I’ve been thinking about one since Jim Dellavalle posted a thread last year (2/5/2009) about one at Dodson. I finally rode one for the first time last night at the Alexandria pump track in NJ. I took my 3 boys ages 5, 8, and 11. We arrived at 6:30 and left at 9:00, but only because it was dark! We’ll be heading back soon. I don’t mind driving a little over an hour for that kind of fun, but wouldn’t it be nice if there was one in the Lehigh Valley.
Jim D’s thread from last year brought out a lot of comments. Search on “pump track” to find it. But here’s a summary of what I got from it.
We need a generic plan that can be tailored for whatever location the club might decide to target. It needs to address cost, liability, and maintenance. We need to sell it as place families can take their kids. We need to show case studies of other pump tracks such as the ones at Alexandria and/or Chambersburg, PA. I believe BobW can help. Did I mention Bob was at Alexandria last night. It seems like it was an easy sell to the Alexandria township. The township donated the dirt, a heavy equipment operator volunteered time, and the insurance is already covered by JORBA insurance (same plan as VMB) and the existing township insurance. (Bob – please correct me if I misstated.) In last year’s thread, Bob offered up JORBA’s planning document which should need little modifications. Do we have that yet? Bob – can you post it?
Offering up a maintenance plan might be the toughest part of it. I believe the club has enough volunteers to take care of it. However, as was noted in last year’s thread, resources are spread thin with new trails at Trexlertown, Nockamixon, and updates to existing trails. Perhaps even more of an issue (as was noted last year as well, by devil’s advocate eatbolders) is the state of the track in Hellertown. I rode it once. I would not call it a pump track since it requires (for me at least) quite a bit of pedaling, there are lots of flat sections, and the berms weren’t quite high enough to carry speed through. I believe it was intended to be a dirt jump track but the township put a lot of restrictions on it, so it is neither a pump track nor a decent jump track. When was the last time it had some TLC? How much does it actually get used? And do any kids (<10yrs) use it? It seems to me this track should be targeted by the club to update it into a “real” pump track first, before any other pump track location proposals are made. Who manages this track? Is it SVB? Who does VMB need to work with to update this track?
We need to sell any pump track as place families can take their kids. It should be in a high visibility area so it attracts non mountain bikers. There should be other things to do (for times when the track is busy). Alexandria serves as a good example – there are lots of athletic fields, a walking/biking bath, a disc golf course, and perhaps most important for families there is a playground. It should be accessible to as large a populations as possible so people don’t need to drive. Hellertown fits this idea to a degree since it has a playground and a baseball field (I think). As much as I would love to see a pump track at Dodson, I don’t think that’s the right place for selling it to families and a large population. (Plus I hear that the kiosks were a tough sell making the idea of a pump track even less likely.) I think Jordan Park fits the bill. I like this location since the trails there are suitable for kids. On the other hand, it’s already one of the few parks around that has biking for kids – no need to ‘double-up’ so to speak. And I think there are certainly better places in terms of visibility to non-bikers.
On a personal (read that as selfish) note, I live in Breinigsville and would love to have a pump track within riding distance to my house. I believe Upper Macungie Township is planning a new park which could be a candidate; there are 2 new large housing developments with lots of kids. Rodale Park and the Velodrome are just a few minutes away – would they consider a pump track, or even some dirt trails through the woods? A brand new elementary school is opening adjacent to that property which would provide visibility. I coach soccer at Lone Lane Park – it is packed with kids every night of the week & on the weekends; there are many athletic fields, it is inside a large housing development, there is a large pavilion & playground, and there are even some wood-chip trails through a small wooded area. This park has the closest feel to the Alexandria park, but with a much higher population that can ride or walk to it. Another park is Grange Park. This is a brand new park that consists of athletic fields for soccer and flag football. It is absolutely packed on Saturdays, especially in the fall with football season. It has especially high visibility with all the young kids, plus it can be seen from the 222 by-pass. I’m certain there are other parks that could be targeted. Any other location ideas out there?
Final ramblings:
I have wondered if there would be a good spot at Bear Creek.
If Emmaus is targeted, could certain Rodale employees help push it.
PMBA has been working on plans for a skills park. It seems to be taking a long time. I think the city keeps asking about different locations to consider. Anyone know the current status? What can we learn from them?
Hey BobK – how has working with Whitehall Township panned out? You mentioned it in last year’s thread but I haven’t seen anything new.
I’m almost done coaching soccer for the season, and I’m ready to dig some dirt. Or push paper. Or video my 5-yr old pumping over at Alexandria as a sort of selling point to township boards.
Is there interest from any LBS in helping with a pump track… in a high visibility area to attract brand new riders (and bike buyers)?