Q&A: San Martino Bike Arena

31 May 2016

Q&A: San Martino Bike Arena!!

Who are you and what do you do for San Martino Bike Arena?

My name is Filippo Ongaro and I’m the Marketing Manager of San Martino Bike Arena, a brand new Bike Park located in San Martino di Castrozza, in the eastern part of the Italian Dolomites. I’m also a Mountain Bike Guide and a passionate biker, enjoying my afternoons on the trails around San Martino di Castrozza.

What was the driving force to open a bike park at San Martino Bike Arena?

San Martino Bike Arena is located on the Ski Area of the Alpe Tognola, a classic Ski destination part of Dolomiti Superski. Since almost 15 years our lifts are open also during Summer Season. As long as our terrain-type fits pretty good the mountain biking we decided back in 2012 to create a Bike Park with Downhill Paths and Enduro Trails. It has been hard at the beginning because we are located into a Natural Park, but now the Bike product is pretty good!

How often do the chairs run for mountain bikers?

Our 15pax cabins runs continuously for bikers all along the day from 8.30 AM to 5 PM. A single cabin can easily host 2-3 Bikers and their bikes.

How many visitors do you get in a weekend/season at the bike park?

During last Summer Season we had almost 4000 visitors. The average presence during the weekend is 100 bikers / day, on Sundays even more than 140 in certain months.

What is the most popular trail at your bikepark?

The most popular trail in San Martino Bike Arena is definitively the “Tognola DH Uno”. It was our first trail and still offers a super flow with almost ten manmade jumps and structures.

Will there be any new trails added this season or will you be re-developing any existing trails?

Unfortunately we won’t build any new trail during the upcoming Summer Season, but we’ve planned more than 15 small and big reconstructions on the Tognola DH Uno and the Tognola DH Tre.

Describe the predominant “style” of riding at your park? (Natural vs. Manmade, DH/Tech/Steep vs. Flow/Features) Typically, what kind of terrain do you have? (Rocky, Dry-dusty, Tacky, Roots)…

Our terrain is normally pretty clean and dry, except after big summer storms or rainy summers. Our trails offer a super flow even if we have certain natural parts with roots and rocks for people who like this kind of riding. All the hardest spots always offer an easy Chicken Line for beginners.

Is there a bike shop? Do you have rentals?

We do not have a Bike Shop but we have a Bike Rental services that also sells spare parts and few DH clothes and protections. The rental shop offers almost 25 DH bikes from Scott, LeeCougan and Dartmoor (advanced booking during the weekend is strongly suggested!). Enduro Bikes and E-Bikes are also available, as long as Fantic E-FatBikes for Winter riding!

Tell us a little bit about community. Are there any restaurants or bars that mtb-ers like to spend their time? When riders come do they come from nearby or do they come from far away?

At the bottom station of the cable-car that serves the Bike Park there’s the Campo Base Bikers’ Village – a bike-oriented Bar and Restaurant with a huge terrace and a Chill Area. Here you can enjoy power sandwiches, great Italian Spaghettis and many more fresh dishes. At the end of the riding day, a huge beer is mandatory while your bike is drying (yes, there’s also a free bike cleaning area with water pump near the Bar).

More than 90% of our customers come from a 150-200km far away area, so they spend the whole day in the Bike Park and then go back home. Despite that, at the Bottom station of the lifts we have a Info & Booking Office who can arrange and sell all-inclusive packages with Hotel / Residence accommodation in San Martino di Castrozza, guided bike tours and so on.

What does the future hold for San Martino Bike Arena?

With 3 Downhill tracks and 2 Enduro Trails the future development of San Martino Bike Arena is nothing but finished: we are currently discussing about opening new Enduro trails and a super easy Flow Trail dedicated to beginners.