7 Mar 2015
Three bike park designs by Alpine Bike Parks and a poll to vote on your favorite for Durango
Alpine Bike Parks, a full-service design/build contractor, drafted this map for what a bike park might look like at Chapman Hill.
This conceptual design for a bike park at Cundiff Park was created for the City of Durango by Alpine Bike Parks, a full-service design/build contractor.
This conceptual design for a bike park was created by Alpine Bike Parks, a full-service design/build contractor out of British Columbia.
I wouldn’t use the concrete pumptrack much, but both Chapman and Cundiff look pretty slick. I would certainly favor Chapman overall though. Just looks more vertical and fun.
Brian
March 7th, 2015 at 7:05 pmpermalink
More vert and more terrain for people on bigger bikes to use at Chapman. I’d favor those longer trails, too.
Adam Howell
March 9th, 2015 at 9:08 ampermalink
To please the non ridinf citizens, Cundiff park; to please parents of prospective Devo members, the pumptrack, to answer the need for truly a truly progressive area to build skills not currently available, Chapman.
In defense of the pumptrack; note bow the crowds flocked to one built at PURGATORY…. 🙂
Keen designs though! Fingers crossed for something to happen!
Jerry hazard
March 8th, 2015 at 5:37 pmpermalink
We need a sanctioned place for downhillers to ride in Durango. I’d support the design for Chapman Hill, even if it is on a steep north aspect.
The pump track at Purgatory was built on a small piece of land and you really can’t pump anything there. So I’d support the other pump track designs later on after the City helps out the gravity riders.
Much respect for the other designs that Alpine Bike Parks put together.
Adam Howell
March 9th, 2015 at 10:09 ampermalink
I guess I would support Chapman, however without a method to get up the hill besides pushing, or shuttling for a 2 min down hill, I don’t see how this becomes much more than a tech course for guys on xc bikes and DEVO kids to ride. Are you really going to get all suited up to ride this, then push back up for 15 min? Is the perceived need for dh trails going to be judged by the use of this?
I hate to say it but the skills park by the BMX track would get used more because you can just show up and use it. However we would then be donating the efforts for a dh trail again to something that does not get us a DH trail. Honestly, I would rather they build an Aline style trail right down Horse gulch, would get more of a ride for my efforts. Still nothing on here that would justify dusting off a DH bike. Trail bike for snake charmer, trail bike for our “DH trail” when will it end and we just get a real trail made for us not for Devo or xc guys to feel rad on?
Neil Hurley
March 9th, 2015 at 2:32 pmpermalink
Really the Chapman plan is beginning to seem like building a outdoor ski hill in the African desert. I want to try to stay positive about things but please, this is nothing more than a skills park for XC people who already have a billion miles of trails here. As I wrote above, I really worry about what the implications of the Chapman park will be. Think of all the BS many members of the DH community went through to get something done only to run into a brick wall. What do we think is going to happen when the powers that be can say “Hey look we built this amazing DH track for you right in town and we don’t see lines of people coming to ride, we don’t see DH bikes flying off the shelves at the shops, clearly their is no interest in DH riding, so why would we put more money or efforts into something for you guys?” I guess I am being pessimistic but do you think a Chapman hill bike park could hinder our case for trails in the future? Do you think quality illegal trails will be shut down because they finally have an excuse of where to send us for “legitimate” riding? I remember Snake Charmer being promised as a free ride trail, but we got a mildly challenging technical trail I can ride and have on a steel hard tail. My question is, is it worth doing laps all day on Snake Charmer? Do you think what we will actually get at Chapman will be what we envision right now? or will it be a watered down version for the masses? Do we think Chapman will be worth pushing a DH bike up all day?
I think I would like to change my vote to Chundiff and save the battle for DH for something that can really prove how popular DH can be in this town. Let all get together and visit the new owner of Purgatory and make a case. What do you think guys?
Neil Hurley
March 9th, 2015 at 2:55 pmpermalink
Neil I would support the idea of building features on the side of Horse Gulch Road, but you’ll still have to get to the top on your own, and you are still going to have tons of uphill traffic to contend with.
Cundiff would be popular, and has great potential for a dirt jump/slopestyle zone, albeit a short ride to the bottom.
Historically, though, the concept for a bike park at Chapman was drafted as a means for giving gravity riders a sanctioned zone to to ride. Just recently it got distracted at Cundiff by another user group–bmx’ers.
You can ride a lot of zones around here on a hardtail. For downhill bikes you kind of need terrain with some elevation loss to help you get to the bottom.
Downhillers are also the most discriminated against kind of bike rider in town if you look at the history of trails that have been axed by public officials, or from older generations that trash talk the riders.
Even if we can’t afford an uplift at Chapman Hill, the trails could still provide a service for people who want to excel on those features with those types of bikes.
As for the new owner of Purgatory–I’ve been asking some questions, but still haven’t gotten any reply. If you’re so inclined, I will try to meet the new owner with you and whoever else is interested.
Adam Howell
March 9th, 2015 at 3:35 pmpermalink
Would love to meet with the new owner of Purgatory with you if you are interested.
I agree Chapman is the best we are going to get, I just fear it may stall future trails and may be used as fodder to close other trails. Sure I will ride it, but I would be lying if I said I am going to be spending my days there walking up that dang hill. I would rather spend my efforts trudging out to MM where at least I will get a significant reward. Clearly a Log chutes DH project would be better use of funds and energy where at least we can shuttle the thing and have a few miles to ride. I know that projects seems to be in eternal limbo, but I would rather have a Log chutes DH than a few hundred yards of DH at Chapman and if getting Chapman takes energy away from a DH at Log Chutes or endangers the future of MM etc than clearly I would rather keep the Log Chutes project and MM and continue to travel to Angel Fire, Winter Park, Whistler or go visit Jerry in NM. If the local powers that be want to be discriminatory against gravity riders and deny that there are just as many if not more legends of the sport from DH than XC that built this cycling town than it will just continue to Marginalize our town to the greater cycling community which I believe would welcome Durango back with open arms if we decided to join the 21st century.
Neil Hurley
March 9th, 2015 at 7:39 pmpermalink
Neil, I agree that hiking your bike to the top of Chapman Hill for every run would be time consuming.
There’s an uplift called the Magic Carpet that officials have been talking about as a means to get you and your bike back to the top. They say that a Magic Carpet uplift would make the most sense.
Google it.
I will put your name and email address on an email to some people who might be able to get us some face time with Purgatory’s new owner, Jim Coleman. If anyone else is interested, just let me know with a message through my contact page on the menu bar above.
Adam Howell
March 9th, 2015 at 10:07 pmpermalink
Adam
A magic carpet would be great, I am quite familiar with them as a ski instructor for many years. Would be a quality option, may be tough to get to the top, I have never seen one on terrain outside of easy green beginner terrain and I am sure they would want it for ski season also. Still pretty expensive option, but if they install that it would be a different story.
Neil Hurley
March 9th, 2015 at 11:06 pmpermalink