MANCHESTER’S first indoor mountain bike park, Dirt Factory, is looking for a new permanent home, after a successful two-years at its pop-up attraction at Mayfield.
The Dirt Factory Pop-Up has been a resounding success, welcoming more than 30,000 visitors from across the UK, from professional riders to first-time cyclists from the neighbouring community.
CEO and Founder Dan Makin said, “The Dirt Factory Pop-Up Bike Park has been everything we hoped it would be and much more. We’ve welcomed thousands of riders who have had fun, progressed their skills, gained confidence, made new friends and we’ve built a huge community.
“We’re proud of what’s been achieved and extremely grateful to U+i and the Mayfield Partnership for enabling Dirt Factory to utilise the site before redevelopment takes place. I would also like to thank every one of our customers, staff members, volunteers, supporters and partners for making the Dirt Factory pop-up a huge success and giving us extra motivation for our next goal”.
Dirt Factory closed in early January 2021 as construction work on the first phase of the £1.5bn redevelopment of Mayfield begins. This includes the creation of Mayfield Park, a stunning 6.5 acre green public space around The River Medlock, Manchester city centre’s first new park in 100 years.
Arlene Van Bosch, Development Director at regeneration company U+i, which is leading the £1.5bn project for the Mayfield Partnership, a public-private joint venture, said: “It has been brilliant to support the creation of Dirt Factory and see it make such great progress. Dan and his team deserve enormous credit for creating, from scratch, a unique and inclusive attraction.
“Mayfield was a place for pioneering innovation in the past, and the success of Dirt Factory over the last two years, proves this spirit of enterprise is very much alive. We wish the team all the best for the future, and are sure their relocation to a ‘forever’ home, will be a great success.”
A survey completed by 402 customers revealed that 60% of customers rode at Dirt Factory more than three times a week, 89% of customers agreed that Dirt Factory has helped them be physically active, 97% of customers agreed that Dirt Factory has helped them improve their bike riding skills and 80% of customers agreed that Dirt Factory has helped to improve their mental well-being.
The Dirt Factory bike park was not only used as a riding destination, but also has a community hub. The Dirt Factory team worked with One Manchester, Greater Manchester Police and various schools and community groups across Greater Manchester to deliver mountain bike skills coaching, bike repair classes and creative workshops using old bike parts.
Michelle Wright, Youth Opportunities Coordinator at One Manchester said: “Dirt Factory is an amazing resource for young people in Manchester. We’ve worked with the Dirt Factory team for over a year now, supporting their social objectives and community work. Many of those living in our place areas enjoy the experience provided by Dirt Factory and we’re pleased to continue our partnership. ”
The Dirt Factory team is now working hard to secure a permanent home in much bigger premises to carry on its community work and achieve their company mission, which is to get more people cycling more often. They’re aiming to secure a building in Greater Manchester between 40,000 and 90,000 square feet, ideally three times bigger than the Dirt Factory pop-up.
Dan Makin added, “The larger space will allow us to construct lots more progressive trails, zones and features, along with a bigger bike shop, cafe, rental space, education suite and much more. We’ve learnt a lot from the Dirt Factory pop-up and, together with our existing plans and rider feedback, we cannot wait to create a bigger, better facility for riders, friends, families and groups to enjoy. Whether you’re new to riding, an experienced mountain biker, BMXer, commuter or hobby cyclist, more people on bikes is good for everyone.”
During decommissioning the pop-up facility in Manchester the team was offered the opportunity to open a Dirt Factory Bike Shop at Farmer Johns MTB Park in Marple, Stockport. This will provide Dirt Factory a small hub to operate from while the premise search continues.
