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The Bike Park
Home » Mountain Biking » Downhill Mountain Bikes » The Bike ParkNo doubt you may be wondering, “Where in the world will I find a place to ride this bike?” With downhill and freeride bikes becoming more and more popular, especially with the younger crowd, the terrain available to fully exploit these bikes is usually find in the west and Pacific Northwest; enter the new millennium bike park. Bike parks are now being built and maintained by many major ski mountains and resorts all over North America. Now the resorts can groom snow in the winter and comb dirt in the summer. The lifts take riders to the top of the mountains where they can chose from a number of runs depending on ability and experience.
The most notable mountain bike park in North America is Whistler Mountain Bike Park. Located in Whistler, British Columbia this epic park is home to many of mountain bike’s premier riders. The whole area of Whistler and Vancouver has put downhill and freeriding on the map. A typical day at one of these type of mountain bike parks will cost you between $30-$38. Season passes are also available at an average price of $300. The parks offer full bike rentals and even offer body armor and full-face helmets. In addition to offering full access to the mountain trails and man-made parks, most of the bike parks offer lessons. You can purchase lessons during your day ride or you can reserve a week in one of the camps and receive instruction from top professional downhill and freeride riders. Some of the top mountain bike parks in the nation include: Whistler Mountain Bike Park, Mammoth Moutain (both on the West Coast) and Diablos and Snowshoe West Virginia’s Mountain Bike Park (both on the East Coast).
These mountain parks not only offer gondola rides for those specifically interested in downhill fun. You can also purchase day passes and season passes to access hundreds of miles of singletrack offered by the ski resort. These passes are reasonably priced, and for a few extra dollars you can get a gondola ride that will take you to the top of the mountain. With singletrack being regulated by many state and local authorities it is good to know that some people recognize what the great sport of mountain bike has to offer. These resorts and parks are leading the way with innovative trails and events that foster great relations between the mountain bike rider and the local community.
Riders are no longer relegated to singletrack. The options are more numerous now than ever before in the world of mountain biking. The downhill courses at many of these bike parks helps push the sport in the evolution process.
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