Article on news today saying BPW are worried that they wont be able to reopen anytime soon for their uplift service as social distanceing makes it unviable.
Would now be the time to spend big and get a chairlift? They would clean up as the only uplift service that can operate.
Yeah I would much rather money got funnelled into a chairlift (if the numbers made sense) than keeping staff on the government payroll until (and if) an van uplift became feasible again.
Radical idea but folk could ride up the hill. Get a massive fleet of ebikes for folk that CBA to ride.
Agree big fleet of ebikes would be good but cant help feeling that a chairlift ticks all the boxes at the moment.
It's not so much the social distancing, it's the fact that we have to be 2ms apart. Whereas the rest of the world is 1m, it's killing everything
Hopefully it's just them trying to force things along a bit as I love the trails there. Not a fan of the management as they've made some decisions that don't put the riders first but the people we see on a visit (bar the grumpy, fat driver) are great. The trouble is that they're such a big facility that just keeping things on an even keel must be pretty expensive with no income. They said a few years ago a chairlift would be financially unsound as the running costs are so high but that was before they had mains electricity to the site. I know a price of £1m+ was mentioned just for installation.
I think they'll come out the other end fine, once they can open they'll be rammed for months as everyone makes up for lost riding time. It's the small operators like Cwmdown I fear for more.
They looked at uplifts when it first opened and the cost was millions. Rowan has said before that it would be 6 mil+ and might be fine on a summers day. But miserable for the six months of the year that it’s cold and wet and your 30 foot in the air getting blasted from all sides by the welsh wether). (Fine on a ski holiday when your in insulated waterproofs/gloves)
BPW is the biggest uplift site but if they say that’s to much money then the smaller sites have no chance.
I guess by the time they have built a chairlift hopefully we would have a vaccine so maybe wouldnt really help much.
I'm not even sure that an uplift service could run at 1m spacings profitably.
I would have thought that 6 million plus was the level of investment that a bigish business like BPW could consider.
Glenshee in Scotland have put a couple in recently - I struggle to believe thats the kind of money that they are splashing on them and the weather thing is doable with perspex covers I would have thought.
They just need to get opened for those who want to ride or push up. Dunno how far Wales is behind England in getting things going though.
He says smuggly with an ebike.
I'd guess you're looking at a few £mil to install a chairlift, not exactly a decision to make lightly. And by the time it's built, they'd probably be able to use the vans again...
Just open as soon as possible and forget the uplift just cycle up. I’m sure if they opened people would come.
It’s not so much the social distancing, it’s the fact that we have to be 2ms apart. Whereas the rest of the world is 1m, it’s killing everything
In terms of operating a van based uplift.....1m /2m is negligible. Not going to be workable at either. The business model relies on max occupancy of minimum vehicles..
Chairlift wouldn’t be able to run in lots of the winter winds I seem to remember reading.
A van /pick up with a length of rope behind it....?
There are a few shitty bikes parks in Bavaria that use the old drag lifts. Can be a bit tricky getting the hang of wedging the bar behind your arse, but doable.
Can't be that expensive to install a drag lift... Some of the farmers here do it using their tractors.
Chairlift wouldn’t be able to run in lots of the winter winds I seem to remember reading.
I think this is only based on ancient chairlifts - BPW isn't in that an extreme spot weather wise. Modern chairlifts are much more wind resistant.
And much more expensive...so costs go up and you still need huge numbers every day to pay back the costs and wash your face, let alone make any money.
I went to BPW years ago but cant really remember the topography... but here in my adopted homeland of Sweden alot of bike parks are ski places in winter, and use draglifts. Would that be an option? They are primarily used as A: cheaper and B: less effected by the wind and weather
the chairlift at innerleithen must be nearly ready by now, that must be a model they could copy
. https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/innerleithen-mountain-bike-chairlift-scheme-plan-lodged/.
Date: 14 June 2012 🤨
Second hand chair lift is where it’s at. Must be able to pick one up cheaper than the cost of a new one.
http://www.pro-alpin.com/en/second-hand/current-offers/chairlifts/lof-4/
I doubt they could afford any major construction works like this, they've put a lot into BPW and this year has been terrible for them, they lost so many weekends due to storms, then repaired the place only for this to hit, they were talking about putting in the chalets last i heard, but guessing that'll be delayed for a while now.
