City unveils long-awaited bike park

Whether or not you’re knowledgeable rider or trying to attempt one thing new, Santa Clarita has formally opened a chosen bike park to apply jumps and shortly race in opposition to others, metropolis officers introduced Friday. 

The long-awaited leisure amenity of about 7 acres, which took about 5 weeks to finish, is positioned on the Santa Clarita Sports activities Complicated on Centre Level Parkway and affords plentiful house for actions equivalent to BMX, mountain biking and areas for youthful riders of assorted talent units. 

“It’s been an extended effort and a very long time coming,” mentioned Mayor Cameron Smyth throughout a metropolis ribbon-cutting occasion. “Earlier than in the present day, there was not a spot devoted solely to the bike riders of Santa Clarita. Over the previous few weeks, we’ve watched the 7-acre web site rework from, actually, only a brush-covered hill to a park the place folks of all ages and talent ranges can come and experience, apply their jumps, develop abilities for each mountain biking and BMX.” 

And Friday’s grand opening was a testomony to only that: On one facet, demonstration rider Ryan Howard shredded by the pump monitor, whereas 4-year-old George Lindenberg examined the youth monitor with assist from his father Jason.

“Here’s a place the place we’re going to have the ability to do a whole lot of increase biking abilities, so we’re actually enthusiastic about this,” mentioned Nina Moskol of the Santa Clarita Valley Bicycle Coalition. 

The park consists of a number of single-track mountain bike trails that vary in problem ranges; a pump monitor with 330 yards of mixture jumps equivalent to “step-ups,” “step-downs,” “rollers” and “tabletops,” — a monitor designed by Dane Herron, who additionally designed tracks for the X Video games, Crimson Bull X Fighters and the 2012 London Olympics. 

Adjoining to the pump monitor will quickly be a BMX-designated monitor, in response to Nelson Vasquez, a metropolis Public Works administrator. 

“The BMX monitor is supposed for racing and could have jumps nevertheless it’s extra of a spot for straightaways,” he mentioned. “So, you begin at one finish and also you’re simply pedaling, racing in opposition to different folks.” 

Bike park hours are from daybreak to nightfall, metropolis officers mentioned.