Rider Safety

Mountain biking is an incredibly fun activity but it does carry inherent risks. The way you behave, the decisions you make and the equipment you use can greatly reduce the chances of you having an accident. This page is your guide to learning how to prepare yourself for a fun day on the hill, it is designed to help you equip yourself correctly and to help you manage how you ride on the day to make sure you maximise your smiles and reduce your chances of injury.

Make sure you read/watch all of the following before your visit;

Our Mountain Bikers Responsibility Code is your guide to how to behave during your visit to reduce your risks
The Mountain Bike and Equipment Checklist should be reviewed before you visit to make sure you are bringing the right kit in the right condition
We’ve produced a brilliant trail safety video that explains our trail grading system, gives some great tips on how to get the most from your day and much more
Finally, we’ve created a handy edit to show you how to quickly and safely load your bike onto the uplift trailer. Both of these videos can be found below.

Some simple steps on how to use our trails safely

How to use our uplift service

First Responders

Whilst we do what is reasonably practicable to reduce the chances of an accident on the trails they do still happen, because of this we also have a team of experienced first responders on site at all times to deal with incidents that do occur. This team are equipped with what they need to manage all foreseeable scenarios and can administer pain relief, they have everything from an electric trials bike to ATV’s to enable them to respond quickly.

We also have a fantastic relationship with our friends at Central Beacons Mountain Rescue who will respond if needed to extract injured riders from difficult to access locations. CBRT is an entirely volunteer run organisation that offers an incredible service and will happily accept any donations you wish to give here.

Mountain Bike and Equipment Checklist

The trails at BikePark Wales are rough, challenging and demanding on both bike and body. Therefore, only Mountain Bikes are permitted to be used on the trails at BikePark Wales, hybrid bikes, gravel bikes etc are not permitted on safety grounds.

We recommend the use of appropriately sized, high quality, modern, long-travel, full suspension bikes with good quality hydraulic disk brakes.

Before riding always inspect your equipment or have it checked by a qualified bike mechanic and check for any damage after each run of the hill and especially after a crash however minor. Do not ride on damaged equipment.

Helmets are mandatory at all times when riding a bike at BikePark Wales (including when climbing), ensure that your helmet meets standard EN1078 as a minimum, is less than three years old, is in good shape and properly adjusted. We highly recommend the use of full-face protection helmets with higher levels of protection such as ASTFM F1952-DH. Gloves, eye protection and body armour are also highly recommended. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A SUITABLE HELMET, YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO RIDE IN THE PARK OR USE THE UPLIFT SERVICE.
Inspect bike frame and forks for cracks, damaged or dented areas.
Ensure you have sufficient brake pads to stop your bike while descending; two working brakes are mandatory, and we highly recommend disc brakes for improved control.
Front and rear axles (quick release or bolt through type) should be tight.
Headset and stem must be secure with no looseness or play.
Tyres should be at least 1.5” wide with off-road tread. Check that your tyres are in good condition, with plenty of tread and no cuts or abrasions in the sidewall and that rims show no cracks or signs of weakness, all spokes should be tight and intact.
Handlebar and handlebar grips must be tight and unable to spin. Handlebars must have bar end plugs (or grips that fully enclose the end of the bars) installed. Due to the nature of our trails drop bars are not permitted.
Seat and seatpost need to be fastened securely and dropper seatposts checked that they are functioning correctly.
Check pedals are secure and do not have excessive play. Pedals with Toe Strap fastenings are not permitted to be used.
Suspension should be in good working order with no leaks or loose parts.
Fixed child carriers such as shotgun seats, rear rack seats or tag-a-long devices are not permitted. Tow ropes may be used to assist riders up the hill but must not be used on descending trails.
E-bikes are welcome at BikePark Wales, but they must be classed as an EAPC (electrically assisted pedal cycle), and the motor should not propel the bike beyond 15.5mph. Bikes with a throttle assist are not allowed.
To ride an E-bike you must be 14 years of age or older by UK law.

Please Note: If a senior member of the BikePark Wales team deems your bike to be unsafe they will prevent you from accessing the trails.