Not got a clue how they'll work around not being able to uplift folk via the vans, it's a hell of a climb to the top for folk to do in a day, you go to the likes of FoD or 417 and it's a lot easier to get to the top and more laps.
I've solved it! I'll take all the credit now......
Still miffed about GMBN using my insight on drop failures in a video about a week after I posted it on here, no internet points or ****-all!
One day I'll get the recognition I deserve 😀
Edit: One slight problem some moron would **** it up in this country.
the chairlift at innerleithen must be nearly ready by now
Yes, I’m amazed it was never built 🙄
Second hand chair lift is where it’s at.
Prices for them have gone mad though, everyone's buying them in lockdown.
😉
Couldn’t they run some open back trailers for riders to stand up in to be ferried up the hill and then the bikes be trailered you as normal. Couldn’t operate at normal capacity, but with that and riders getting up the hill under their own power would at least bring some revenue in?
Prices for them have gone mad though, everyone’s buying them in lockdown.
STW'ers are stockpiling them in their outbuildings/stables just in case.
A chain of old army land Rover trailers one bike and person per trailer
Only regular uplift place in Ireland (thegap.ie) is reopening this wed (10th June). They're operating the uplift on a group booking basis. You can book the van for the morning \ afternoon. Prob wouldn't work for BPW as their "fleet" are bigger trucks now from what I remember.
I always thought that a tow lift that ran up the fire road would be the best option (similar to button lifts in ski resorts) but I guess nobody has made a solution yet. Would certainly be a lot easier to install and probably cheaper to run and maintain (possibly cheaper than a van fleet).
BMCC's basic tractor uplift's probably more social-distance-compatible than vans...
But if people are worried about this, just wait til they reailse that the entire city of London doesn't work with social distancing.
Their converted army truck takes 28 people with a trailer for the same number of bikes, according to the Motorcraft conversions website. Can't imagine fitting that many people anywhere sufficiently distanced even with a 2nd trailer in front of the bikes one.
Just wait for the prices when they do open.
Vans with little compartments with individual/pairs of seats?
Expanding your idea northwind, ex-prison service trucks with individual seats/ rooms 😁
Surcharge to be let out at top for extra income generation
They need to buy some ex prisoner transport vans which have individual secure compartments
I like the drag liff idea but I imagine you would get a lot of people being dragged up the hillside.
There's been a few drag lift options like this
https://www.wideopenmountainbike.com/2014/05/protow-mtb-bike-uplift
Really you want to go as directly up the hill as possible, and avoid the risk of using the same track as the vans. This would mean building a new smooth path up, as well as buying and installing the equipment. Can't see it being cheap, and as Brick said, would need to be idiot proof.
E-bike riders get to go for free if they tow someone up each run.
I don't think any of these ideas would be cheap but for a successful business that doesn't seem to have an obvious way out, it seems a bit go big or go home?
It's not the only business though, bars, nightclubs, most highstreet retail will be borked if this 2m distancing must continue.
Oh and airlines, travel etc
ferme libert (where huckfest is) is a drag lift setup, I've been a couple of times. You just tuck the button between your legs then hop on your bike in one swift movement. Its easy to mess up the start a couple of times, but after that, very easy to stay on. fast, rarely any queue, and if you do mess up the button just shoots off leaving you to scoot back down to the bottom (same as snow sports). I'd rate it as easier than staying on a button lift for snowboarding
They should build a funicular
They should not build a funicular.
Something based on cycling must be able to adapt. The users each have the means to be self-sufficient!
Ok so all the ideas of chair lifts just go and ride up etc are great😁
but isn’t it just easier for them to buy a few thermo what’s check temperatures on arrival while booking in and then get everyone to ware face masks while In the vans my be book the same 16 in to every van number🤔
(if you keep removing it in the van the you get booted off)
also to be worn while getting food and drinks and set up some out side cover gazebos I guess.
I’ve only had a quick look and can’t see anything about what distance on the transport front but it was a quick look.
thismismof cause once wales lets free movement happen.
I don't see why they can't open up with a reduced a staff and let people ride up, I know plenty would definitely do it, ebike or not.
