PWC Bike Park

[NotSoBigBen]

Despite all the fuss I am sure the 'CycleLabbers' will carry on riding and having kiddies parties there so as you were

[Uni]

Apparently the joining fee won't be forfeited should you want to stop the monthly payment, you have to give notice though.

There is no longer a multi-pass option.

 

I haven't been there in a long while but for me it's really a case of finding somewhere to ride after work that is safe, if I can get in 1.5 hrs of riding before dark a couple times a week but I'm sure having to do loops will get boring.

 

There was mention of them opening late on a Wednesday but the lady I just spoke to doesn't know about it.

*Undecided*

[nolipoli]

Despite all the fuss I am sure the 'CycleLabbers' will carry on riding and having kiddies parties there so as you were

It was packed yesterday afternoon.

 

Maybe they are just aiming for a different demographic.

Silly me for thinking that "Bike Park" meant the same here as it does in other parts of the world.

[Patchelicious]

It was packed yesterday afternoon.

 

Maybe they are just aiming for a different demographic.

Silly me for thinking that "Bike Park" meant the same here as it does in other parts of the world.

I think its kinda cool that they cater for multiple things.

 

They need to diversify. Or at minimum broaden they ability to cater for different kinds of spending.

 

Just look at these restaraunts that cater for kids, Pappachinos is one, there is a another in Cedar Square.... they are PACKED every weekend, it would be silly for them not to get on board a business model that clearly works.

[nolipoli]

I think its kinda cool that they cater for multiple things.

 

They need to diversify. Or at minimum broaden they ability to cater for different kinds of spending.

 

Just look at these restaraunts that cater for kids, Pappachinos is one, there is a another in Cedar Square.... they are PACKED every weekend, it would be silly for them not to get on board a business model that clearly works.

Imagine if Pappachino's didn't sell wine and beer... This makes it bearable for the adults.

 

In the same way, PWC could really benefit from adding some proper features to their Vanilla trails. They don't need to be on the main lines, but they should be there. I know that it is tough to justify because of the relatively fewer people that ride them, but if I was fired up about it, I would take my wife, and some of our less experienced friends, knowing that they will go left when I go right.

[Rudi Pollard]

We had a team event there on Friday and I rode the trails for the first time in 2 years. It is nice, but definitely not R75 nice if you consider I pay R35 for entrance into Groenkloof or R30 at Wolwespruit in pretoria.

 

The trails are in good condition and in general I think it is a nice experience for more inexperienced riders as well as kids. The new features seemed like a hit with the kids.

 

If you want your kids to ride in a safe fun environment, then it is an awesome place to go. If you however are an experienced rider who's usual ride is 80km+ then its a bore...

[rouxtjie]

I had huge humor there a week ago...spent all my time on the pump track and area with wooden berms next to it.

 

Didn't go near the trails...kept me busy for a good two hours with a coke and smoke break

[dirtrider]

For family entertainment while you out on the trails nothing comes close to Red Barn .

[DanielJhb]

They should really look at adding some red/black level off-shoots on the trails to keep things interesting. The only real drop-offs I can think of are on berm baby after the blue split, and the two in the skills section. Only 3 "rock gardens" I can think off are at the same spots and you can pretty much ride a straight line through all of them. There's one switchback on Spaghetti junction that's not much of a challenge and a couple of tame jumps here and there on the trails. The berms are also average in my opinion, compared to big red barn (for example) where you can carry much more speed through the corners (though to be fair, the new section there is disappointing too). The uphill section of Berm baby is full of switchbacks which are too wide to be challenging, it may as well be a straight uphill.

 

I've ridden a lot of trails in Jhb and Pta the last few months and honestly it's hard to beat the Spruit (disregarding the fact that it is free) for distance, skills, fun, and most importantly, quantity of strava segments. I digress. 

[JanVilj]

Here's my take:

 

(Bearing in mind I can ride the Spruit for free from my house)

 

I need to see value for money. Things I consider:

 

• A safe riding environment and safe parking
• Quality singletrack
• Manicured features like berms, jumps etc
• Access to basic facilities - toilets
• Access to luxury facilities - food and drinks, showers, braai facilities, kids facilities
• Place to relax and chill after the ride
• Driving distance (i.e. cost of fuel) to get to the venue
• Time taken - I have a young family and time is precious - the quicker I can ride and get home the better (wife agrees)

Using the above criteria let's compare some venues.

