Six new trails for Bikepark Wales to open before July

Still to visit myself ..might head south one day but Scottish riding still holds sway for trips away..

Only been once but enjoyed the place. I wonder if they are hoping this will increase capacity?

If so I hope they have some better organisation of the uplift as although the drivers were all sound it was very slow and the combined lunch didn’t help uplift or cafe.

If so I hope they have some better organisation of the uplift as although the drivers were all sound it was very slow and the combined lunch didn’t help uplift or cafe.

Yup – been there four times now and each time the uplift has been painful – in fact when I went last year it seemed to have got even worse. To be honest I’d rather ride BMCC or Revo.

The cafe going posh sounds like code for liberating more money from your wallet!

Did you read the link? They are planning to make the road two lane so the vans don’t have to wait to pass. That should speed things up quite a bit. The lunch thing is stupid though. Really don’t see why they don’t stagger it.

If you’re down there, go to BMCC too, it’s way better frankly (BPW is very good, but BMCC is superb). And it has TRACTOR UPLIFT. FOD is good too and not far.

Only been once but enjoyed the place. I wonder if they are hoping this will increase capacity?

<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>No doubt, for the record I think the uplift service is very good, I’m usually on a day pass and always seem able to hop on the next bus. </span>

<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>The current system is like a ballet, buses go up and down radioing each other to move to the next passing point etc – when they opened I think they had 5 buses, now they have 7 (I think) but it’s about as much as it’s possible to have – they’re still booked months in advance so I guess more buses is inevitable. </span>

<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>We never know, going ‘on grid’ might a a tiny step towards a lift, stranger things have happened. </span>

<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>The deal with the Grid must have come as a surprise, Root Maneouvers is pretty new and they’ve only just re-laid Terry’s Belly.  </span>

Just out of interest, those people who have found the uplift a pain.  Did you pre-book your uplift or pay on the day?

I’ve only been a couple of times, it’s a fun place to ride. When there a month or so ago, the driver said they’re planning 20 new trails over the next few years & improving the fire road imminent.

Just out of interest, those people who have found the uplift a pain.  Did you pre-book your uplift or pay on the day?

Always pre-booked and had to wait for ages. The guys waiting for a one off uplift looked like they had an even longer wait.

I always pre-book. The wait isn’t terrible it’s just not good. Having been to places where the uplift works really well it’s just a shame knowing that it could be better.

what would a typical spend be at BPW to give you the ‘best’ experience in most peoples view? Or what have most found to be an average coinage for a good day there? I’ve not visited but hope to one day- im a fair bit away up in Lancaster but its always looked rad.

Buy a day pass for the uplifts. Apart from that the only expenses are food from the cafe and/or purchases from the shop if something takes your eye or you need to buy something to fix your bike. The primary cost is buying an uplift pass but that’s almost certainly the way to get the best out of your visit.

I thought they did stagger uplift driver lunches but last visit in Jan they didn’t – guessing a summer/winter thing. Only wait was that one after lunch.

New trails sounds good and no chance of a June trip for me so plenty to look forward to later in the year.

I remember their food survey – I’m in the camp willing to pay a bit more for something other than a burger or a toastie.

Just out of interest, those people who have found the uplift a pain. Did you pre-book your uplift or pay on the day?

Pre-booked. The biggest issue was the lunch thing and how long it took to recover from the self imposed bulge

I’ve been 5 or 6 times in the last 18 months. Only once did the uplift ever not be spot on and then only had to wait on one of the 11 runs I got in a day.

We always go during the week. I wonder if its the weekends that the uplift is more strained?

Last time we were there the uplift turnaround etc was fine. It’s more that the drive up takes a long time and goes almost all the way to England and back, and it doesn’t start at the bottom of the hill, and the cafe and some of the trail exits are fairly far away.

But it’s not a ruiner or anything, it’s just not as good as it could have been. Especially compared with, say, antur stiniog where they built their own road, then tarmacced it. It gives it a wee bit of a feel of “we run an uplift in this inconvenient place to run an uplift” like at inners, as opposed to “this is a purpose built uplift venue”. Though as people have said, it’s probably quite deliberate

Just booked for over Easter – been there once (for a day and a half), didn’t pre-book, only had one bad wait for the bus, every other time, was superb. After our “last” run, the bus was turning round at the bottom and he loaded us straight on without riding up to the queue area. Can’t wait to get there and ride injury free for the day!

