “with”, and they’ve managed to piss quite a few people off along the way.

We’ve favoured the visitor centre cafe for a few years now as I can walk out of there having fed/watered the family without feeling (a) hungry and (b) like I’d had my pocket picked. So them running the other caff is fine by me (as long as it’s not just the same stuff).

And I’m certainly curious at what the Pace/CTC partnership will deliver… should be interesting.

The few times I’ve been in I thought they were poor

When I went there they had cake, and beanbags, I was sold.

and they’ve managed to piss quite a few people off along the way.

It’s sad but true, Purple Mountain never showed any particular interest in supporting/helping the volunteer trail builders at Dalby, people who give up a Sunday for free, whilst PM reaped the rewards of those free trails. They were never represented at any meetings (most recently a 50 person turn out in Feb 2012 in the FC courtyard meeting room just behind their shop/cafe to discuss future trail developments). Hopefully they might learn from this and get more involved elsewhere looking beyond themselves and just feathering their own nest/pockets. Pace funded the original bike park and Adrian Carter (owner of Pace) organised the building of the original trails at Dalby, hence “Pace Bike Park”. CTC got funding for the most recent update of the Pace bike park. When asked, CTC and Pace have always helped and supported the volunteer trail building group in Dalby(and beyond). PM pretty much didn’t want to know or get involved. They certainly have never done much towards the trails at Dalby or for the volunteers.

Things can only get better and the official word is…….

Adrian Carter, Pace Managing Director, said;
“We’ve been developing our bikes in this forest for almost 25 years and in that time have seen Dalby progress into the World Class venue we see today. We intend to build upon that as we form a strong and unique partnership with CTC and Forestry Commission bringing together our collective strengths.

Dalby Bike Barn’s key objectives are to provide a focal point for the local cycling community, attract more tourists and keen road/mountain bikers into Dalby and once here deliver the very best courses and events, technical support and retail experience all in a warm and welcoming environment.”

Dan Cook, CTC Senior Off-road Officer, said;
“Dalby provides an ideal environment for each of the 29 different courses that CTC delivers, as well as a great base for community development. Partnering with Pace and Forestry Commission at Dalby Bike Barn means that we can inspire more people to cycle.”

Alan Eves, Forest Management Director, said;
“The high level of interest underlines the forest’s profile as a prime biking destination. We have sought to select partners who can help take forward cycling in Dalby, building on our reputation as a family biking centre offering world class facilities on and off the trail.”

I felt the PM shop was pretty poor, they seemed more focussed on the bike hire. The cafe was better and hopefully under new management will maintain a similar standard.

Having met the Adrian and his family last year through a friend who knows them, I think Pace are perfect partners for Dalby. Adrian probably knows Dalby better than anyone having helped build so many of the trails there. They feels a genuine bond with Dalby and ride there daily which has to be positive.

What goes around comes around. Bloke who had Kielder before them was actually involved in building the trails. Can’t kick up a fuss now its happened to them. Can’t see Keilder being viable by itself with the crap trails up there.

What goes around comes around. Bloke who had Kielder before them was actually involved in building the trails. Can’t kick up a fuss now its happened to them. Can’t see Keilder being viable by itself with the crap trails up there.

Is this the same Purple Mountain that had no qualms in taking on the shop at Kielder when there was already a well established bike shop?

+1, karma at work. they also don’t help out at all on Kielder Trail Build days. seem happy to get the money while putting nothing back in (apart from organising night rides, at a cost of a tenner a person 😯 )

Charge money for a night ride? Is that for insurance purposes… having a laugh I reckon.

I’ll still be supporting Jinglby’s who used to appear on the maps prior to the visitor centre and Purple Mountain’s existence.

That’s quite a bitter-sounding Facebook page.

Presumably they’re not planning on working with FC again?

