centre parcs ..taking bikes

FATBELLYME

Booked for centre parcs with the family..is it worth taking all 4 bikes (security and insurance) or have anyone been and just used theres

RyC

Just been recently, if you just want to get round their bikes are fine, Surly if i remember correctly with Dynamo lights already fitted, but if you fancy going exploring in the woods as they are normally set in about 40 odd acres and can provide some fun i would take your own. I took my own and found no problems with Security (4 bikes 1 chain) and there are bike parks at every activity and main area

RyC

Just been recently, if you just want to get round their bikes are fine, Surly if i remember correctly with Dynamo lights already fitted, but if you fancy going exploring in the woods as they are normally set in about 40 odd acres and can provide some fun i would take your own. I took my own and found no problems with Security (4 bikes 1 chain) and there are bike parks at every activity and main area

craker

It's slightly more of a faff using their bikes though (ie having to queue up to get measured up for your family, + return at the other end). Don't they charge? And they're not very good.

We took ours but needed a kiddy trailer however we were told we couldn't use their trailer on our bikes. Some sort of safety / insurance / scaremongering thing.

jimothy78

Their bikes are heavy and not particularly good quality, but at least they won't be nicked. Security is limited to basic one-wheel stands in most places around the sites, so taking your own is a bit of a risk. The charge was pretty minimal, as far as i can remember, and if you're dirving any distance, the money saving on petrol might actually compensate you for it.

We took ours but needed a kiddy trailer however we were told we couldn't use their trailer on our bikes. Some sort of safety / insurance / scaremongering thing.

When we went to Bluestone Wales (essentially a "centreparcs-alike") I took my own bike but we hired their kiddy trailer. Because of the sculpted shape of my dropouts, the quick-release attachment point never snugged-up particularly securely, and I had to be careful not to put down too much power or it actually pulled the rear wheel skewer out of the dropouts. Therefore opting for their own (hopefully) tried-and-tested combination might have actually been a better idea.

FATBELLYME

hi thanks for all your feedback, prob take our own..looking forward to it now

apreading

Took ours to Sherwood Pines a couple of times, mainly so that we could go next door and play...

Was advised to keep them in the cabin overnight - slight hassle but worth it for piece of mind. Dont lock just the front wheel in their stands, put the bikes sideways and use a reasonable cable lock through the frame - if they are expensive then consider a D lock around the rear wheel and seat stays (even if not locked to an object, this will make it hard for anyone to ride away and they cant bring a car onsite to chuck it in. Thieves persistently target Centreparcs and they hide/downplay this fact as it would be bad for business, but if you take the right precautions I think you should be OK.

If I were not venturing offsite then I might just hire theirs though...

Myster101

Take your own, we take the kids every year and the price of hiring their bikes is extortionate. Throughout the day I take my own lock which is big enough to lock all our bikes together (4 bikes) through the frames onto one of the many Centre Parcs bike stations. At night when in the lodge I lock the wife's and my two girls bikes together and put mine in the lodge hallway

hangeron

there's a mumsnet thread you should read......