Which european lifts open soonest?
- Thread starter - seb
- Start date
Winterberg is supposed to open on the 19th this month, but i guess you'd rather ride a real mountain, which might be a problem since even Winterberg still has snow.
come to the states and ride some east coast lift assisted places
Doesn't have to be a MASSIVE mountain, so long as its 3min+ and has a chairlift and I can get a decent number of runs in in a day I'm happy, I think... 
pinkshirtphotos: I'm talking about squeezing a 5-day trip between two weekend races, so I think going to the states will be more travelling than I care for for such a short trip. Tempting though... I only know of Plattekill?
pinkshirtphotos: I'm talking about squeezing a 5-day trip between two weekend races, so I think going to the states will be more travelling than I care for for such a short trip. Tempting though... I only know of Plattekill?
Diablo's good also and closer to big airports.
I guess Winterberg is out then, however you could get a massive number of runs in at that place.so long as its 3min+ and has a chairlift and I can get a decent number of runs in in a day I'm happy, I think...
austria:
leogang: 10th may
semmering: 10th may
schladming: 30th may
wagrain: 14th june
leogang: 10th may
semmering: 10th may
schladming: 30th may
wagrain: 14th june
A really kick ass track---> Todnau south of germany should open the last week of april---> http://www.mtb-fun-park.de/index.php?s=7
What part of European do you not understand
bad wildbad is allready open ~1h from stuttgart, germany
bikepark geisskopf in bavaria opens last weekend of april
bikepark oberammergau in bavaria opens 10. may
bikepark todtnau also last weekend of april
bikepark geisskopf in bavaria opens last weekend of april
bikepark oberammergau in bavaria opens 10. may
bikepark todtnau also last weekend of april
but requires entering the state of new jersey
lthumbsdown:How east are you willing to go? www.shambhala-bikepark.com - Sopot, Bulgaria. The lift is running year round... http://images25.snimka.bg/005551494-big.jpg
check out switchbacksdh.com in spain its class a load of my riding buddies have been and never shut up about it. Its not chairlift riding but Mike the guy who runs the place has a few vans and shuttles you to the top. Its ment to be amazing well worth going to far better than the likes of les gets and morzine etc. I missed out going this year as i had to get my fix of snow. He's open all year round expcet august cause its too hot to ride.
Cheers for all the recommendations guys, maybe I'll do a week holiday each month? 
Todtnau wins over SBDH for now because it's so much closer and I'll be driving. Since I'm only going for 4-5 days minimal time spent travelling is key.
I reckon I can leave a UK race at 5pm, kip for a couple of hours on the ferry, kip a couple more hours along the way, and be ready to ride in Todtnau by 9am the next day
Todtnau wins over SBDH for now because it's so much closer and I'll be driving. Since I'm only going for 4-5 days minimal time spent travelling is key.
I reckon I can leave a UK race at 5pm, kip for a couple of hours on the ferry, kip a couple more hours along the way, and be ready to ride in Todtnau by 9am the next day
What will be open on the east coast in May?
Plattekill
Highland, Plattekill, Diablo, Bromont
remember to check the homepage before you start your trip, we had snow the last days, dunno what the conditions are there now...Cheers for all the recommendations guys, maybe I'll do a week holiday each month?
Todtnau wins over SBDH for now because it's so much closer and I'll be driving. Since I'm only going for 4-5 days minimal time spent travelling is key.
I reckon I can leave a UK race at 5pm, kip for a couple of hours on the ferry, kip a couple more hours along the way, and be ready to ride in Todtnau by 9am the next day
todtnau: www.mtb-fun-park.de
you can also try the bike park in lac blanc, near colmar in france, should be 1,5h away from todtnau www.lacblanc-bikepark.com or the bikepark in bad wildbad, 2h away in the north (take the autobahn 5 to karlsruhe, then the autobahn 8 to stuttgart) www.bikepark-bad-wildbad.de
Maribor in few weeks.....1.May in worst case....
As far is I know..
As far is I know..
