Dan digs in at mountain bike park

Dan Atherton, part of the Oswestry championship winning Atherton family has built four 'black' runs at the park, north of Machynlleth.

He says the team are now accepting bookings through their new website dyfibikepark.co.uk.

For the last four years Dan and his 'dig crew' have worked to create some of the most diverse tracks built, set in 650 acres of estate forest.

Mountain bike enthusiasts will be taken to the top of the runs by a fleet of landrovers.

Dan said: "My whole life I’ve been searching for that perfect mix of maximum elevation with long descents and really varied terrain. The land here falls from a 666 metre peak at Tarren y Gesail almost to sea level.

"On the south side of the mountain we have mellow gradients and amazing dirt, perfect for our jumpline “50 Hits” and on the north

slabs of bedrock, roots and rocks create the perfect natural terrain for the downhill tracks."

"People have been talking about this place for years, it's amazing how much appetite there has been to come and ride but the truth is the tracks weren’t ready."

"The 50 Hits is machine built top to bottom, that’s a slow process when you don’t have a big budget and in other places getting down to the bedrock meant digging through a metre of clay."

"We’ve tackled a lot of major projects over the years but this one has taken things to the next level."

"The transactional issues around the purchase of a 650 acre forest and the drive to secure funding have taken almost as much time and effort as the track build itself. The project has been funded out of our own pockets, no government grants, no investors. The passionate crew have given this project everything."