Been to BPW 3 times and off again this Sunday

Drivers lunch breaks are staggered on weekends

During the week they all lunch at the same time

Good to see they are making some changes as the cafe food can be a bit hit and miss sometimes

Not surprised they are sorting out the road to the top, it kills the transits, most feel like the rear axle isn’t actually connected to the van, their local garage must do well out of them for repairs

Chopwell Mafia there next again weekend.  Love it.  Never had a huge wait for a bus, either.

I was there on a Thursday in September and it was still very busy.

Go there a lot as I’m local, usually I pedal up and blast down but do 3-4 uplift days a year.  I would do more but I don’t know my work shifts until 4 weeks ahead so the buses are usually booked out by then.

The place is great but it’s nowhere near perfect!  It’s good to see they’re making improvements, especially to the uplift road as that really puts a dampener on things if your speed down the hill doesn’t sync with the buses.  I think the whole ‘going on to the grid’ thing will be a catalyst for a few major changes, things like allowing them to build a proper changing block with optional showers will help in the winter!!  I always thought they’d made a mistake having the centre so far up the hill though, it’s a waste of a good 50-60m of descent and having the pickup point by the cafe would make for a better feel to the place.  Guessing there was a good reason they built it there though, apart from that’s where the original car park was anyway and that the old DH trail ended there!!  Will go and explore as the trails open up.

I hope they invest in some sort of canopy or outdoor shelter.  There is literally nowhere to get out of the rain if you don’t want to eat in the cafe.

Needs more for gravel bikes. Otherwise what’s the point?

That and somewhere to store drinks between runs. I don’t really need a pack to ride there as I’m happy to gamble the risk of a walk down to be free of one, but the centre is so far from the uplift it’s not really practical to go back for a drink.

most people stash a bottle in the grass or on the bank, but so many seem to no fancy going back for it at the end of the day it just becomes litter and now and again someone will come along and bin your drink for you 🙁

What’s BMCC?

Black mountain cycle centre

I like BPW, been a few times, always fun, loving the idea that they get a shower block, driving 2hours home whilst the welsh silt and grit dries into every crevice isn’t comfy!

what would a typical spend be at BPW to give you the ‘best’ experience in most peoples view? Or what have most found to be an average coinage for a good day there? I’ve not visited but hope to one day- im a fair bit away up in Lancaster but its always looked rad.

It’s different for me, I live in Cardiff so there’s no real need to ‘make the most of it’.

I rarely pre-book, maybe 2/3 times since it opened – Mr Wife only gets her shifts 4 weeks in advance so it’s a bit of a gamble really if I have to be on Dad duties that weekend.

I usually roll up when it opens, if you get in the queue there’s often been someone looking to shift a day pass for a mate who couldn’t make it – I’ve paid £15-£20 in the past.

If not, or if I’m not planning on spending the day, it’s £8 for the day pass, I buy 5 lift tickets at a go £20 I think, sometimes I use them all, sometimes 2/3 and I’ll keep them for another time, I like to start by pedalling up at least once just to warm up.

I’m usually on my way home by 1pm.

It’s not the most cost-effective way to use the place I know, but it suits me.

I’ve been to BPW 5 or 6 times already this year, and I’m going again on Sunday – that’ll be 3 weeks in a row!

The only issue I’ve ever had there is fellow riders not being terribly careful when loading and unloading bikes from the uplift! Luckily invisiframe has saved my paint from pedal scrapes and the like but it’s been frequent enough that I’ve bought a cheaper used bike to take on uplift days. And before anyone says it’s a mountain bike it’s bound to get scrapes, I don’t mind if I damage my bike riding it (annoying but expected) but if someone else does it because of carelessness that’s uncalled for.

When I go I just pedal up. Its very steady after the initial steep bit.

I find I can often get to the top before my friends in the van.

Last time I bought 2 single uplift passes to use later in the afternoon when my legs were tiring and the queues were thinning. Using this method I got 8 runs in total. I felt more cold and tired when getting out of the van though. found it took nearly a quarter of a run to get back in the zone.

Earn those turns – you will ride better for it