Any hope for new bike parks in Ireland?

ram82

With the sport getting more popular and Irish riders getting great results on the international arena does anyone know if there are any plans for opening new bike parks in Ireland?

GAP is a great example that you can create an exciting and top class venue without really having big mountains. But for some reason there is only one GAP, no more other bike parks with uplifts even though I feel there would be a demand for it.

Anyone has any info on plans for more?

prunudo

One of the Gap's strong points to being a viable business is its location. Its has a huge catchment area within an hours drive. This works well for the weekend customers but equally it also has a big pool of people within 15-20 mins away who can go in midweek.

With Coillte upper their game with trail design, a new bike park will have to market itself well against these free amenties (I actually believe the current and future upgrades to Ballinastoe will somewhat hurt The Gap). I would say ideally, any new entry to the market would be in the south west, within an hour of both Cork and Limerick. But wherever and whoever decides to do it, they will need big backing and patience.

ram82

Good points. GAP also started doing quite a lot of events like Bike week, ladies day, coaching and hosting some competitions which attracts a wider range of customers. It's great and it would be nice to have more to chose from.

I agree that Ballinastoe has changed a good bit for better in the recent months. Recent new reds and black are class. Do you know if there will be more trails popping up there in near future?

I personally feel that Ticknock could do an upgrade. New trails and maybe some sort of an uplift would be great.

prunudo

I believe over the next year there will be another 8km of new trails in Ballinastoe, mostly around Pump and Grind and Expressway side of the forest.

xxyyzz

The problem isn't that there is no demand, there is plenty of it. The issue is that insurance costs to run a bikepark are insane, this is the reason that bikepark Ireland had to close down along with numerous other adventure sporting facilities around the country. Until they fix the insurance problem, it's very unlikely we will see any new bikeparks opening around the country.

ram82

Apologies for my ignorance but is Irish insurance market so much different in comparison to other EU countries? You can find a lot of bikeparks, snowparks etc everywhere in EU, do they have a completely different insurance regulations than us? You would think they would be standarised within EU

xxyyzz

Sadly, yes. The insurance industry is badly broken here. The payouts are ridiculously high which has brought about a claims culture and it's forcing numerous businesses to close down. Bike park Ireland couldn't even get a quote as far as I know. What we're left with is just tame dumbed down boring coillte trail centres and locally built unsanctioned trails that could be destroyed by the landowners at any time they decide to harvest the trees in the area.

ram82

That's a shame. More bikeparks could really make a big positive difference.

I don't even know how it's possible that young Irish riders started to have such fantastic results on the international arena if they have nearly nowhere to train in their own country...

Also while I acknowledge the reality of over inflated claims I don't know what's the high risk factor for insurers. We all sign waivers at places like GAP and all wear high tech protective gear.

xxyyzz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119619928#Comment_119619928

Waivers aren't worth the paper they are printed on in Ireland unfortunately. If you sign a waiver and you get injured, there is nothing legally stopping you submitting a claim, there are a lot of ambulance chasing solicitors who are encouraging this behaviour because the claimant has nothing to lose. They know the insurance company will opt to pay out 99 times out of 100 because it's cheaper than fighting it in court and then they just pass on the cost to the customer in higher premiums. FYI, there was a tragedy at bikepark Ireland some years ago so it's definitely not without risk.

fatbhoy

There are people getting mangled every week in The Gap, but you don't hear about it. I doubt they're putting in claims either. There's also people getting mangled around the country all the time. It's a very dangerous sport, especially if you're trying to go fast. One of the lads just broke his arm and collarbone a few weeks ago in a race, and another guy we know seems to be paralysed from the neck down after another race a couple of weeks ago. I was airlifted off the mountain a couple of years ago. Getting mangled is an occupational hazard, and it's coming your way, eventually.

ram82

100% agree it's a dangerous sport and people get injured all the time but it's probably quite similiar with many other sports. I'm a snowboarder as well and every time I'm in the Alps I see people airlifted or brought down the mountain on stretchers... at least one each day. It happens but overall probably to a low percentage of riders.

