[Closed] Bikepark Wales with no uplift - worth it?

yeah ive done it b4 its ok, there as in xc climb to make it slightly less dull

I think we got 5 or 6 runs in over the day, b4 injury stopped play- fatigue makes it more challenging than just uplifting!

It's a long way to the top - disproportionate to the short runs...I would say no.

Better than not going if you're there anyway. Plus you can pay as you go on the bus, and but limited pass cards iirc?

It's not that ideal but I think I did about 5 runs in a day. Used the xc route once then just used the fire road next to it the rest of the time as it was easier

Yep - good day out IMO. Last time I went was 7 runs, if you motor up it's quicker than the uplift by quite a margin.

Average is about the same, but then I tend to ride the fire road rather than the XC climb.

However 7 runs up & down, i'm substantially more tired than uplifting.

I never bother with the uplift. Only one hard bit on the climb and 7 full top to bottom runs plus extra loops of trails such as Poppity Ping is doable with breaks. Some of the blues are quite long so even more worth it than for the shorter and steeper trails, the climb/descent ratio doesn't feel that different to many S wales trail centres.

did 4 runs without uplift when i went, the climb is quite ok and certainly gives you a good warm up/ work out before shredding the reds and blues.
Was on a xc trail bike tho would hate to do it on a dh rig!

Was on a xc trail bike tho would hate to do it on a dh rig!

Having someone to ride up and chat with also makes a big difference IMO

I did it on my one visit there. Would do it again.

Stuff that the bus takes long enough. Buy a payg pass and hopefully you can squeeze on, especially if the weather is carp, which it always is.

if you motor up it's quicker than the uplift by quite a margin.

I've beaten the uplift before pedaling up (using the road and the short cut rather than the XC climb) but the uplift now seems to have become more efficient so not sure I'd be able to manage it now.

At a steady pace with no wind it takes me about 20mins.

I like to buy an on the day card, ride up the first run to warm up then grab a bus when there's space. The advantage of riding up is you get out of sync with busses so have clear trails also it makes you faster.

3 or 4 climbs combined with a few uplifts works well if you have the time. You don't have to climb to the top to pick up Hotstepper either.

Try to get a PAYG lift

Also, someone previously said right to the top, then session the upper half, rather than ride all to the bottom and then back up again. There was a specific order that was suggested on a different thread

I've beaten the uplift before pedaling up (using the road and the short cut rather than the XC climb) but the uplift now seems to have become more efficient so not sure I'd be able to manage it now.

I bet if you factor in the standing around, loading & waiting to go, the pedal is still quicker overall - as I said though, 7/8 full runs is probably my limit with climbing. I reckon that's knocking on 70km/2500m of climbing - which is a big day out.

Cheers chaps.
Yeah it's a trail bike (Nukeproof Mega TR) so OK on the climbs.

I noticed the XC climb and the 'DH push-up' - is the push-up trail the other ride route to the top?

If you have an E-Bike - Yes
Otherwise - No

Why would you not go? Any other ride you'd have to pedal up a hill to come down (and maybe for less fun downs) so why not just treat it as 'going for a ride' but with the added bonus of knowing the downs will be fun?

Visited BPW last year whilst we stayed at Cwmcarn, had a great day up there, didn't book any bike lifts for the visit, pedaled up the hills to get to the required trails.
As said above, it made us appreciate what was at the end of the climb more but next time would probably try and book and uplift possibly just so we can spend more time there.

The ride up is fine on a trail bike, I tend to take the XC climb just to keep it a bit interesting and I don't mind climbing anyway. I've been to BPW a dozen or so times, not done an uplift yet.

Why would you not go? Any other ride you'd have to pedal up a hill to come down

This really. Just imagine you are in an enduro race 🙂

Any other ride you'd have to pedal up a hill to come down (and maybe for less fun downs) so why not just treat it as 'going for a ride' but with the added bonus of knowing the downs will be fun?

I think if you lap the top half you get more descending time for your climbing, as the hill gets steeper towards the bottom. And there are some push-up routes now that are probably quicker than pedalling unless you're an XC whippet.

Ride up till you are tired / bored then take your chances with the bus, you'll probably get on a few with not much wait, esp at the start and end of the day.

Any other ride you'd have to pedal up a hill to come down (and maybe for less fun downs) so why not just treat it as 'going for a ride' but with the added bonus of knowing the downs will be fun?

I find descending at speed @ BPW pretty full on and am normally pretty knackered at the bottom. The rest in the queue/on the bus is very welcome. If I rode up too (never done it) I reckon it'd either be a much shorter day in terms of runs and/or I'd have to take it a bit easier on the way down.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the uplift wouldn't be fun, less tiring and get you more runs, I'm saying when faced with the choices

1> ride and pedal up
2> don't ride

Then option 1 wins every time 🙂

It's still a ride, just one like any other non-uplift assisted ride with full-on descents, so it seems silly (to me) not to go anyway.

Then option 1 wins every time

A lot of people even with day passes seem to go home after lunch anyway so there shouldn't be any problem getting a pay as you go then.

Yes, I live pretty close and I think I've booked a day pass maybe 3-4 times since it opened.