 

PWC - no cost of travel, has excellent facilities, fun trails and extra riding features, safe and secure, close to home, sells beer and burgers. Total cost = R75.00

 

Northern Farms - R40 (I could be wrong, it's been a while) - 20km from home, so about R50 petrol cost, no dedicated kids riding, no beers, no "bonus" riding like pump track etc. Total cost = R90

 

See my point?

 

So really, once I have bought my card and paid the joining fee etc, PWC is pretty good value. Yes, the total trail length is around 10-15km if you do a full lap, so not great for distance, but it's fun and a great workout.

Absolutely - just a correction: you can get a beer at Northerns

[G00SE]

R75!!!!

 

Wolvespruit and Big red barn have also spent a heaps of money and time building cool stuff, and they are R30 and R45 (i think) respectively.

 

They are obviously adjusting their model to suit all the ex-golfers.

Golfers love memberships, and ridiculous prices!

[johanpre44]

I took the Kids and Wife there a couple of times over the last two months, and even though the total of R200 entry was steep I felt that it was still worthwhile in terms of convenience.

 

I do like the pump tracks, very good exercise even when doing it with the kids.

[cat-i]

First time in many years that I've been to the bike park. The trails are nice & flowing. Miss some of the more challenging bits, but overall a great workout for a Saturday morning.

 

Except the kids all over the pumptrack ... one that coudln't have been more than 2 years old ... so we left.

 

Looking at the numbers I can see that keeping the kids happy are a very big part of their business model ... but if a kid under 5 pays R20, and I pay R75, then maybe it's not unreasonable to expect that the adults can have right of way on the pumptrack???

[Nofearnofun]

First time in many years that I've been to the bike park. The trails are nice & flowing. Miss some of the more challenging bits, but overall a great workout for a Saturday morning.

 

Except the kids all over the pumptrack ... one that coudln't have been more than 2 years old ... so we left.

 

Looking at the numbers I can see that keeping the kids happy are a very big part of their business model ... but if a kid under 5 pays R20, and I pay R75, then maybe it's not unreasonable to expect that the adults can have right of way on the pumptrack???

 

The Adults vs. Kids fight on that pump track is a never ending one.

 

Personally, I just don't go to PWC anymore but that's purely because of their ridiculous entry fee.

[cat-i]

The Adults vs. Kids fight on that pump track is a never ending one.

 

Personally, I just don't go to PWC anymore but that's purely because of their ridiculous entry fee.

 

The entry fee is a bit high - but I see they've built showers, and the tracks really are great. I love that there's 3 different heights for the jumpies, so someone like myself can take on the lower ones first and get a feel. I have a lot to learn w.r.t. using the berms. And I loved that wooden roller-coaster next to the BMX track. So I'm happy to pay the R75.

 

I used to love to do a few laps on the BMX track and then on the pumptrack after the ride. But the BMX track was so full of kids that there was no-where to ride. And it wasn't pleasant when the 2-year-old's dad demanded of us to leave the pumptrack because can't we see it's dangerous for his son.  I felt like I gate-crashed a kiddies' party  Only afterwards I googled the entry fee for kids - and then felt a bit cheated that a R20-entry-fee-payer demanded to have right of way above the R75-entry-fee-payers

 

Maybe the bikepark could look into setting up a time-share, and let kids ride say in the mornings (or whatever the busiest times are) - but then have a kid-free time sometime over the weekend to give the 'grown-ups' time to enjoy the tracks that are maintained with the grown-ups' entry fee ?

[rudi-h]

R75!!!!

 

Wolvespruit and Big red barn have also spent a heaps of money and time building cool stuff, and they are R30 and R45 (i think) respectively.

 

They are obviously adjusting their model to suit all the ex-golfers.

Golfers love memberships, and ridiculous prices!

 

the bike park is in bryanston... slightly more expensive real estate than where red barn or wolwespruit is at.

 

Accross the road from the bike park, tiny little flats sell for R2m, so I think whoever owns the land could likely get a lot more money from selling the whole place off to a developer.  Compared to not having a bike park at all, I think R75 is a better proposition for most okes in JHB than to need to drive to PTA or Alberton for similar riding priced at half the fee.