Reviews for Flyup 417 Mountain Bike Park

Summary:
Not convinced.

Review:
The facilities are good, the staff are very friendly howerer i wouldn't go back unless the MTB tracks were improved. Bearing in mind the 4x was closed, as was the jump park section and both did look good. They have tried to squeeze to many berms in and they are to small and not flowing enough. Broken up with what seems like random objects just for the sake of it. Launches that go nowhere. The most frustrating thing, 7 or 8 little humps just before the only nice sets doubles at the bottom that completely throw you out, for what reason i can only guess. I think the place has been built by Bmxers? For families, beginners and intermediates if you want to spend a day working on your technique or learning basics, again the 4x and jump park looked good. MTBikers, If you want some large downhill, jumps, flowing sessions, this is not the place. I would choose BPW or BMCC or even Swinley before going back.

Summary:
Boring and expensive

Review:
(-) only 3 short trails (blue,red and black) of which black is unrideable in wet conditions / most of the year as it's so muddy)
(-) all trails are very short - about 3 min. About the same as "free" Tidworth / Aston Hill
(-) trails are boring - slow, narrow (2 feet), full of switchbacks and tightly spaced jumps. They are not flowy at all (neither really technical). Good for pumping if anything.
(-) uplift does not take you to the top! You have to walk up the hill for 5 min after spending 5 min in a small uplift truck. Seriously?! I just paid over £30 for an uplift
(-) no indoor toilets. Only 2 outdoor loos. Not fun in cold and rain
(-) clay mud from trails - gets absolutely everywhere
(-) coffee shop is grotty (and floor is sloped! what's that all about)

+ good full breakfast
+ polite and professional staff
+ efficient uplift
+ great pump track

Overall I felt like I was robbed of time and money. It's hardly a half finished centre (trails wise). But even with the existing trails I was bored after 2 runs. I left midday after doing 6-7 runs. Wouldn't come back even if it was free. Avoid

Summary:
A very fun place to ride

Review:
I really enjoy riding the at all the facilities the are ALL very well made and it is just such a FUN! place to ride.

Summary:
Will get better with age

Review:
I was there on the second day of opening and things ran well. I believe that given more development, Project 417 will become something rather good.

Given that this was designed from scratch I was surprised to find that the uplift stops short of the top of the hill, meaning that you walk the last 20% or so. You get used to it and it's not exactly tiring, but it did seem an odd part of the design - perhaps it spaces riders out? I don't know, but if Carlsberg made a bike park etc etc etc ..

The trails; the blue is a smooth affair and on day 2 the corners were covered in quite a lot of gravel which made for slower cornering and less flow than I'd have liked (perhaps my skill level). Once the trail beds in this will be great for beginners and those looking to practise handling skills/moving their body weight around. The red was my favourite trail by far with some great rock gardens that just got better the more you rode them. The black felt a little unfinished but perhaps that's the intention. Must admit, a couple of the gaps are too large for me.

I came away feeling that I will go back but once it's been allowed time to bed in and perhaps some new sections have been built. I believe that it'll be a great place to 'hang out' what with the indoor pump track and dirt jumps - this area promises to be a real social hub. Café good and staff awesome. Very organised.

Don't take a downhill bike; a trail/enduro bike more than covers everything here.

My issue is I keep comparing it to Gawton (Proper Job and Super Tavi are amazing), Antur (Black Powder flows and hurts you) and Revolution (Far Side is nearly perfect). But it's not them. So I should stop doing so. It has it's own identity. I just wanted one of those closer to home.

Summary:
Great start to a new project

Review:
Now a lot of people seem to be comparing this to BPW which i can understand a bit but they are in different types of terrain and BPW has been going a lot longer. But back to the topic at hand of Flyup 417 Project, now its new they have only been open 4 days i believe when i went there. There are 3 runs down blue,red & black. Blue run was nice and flowing with plenty of berms and rollers and some jumps at the end which are more kinda take tops but was fun to just pump the bike down the track and chill out. The Red line at first i didn't enjoy at all it just felt as with they had chucked random rocks in to throw off any flow you got, BUT the more i rode it the more i loved it finding all these little lines of how to link all the small rocks together skipping over them and hoping off one over the others just made it fun and gave it flow. The 3 rock gardens that are in will catch people out but once you've found that magic line they were great fun blasting through, great step down after one of them into a step up which always gave you a big smile into some tight corners dropping off rocks ledges into them which kept you on you toes, and about 4 jumps at the end which the first 2 are easily done but the last one my god i tried once and thought thats not for me but i saw plenty of people give it a go and a few clear them well. The black line looked great i just didn't have the cuts to do it as it looked as if you had some big gaps to clear but plenty of people where doing it o its do able lol. There into door dirt jumps and pump track are fantastic shame the dual & 4X track art ready yet though.
But over all its a good place doesn't break the bank to go there and you know its going to get a lot bigger the more people support it which i know ill be going back soon.