Mystic MTB - Bright

[dirtart]

It’s our understanding that Blue Dirt did not offer a full year season pass. As we understand it this pass was for a shorter duration than our peak season pass.

Note a couple of things:

- our peak season pass will include evening sessions available to season pass holders
- season passes include the Mountain Pass, so no additional access fees
- we operate an extra half an hour each day
- we will be expanding operating days over coming months
- we are operating the whole park, taking on all maintenance and development, which has to be consumed in all our fees
- we are building a professional bike patrol team as part of our program
- there are lots of new trails coming online very soon

A season pass will always be a premium product for us as demand will always exceed supply.

Previous shuttle company.
$1150 season pass 12 months at bright, including Buller and falls in their riding seasons.
New shuttle company.
$995, 6 months peak season pass, ($695 through winter) at bright only or $1495 for 12 months at one destination..

Not sure how I feel about this.
Actually I do know......

 

[dancaseyimages]

It’s our understanding that Blue Dirt did not offer a full year season pass. As we understand it this pass was for a shorter duration than our peak season pass.

Note a couple of things:

- our peak season pass will include evening sessions available to season pass holders
- season passes include the Mountain Pass, so no additional access fees
- we operate an extra half an hour each day
- we will be expanding operating days over coming months
- we are operating the whole park, taking on all maintenance and development, which has to be consumed in all our fees
- we are building a professional bike patrol team as part of our program
- there are lots of new trails coming online very soon

A season pass will always be a premium product for us as demand will always exceed supply.

Bike patrol full time sounds awesome. I'm sure there will be a few locals interested judging by those who took their time out to shred and show me around.
Hopefully you guys have some sick merch on the way too to help support the park.

 

[Cardy George]

@dirtart As an XC rider not interested in shuttles, can you clarify the hours of operation? Is that just the shuttles or the whole park?

I only ever go down there for work, which is based around Myrtleford, so I rarely get back to Bright and on the bike before 5pm.

 

[dirtart]

The park is still open 24/7 (outside of weather and logging closures) for general riding. When we move to the new smart gate access system, annual members (Mountain Pass holders) will retain 24/7 access, but day pass holders will have restricted hours based on our general guest services hours.

@dirtart As an XC rider not interested in shuttles, can you clarify the hours of operation? Is that just the shuttles or the whole park?

I only ever go down there for work, which is based around Myrtleford, so I rarely get back to Bright and on the bike before 5pm.

 

[Cardy George]

The park is still open 24/7 (outside of weather and logging closures) for general riding. When we move to the new smart gate access system, annual members (Mountain Pass holders) will retain 24/7 access, but day pass holders will have restricted hours based on our general guest services hours.

Right.

I go down twice, maybe three times a year at the most. Guess I won't need to pack the bike any more.

Why?

 

[dancaseyimages]

Right.

I go down twice, maybe three times at the most. Guess I won't need to pack the bike any more.

Why?

Interested in this too, is there a way to make the day pass a 24hr pass? @dirtart

 

[dirtart]

We plan to launch a whole new access system later in the year. We’ll have more details once we progress further down this path. At this stage an annual membership is the only way we can provide 24/7 access (and is obviously another member benefit), but we will potentially put other options in place if they are feasible.

Interested in this too, is there a way to make the day pass a 24hr pass? @dirtart

 

[LPG]

The park is still open 24/7 (outside of weather and logging closures) for general riding. When we move to the new smart gate access system, annual members (Mountain Pass holders) will retain 24/7 access, but day pass holders will have restricted hours based on our general guest services hours.

What are general guest service hours going to be? When I've gone to bright with the family I've usually been on the bike at or before sunrise.

 

[Cardy George]

What are general guest service hours going to be? When I've gone to bright with the family I've usually been on the bike at or before sunrise.

 

[Cardy George]

but we will potentially put other options in place if they are feasible.

You know we're normal people, yeah? We have jobs or families, even families who don't ride. We don't just get to ride whenever we feel like it.

Nor do we live in Bright where it's our local trail.

I like night riding, and it great practice for 24hr races, but do you really think I'd be choosing to do it over riding in warm daylight?

 

[dirtart]

We have to operate the park as a commercial entity- think of us as a bit like a swimming pool in that we can’t just allow access any time without some systems and processes in place. Rightly or wrongly, these aren’t public trails any more and we take full liability and responsibility for them.

This isn’t about restricting access just to be difficult, we need to manage safety, risk, and liability.