Swiss public transportation usually involves steep mountains and they let you take your bike on the trains and trams.
this is not for skiing or biking but public transportation.
this is not for skiing or biking but public transportation.
Another vote for Maribor, Slovenia. It's cheap, warm and it's got downhill World cup in May!
bad wildbad is harder than todtnau, it has more rocks and roots, also it has the old dh track, todtnau has only the wildride, more a freeride track. wildbad has dh 1, dh2, 2 freeride tracks, a bikerx, a dual course and some north shore styled obstacles. i would ride all 3 three courses when you come a whole week...
Todtnau flat? WTF?
Its a really fast bad ass track and so is Bad Wildbad.
Ill guarantee youll like both m of them but if the weather isnt all that BWB is imo the better option.
They have a train thingy in stead of a lift and the track is very rideable in the wet. Todtnau could get sketchy...
Bikepark Geiskoff Bischofsmais is also very good, not to difficult but fast and fun.
Stay away from Winterberg or Willingen, Winterberg is fun bit hella easy and hella short.
Willingen is just plain crap.
Its a really fast bad ass track and so is Bad Wildbad.
Ill guarantee youll like both m of them but if the weather isnt all that BWB is imo the better option.
They have a train thingy in stead of a lift and the track is very rideable in the wet. Todtnau could get sketchy...
Bikepark Geiskoff Bischofsmais is also very good, not to difficult but fast and fun.
Stay away from Winterberg or Willingen, Winterberg is fun bit hella easy and hella short.
Willingen is just plain crap.
I only agree reading his posts is good and Seb writes just above your post that "I'm talking about squeezing a 5-day trip between two weekend races". Difficult as Pk and Diablo is not open on during the week in May.
And suggesting any of the two is still not good advice to Seb. I have traveled in Canada, US and Europe with my bike and I was to fly to North America form Europe there are much better suggestions if you are spending that kind of money.
PS Thank you for the negative rep
and stay away from the swiss alps, tons of snow up there right now. over here in Zürich there is snow already around 800m. maybe check out the southern part of the alps heading to Italy, those bastards always have nicer weather.
Cheers for all of the suggestions - will keep to Todtnau-ish area for now, because it's so much closer to Calais than italy/maribor etc. (I'll be driving from the UK). Should probably buy myself a GPS and shove all the locations in before I go for ease of hopping between them if I/we choose to.
Just booked the ferry
Just booked the ferry
maribor is great and worth a visit!
and although it's not that near to todtnau it's worth a 8h car ride.
i rode both and i must say that maribor is A LOT better.
here's a link to viamichelin:
http://tiny.cc/ejBKa
... and the beers is cheaper, the chicks are hotter .... :biggrin:
generally spoken: maribor is a town with infrastructure (several strip-clubs, loads of bars etc..) while todtnau is a tiny mountain village with no pleasures involved ( except maybe binge drinking in the parking lot....)
and although it's not that near to todtnau it's worth a 8h car ride.
i rode both and i must say that maribor is A LOT better.
here's a link to viamichelin:
http://tiny.cc/ejBKa
... and the beers is cheaper, the chicks are hotter .... :biggrin:
generally spoken: maribor is a town with infrastructure (several strip-clubs, loads of bars etc..) while todtnau is a tiny mountain village with no pleasures involved ( except maybe binge drinking in the parking lot....)
Hmmm, I HAVE always loved the look of maribor on the videos... 
And you say the girls are fit yeah? Unfortunately it doesn't fit with the week I'm doing (May 5th-9th) as the world cup is on that following weekend, so I presume the course would be shut most of the week for practice etc.
And you say the girls are fit yeah? Unfortunately it doesn't fit with the week I'm doing (May 5th-9th) as the world cup is on that following weekend, so I presume the course would be shut most of the week for practice etc.
i think that whereever you go, you'll have fun! enjoy your trip to this side of the pond! if you can't make it to all the places mentioned above, you've already got an excuse to book your next trip to europe!
Enjoy whatever you end up doing, but you should know that you are not getting out of this without a ride report, so pack a camera.