![]() We’ve gained extensive knowledge of bike park development over the years by building Highland Mountain Bike Park, Northfield, NH. Highland is a brand that caters exclusively to the bike riding industry and more specifically to bike parks. We rely on a good strategy to keep our dream alive. But with that in mind it’s still a business with real costs. Without it we probably would have quit a long time ago. The passion is the driving force behind the creativity and the momentum that keeps us going. Highland is a company of very passionate individuals. The easy answer to why a bike park is in the red is to say they simply have not attracted enough riders to generate the revenues to pay their bills. The bike park industry is still relatively small so it’s no big surprise that most seasonal bike parks are having a hard time staying out of the red. You are the only dedicated lift access mountain bike park internationally, with most seasonal bike parks operating in the red, how have you kept the dream alive for ten years? I took my newly acquired capital, bought an old run down ski area and during the summer of 2003 my crew and I started Highland Mountain Bike Park. In 2000 I sold a business that I started with my father and sister. Passion played a major role in the development of Highland but the capital to feed this passion came from the sale of my fiber optic company. ![]() This discipline pushed me deeper into the sport and without it I might not have pulled the trigger to develop Highland. In 1998 my friends formed a DH race team and they invited me to join them. ![]() Our gear changed from hard tail bikes and spandex to full suspension and baggy shorts, and we fully converted to the Freeride Mountain Bike scene that was growing in popularity. The core group of friends that I rode with was very competitive and soon our XC style started to morph into a Freeride style. It didn't take long into my inaugural Fells ride before I realized that I was hooked. Prior to that I had only taken short rides on fire road type trails and I had no clue about the type of trails that existed all around me. My first real mountain biking experience was in the early 90's when a group of friends invited me for a trail ride at the Middlesex Fells Medford, Ma. You are celebrating your 10th year of operation at the bike park this year, how did it all start? It took 3 years to bring Highland back to life. We are not a big store – but we are definitely a Santa Cruz Superstore! Demo and sometimes rental models are also available so you don’t need to just take our word for it.The lodge in 2003 after being abandoned for 10 years. Our staff ride, build and maintain literally hundreds of Santa Cruz and Juliana bikes every year and we even hand-deliver them to your door if needed. We don’t want to sell something that cannot handle our weather or growing band of destructive shredders. Of course without the products themselves being top performers and the unrivalled warranty, Santa Cruz wouldn’t be where it is – and that in a nutshell is why it’s our leading brand. We could never have guessed when we signed up in 2011 that we would see the founder Rob Roskopp, current CEO Joe Grainey, pro riders like Steve Peat and Jackson Goldstone - plus many others visit our little village on a regular basis! Ballater is a favourite destination for the UK Santa Cruz demo Tour so check our calendar for their next visit! Touring the Santa Cruz HQ in California in 2019 it became apparent that this biggest of brands is in very safe hands and as one of the few that actually own its own production - changes are made quickly and when needed. Cyclehighlands is one of the UK’s biggest stockists of Santa Cruz and Juliana Bicycles - and is number one in Scotland.
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