What is a Bike Park?
It’s a surprisingly good question. A lot of people think a bike park is a pump track. Some people think that a bike park has to have dirt jumps and others thing it needs to involve a fun, flowy downhill ride. The truth is that a bike park could be ANY and ALL of these things.
Some communities are located close to a ski hill and some are located in urban centers, nestled between house and schools and office buildings. While there are differences in what these obstacles and advantages mean, the bottom line is this; every community can use a bike park.
We’re not just building bike parks. We’re building your community.
Rider in the Rain on the Port Hawkesbury Pump Track – Our First Asphalt Pump Track
Why a Bike Park?
As Fortnite and Minecraft dominate playground talk and afterschool activities, the need for places that kids and adults will enjoy themselves and get active continue to rise. Bike parks are fun, challenging, and healthy places for people to get their exercise in. They support a wide age range, from toddlers on run-bikes to any age that someone can still throw a leg over the bike. As bike parks are built, and maintained, riders tend to frequent the parks more regularly. Whole families adopt the park and make a day of the adventure.
Compared to more traditional parks and playgrounds, bike parks offer an incredible value vs the budget spent on them. Well built facilities become tourist draws. They attract events which in turn leads to money being spent locally on amenities, food, repairs and new equipment. It’s one thing to build a bike park but a bike park helps build something larger for a community. It helps build healthy, happy, outdoor lifestyle choices.
New Jump line at Keppoch helps finish several runs with maximum fun.
“When I was a kid, all we had were plywood sheets and a few bricks”.
We’re often approached by parents at our parks, telling us stories of how when they were young they made due with those plywood sheets and bricks. They’re grateful that their kids have the opportunity to ride a bike in a space that is built for the express purpose of riding a bike. We know that safety is a major concern for our users and their parents. And so our parks are designed to be safe first and fun a VERY close second.
One of the important aspects of a well-built bike park is the ability to grow with its riders. Our parks feature accessible features for youth and beginners but offer the ability for riders to learn and grow and become more confident. As they do so, they can experiment with more advanced features.
For all ages – the dirt pump track at Keppoch provides a safe zone for building key bike skills
We are Ready to Build a Bike Park, Now What?
Our designs are dictated by the communities we anticipate riding them, budget and most importantly the land available. Everything starts with a conversation.
Maybe your community is looking at building a ski hill or a golf course. We can incorporate a bike park into those plans or into adjoining plans. Perhaps your community has an abandoned sports field bordering a school or a park. Our builds can offer a next level experience using spaces that are often ignored or overlooked. We love reclaiming spaces because we can envision what a space can become. We know what a space can mean to a community even if it looks like it could not possibly service a community.
The raw material we’re building with will help determine exactly what we’re going to build. Whether we’re working with a downhill facility or with a piece of “flat” land, our focus is on creating an experience. We enjoy working with community organizations and key stakeholders to ensure that the design works for us and also fits into the thematic and developmental plans for the community as a whole.
Everything starts with a conversation.
Bike Parks Build Healthy Communities
If your town is considering their options, we can help. From planning to building and promotion, we have got you covered. Phone us at 902-431-9327 or contact us via email
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