I fortunately had the opportunity to get up to 26 west bike park on the 4th of July. We ended up having a short delay because of a thunderstorm(lightning display) so the lifts couldn't run until 3:00. But I have to say that I was very impressed with the efficiency of the lifts once they were running. There were a total of about 12 to 15 riders that showed up, so Ryan ended up using his pick-up to shuttle bikes to the top. There was very little downtime between getting off of the lift and picking up your bike. In fact, most of the time the bikes were waiting for us when we got to the top. As new as the park is, the trails that are currently open were in excellent shape. The Village DH was probably one of the most popular trails ridden on Friday. This trail had a nice mix of riding,for the beginner to more advanced riders. The nice thing about the village dh is that it stays in the woods for the entire run. There is also a trail called FACEPLANT that is definitely more technical, with several nice double jumps, a good sized road-gap(25-30 feet) and overrall more rocky and rooty than the other 4 to 5 trails currently open. There is a small area, the drop zone , that has 3 different lines.The smallest drop is probably 2 feet to about 4 feet for the biggest one. Each has a nice sloping tranny, which leads into a small double. Then you have a nice step-up or hip option beyond the double. It's a great place to practice and hone some skill. I unfortunately did not get to take any pictures.I ended up having to go by myself, which honestly didn't take any of the fun out of the trip. All of the guys there on the 4th were very stoked about the park.There were riders as far away as Charleston,SC. In fact, they rode up for the day just to ride! Nice group of guys that work in a local bike shop(local in Charleston). A group of supernice gentlemen from Bristol,TN were also there. And several local riders showed up as well. I didn't know what to expect before driving up from Hendersonville. I had heard about opening day and some of the minor issues. But for a new park, 26 west is an incredible place to ride. Ryan has done a hell of a job with the park so far, and there are several new trails that should be completed within the next several weeks. All of the staff at the park were very nice and everyone wanted honest feedback from the riders. I have to say that I will be going to the park as much as possible.
26 west on the 4th
- Thread starter steve owens
- Start date
Anyone know who those guys from Charleston were and what bike shop did they say? Just curious, I live in Charleston and its mostly just old xc dudes down here.
Glad to hear the good report!
Great report. I'll be heading back that way this weekend.
66. I will probably be there on Sunday.Bring the camera if you come up.
It'll be Sat. for me. I'm meeting a guy from Fla and showing him the way over. Check your PMs
I just wanted to 2nd the positive comments Steve Owens made ealier. My son and I were at the park on the 4th (we were 2 of the four from Bristol) and we had a blast. We hardly had time to rest between rides since the shuttle was so efficient. We are tied up for the next two weekends, but we will be back on the third weekend!
