(Originally posted by Andrew Hyde on Boulder.Me )
If you haven't heard, Boulder became the third community in the US to achieve ‘platinum bike status’ from the League of American Cyclists.
This video is produced by StreetFilms and is very well done. It perfectly captures the feeling of biking around town.
Pretty unbelievable....even in the midst of a (shhhh) recession. The generosity of folks is stunning. Or maybe it's just bike geeks like us who REALLY want to see this park styled out with all the features of a park set to be a MODEL for many to learn from. There seem sto be a lot of us though willing to help raise funds!
Zach reported the following from the VBP tent...
- Velonews sold cowbells and other cycling goodies...all monies going to VBP
- Dales hooked us up with beer
- Boulder Sausage supplied a plethora or delicious brats
- Antonio and the Rocky Mounts Brat-Squad cooked up some tasty bites for all
- Izze supplied the alco-free suds
...all for donations to the park
- our VBP tent had socks, posters, CX Magazines, new brochures and the video on display for all to see.
...we made about $1600 today!
Most donations came from the brats/beers, but we did have several larger $250 & $100 donations, sold at least 10 subscriptions to CX mag, & sold about 6 pairs of sox. People seemed especially generous when donating for beer and brats.
Everyone was pumped, everyone pretty much knew what the park was about...but maybe just hadn't donated yet.
Unbelievable!
The park is going to RIP!!
Last week, 9 Ball Diaries played at the Boulder Theater...and it was a great time!
Valmont Bike Park & Boulder Weekly Films
invite you to join us for a great evening!
The 9 Ball Diaries
DATE: Thursday, December 4
TIME: 7:30 PM
LOCATION: Boulder Theater
MORE: Tickets $10 General Admission
The Nine Ball Diaries stars U.S. Cyclocross National Champion Tim Johnson. Ride along with road racing's golden boy, Tim Johnson, as he wraps up his day job and makes the transition to compete in his true love: Cyclocross. Follow Tim as he tackles the North American cyclocross circuit, kicking it all off under the lights in Las Vegas. Then watch as he battles through the rain and mud of the greuling USGP series, eventually claiming the National Championship title on a brutal, frozen course in Kansas City.
Four-time Emmy Award-winning sports documentary producer and director, Don Hampton and his crew from DH Productions captured all of the drama and triumph in pristine high definition.
Valmont Bike Park
Valmont Bike Park is a destination being crafted specifically for you, the cycling enthusiast.This multi-discipline cycling park is being designed by some of the finest trail builders in the United States to support a vast array of trail networks created for their respective disciplines. Epic single-track for the mountain biker, rhythmic pump tracks for BMX enthusiasts, and cyclocross circuits designed in the style of the best courses in Belgium will be free for all to experience and allow any skill level to enjoy from beginner to expert, child to senior citizen.
To see the plans click here
Can't make the movie but want to support the Valmont Bike Park?
Consider buying a brick!
Valmont Bike Park Committee
Contact Rocky Mounts or DBC Events
To donate and learn more about the site, visit www.valmontbikepark.com.
If all goes well, that means a network of singletrack, a pump track, dirt jumps and cyclocross courses in the best European tradition. Dirt enthusiasts can ride, learn, race and train all year long when the weather is good. Sweet!
Here's some background: Valmont City Park was purchased by the city of Boulder in 1995 through a voter-approved tax, but only last month did the City Council give the go-ahead to a concept plan for the space.
In its first phase of development, the plan includes a dog park, a disc-golf course and the bike park. Athletic fields, an amphitheater and an "adventure playground" will likely be completed in the second phase, once funding has been found.
Forty acres have been slated for the bike park, which will be constructed through a partnership between the city Parks and Recreation department and the Boulder Mountainbike Alliance. While there is money available for building, there's not enough to provide for all of the proposed facilities and features, said Bobby Noyes, the BMA-Valmont Park liaison.
