Cableway & Technology
Bike Cab: Improved comfort for passengers and operators
It is not only in the winter that many sports enthusiasts gather in the mountains; more and more summer holidays are also spent in the Alps. The Bike Cab from DOPPELMAYR should make bike transport by gondola railway quicker, easier and more convenient in the future.
In the past, the world market leader in ropeway construction has offered transport solutions for chair and surface lifts. Equally, it was always possible to take a bike on a gondola railway, but the previous solutions come with limitations in terms of ropeway comfort and transport capacity.
“In Sölden, we used to lift up one of the bench seats and place a bike rack in the gondola. For each hanger, it was therefore possible to carry two bikes up the mountain. However, this increased the dirt and severely restricted the transport capacity.
Furthermore, with the bikes in the gondola, there was little space for the passengers,” Lukas Reinstadler, Operations Manager in Sölden, describes the previous situation. With the Bike Cab solution, bicycles now have a separate transport vehicle. This innovation also makes life significantly easier for the operators and offers greater comfort for the passenger.
LUKAS REINSTADLER
LUKAS REINSTADLER
Bergbahnen Sölden Operations Manager
Bergbahnen Sölden Operations Manager
“We have worked with DOPPELMAYR on several occasions in the past, on completely new project ideas. The collaboration was always excellent here. We enjoy very open and honest communication, which ultimately also forms the foundation for good, longstanding cooperation.“
How did it come about?
DOPPELMAYR entered into discussions with biking destinations around the world and close collaboration with Sölden emerged during the conversations. With its Bike Republic Sölden, the destination is one of the big players on the biking scene and was therefore naturally very interested in the new solution from the outset.
“When we were introduced to the idea, it was immediately clear to us that we wanted it. From then on, we were constantly in discussion with DOPPELMAYR and therefore able to have a strong influence over the operator’s perspective right from the start,” Lukas Reinstadler says. Together, we covered issues such as managing passenger flows and loading/ unloading concepts.
“A solution was needed, in which more bikes could be transported at once, with no loss of passenger comfort. Moreover, unloading needed to be possible without the operating staff. This constant workload would have been simply unreasonable for our employees,” he continues.
Since the autumn last year, there have been five Bike Cabs on the Rotkoglbahn in Sölden. Together with Bike Republic Sölden, initial practical trials were conducted back in 2021, before official opening of the world’s first Bike Cab in June 2022.
Technical Specifications:
Bike Cab
Bike Cab
| max. load capacity | 200 kg (8 Räder a 25kg) |
| max. tyre diameter | 24-29 Zoll |
| max. tyre width | 120 mm |
| Dead weight | 575 kg |
| Length in operation | 2.650 m |
| Length in parking system | 1.835 m |
| Mudguards permitted | MarshGuard |
How does it work?
The hanger and detachable grip of the Bike Cab are identical to those of the passenger gondolas, which also makes it easy to fit the system on existing ropeways. The selected test track in Sölden was also in operation already, before the Bike Cab.
“The system conditions on our Rotkogelbahn were ideal. We have a large concourse at the bottom station , where the Bike Cabs can await use, with no additional outlay. Even on the ropeway itself, there was no real modification work to undertake.
All that was required was the installation of two additional retention couplings (so that the Bike Cab waits on the mountain for the next gondola and can therefore be unloaded stress-free) and cog guides in the station curves (to turn the bike racks in the middle of the gondola). Automatic turning of the racks means that eight bikes can be clipped in, one after the other.
Markings on the ground in the station indicate where the passenger should stand, in order to stow the bike as quickly as possible. On departure from the bottom station, the bike rack is turned, so that the first bike loaded can also be unloaded first at the top.
When boarding, all bikers therefore know the position at which they can unload their sports equipment. This and the fact that the Bike Cab stops for several seconds means that passengers have more than enough time to remove their bikes at the top station.
What do passengers need to bear in mind?
As the system in Sölden is currently the only one of its kind in the whole world, visitors receive all the necessary information about the bike transport, before they reach the station. “We have even set up a rack, so that passengers can try out the system first.
A template is also being installed, showing the maximum size of bike that can be transported in the Bike Cab. On the mountain, however, we are bound to get almost types of bike,” Lukas Reinstadler reports with a smile.
