[Closed] Innerleithen Uplift, a wheelie good idea.

Either Scott has grown or Rich has shrunk.

Ah well we have donit to death before It ain't gonna happen.

this in particular made me laugh

SBC’s spokesperson on economic development, Councillor Vicky Davidson said: “They [AIMUp] have done a fantastic job. They have reduced the capital costs involved, yet at the same time increasing the projected number of visitors.

The funicular that they propose IIRC has never been used to carry bikes, is open cars, and has never been done on such a long steep run.

Still the funding issue.

It's a pity there's not a plentiful supply of running water at Plora Craig. There are some very nice water-powered funiculars, e.g. CAT in Wales and that one at Lynton.

TandemJeremy - Member

Ah well we have donit to death before

Doesn't normally stop you.

an alternative, but proven

but not by TJ so it so it clearly doesn't work.

Given the number of people on here that put Inners ahead of Glentress for a visit I wouldn't have thought the visitor numbers were too optimistic.

I think Scott might still be pogoing after Saturday night.

stevenmenmuir - Member

Given the number of people on here that put Inners ahead of Glentress for a visit I wouldn't have thought the visitor numbers were too optimistic.

Remember that the GT numbers include [i]all[/i] visitors, not just cyclists and judging by the relative business of the car parks, I think we can ignore the STW "preference" factor.

An unrepresentative sample of opinionated mountain bikers?

Is that not how we sort out everything then? 😛

And AIMUP isn't just looking at attracting mountain bikers.

all weather toboggan run, new trail development

I've heard plenty of first time bikers at Glentress saying it would be even better with an uplift. Some nice swoopy beginners trails at Inners along with the uplift, sorted.

steve - the visitor numbers they used before had more people every day on the uplift at inners than go on the gondola at nevis range on a busy day. every DHer in the UK to go 20+ times a year More people paying to go on the uplift than visit GT. (iirc - I can't be bothered going to look it all up again)

TJ - where are you getting your figures re the number of DHer's in the UK?

The figures quoted when Scottish Enterprise were doing it were 100000-120000, that is not more than visit GT. As far as I'm aware AIMUp haven't quoted numbers yet.

Also (being devil's advocate) this isn't just about downhillers, the scope of the plan is wider- think of Nevis Range if you like, red uplift trail.

Incidentally, while we're talking about uplift schemes that definately don't make sense to spend millions of pounds on:

http://www.architrail.co.uk/projects/post.php?s=2011-09-16-blaenau-ffestiniog-mountain-bike-centre

I imagine a lot of Welsh TJs said it could never happen 😉

Any uplift there NW?

I like riding up.

I did look thru the numbers they quoted before and they were ridiculous to the point 0f being absurd - I used their own estimate of the number of downhillers in the UK

Steve - that press release says more vistors areexpected for this new variation.

Northwind - how much is that going to cost and how much has actually been done?

believe if you want guys. Nothing I have seen leads me to believe its feasible in any way. Teh numbers simply don't add up

Aye Druidh, uplift for the dh tracks (I can't remember the detail, I think the XC route is all pedal-powered rather than lift-assisted though)

TJ- the amount I've seen quoted is 4 million, fully funded- the trails are well under construction, visitor's centre due to open later this year.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Blaenau-Ffestiniog-DH-Centre-coming-this-summer-2012.html

Eppur si muove

a fantastic minibus uplift service

Just like Inners then? 😆

Hah, anyone who thinks a 7-minute uplift is just like Innerleithen has obviously never used the Tallywagon- the bus is barely faster than pushing up, and doesn't go to the top of the tracks. If it had a better uplift road we'd not be having a conversation about chairlifts/equivalents.

This isn't a criticism of Uplift Scotland btw- it's not fast but it's less tiring than pushing 😉

I'd have thought it would be cheaper to improve the current tracks than to build/operate a mechanical uplift system, but then what do I know 🙂

At least improvements could be made incrementally - even employing volunteer labour.

druidh - Member

I'd have thought it would be cheaper to improve the current tracks than to build/operate a mechanical uplift system, but then what do I know

You'd think so really. I think there's land ownership issues, and the long road loop goes round a nature reserve at one point. Also there's the daft FC uplift rules to contend with. Anyone know more about this side of it?

Given Edinburgh council are lashing the best part of 1 billion euros on the God-Emperor of criminally unjustified projects, I'm not sure how anyone can definitively say Innerleithen uplift won't get built. 8 Mill went on a cafe upgrade down the road.
The business case sounds bobbins on the face of it, but stranger things have happened - may the force be with all involved.

Stranger things have happened.Maybe some benefactor will appear. Isn't some big lottery winner pishing a few million squid into Salmond's coffers to help fund his grandiose scheme...

Well at least they have got off their backsides and are having a go rather than sitting at a keyboard moaning.

You can go along to see them in Inners this Sunday. 10am-3pm in the Memorial Hall. If you are down that way for a ride pop in and give them your support.