You still see more bike/snow/skate parks being opened all over Europe but not in Ireland. Having said that the last 2 times I was in Italy snowboarding I was asked to show a proof of a sports insurance when buying a skipass. I had it, not sure what would have happened if I didn't... I'm assuming I wouldn't be able to buy the lift pass...

prunudo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119635531#Comment_119635531

That's interesting, what resort was that in? Was in Italy this year and they only cared about the covid pass.

Definitely agree with your observations in the alps, I know greater numbers but you'd easily see an incident every day on the slopes.

xxyyzz

I think the difference there is that if you injure yourself snowboarding, you claim off your own insurance. In Ireland if you injure yourself at a bike park, you can claim off the bikepark's insurance for negligence etc and that is what's crippling them.

In New Zealand you sign a waiver and it's legally binding, you accept responsibility for the risks of the sport you're about to undertake and it's up to you to get your own insurance as it should be.

ram82

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119636262#Comment_119636262

It was in Trepale and then in Santa Caterina. Both times I was buying a multi day pass that covers the whole Alta Valtellina region. I was told by the chalet owner to have it on me as it will be checked and it was. I'm not sure what would have happened if I didn't have it. They checked the Covid cert as well.

I was at the same resort in previous years (pre Covid) and they never asked for it.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119636405#Comment_119636405

This is the real problem with the legal system and the insurance industry in this country.

Disclaimers or waiver are in effect useless pieces of paper, as is cycling Ireland insurance.

There's a difference between being negligence on behalf of the bike park (or other services) and personal responsibility, but if someone has an accident CI insurance is useless unless 3rd party, so the injured party will try claiming form the owner, insurance company's usual just pays out as its cheaper the trying to defend it in court.

Every year I question the benefits paying CI insurance but still end up paying it anyway.

easygoing39

@ Ceepo,I've never used the cycling Ireland insurance,could you tell me why its useless? Because I liked the idea of being insured whether training or racing.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119680424#Comment_119680424

My understanding and I'm open to correction is more to do with a group spin where to the best of my knowledge member to member 3rd party is not included. If you have a leisure licence you need to make sure to add on insurance €10 extra. This does cover personal accident to a limited claim. But you would be claiming from your own insurance. It does cover a sole ride only if its part of training.

benneca1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119654304#Comment_119654304

I guess it covers yoy if you cause an injury

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119879708#Comment_119879708

Maybe, if your in a group spin, I will only cover personal accident to max €2500, with €250 excess, and as I mentioned in earlier post, it doesn't cover member to member.

From CI Web site

"This covers a member for any third party liability or property damage for which they are held legally liable. (a third party is a person not accredited with membership of Cycling Ireland) when you are training, competing or officiating in an approved Cycling Ireland activity. (a €500 excess applies to each claim, to be paid by claimant). There is no cover in respect of any injury or damage suffered by one participant caused by another participant during training activities (please note members can still claim the personal accident cover above in this case)."

https://www.cyclingireland.ie/get-involved/membership/insurance/#412

I'd still prefer to have it than not have it, but it's not very good really, certainly not as good as most people would think

ednwireland

a new black and red run added at coolaney.

red

https://youtu.be/uwvL2hkEY_4

black

https://youtu.be/IH-Xf5Vuzys

prunudo

How many kilometres of trails are opem down there now? Might take a spin down over the Christmas.

xxyyzz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119905659#Comment_119905659

Nice, the local slabs look so much better than the wheelbarrow's of random rocks they dumped on the trails in the Slieve Blooms.

ednwireland

went down the black run a few weeks ago, didn't realise it was a black run as it wasn't signed yet. ran out of talent very quickly

the new red is 8.6km the black shorter so with no delay it must be up near 50km these days.

Ceepo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119907835#Comment_119907835

And without knees pads, you mad man.

The track looks great though 😂

ednwireland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119908910#Comment_119908910

that wasnt me :)

i did have my knee and elbow pads on, first time ive worn them thankfully

P2C

Those new trails and the one over at hungry rock are a massive upgrade on phase 1. Well done to the local trail builders. I say about 40 k in total but plenty on offer. The new black is tight on a hard tail but the rest are grand.