Athertons invite you to ride Dyfi Bike Park in Wales – After four years in the making, Dyfi Bike Park on the southern edge of Snowdonia National Park in Wales, UK is finally opening for public bookings to ride their trails. Set within 650 acres of Welsh estate forest, Dan Atherton & his Dyfi Bike Park dig crew have carved out four black trail runs littered with chances to kick your bike in the air.
No ski lifts here, so the park will run a fleet of Landrovers that will uplift you to near the 666m peak at Tarren y Gesail in 11 minutes, where you can bomb back down to sea level again. Actually it looks like trails go 2/3 of the way up, to 400m now, with more in the works!
A day pass will cost you £36, a weekend pass £72, with shuttles running non-stop from 10am-4pm every weekend. Book your spot in advance, as only a limited number of riders get access each day. There are also opportunities for coaching to hone your gravity skills, and in the future will have bikes for rent, too.
Trails are already varied, on the South side of the mountain more mellow slopes & solid dirt were ideal to build the “50 Hits” jumpline trail. Then on the North, slabs of bedrock, roots & rocks offered more naturally technical terrain for true DH tracks. Completely funded out of their own pockets without outside investors or grants, the Dyfi Bike Park are creating a unique riding location that will continue to grow. DyfiBikePark.co.uk
Where (else) to Ride & Race
- Race Purgatory Enduro July 17 and again in August – Purgatory Resort is hosting the Ska / Zia Town Series Purg Enduro races, Jul 17 & Aug 21 for two nights of gravity racing. Purgatory will extend Lift 1 operations from 4pm to 7pm for the special event. After an epic 2018/19 ski season, Purgatory’s Bike Park continues to open trails as conditions allow. Purgatory also continues to develop lift-access biking for recreational mountain bike enthusiasts, including the addition of two new expert trails – Links & Pirate. Purgatory is also in the process of building its first lift-served downhill trail for beginners – Shangrila, which is estimated to be completed this fall. Register to race online. Check-in begins at 4pm – 5:45pm at the Purgatory Ticket Office with racing to follow. PurgatoryResort.com
- Register now for BC Bike Race 2020 – The race is running now, so Race Week Registration is open for next year’s #BCBR2020. Spots are ;limited to just 250 this week, so register today and save $100 off of the regular final price. Join the next BCBR July 2-10, 2020 for the ultimate singletrack experience. BCBikeRace.com
- Ride the Tour de France from home with Bkool – Bkool & Adidas Sport Eyewear are offering a virtual edition of the Tour de France that will transfer its real stages to your living room. The virtual version of the Grand Tour is running now in parallel with the pros in France, replicating some sections of its real stages. To participate, you just need a smart indoor trainer and then download the Bkool Cycling Simulator from their website. Riding along can be completely free, thanks to the Bkool Premium trial, with no cost for a month. premium.Bkool.com
Gear tidbits & deals
- Paul loves tie-die, and of course the Grateful Dead – Paul Comp is remodeling to make way for a new lathe and found a stash of “one of every T-shirt Paul’s made over the years”. Their favorite find – one of the earliest, tie-dyed with a peace sign logo and their 1st product, the seatpost QR hand drawn by Paul around 1990. They loved it so much, they’ve made a new batch. Print in Chico and hand-dyed by sales manager Gary in his backyard. Each is unique, just groove on whatever you get, you know? 100% cotton, pre-washed, pre-shrunk. $35 in super limited numbers. Paulcomp.com
- Thesis adds new summer color options, picked by customers – Tangerine and Deep Crimson. Those are the new warm palette summer tones that customers voted in for the Thesis ON1 all-road gravel bike. Thesis also says they’ve reduce lead times now down to 3-5 weeks on made-to-order bikes starting at $3300, and around one week on wheelsets & other packages. Thesis.bike
- Save up to 40% off summer Campagnolo cycling kit – Summer has plenty of time left to ride, but clothing makers are already looking to next season. Campagnolo’s end-of-season discounts are here, with up to 40% off. Campagnolo.com
- Ocoee bikes launch party. You’re invited – OK, so we know consumer-direct carbon Ocoee bikes are available now. So they decided to have a party. Join them on E. Main St in Chattanooga at Handup Handle & Bar on July 17. There will be Ocoee demo bikes for a casual ride from 6pm, before heading back to the bar for the party. Demos are first come first served. Bring lights, a helmet & your own bike in case. Free beer & gear post-ride, but get there early to lay your claim! Info & RSVP on Ocoee’s Facebook.
