GRANT REPORT - BISHOP BIKE PARK
This month we focus on an incredible happening just south of Mammoth, in our sister community of Bishop, CA. There is dirt moving, decomposed granite being dispersed, trackers forming features — it’s the Bishop Bike Park and it is being built for ALL to ride! The genesis of an awesome bike park has begun and it is the start of something incredible that hundreds of people can enjoy for years to come! Athletically, this will be a great plus for Bishop youth. . .getting kids outside, learning a valuable athletic skill, practicing and gaining skills and confidence to join a Mountain Bike Team or come to Mammoth and ride our park. This park includes all ages and demographics. . .the only requirement is to have a bike and an adventurous attitude.
“The bike park will have a broad range of skill levels available to attract all types of riders and will encourage groups of riders of different abilities to visit together and learn from each other. Families especially will benefit from a ‘one-stop shopping’ style of park. Youth who ride bicycles not only develop important physical skills, but also make a connection to the outdoor world. Families who do activities together are healthier, both mentally and physically. A successful bike park is a source of community pride and is a draw for visitors coming to vacation in our area,” says Matt Schober, secretary of Bishop Area Bike Organization.
The bike park is being created and will be maintained by volunteers. It is being built in a central location making free, public access easy for all groups.
We got a chance to catch up on the progress of the park with Matt and here is what he had to say.
How did the idea for the Bishop Bike Park originate?
Two Bishop high school students, Stephan Poole and Wyatt Schober, came up with the idea and presented it to the Parks and Recreation Commission and the City Council, both of which unanimously approved the concept. It took quite some time for more formal approvals, an environmental document, an official agreement with the City, the formation of a non-profit, and insurance requirements before we could begin construction – in all, about two years between conception and breaking ground.
The Bishop Bike Park is still under construction. What have you done so far with the grant?
With the grant funds received from MMCF, we have been able to purchase plumbing supplies to complete the underground water lines which are a key component of having a well-maintained and functioning bike park, but most of the funds have gone towards the purchase and delivery of decomposed granite (DG) which we are using to create the various features of the park. Being situated on flat ground, we need a LOT of dirt. In addition to raw materials, we are also using the funds for equipment rentals, signs and other miscellaneous expenses.
What is the first stage you are planning to complete?
So far, we have completed the construction of a pump track, a strider track, a couple of wooden balance features called "skinnies" and a table-top jump line which features an intermediate, advanced, and expert option. Our immediate goals are to add to the jump line, construct a beginner jump line, design, and build a flow line with optional features and construct wooden drops with four differing levels of skill. Future plans include much more.
How do you see the Bike Park benefiting the MTB community both short and long term?
A mountain bike community is made up of riders from all walks of life, and riders of varying skills and interests, but who all share the enjoyment of riding off-road. The ultimate goal of most MTB riders is riding trails – and this is where most riders develop their skills. The Bike Park, however, offers a benefit to the community as a more central location and a more controlled environment to develop those types of skills that will be used out on the trails. Because of its condensed setting, it also serves as a social hub for bike enthusiasts and provides an environment for learning. By watching and talking with others as they perform their skills, less advanced riders can quickly learn and progress at a pace suited to them, but in a more concentrated way then they might by only riding trails. In the long term, these skills and social connections will make for a stronger MTB community. And we should mention, the bike park is for BMX and dirt-jumpers too, not just MTB riders. The Bike Park is part of a biking community.
How will the Bishop Bike Park impact and improve the lives of the youth in Bishop?
The Bishop Bike Park is already having an impact on the local youth by offering an easily accessible, centrally located, year-round, playground for both young learners and older experienced riders. With the advent of strider bikes, or balance bikes, which do not have pedals, children as young as 18 months are having fun on two wheels. We aim to offer this young group of riders a variety of features to play on and progress with. We want to get them really excited about biking and learn the skills early on that will keep them motivated to improve and stay with this sport their whole lives. We all know the benefits that exercise has on our physical and mental well-being, but for many of us, especially children, exercise is most easily achieved in the realm of play, not by doing “work-outs”. A bike park is a playground for bikes, so it’s a great way to achieve that goal and hopefully we can offer enough variety that it invites repetition as skills progress.
Will it affect other populations as well and in what way?
We hope that by having a bike park in the center of Bishop, it will encourage more kids who live close by to get on their bike, ride it to the park, play around, and then ride home. This could be youth who might not otherwise have the means or support to be shuttled to trails, or to destination riding areas like the Mammoth Mountain. In addition, we have already been noticing a number of users of the park who come down from Crowley Lake and Mammoth Lakes during the winter when their trails are covered in snow. Since Bishop typically has year-round riding availability, we expect that we will serve these nearby communities too. Visitors from outside the Eastern Sierra will also find a fun local spot to play on their bikes for an hour or two and stretch their legs before they continue to their final destination.
Is there anything that you would like to convey to our donors?
As loud as we can, we want to say “Thank You!” to our donors. Since we are a small all-volunteer non-profit group, donations are the major source of revenue we need to continue construction and maintenance of this project. We are relying solely on the generosity of the local community for donated funds, materials and volunteer labor. We hope our donors can be as proud of what we are building as we are.