We are working on a range of access systems, which we will have more of an update on soon.

While we hope to reduce access restrictions outside of hours, the only way to do this currently is to buy an annual pass.

You know we're normal people, yeah? We have jobs or families, even families who don't ride. We don't just get to ride whenever we feel like it.

Nor do we live in Bright where it's our local trail.

I like night riding, and it great practice for 24hr races, but do you really think I'd be choosing to do it over riding in warm daylight?

 

[pink poodle]

You know we're normal people, yeah?

Speak for yourself here Mr normal person @Cardy George ! But how dare you presume my normality...


































I may have recently copped a bit of "you are a really fucking weird dude..." talk from a fee more angles than normal.

 

[LPG]

I understand that you need to manage risk so the whole thing doesn't go bankrupt ruining it for everyone. Just make sure the awesome trails you put in make up for the hassle!

and tell me the best way to get in early so I can start climbing in twilight to get an extra run in without getting that angry family

 

[Cardy George]

We have to operate the park as a commercial entity- think of us as a bit like a swimming pool in that we can’t just allow access any time without some systems and processes in place. Rightly or wrongly, these aren’t public trails any more and we take full liability and responsibility for them.

This isn’t about restricting access just to be difficult, we need to manage safety, risk, and liability.

We are working on a range of access systems, which we will have more of an update on soon.

While we hope to reduce access restrictions outside of hours, the only way to do this currently is to buy an annual pass.

Hey, who am I to stand in the way of the mighty dollar.

I wish the park well.

 

[wkkie]

This isn’t about restricting access just to be difficult, we need to manage safety, risk, and liability.

But how is this different for someone that does or doesn't have an annual pass compared to a day pass?

 

[Cardy George]

We have to operate the park as a commercial entity-

While we hope to reduce access restrictions outside of hours, the only way to do this currently is to buy an annual pass.

But how is this different for someone that does or doesn't have an annual pass compared to a day pass?

I'm trying really hard to not be cynical about this, but they're saying it themselves.

@wkkie there no money in letting people do what they've done for years

 

[ozzybmx]

I've said this already on this thread, people who go to Bright to only ride a bike, unlike Maydena are very small number compared to those there with a family or doing other things.
Grabbing a quick ride at the end of the day, after the family walks, sightseeing or whatever is what most who take a bike there do. Trying to squeeze in a ride before tea and in a lot of cases, maybe hoping to take the kids for a spin to give mum an hour of peace and quiet.

Locking up that hill to business hours only for visitors and charging per person when a family may have a few kids is a loss to the town.

 

[LPG]

I've said this already on this thread, people who go to Bright to only ride a bike, unlike Maydena are very small number compared to those there with a family or doing other things.
Grabbing a quick ride at the end of the day, after the family walks, sightseeing or whatever is what most who take a bike there do. Trying to squeeze in a ride before tea and in a lot of cases, maybe hoping to take the kids for a spin to give mum an hour of peace and quiet.

Locking up that hill to business hours only for visitors and charging per person when a family may have a few kids is a loss to the town.

It does currently say daylight hours so isn't too bad if you are there in the summer months when the days are long.

 

[dirtart]

It’s not about $- the number of people that this impacts would be relatively small compared to overall park visitation. A handful of day access permits don’t impact the park financially- a major law suit where we didn’t have a robust system in place for risk and liability would though…

We get it, it’s annoying. It’s about liability ultimately though - we need to do everything we can to ensure people have been made aware of risk and have signed a waiver.

As we’ve said there are some potential options to allow us to be more flexible with access, which we are exploring. We are a few days post signing a contract on the park though, so need a little time to work through this stuff.

Generally speaking, any messaging from us will be pretty conservative. We aim to do better, but don’t want to oversell things.

Hey, who am I to stand in the way of the mighty dollar.

I wish the park well.

 

[Cardy George]

...... the number of people that this impacts would be relatively small compared to overall park visitation. A handful of day access permits don’t impact the park financially......

I can only assume you have the data to back that up.

Because if @ozzybmx is right, and I'm a prime example of that, it's going to be a fast ride to policy change.

If I can't get in to the park after work, then I don't take a bike. If I don't take a bike, I have no need to stay 20 minutes away from work in Bright, I'm better off staying 5 minutes away in Myrtleford.

It also needs to be pointed out you're the only true bike "park" in the area, the rest are just networks that aren't practical for a blast after work. So there's monopoly on a captive market going on too.

And you didn't answer why the risk liability is different for season pass holders.