BikePark Wales

[apac]

The French had that worked out decades ago

View attachment 36325

I pretty much looked like this.... knee, shoulder, elbow, thigh pads and ff helmet

 

[apac]

Just a reminder to be careful when you do go guys. Had an off up there last week, turns out I’ve fractured my scapula (shoulder blade) and damaged a load of ligaments in my shoulder and arm. Happened on popty ping which is a blue trial too. We were having great fun sessioning the table tops at the end of the day before heading back up to the top for one last ride down to the cars. Overshot one of the jumps landing to flat and ended up going over the bars and shoulder first into the berm ?
No bike for a while.

This year a shoulder.... next year a hip? haah!

 

[Doomanic]

News flash! This just in; crashing hurts!

Up next; fire - hot, water - wet

 

[apac]

News flash! This just in; crashing hurts!

Up next; fire - hot, water - wet

It's not the hurt, it's the lack of mend

 

[Doomanic]

Yeah, that sucks. My neck is still from my last OTB and that was weeks ago.

 

[Tony]

A. few of the BPW regular ebbers have given suggestions for the best routes to climb back up on I have had. been to bpw. A few times but could not workout which was the best route up.

I have attached a trail map so. any suggestions for a route. Up would be great ? View attachment 36319

I went yesterday, first time on an ebike and first time I pedalled up. I took the beast of burden at the beginning then took the steeper right fork to the fire road and turned left and kept on the fireroad to the top. Beast of burden follows this route but may take more out of the battery. At the top, a lovely offroad climb on bob again and you're there. Don't attempt the DH push to the right, it's very steep and walk assist barely helped me! The other DH push up further to the right is rideable but only if you want to do A470 or hard shoulder

 

[N9VNS]

Good luck with your recovery shoulders take. A long time to recover just come back from 6 months off the bike with a shoulder injury ?

Thanks mate. I hope it doesn’t take that long. I’ve only just recovered from a torn rotator cuff on my other shoulder which took 4 months to heal, then once I finally got both shoulders back to full health I’ve done this ?.

What did you do that took 6 months to recover?

 

[TheBikePilot]

I'd wear armour and a Full Face there. There's a lot of rock.

My experience of BPW is you either come away with a broken bike or body!!

I find the pedal up a bit much even on an eBike and for 3.5 hour drive each way for 9 runs I don't really find the value in it, personally. I know some find it a mecca but for me it's a little bit meh..

 

[Doomanic]

I know some find it a mecca but for me it's a little bit meh..

Heretic! Burn him! ?

 

[Maxb]

Thanks mate. I hope it doesn’t take that long. I’ve only just recovered from a torn rotator cuff on my other shoulder which took 4 months to heal, then once I finally got both shoulders back to full health I’ve done this ?.

What did you do that took 6 months to recover?

Did my rotator cuff it's not 100 percent but good enough to ride ?

 

[Maxb]

I went yesterday, first time on an ebike and first time I pedalled up. I took the beast of burden at the beginning then took the steeper right fork to the fire road and turned left and kept on the fireroad to the top. Beast of burden follows this route but may take more out of the battery. At the top, a lovely offroad climb on bob again and you're there. Don't attempt the DH push to the right, it's very steep and walk assist barely helped me! The other DH push up further to the right is rideable but only if you want to do A470 or hard shoulder

Cheers I think I can follow what you mean. Take the first section of beast of Burden to the fire road that runs next to the beast then turn left and take the fire road to the top.

How long did it take you to get up to the top? How many runs did you do?

Cheers

 

[Tony]

Cheers I think I can follow what you mean. Take the first section of beast of Burden to the fire road that runs next to the beast then turn left and take the fire road to the top.

How long did it take you to get up to the top? How many runs did you do?