Part of the reason is that the site imposes a heavy burden in infrastructure costs. Money must go to prairie dog remediation, fencing for the park boundary, and the moving and rehabilitation of the site's historic farmhouse -- all before the bike facilities can begin to take shape.
In addition to that, there are two sizable ditches in the park that need numerous bridge crossings to accommodate the trails that will cross them. Not only that, but the soil on the site is mostly clay, and we all know what happens when that stuff gets wet.
"They may have to excavate the trails and bring in road bed and new dirt," Noyes said. "The city wants this thing to be bulletproof and totally sustainable."
The city also wants to give the bike park designers free rein. The planners will examine the natural terrain to see if it supports some other mountain bike options, such as a dual slalom or mountain-cross course.
One thing that's high on the wish list is a permanent cyclocross run-up -- a section so steep that racers must dismount and carry their bikes up it. It would be approachable from different directions, allowing for good variety in race course design.
Another solid feature will be a kids' area, where youngsters can learn to ride and progress their skills. "The facility's going to be oriented toward the full spectrum of riders," Noyes said.
But for all this to happen, money must start flowing in.
"If we don't raise money, it will be pretty bare bones," Noyes said. "If we do raise money, we'll get the cool cyclocross start/finish area, the pump track, the wall rides, the quality facilities that we want."
In addition, Noyes pointed out, "We wanted to raise money all along, because we told the city from the beginning that we wanted to help pay for it."
As a result, the bike park organizers are on a mission to raise $500,000. They hope to collect as much as they can by Aug. 22, when they will apply for a grant from Great Outdoors Colorado. Noyes said the organization is more likely to help if it sees that it's not the only funding source for the project.
The group for the Valmont Bike Park has raised $17,500 over two weeks, mostly through selling engraved bricks for the site. If you've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to give back to the sport, now's your chance to see your name in print.
So when is this all going to happen? Naturally, there is no set date yet, as organizers are busy working to choose trail designers and take care of other background details.
But, "We would like to start construction in late spring," said Perry Brooks, park planner for the city. "We anticipate the bike facility itself will take two or three months to build."
The result, Noyes hopes, will be a place for cyclists to call home. "The Red Sox have Fenway Park, the Broncos have Mile High Stadium. With all the people involved in cycling -- roadies, mountain bikers, dirt jumpers, 'cross racers -- this can be a hub for our community."
Check out Marty Caivano's mountain bike blog at www.rubbersidedown.pmpblogs.com.
the crew discussing the latest plan
prairie dog trapping has begun
View from atop the hill
Junior podium...sporting the Valmont T's
Dan Farrell (Blue Sky) & Bobby Noyes counting the donations.
donations!
There's a killer movie promo event on Wednesday the 13th at the Boulder Theater. Info below...Cycling at an intensity level for fitness requires that we go long, go fast, or go uphill (fast). Group riding is part of the program, too. Lance Armstrong trained in groups on open roads. Neither the state's trails laws, nor the sheriff's interpretation of the highway laws, encourage us to do that on trails or roads. The huge success of the 6-Day Races at the CSU Oval indicates that track cycling is popular with all ages, both as spectators and participants.
Fort Collins should plan to provide land for a recreational and competitive cycling facility within its parks system, with a velodrome, a "closed to traffic" Criterium course, a kids' learn-to-ride course, plus MTB and Cyclocross courses.
Much of what is positioned above and in the aricle was critical to the arguments made during the planning and advocay stages in front of Boulder City Council and teh P & R board. For Fort Collins and Anywhere, USA, it will take a unified voice and very direct needs evangelized over and over to ensure what is desired and needed by the community is heard and ujltimatley recogonozed before it can be approved. This parallels the efforts of many of the core Valmont Bike Park committee members who have not deviated from their view of the Valmont Bike Park need for the community for many years.
The initial concept overview. Just look at the placement of the various trail systems....
A concept view of the Skills Park. We are taking on some of the best designs in North America to ensure what the park offers is simply the best.
The STAIR FEATURE! Hup hup hup hup! Cross fans, we're going to have our OWN permanent fixture of a full on staired run up.