It's pretty easy to get on the buss as a PAYG rider, especially at the weekends, buses arrive 2 or 3 at a time and the drivers are very good at getting PAYG riders on board.

If you want to pedal up there's a fire road that follows Beast of Burden if you just want to get to the top.

Once you work out the lay of the land it's pretty easy to get to where Popty Ping, Hot Stepper and Terry's Bell 'really' start from where the uplift road crosses the climb in about 10 mins, its about the same again up to the very top, if you skip the last sections of the trails at the very bottom and don't go below the uplift road you'll get more runs in.

Personally, I'd buy a 5 rhn ticket for £20 and chance it at the queue, you might miss a bus or two all day because it's full, but I rarely do.

Thanks Chaps.

If I do decide to ride/push up I'm guessing that would put me out of sync with the bus and potentially give clearer trails?

Not really, there's always people hanging round at the top or regrouping at the fire roads on the way down.

I've been loads though and the volume of people on the trails has never been a problem.

Yeah, there's over a 100 riders booked on the bus everyday over the weekend plus I'd guess half as many again who just turn up, at the top there's 5 starting points of which 2 are black with tasty sized qualifiers - less than 10% of riders there ride them (at a guess) so there's usually a crowd at the staging area at the top - but the trials are very rarely busy apart from the trail heads, I hardly ever catch anyone or get caught myself.

Oh and PSA take cash! Whilst the Bike Park takes cards, quite often someone will be selling a pass for a mate who couldn't make it - gong rate is £15 to £20, don't be a wallflower though, if someone shouts out selling - say yes straight away!

rascal - Member
It's a long way to the top - disproportionate to the short runs...I would say no.

Really?

Went there last month with some mates on HTs, pedalling up for the day, really didn't feel hard done by TBH...

There's some far less rewarding ascent vs descent at other locations compared to BPW. I think easy uplifting has maybe skewed some peoples expectations these days...

The trick is not to ride all the way from top to bottom every run, instead pedal up, do a few runs on the upper blues/reds/blacks down to the first fire road, then it's a quicker easier pedal back to the top, save the full top to bottom runs until mid-morning, just before lunch, mid afternoon or the last run of the day...

The newer lines "popity ping/hotstepper" were good and take you all the way down so maybe save that until you are ready for a full run...

Hope ya feeling fit Chris 🙂

dirkpitt74 - Member
Thanks Chaps.

If I do decide to ride/push up I'm guessing that would put me out of sync with the bus and potentially give clearer trails?

POSTED 4 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST
zilog6128 - Member
Not really, there's always people hanging round at the top or regrouping at the fire roads on the way down.

I've been loads though and the volume of people on the trails has never been a problem.

Having done both uplift only and ride up quite a lot I would say there's a big difference in trail traffic between the two. Weather plays a big part though.

I'm jealous now and want to ride vicious valley, my favourite. Oh and rim dinger.

I don't think I could be within half an hour of BPW and not be compelled to visit, uplift or no uplift!

I don't know if there's a push-up route at the bottom, I feel like I saw something last time I was there, but I bet you could push up the steep last bit next to Pork Belly pretty fast if it's allowed. But the top half of the hill is definitely the best value for your climbing, the more natural trails especially like Dai Hard, Vicious Valley and Wibbly Wobbly.

I went to BPW for the first time yesterday and was able to buy an uplift ticket at reception despite it showing as sold out for the day on-line, so there's also that possibility.

I still cycled up the Beast Of Burden once first thing in the morning and again straight after lunch taking me about 30 minutes from bottom to top each time, credit to anyone who can do it in the quoted 20 minutes!
I thought it was long with the more techy-ish steep bits being nearer the start, the rest was just riding uphill through the woods and eventually across and up to the hilltop.
That said, I was in bits by 3pm after 8 or so top to bottom runs and called it quits because I was reaching the stage of not being able to hold onto the bars and my legs were quietly crying 🙂 I wanna go back!

Just do top halves until lunch cutting out the worst of the climb at the bottom. Then full run back for lunch and see if you can get on the bus with some single uplift tickets as there is space in the afternoon as people drop off.

Don't bother with uplift anymore. 6/7 runs possible taking it steady and stopping at the end of each run for a rest or no rest but taking a more gentle climb up. On first run always beat my riding mates to the top due to the first shuttle bus queues. However now don't wait for them to get pass etc anymore just get mine and go. My riding mates with pre booked day pass get 2/3 more runs in.

Was getting 10 runs in on a Sat and 10 on a Sun in April using the bus (pre-booked).

Hoping to beat that in October.

Managed 11 runs on that same Saturday in April (and partially separated a rib from my sternum halfway through...) Go me! 😉

fair play to anyone who can do the full climb or even fire road climb in 20 minutes! Not sure on my fastest time, or if i have ever timed it. But i suspect its much longer than that.

We quite often use BPW as somewhere to ride when the weather is shocking and very, very rarely use he uplift. As others have said you can get a descent days riding in if you pedal up. 5 runs easy and 7 for a full day, experience tells me if we pedal up for some reason we are less likely to see and injured mate....Not sure why, perhaps its soemthing to do with warming up. Realistically its probably just one of those things.

I got to say i am bored of BPW for the time being, having overdone it somewhat. That hardpack pebble, trail centre stuff drives me insane.