I was wondering if you lot on the web could help to enlighten me. Do any of the bike parks you frequent close due to inclement weather? How severe does weather have to be before they close the park? Obviously, high winds close lifts, but what else causes closures? Is it common for trails and parks to be shut due to rain? Im just trying to put something together for a park and was wondering about lost revenue to existing parks due to rain. Thanks in advance.
Bike park closures
- Thread starter 10rubkaz
- Start date
Rain? Not in the places I've ridden.
Now lightening, that's another party.
Now lightening, that's another party.
Mind if I ask why you're asking?
You'll excuse me if I am cautious. Lots of trolls like to come on here and ask if we damage trails when we ride, so on and so forth.
Others can speak better to this than I can.
Others can speak better to this than I can.
For one, most park visitors really don't enjoy riding in the rain, so the load on the trails should be much lower in any kind of rain by default.
Second, the damage to the trails is more a function of the steepness of the hill. Steep trails will get really gnarly really fast. Regardless of weather conditions. The greatest damage is not from people riding in the wet, but from braking hard. The people who brake the hardest and cause the most damage to the trails, will not dare to ride the mountain in the wet.
Riding jumps made of pure dirt may be discouraged. But then a park should build jumps with proper riding surface.
Here in Europe, parks generally operate in any kind of weather as long as the conditions permit safe operation of the uplift. If you want to operate in any kind of bad weather, get enough bike washing capacities.
Another point on the track maintenance, as mentioned - braking bumps are the worst problem. Battling braking bumps is an exhausting and futile endeavor, when they start getting too big, just dig in some concrete lattices and your brake bump problem is solved forever. You shouldn't eliminate all the bumps, since racers tend to like them for training.
Second, the damage to the trails is more a function of the steepness of the hill. Steep trails will get really gnarly really fast. Regardless of weather conditions. The greatest damage is not from people riding in the wet, but from braking hard. The people who brake the hardest and cause the most damage to the trails, will not dare to ride the mountain in the wet.
Riding jumps made of pure dirt may be discouraged. But then a park should build jumps with proper riding surface.
Here in Europe, parks generally operate in any kind of weather as long as the conditions permit safe operation of the uplift. If you want to operate in any kind of bad weather, get enough bike washing capacities.
Another point on the track maintenance, as mentioned - braking bumps are the worst problem. Battling braking bumps is an exhausting and futile endeavor, when they start getting too big, just dig in some concrete lattices and your brake bump problem is solved forever. You shouldn't eliminate all the bumps, since racers tend to like them for training.
Last edited:
our local bikepark closes when the winds are too strong and also during heavier rain. happened twice this year.
It also depends on the soil.
At Blue Mt. in Ontario, I hear they close when it rains. But there is also a high content of clay in their soil.
At Whiteface, we have no clay in our soil and you can ride in the rain.
At Blue Mt. in Ontario, I hear they close when it rains. But there is also a high content of clay in their soil.
At Whiteface, we have no clay in our soil and you can ride in the rain.
I can tell you that snowshoe stays up and running in the rain, just as long as you don't hear thunder or lightning. If that happens, we have to wait 30 minutes before riding again.
I would have thought most close during a rain. Not just the extra wear on the trails but because attendence would be way down. They could lose money just turning on the lifts. Maybe a shuttle only on wet days?
Last edited:
the thunder/lightning issue is in regards to the lift, not the trails themselves.
in terms of damage to the trails from weather/climate/rain, like mike said above soil composition plays a big role. Trails also need to be designed well and have erosion control measures in place where required (this depends on terrain, soil, natural fall line, etc). IMBA actually has some REALLY good guides on how to implement proper erosion control.
in terms of damage to the trails from weather/climate/rain, like mike said above soil composition plays a big role. Trails also need to be designed well and have erosion control measures in place where required (this depends on terrain, soil, natural fall line, etc). IMBA actually has some REALLY good guides on how to implement proper erosion control.
At Snowshoe, it rains from underground.
