Bike Park Wales, anyone taken a retro round...?

Hello everybody.

Went to BPW on New Year's Eve and brilliant it was.

Took my 2013 Orange Five but actually think a decent retro would easily handle the blues and probably the reds too.

Anyone done it?

Next time I'm taking a Yo too...

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Can you take a Go Pro too? That way we can see just how scary it is!

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There's a world of difference between "handle" and "right tool for the job"..

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Don't know about bike park wales but I've had my Marin (2000 muirwoods) on v brakes round my local blue and red trails (looks about the same as some of the BPW ones). Admittedly I may have mildly soiled myself on the looser shale of the red grade berms but I survived. And this was on my first ever time 'proper' mountain biking whilst my mates had all their hydraulic disc modern bikes and had done the same trails hundreds of times before.

Don't know how it compares but I have done Llandegla a few times on my 93 Zaskar. Got some funny looks but did the job.

I would prefer a nice modern ride for it though, I am just too tight to buy a new bike

I don't think I've come across a Red or Blue route that you couldn't do on a retro bike to be fair its just a bit faster on modern machinery.

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Went with some friends in November.

I rode my Dekerf team SL...Gary on a home built rigid single speed, Kieran ( a novice ) on an early Saracen Conquest, and Extreme Brian ( 65yro ) on his XT equiped Merida Crossway Hybrid.

The latter 2 took it easy, but Gary and I tried to attack several blues...Terrys Belly was more tiring going down than it had been riding to the top.

It was genuine fun...even after I crashed and stuffed my front wheel and brusied my ribs...

....needless to say I will not be going to a gunfight equippped with a sharpened toothpick again...

We do have a trip planned this year, a little challenge.
£20 budget to buy a ride and get it down at a decent speed, the winner will be whoever survives I expect.

Got my eye on a nice Apollo Terra :shock:

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Love the idea of a BPW £20 kluncker challenge!

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I've always wanted to do a challenge like that. Think I need to set one up down here

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Not done BPW but have done a few trail centres up my way on a retro bike, if you're a masochist you'll have a ball, if your idea of fun is having as many near-death experiences as possible in one day then you'll dig it.
If however you'd prefer a relaxing and uneventful trip to BPW then take something modern.