New York Ski Resort Rebrands, Confirms Closure Of Bike Park

It is always sad to hear about a beloved business shutting down. Mountain bikers in the Catskill Mountains of New York will be saddened to learn that the Windham Bike Park is closing.

This decision comes on the heels of a large rebranding effort from the new ownership of the mountain.

Windham is rebranding itself to become a luxury ski destination. The Windham Mountain Club, as it is now called, wants to cultivate a chic image. Though they are not going to become a private ski area as the name suggests, they are limiting ticket sales and prioritizing wealthier clients. Part of this rebrand was closing down the bike park.

"It was a tough decision and is heartbreaking for staff and guests alike, especially those who worked hard to make it a top-notch experience and are passionate about riding it. Bike park visitation is a fraction of what our winter visitation is," spokesperson Kate Sullivan told Ian Greenwood of Bike’s sister publication Powder. You can read more about Windham’s rebrand in Ian’s article here.

Though Windham Mountain Club maintains off-season amenities such as golf and plans to add sport shooting and horseback riding, the bike park seemingly does not fit into their vision.

If Windham is trying to cultivate an upscale environment, it would be understandable if the first group to go were the dirtbags bloody and covered in dust and drinking beers in the parking lot while avoiding paying for resort food, especially if the bike park was not making money as Sullivan suggests.

The closure of the Windham Bike Park raises a fundamental question for other ski resorts looking to make money from mountain bikers in the summer months. Is it misguided to cater to bike park clientele in the same way they do to skiers?

Though there is a lot of crossover between the two demographics, one important distinction is that bike park riders do not spend anywhere near the same way skiers do. Pretty much the entire bike park clientele are incredibly cheap dirtbags who only buy a ticket, camp in their cars, and eat canned ravioli. Bike park riders generally do not participate in the higher margin activities resorts stay in business by providing.

Their skiing counterparts are a smaller minority the resorts put up with while catering to wealthier individuals with the money for their amenities.

Windham will be a tragic loss for the mountain bike community. They have a dedicated group of local riders who will be devastated to be without a bike park.

The mountain has a storied history in the world of mountain biking. In the 2010s, Windham hosted five World Cup Downhills along with two World Cup Cross Country races. Windham played a vital role in bringing the World Cup back to the US after a long absence from the country.

Related: UCI World Cup Windham downhill 2014 final highlights

In addition to hosting world cups, Windham has also been home to a vibrant scene of regional and continental races.

BikeMag is saddened to hear that such a storied bike park is closing.

For anyone interested in riding there, they are open for one more weekend.

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