It seems to me that as a Bike Park, you need to stay open during the rain. Well built trails will hold-up fine (and of course you should close for torrential major storms). Your customers need to be able to trust that you will be open when they come to visit. That said, you will probably wish that you were closed because so few riders will be there.
if youre going to be closed for a month because of all the rainfall, do the actual trail maintenance you say you did.
Saturday I did 3 big runs in the rain at Whiteface. I was (and had to be) so focused I certainly wasn't thinking about the rain. Needless to say, I had 3 sweet runs! If we had 100 riders a day I may change my answer. But for now, Whiteface can be a blast in the rain. Your just not allowed to be too heavy on the brakes!
As far as closing for rain it sure could be confusing for customers. It's really important to stick with a schedule for your hours of operation. Sometimes is raining in Lake Placid but not at Whiteface 8 miles away in Wilmington, N.Y.
As far as closing for rain it sure could be confusing for customers. It's really important to stick with a schedule for your hours of operation. Sometimes is raining in Lake Placid but not at Whiteface 8 miles away in Wilmington, N.Y.
Last edited:
Somehow the trees save up water there too to drop when it comes out of the soil. I've found my life jacket handy on those days.
Rain? what is that?
Out here on the west coast we LOVE it when it rains. Sounds like you are not concerned about how things work in California though with our dry loose dusty conditions.
Out here on the west coast we LOVE it when it rains. Sounds like you are not concerned about how things work in California though with our dry loose dusty conditions.
You mean that place where entire communities of homes lemming into the ocean when you do get rain?
At most east coast venues it rains rox.
The only kind of trail that really shouldn't be ridden wet is a groomed dirt jump. It's loose clay (no grass or roots to hold it together) made into a shape which catches water. It becomes very slippery and takes a lot of work to reshape once it's rutted. The only venue I know of which closes trails due to rain is highland MTB park. Several of their trails are heavily laden with dirt jumps. Even then it's only the jumpy trails which are closed. The natural terrain stuff stays open.
A rainy spell is the perfect time to maintain said jumps, though. Nice sticky, easily molded dirt.
A rainy spell is the perfect time to maintain said jumps, though. Nice sticky, easily molded dirt.
Last edited:
IMBA actually has some REALLY good guides on how to implement proper erosion control.[/QUOTE]
This would be very useful. I had a look on their website but couldnt find anything, help would be most appreciated. Any tips on preventative measures to decrease trail erosion would also be awesome, thanks.
This would be very useful. I had a look on their website but couldnt find anything, help would be most appreciated. Any tips on preventative measures to decrease trail erosion would also be awesome, thanks.
Seems like here in the PacNW, it's either heavy wind or lightning that grinds everything to a halt. Otherwise, GAME ON!!! 
This would be very useful. I had a look on their website but couldnt find anything, help would be most appreciated. Any tips on preventative measures to decrease trail erosion would also be awesome, thanks.
[/QUOTE]Here you go. IMBA's Trail Solution Book:
http://www.imba.com/catalog/book-trail-solutions
Northstar can actually get closed for heavy rain. The reason has something to do with too much silt run-off into a state monitored watershed will get their license revoked or something like that.
How people riding on the trails during the rain vs. not can affect silt run-off, I have no idea.
Snowshoe closed their entire trail network this summer when I was there. Really disappointing. They claimed it was due to safety, but when we pointed out the nearly 500 participants in a scavenge hunt on the Skidder slope and possible double standards, the trail network magically reopened.
Heavy weather here in the Pac. NW more often affects lift operations than factors connected to the park itself. High winds or lightning are what most often shut down the lifts.
At Whistler, there are occasional closures of specific trails, especially on the upper mountain (Garbanzo) when things get real sloppy just so the trails don't get torn up too badly.
At Whistler, there are occasional closures of specific trails, especially on the upper mountain (Garbanzo) when things get real sloppy just so the trails don't get torn up too badly.
So if I put lighter parts on my bike they're going to close the park? Geez...