Mountain Bikers Responsibility Code

Follow the code to ensure that all riders have a fun and safe experience at BikePark Wales.

We reserve the right to remove day passes or ban riders from the park for breaches of the Mountain biker’s responsibility code.

All riders must display one valid ride pass on their handlebar at all times. This includes season pass holders who must check in at the visitor centre and collect a day pass on every visit. Expired passes must be removed from handlebars.
Always carry a mobile phone with an ICE (in case of emergency) number installed and make sure it is charged before you leave the house. If in need of assistance, contact Bike Park Patrol on 07495033398 or 999 in an emergency. If you have called an ambulance, please inform the visitor centre on 01685 709450 so we can assist in guiding them to you.
Avoid riding alone, it’s safer and more fun to ride with your buddies. If you do ride alone, please ensure you let us know when you sign in.
Stay in control at all times. It is your responsibility to avoid crashing into other riders and objects around you!
Be respectful and aware of other riders varying skill levels, relax and have fun.
Do not stop on the trail. Pull off the trail in a safe place if you need to stop for any reason.
When entering a trail or starting downhill, you must look uphill and give way to other riders coming down the trail.
Respect the trail gradings, read the grading descriptions and the trail difficulty index. Begin on the easier trails and do not ride trails that are beyond your current level of ability.
Even if you have ridden a trail before, be careful! We make ongoing changes and improvements to the trails and features, so they may have changed since your last visit.
Be aware that the Bike Park trails are set in a mountain and forestry environment which poses risks including:

Forestry environment risks: trees, stumps, branches, brash and vegetation can cause injury. Forests are unpredictable environments where trees can be subject to lose limbs, branches and even snap or blow over in high winds or extremes of temperature and weather. Riding bikes within woodland has an inherent risk from the trees that form the woodland environment.
Mountain Environment risks: exposure to fast changing weather conditions, steep slopes, rocky areas and outcrops and exposed trail edges.

All forest roads within the Bike Park are live and in use, expect to encounter vehicles on the site when crossing or travelling on forest roads. – Please avoid using the uplift road as a climbing trail.
Trail conditions change with the seasons and the weather; mountain biking is an all-weather sport but respect the added challenge and risk that rain, ice, mud, dust and wind can pose to you. If it is windy, do not attempt jumps; keep both wheels on the ground and stay on the easier trails.
Avoid riding when daylight has faded, and it is dark on the trails. Please note it will be significantly darker within the forest than on open ground.
If a rider is hurt, do not move them, notify the Bike Park staff immediately.
Keep off closed trails and forest areas and obey all signs and warnings.
Stay on marked trails only. Do not cut switchbacks or modify trails.
Please avoid using the uplift road as a climbing trail, it is in constant use by uplift vehicles and occasionally by HGVs.
If using a tow rope, please use the Beast of Burden climb only
Only ride the trails during opening hours. There is no access to the trails when the park is closed.
Do not push or ride up downhill trails.
Respect your environment; please take your litter home with you!
Keep out of the Bike Park if your ability is impaired through the use of drugs or alcohol.
Be friendly, courteous and respectful to your fellow riders, poor conduct will not be tolerated.
Children aged 15 and under need to be supervised by a parent or guardian over 18 years of age, or by an accompanying adult over 25 years of age at ALL times.
To ride an E-bike you must be 14 years of age or older by UK law.
All riders under 18 years of age must prove their parent or legal guardian’s consent by completion of our digital waiver form.
Please be aware of and courteous to walkers, horse riders and other user groups within the park boundary.
Please help us maintain the park. If you see a problem on the trails report it to us.
Know your limits!

Have fun, ride safe!

Caution

Mountain biking is a potentially hazardous activity carrying a significant risk of injury including death. It should only be undertaken with a full understanding of all inherent risks.

BikePark Wales have now implemented a weather warning procedure that you can view online as well as on signage at the visitor centre, uplift pickup point and at the top of the hill. If you see an amber or red warning on site please take the following action:

Amber: Be Prepared, weather conditions on the hill challenging, stay alert.

Red: Severe weather conditions, all trails closed, return to the centre immediately via the safest possible route