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What are the most important features in a skills park?


crazyt
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2 hours ago, mack_turtle said:

1. proximity to Austin so I can ride it.

2. shade, so it can be ridden in the summertime without baking alive. (get TXDoT to give us some space under an overpass!)

3. rollable pump track

4. drops of various heights

5. maze of skinnies

6. alligator pit to jump over. I dunno, never ridden a bike park.

 

56 minutes ago, TheX said:

Big pit full of foam things for flipping in to.

Definitely 1-5 from mack_turtle. TheX, maybe a big pit of foam alligators. Make everyone happy.

I've been looking for other videos of indoor bike parks, and I ran some numbers. The old industrial cities have lots of warehouses / factory buildings that are unused, and therefore cheap. Ray's MTB park in Cleveland is about 120,000 sq.ft. -- nearly 3 acres! The Lumberyard, the Wheel Mill, Joyride 150, etc. I found about ten indoor parks.

An otherwise unused space under an overpass would be awesome.

Joyride's pump track: 

 

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So I think the most important 2 IMO would have to be a pump track, so the average rider can practice pumping; and a drop section.. I pumping is a hugely underrated skill that, unless a rider seeks it out to learn or grew up bmxing/skateboarding, the rider will never acquire it. Second is a progressive drop area with small to large options. 

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I third Mack’s 1-5 with emphasis on #3 Pump track (not jump track).

i love the lumberyard because it has a basic pump track.  My 5yo nephew can play around in it and I finally learned how to pump and I wasn’t bored.  Then they have more advanced tracks and also mtb skills like skinnies and drops and step ups.

 

btw, that area is kind of a bike shop desert.  If someone were to open up a bike shop in east Austin close to the SWCT I think they’ll do well.

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46 minutes ago, Bamwa said:

What Twin parks had. That place was fn baller. #Never Forget.

Thanks!  What we built out there was modeled on what we saw/experienced at other bike parks, discussions with coaches like Kat Sweet, and FR512 member feedback.  Much of that has been recreated out at RHR.  Actually, I think both the drop zone and beginner jump lines are better than what we had at TP.  We have plans to put in a more progressive skinny network, as what we have now is not that beginner friendly.  We have a pump track roughed-in, whose design was based on the Pump Track Challenge at Crankworx.  Weather and other projects have caused that to fall into disrepair, but if we got a group of dedicated volunteers, we could get it up and running.  There are also plans for a shuttle line.  Stay tuned...

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Valmont Bike Park in Boulder is the best bike park I’ve ever been to with a Jump line, dual slalom, flow trail, pump track, separate bmx track, all with progressive lines. There’s even a cyclocross course. It’s a great example of what you can do with less elevation change than the flow trail at Walnut. It’s skills stuff for every dirt discipline. Then again the city actually threw a lot of manpower and dirt moving equipment at that park. The other huge thing there is great dirt. No sketchy limestone scree in landings and blown out berms. I was riding the dual slalom course when the sprinklers kicked on. They had it setup to water all the berms, rollers and tabletops. Damn nice job of keeping everything packed up and smooth rolling so it takes less upkeep. There was a maintenance crew packing the bmx line with a golf cart and reshaping the lips. Crazy. The kinda money they spent only happens for football, baseball and soccer fields here unfortunately.


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