Well they still have the Kielder shop, but by all accounts it’s never open… The problem with the FC building in Kielder is you can’t serve hot food in there, as the cafe in the castle have the rights to that, and with the bike place the first place you see driving into Kielder, most of the bike hire goes to them… looks like that new, expensive building is soon to be a big white elephant…

A lot more here

Purple Mountain lose Dalby Bike Centre and Cafe tender

As a local to Dalby I was delighted to hear that a Pace/CTC partnership had won the tender, Pace are a kind, thoughtful and generous business and they live their passion everyday. They are genuine, into people and developing community spirit they are a gift to Dalby and the world of mountain biking and cycling. I had a number of friends who worked at Purple Mountain and the stories they had about the way they and other staff were treated was terrible and that the owners were in it for the money and had little interest in anyone but themselves, I guess you reap what you sow. I don’t know the FC at a government body level but I do know some of the people who work in Pickering/Dalby and they seem like a good bunch, hopefully that means it will be a succesful partnership for all concerned.

Nice to hear a bit of balance on this situation (balance on STW, whatever next!?) 🙂

I’ve found PM’s media campaign a little strong and, their justifications seemed a little weak. It seemed to me like a simple failure to win a tender due to the other party having a better proposal for provision?

The other PM centre at Hicks Lodge were tweeting about it last week. Which was annoying (unfollow)

A sign of good things to come ? You decide…I turned up to a Singletraction Trail Dig/Repair day today at Dalby and Mr Adrian Carter aka Pace was there digging muck,shifting rocks and building trails like a good un 8) (Along with alot of other good folk) He obviously gets involved and puts a lot back in, even on a sunday and as a volunteer. Dont ever remember PM getting involved in anything that they couldn’t charge for ermm…..lesson to be learn’t perhaps.

Coffee at purple mountain was worst ever. Twice had a cappucino there, both times weak flavour and the temperature of molten lava. Their cake was mediocre too with cheap ingredients failing to make up for the large portions. Staff seemed ok though. I tend to go to visitor centre cafe if i can.

The only time I came into contact with PM resulted in pretty poor customer service. If that was typical then it’s not breaking my heart they’ve lost this tender.

OK, now I’m miffed. Up at Dalby today, rang Jinglby on the way up to check they were open, only to be told they’d closed. Now I’m hoping I got the wrong end of the stick and they’re closed this week only (Stumpy or any of the other Dalby locals – do you know?), but if this is true we get a choice of exactly the same bunch in the visitor centre and the courtyard with no competition to keep them honest.

As far as the bike shop and skills courses go, nowt wrong with Pace and CTC. If Adrian is going to stock other brands can we have a “Yorkshire bikes for Yorkshire folk” demo centre with Pace, Orange and On-One/Planet X please? A good selection of almost Yorkshire components from Hope would also be acceptable.

rang Jinglby on the way up to check they were open, only to be told they’d closed. Now I’m hoping I got the wrong end of the stick and they’re closed this week only (Stumpy or any of the other Dalby locals – do you know?),

There is a post on one of the local club sites saying that they have closed for good.Here

Jingleby Thorn? Closed? For good?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Where’s the bl**dy facebook petition for this then???

I will have a spin up to jingleby and find out from the horses mouth so to speak 🙂

I’ve found PM’s media campaign a little strong and, their justifications seemed a little weak. It seemed to me like a simple failure to win a tender due to the other party having a better proposal for provision?

Does seem a bit odd – they’re saying a lot about unfairness and injustice, but it seems like they’ve just lost the tender, in the same way that others lost the tenders at Kielder and Dalby to them. They insinuated on their Facebook page that somebody on the decision panel has an inside interest in one of the companies that won the tender.

Dunno whether it was fair or not – but whenever we’ve been Oop North to visit Toast’s parents, we’ve gone to Dalby and Purple Mountain have been a bit underwhelming. Cafe was OK, but we’ve hired bikes three times and they’ve always been pretty knackered, and the shop was always a bit lacking in stock.

It’s always a shame when people lose their jobs though, and it does seem to have happened very quickly. I can imagine that local business people and businesses might think twice about investing in a trail centre business if they think that they’ll inevitably lose it after five or ten years.

It appears that strange things are afoot re. the tender:

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/9616634.Forestry_commission_back_pedals_on_Dalby_Forest_contracts/r/?ref=twt

Pace/CTC have now won this tender again, after Purple mountain demanded a re count or something. I believe Pace/CTC upped their score even more in this retender. Purple Mountain wasting everyone’s time as a result of sour grapes.