Chairlift bike park in the UK!

tombarton

http://penninebikepark.com/#

Please visit the site above and register your interest with a facebook like! The project needs help to secure funding so it's important to show some support!

Anonymous

Interesting, though a "high speed chairlift" sounds like some massive funding required not to mention big fees to use it. If it's the kind of chairlift you'd find at a ski resort that is.

If they are planning to make use of it outside of bike use as a ski resort would then maybe it would pay for itself. Problem with MTB is the majority are out at the weekends only.

weescott

Giving some constructive critisism:

Why is there an image of flat singlatrack when your aim for chairlift access MTB?

You mention Ski lift resorts. Why is this relevant?
Why do you not mention Scottish projects which would be more relevent?
Landscape: Just north is an even better landsape. You need a different angle
The Park: Where is the info? Why would I want to ride there?

I'm all for registering interest but there isn't a good enough case. Where are the tourist projections? Added value to the local econemy....etc..
Feasabilty study?
Wildlife impact?

As much as I would like to, I won't back something where it looks like the homework hasn't been done.

tombarton

I'm afraid this isn't my doing. I'm merely trying to spread the word as i feel it would be an excellent addition to the UK.

tombarton

And I am sure that the required research has been done or is in motion as the project is at a very early stage and the team are just trying to guage the level of interest.

weescott

If the required research has been done then why is it not published? Gauging the level of interest is the easy part. Proving that you can provide what people want is a different battle. Then convincing local authorities is even harder.

I don't mean to be negative. I just know how these things work.

paul.skibum

There is of course a huge difference between established profitable ski resorts attempting to add to their portfolio of products by introducing a summer product and building something purely to serve the mountain bike community.

Arguably the benefit in the Uk is that there is no down time i.e no autumn and spring when the lifts don't run but in the wetter months the potential for damaged trails means year round trail up keep will be pretty costly.

You can pick up second hand lifts from the larger ski resorts at a fraction of the cost of new although the installing and engineering changes dont come cheap.

I doubt the vertical of the Pennines (at least where you'd be permitted to put a lift) justifies the cost of installing and the cost of running will hit the number of users - bare in mind that a 21 euro day ticket accesses the entire portes du soleil network of 650km trails. If you offer 10 downhill or downward oriented trails say, with a few hundred metres of vertical you wont want to be charging much more than a tenner a day.

I'd rather see less money spent on building an extended number of trail centres and trail advocacy.

andrewyzfr6

Sounds like it could be a very good idea but it does appear to be rather vague yet. Is this a very new idea/company? I would most likely support it/donate to it with more information provided.

j_l

Lift- bad Idea, let em ride up lazy feckers

Keith1983

It would be interesting to see how they think they can power it without any carbon emissions? It does sound like an interesting project, but as others have said more in depth info would be good.

Anonymous

I would bet the locals and environmentalists will have something to say about slapping chair lift pylons up a hill also.

I'm all for it though, don't get me wrong, but to support it we need to see this isn't just someone's fantasy and is a genuine business proposition.

homers_double

Fairly good idea but the website looks like the preamble of kids as it lacks information.

No idea of where its planned," the pennines" is hardly descriptive and what makes them think they'll get any sort of permission to build there?

tombarton

I have spoken to the people involved and they do seem to know what they are doing. They have done a lot more work than the website shows but as of yet nothing is confirmed so can't be published. A whistler A-Line type trail is part of their plans which is great as there is nothing like this anywhere in the UK!

If you have any questions just email them!

ilovedirt

There's already a gondola-assisted bike-park being built in south wales as we speak, and i believe permission has been granted for inners, so it won't be the first, as the info on the website seems to suggest. Though it would be nice, I doubt it will happen.

gilesjuk

I can see why lifts are at ski resorts, climbing a hill on skis isn't easy.

But on a bike climbing the hills are the best thing. The challenge and knowing you beat a mountain. They have ski lifts in the USA which says it all.

Just like they have gyms with escalators

homers_double

gilesjuk wrote:

I can see why lifts are at ski resorts, climbing a hill on skis isn't easy.

But on a bike climbing the hills are the best thing. The challenge and knowing you beat a mountain. They have ski lifts in the USA which says it all.

You can ski in the US you know...

ilovedirt

gilesjuk wrote:

I can see why lifts are at ski resorts, climbing a hill on skis isn't easy.

But on a bike climbing the hills are the best thing. The challenge and knowing you beat a mountain. They have ski lifts in the USA which says it all.

Just like they have gyms with escalators

You don't ride downhill, do you?

Northwind

gilesjuk wrote:

But on a bike climbing the hills are the best thing. The challenge and knowing you beat a mountain.

Everywhere I've ever done an uplift, getting down the mountain has been enormously more challenging than riding up.