Need to use it before the end of March. Mrs has suggested that I take the time off work and ride all day 🙂

So that’s four consecutive 8 hour rides 🙂 Can’t wait!

I think I’ll try and do a couple of the proper long valleys loops I’ve been planning. Then maybe a day at Afan, see if I can ride everything…

that’s weather for March doomed then 😉

Yeah I’d have preferred June tbh but I’ll take what I can get.

I have the same ‘problem’, mid-week BPW trip seemed the obvious answer.

Same, so decided to have every Monday and Friday off in March.

I have one day to use up before 1st March, so I’m using it tomorrow!

Was going to volunteer at Hicks Lodge with the Tuesday working party, but only just had the stitches out from my billhook mishap a fortnight ago, so I shall be heading out for 2-3 hours on the road bike to catch up on some missed rides when I couldn’t hold handlebars, and finishing at the LBS who are servicing and fitting the forks on LittleMissMC’s new bike build. 8)

Hmm.. havent’ been to BPW – are uplifts more available on weekdays? Tempting.

I might split it over two weeks.

Usually easier to get mid-week uplifts at BPW at much shorter notice than weekends, ie less than 3 months.

I’m there on the 16th with a couple of other riders from Bristol. Looks like there is one space left if you want to join us.

I’d split the days up & recover,otherwise you might be tired for the last one 😉
Also recommend a trip to bpw if you’ve never been. Great fun.

I’m there on the 16th with a couple of other riders from Bristol. Looks like there is one space left if you want to join us.

That is highly tempting! Will try and book that day off.

Nice one. Let me know if you get it sorted.

When did you find this out molgrips? You should have come out to Belgium!

We’re off to France in May so we haven’t really got the £ but thanks all the same 🙂 But I only found out just the other day anyway.

Nice one. Let me know if you get it sorted.

I feel properly dirty booking an uplift day. I might have to ride up a few times to get it out of my system!

I’ve taken the next two weeks off, just to use ’em up. The weather is looking shit and I’ve got a crocked shoulder. Who cares? I’m not at work.

I feel properly dirty booking an uplift day

Just think of it as a training session for the downhill parts of ‘proper’ rides, just like you would do a turbo session as training for the uphill part, except WAY more fun 🙂

I might need armour. I can see myself risking it a bit…!

Ive got 3 long weekends in march before my holiday runs out, doing 5 days on the 4th week is going to be tough.

Did BPW on Friday for the first time and had a really good day.

Didn’t do the uplift, the climb is fine (if you are reasonably fit). Once at the top I just did the trails down to the fire road and then rode back up again (rather than going all the way to the bottom).

The climb is quite nice, it gives you a chance to savour your surroundings (which you cannot do on the way down!!).

I’d like to ride up but I’d be concerned I’d get significantly fewer runs in due to the time taken. Do you have to spend a lot of time waiting for the van?

4 days leave you say? Get a cheap flight to Innsbruck, Chambery or Geneva and go skiing on the cheap, that’s what I’d do anyway.

Do you have to spend a lot of time waiting for the van?

Varies from 4seconds to 8-10 mins…. usually on the lower side though.

Usually get 8-10 run in on the uplift. There’s no way I could do that many riding up. YF(itness)MV.

In my view you can look at BPW in two ways:

A trail center with one ride up and a choice of ways down, nice in the summer to spend time messing about sessioning the trails with mates, more so when the new up hill options are opened (the new trail map is online although not linked/published on the website 😉 ).

Or take the uplift and get a load more descending in (8-10,000ft I can’t do that in a day without uplift). Don’t spend your energy on the climbs, use it all hitting the descents, working on your skills, having loads of fun, racing back to the uplift bus to go again. Plus when it’s raining you get to sit in a nice warm bus for a bit. Basically treat it as fun day out, better than Alton Towers, rather than a mountain bike ‘ride’.

Someone (who posts on here and might recognise the comment) said BPW is like the junk food of mountain biking, ie not good for you all the time bit as an occasional naughty treat.

Biking doesn’t have to be about the penance of riding up hills, I assumed only roadies thought like that.

I like riding up hills.

molgrips – Member

I like riding up hills.

Whilst riding up there is OK… it’s only OK… It’s not an amazing hill, or a massive acomplishment… it’s just a hill….