Cheers

It took about 20 mins to the top. I did Terrys Belly, Hotstepper, Sixtapod, Melted Welly, Blue Belle, root manoeuvres x 2 and watts occuring.
For me, the climb on the fire road was fine thanks to the e bike, mainly in tour, the last climb was in turbo and finished with 20% battery left on a 625 bosch

 

[Maxb]

It took about 20 mins to the top. I did Terrys Belly, Hotstepper, Sixtapod, Melted Welly, Blue Belle, root manoeuvres x 2 and watts occuring.
For me, the climb on the fire road was fine thanks to the e bike, mainly in tour, the last climb was in turbo and finished with 20% battery left on a 625 bosch

Sounds like an awesome day roots Manoeuvre is my personal favourite ??
Was thinking about taking a second battery but I don’t think I would need to with the amount of runs you got in.

 

[cozzy]

Thread revival!
Has anyone got a map to ride to the top easily? There is a description in this thread that someone failed to find, plus I have copied this one from Facebook, but a visual representation would be really helpful if anyone has such a thing.

 

[Zed.]

Has anyone got a map to ride to the top easily?

erm, theres a few possibilities...

one is dependant on time - if the uplift hasn't started as you can take a 'shortcut' (as mentioned in your screenshot , takes us about 13 mins)
I say about the uplift as you'd be travelling the gravel road with minibusses heading in both directions (AND it gets dusty in this hot weather)

theres also a few unmarked shortcuts but some happen to cross live trails

there is a youtube vid iirc, will have a looksee

Rich.

 

[Zed.]

erm, theres a few possibilities...

one is dependant on time - if the uplift hasn't started as you can take a 'shortcut' (as mentioned in your screenshot , takes about 13 mins)
I say about the uplift as you'd be travelling the gravel road with minibusses heading in both directions (AND it gets dusty in this hot weather)

theres also a few unmarked shortcuts but some happen to cross live trails

there is a youtube vid iirc, will have a looksee

Rich.

youtube vid supplied

Rich.

 

[Doomanic]

Just ride the uplift road, there were loads doing it last time I was there.

 

[Doomanic]

I know some find it a mecca but for me it's a little bit meh..

Heretic! Burn him! ?

Well, that didn't age well...

I broke a couple of ribs there last year and was thoroughly underwhelmed on my post recovery return visit.

 

[RoJo]

Heading there on Friday.

Does anyone know if you are able to give your bike a top-up charge if taking a break over lunch..... are there any free power sockets to do so?

Yes, to the left as you go into reception
Charing lockers.

 

[Doomanic]

free

At BPW?

 

[cozzy]

youtube vid supplied

Rich.

Cheers that was useful. Still looked proper shitty though, may book the bus after all
I assume it's not considered a dick move to ride the same roads the uplift bus uses.

 

[Doomanic]

I assume it's not considered a dick move to ride the same roads the uplift bus uses.

It is, but

there were loads doing it last time I was there.

 

[Dax]

Thread revival!
Has anyone got a map to ride to the top easily? There is a description in this thread that someone failed to find, plus I have copied this one from Facebook, but a visual representation would be really helpful if anyone has such a thing. View attachment 141594

It’s not hard to find. Just follow beast of burden, but when beast of burden turns off the fireroad into singletrack, stay on the fireroad.

I like to mix it up, ride a bit of beast of burden and a bit of fireroad, switch between different laps.

The push up paths aren’t worth it unless you want to burn battery or lap specific trails.

 

[Zed.]

Cheers that was useful. Still looked proper shitty though, may book the bus after all
I assume it's not considered a dick move to ride the same roads the uplift bus uses.

BPW have signs asking that you don't pedal up with the busses but the roads might be bridalways so

its not that bad pedaling up the proper way (ISH!), basically stay on the middle road all the way to popty / hotstepper.....

if it's of help, theres a Strava segment called 'To the top! (E)

To the Top! (E) | Strava E-Bike Segment in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, United Kingdom

www.strava.com

takes us about 13 mins

erm, 13.21 being my pr

I normally ride every weekend (sat & sun) with 25+ miles a day over 2 batteries (Bosch 500w on my Rail)

Rich.

