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I dont think it really matters where it is, the cost vs benefit would be prohibitive.
It surprises me that people can even afford a dh bike these days never mind £25+ for lift passes.
I have a pretty reasonable income for a 2 adult + 2 child family with a nice little semi house. I havent got a chance in hell of affording a proper dh bike and all the associated costs involved these days.
I have actually pretty much given up Mountain Biking and taken up football again because i couldnt afford to keep up with biking. Football has cost me about £3-400 for last year including all the after match pints and socialising. I bought a set of boots and shin guards and, well thats it. Biking was costing me 5 times that amount in travel expenses and equipment.
Personally i would expect DH and to a lesser extent all biking to take a big hit over the next few years in participants. All those parents who in the past have funded little johnnies fun sport will be struggling to keep up. I know if my son even mentions the sport i will be sticking my fingers in my ears and ignoring him.
You have two kids and a house. Most Downhillers don't I suspect.
2 kids, two houses, an ex. and 3 DH bikes here!
oh.. and I play football too.. but I've never spent any money on it.
2 kids 4 houses 2 dh bikes, 2 xc bikes, and loads of other bikes, I spend loads on uplifts..
Or DHers are all minted it seems....
Surely the kids will understand they can't have any new stuff until you get you new DH machine? Ungrateful, selfish and childish little gits they are.
Just trying to highlight that joe public might find the burden of thousands of pounds worth of bike and equipment quite a burden in the current climate. Add to that the cost of travelling and lift passes might make DH riding a bit of a minority sport in the future rather than the thriving picture of health people who like it are painting a picture of.
Maybe if there was a cheaper alternative to a chairlift / gondola.
Maybe using a big offroader and a trailer...
Maybe if there was a cheaper alternative to a chairlift / gondola.Maybe using a big offroader and a trailer...
The Hub did this at inners then stopped it in the end as non profitable due to repair costs to 4x4s taking a beating on the road,fuel and drivers wages..pity as it was alot better than faffing around with lorrys and coaches
Maybe if there was a cheaper alternative to a chairlift / gondola.
A couple of years back UK bike park were seriously looking into installing drag/poma lifts.
can be picked up relatively cheap second hand, much cheaper installation/running costs, and if it breaks down you just unhook your bike and push...
find the right hill and they really could work. as we have discovered at Gawton it would have been far simpler to find a hill that you put the infrastucture and then build tracks than to build some awesome tracks and then realise access for uplift is a nightmare.
Dragging up an old thread but it appears that [url= http://dirt.mpora.com/news/south-wales-uks-commercially-operated-gravity-bikepark.html ]Wales may get a chair lift first?[/url]