Bike Park Wales as a first trail centre
Big_Jack
Posts: 82
Hi all,
I'm thinking of heading down to bike park Wales next week on a jaunt with my new mountain bike (Bird Zero). I figured i'd go on thursday/friday when the trails are a bit quieter so that I have a bit more room to go at my own speed and take things steady but thought i'd ask opinions.
I've never ridden at a full blown trail centre before but am planning to ride in Bracknell / Swinley Forest this weekend. The local riding around me is pretty technical though and apart from berms / drop offs i think I encounter most of the terrain I see on trails. I certainly have experience on slippery surfaces (mud, wet roots etc).
Thought i'd ask as I am not totally sure what to expect. I'd be gutted to spend a day or two down there and not get what I wanted out of it if i'm too much of a noob to have fun.
Cheers,
Jack
I'm thinking of heading down to bike park Wales next week on a jaunt with my new mountain bike (Bird Zero). I figured i'd go on thursday/friday when the trails are a bit quieter so that I have a bit more room to go at my own speed and take things steady but thought i'd ask opinions.
I've never ridden at a full blown trail centre before but am planning to ride in Bracknell / Swinley Forest this weekend. The local riding around me is pretty technical though and apart from berms / drop offs i think I encounter most of the terrain I see on trails. I certainly have experience on slippery surfaces (mud, wet roots etc).
Thought i'd ask as I am not totally sure what to expect. I'd be gutted to spend a day or two down there and not get what I wanted out of it if i'm too much of a noob to have fun.
Cheers,
Jack
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Comments
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The blue trails are fine for a beginner, there are jumps but you can roll all of them and probably won't even notice a lot of them. Just watch your speed, you can very quickly get up to very high speeds, 40mph+ is very easy.
I would avoid the red trails and definitely stay off the blacks.
The black trails need to be ridden very fast to clear the big jumps so riding them slowly could end with a faster rider rear ending you.Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350 -
I went for the first time last year and ended up booking the hotel for another night as I loved it so much !
It's tempting to get carried away too early...my advise is to take it easy on the first go of each track and build up. The blues are brilliant fun, the reds can be tricky in places, avoid the blacks. Remember it's a bike park not a trail centre.
Be very careful of the speed, it builds up extremely quickly and you'll find things coming at you a bit quicker than you're used to by the end of the day.
I loved it, it's certainly worth the trip in my view.2010 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Expert Carbon
2014 De Rosa R848
Carrera TDF Ltd Commuter0 -
in my opinion you're better off going to afan, cwmcarn or even forest of dean.
BPW isn't really a trail centre. the climb up is remarkably boring and even though the descents are good, they're over in less than 10 mins and you have to slog your way back to the top again.
just my 2p's worth0 -
Llandegla certainly won't be too technical, the black there is as easy as the blues at Bike Park Wales.Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350
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No need to slog up after a run down if you pre book the uplift service. Would still suggest llandegla or Brenin to start with.
yeah but he hasn't mentioned an uplift has he?
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No need to slog up after a run down if you pre book the uplift service. Would still suggest llandegla or Brenin to start with.
yeah but he hasn't mentioned an uplift has he?
Why would anyone go to BPW and not use the uplift? Just get a day ticket and you'll get on most lifts on a weekday.
BPW was my first taste of a trail centre. Highly recommended. Stick to the blues and you'll be fine but be aware, as it says in the small print, their blues are harder than those of a regular centre so they can be a little more challenging that you might expect.All the gear, no idea and loving the smell of jealousy in the morning.
Kona Process 134 viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=129946070 -
The climb at Bike Park Wales isn't too bad. It's a bit boring but six laps are easily done. Or ride laps of the top trails.Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350
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No need to slog up after a run down if you pre book the uplift service. Would still suggest llandegla or Brenin to start with.
yeah but he hasn't mentioned an uplift has he?
Why would anyone go to BPW and not use the uplift? Just get a day ticket and you'll get on most lifts on a weekday.
BPW was my first taste of a trail centre. Highly recommended. Stick to the blues and you'll be fine but be aware, as it says in the small print, their blues are harder than those of a regular centre so they can be a little more challenging that you might expect.
I go and ride up. last time I bought an uplift it was so busy I only got in 7 runs!!!!0 -
I go and ride up. last time I bought an uplift it was so busy I only got in 7 runs!!!!
When I've pre booked I've got on every uplift I queued for and I've also been there twice on weekdays on a day ticket there's only been one instance that I had to wait for the next minibus. As long as you avoid school holidays they seem to have the capacity just about right. If I had to ride to the top for each run I'm not sure how much I'd enjoy that or how many runs I could manage before my legs said no more.All the gear, no idea and loving the smell of jealousy in the morning.
Kona Process 134 viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=129946070 -
I'm old and fat and unfit. I can pedal up six times or just keep riding laps of the top half.Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350
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I'm old and fat and unfit. I can pedal up six times or just keep riding laps of the top half.
I can't.All the gear, no idea and loving the smell of jealousy in the morning.
Kona Process 134 viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=129946070 -
Hmm, I think BPW is fun but I wouldnt spend 2 days as a noob. It can be hard work on the arms and you're likely to find 1 day is enough. With the short opening at the moment its perfectly reasonable to do the whole day in a day if you know what I mean.
Go have fun, but only do 1 day.
Good choice of bike BTW
A Flock of Birds
+ some other bikes.0 -
ChrisHigs wrote:jmillen wrote:Remember it's a bike park not a trail centre.
What's the difference between the two?
From the BPW website...
What are the trails like?
We are a Bike Park, and the trails reflect this, a blue here is more technical than an XC Blue. Our trails are best suited to an All Mountain Bike but are still fun to ride on other bikes.
There a variety of runs from Blue to Black, some of the Blues may not be as much fun on a downhill bike.
The trails surfaces are loose (we get a lot of grazes) so wear body armour. Surfaces will change with the weather, sometimes that means they are dusty and loose other times slippery and muddy. In particular some of the hand cut Black sections will become EXTREEMELY challenging, build up to them.All the gear, no idea and loving the smell of jealousy in the morning.
Kona Process 134 viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=129946070 -
The trails have got dumbed down a lot since BPW opened. Enter the Dragon and Dai Hard used to be genuine, proper black downhill trails but both have been made a lot less committing. Jumps have got smaller and landings have been made less nasty. Neither is really a downhill trail anymore and certainly not black.Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350
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you've still go the "qualifiers" at the start of the runs. you still get people bypassing these and then stopping on the trails further down when they can't hit the drops!0
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I've heard people complaining about unavoidable drops on the black trails!
The qualifiers are generally smaller than the biggest features on the trail.Transition Patrol - viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=130702350