 

[galaga187]

BPW have signs asking that you don't pedal up with the busses but the roads might be bridalways so

its not that bad pedaling up the proper way (ISH!), basically stay on the middle road all the way to popty / hotstepper.....

if it's of help, theres a Strava segment called 'To the top! (E)

To the Top! (E) | Strava E-Bike Segment in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, United Kingdom

www.strava.com

erm, 13.21 being my pr

I normally ride every weekend (sat & sun) with 25+ miles a day over 2 batteries (Bosch 500w on my Rail)

Rich.

Bang on reach poppity ping and turn right. Last time I was there there were some yellow digger trucks there but probably moved now be careful riding up as the trail is a road gap to some of other trails coming down from the start.

 

[Dax]

I normally ride every weekend (sat & sun) with 25+ miles a day over 2 batteries (Bosch 500w on my Rail).

Don’t you get bored? There’s lots of other good riding nearby…

 

[Zed.]

Bang on reach poppity ping and turn right. Last time I was there there were some yellow digger trucks there but probably moved now be careful riding up as the trail is a road gap to some of other trails coming down from the start.

from the quarry near popty, Pandoras Rocks (red, good visability up trail to see oncoming), Root Manoeuvres (red, bad visability for oncoming riders), 50 Shades of Black (black, has road-gap jump / drop), Boomslang (black, has a pair of gapjumps across the fireroad) and Sixtapod (blue, good visability & probably the most traffic across the fireroad)

Don’t you get bored? There’s lots of other good riding nearby…

our local trails have been just about under water all winter so we bought the anual pedalpasses for bpw and now know plenty of the regulars there
we ride other areas like Cwmcarn and Brechfa

also, Bpw have sorted planning etc. to add more trails (including pedalup) with a pair of skills areas (on opposite sides of the park with one located in the quarry near Popty / Hotstepper and larger parking areas / toilets and shepardshuts (so overnight camping?) - wonder when this will start construction?

Rich.

 

[galaga187]

from the quarry near popty, Pandoras Rocks (red, good visability up trail to see oncoming), Root Manoeuvres (red, bad visability for oncoming riders), 50 Shades of Black (black, has road-gap jump / drop), Boomslang (black, has a pair of gapjumps across the fireroad) and Sixtapod (blue, good visability & probably the most traffic across the fireroad)



our local trails have been just about under water all winter so we bought the anual pedalpasses for bpw and now know plenty of the regulars there
we ride other areas like Cwmcarn and Brechfa

also, Bpw have sorted planning etc. to add more trails (including pedalup) with a pair of skills areas (on opposite sides of the park with one located in the quarry near Popty / Hotstepper and larger parking areas / toilets and shepardshuts (so overnight camping?) - wonder when this will start construction?

Great tips thanks for sharing. Rode Cwymcarn forest drive tarmac with the Mrs last week very scenic and got a good sense of where nice places to stop are. Rode the Twrch after saw the off piste starts

 

[Dax]

Great tips thanks for sharing. Rode Cwymcarn forest drive tarmac with the Mrs last week very scenic and got a good sense of where nice places to stop are. Rode the Twrch after saw the off piste starts

The off piste is excellent at cwm carn

 

[cozzy]

Back today. I was supposed to be there today as well but my legs are done. Maybe should have uplifted after all.
Took the beast way but stuck to the fire road next to it.
From cafe 11 mins to popety, 17 to the top.
Used 80% of a 700wh battery in the morning, 60% in the afternoon on the second. Stopped as I was getting sloppy. Didn't keep a track of how many runs.

Quite a different day, more relaxed, bit of riding around to get the lay of the land and no rushing to get the next bus.

I did end up on the uplift road once near the top. Seems the signs have gone for vanta/417 pushup, maybe since they changed 417. Wasn't too keen on being on the road.