Cyclists riding high - BMX track, mountain bike park take shape, draw raves at Woodward

By Marek Warszawski
The Fresno Bee
October 16, 2007

Bruce Campbell's feet never left the ground. But in his mind, the 43-year-old Fresnan could picture himself soaring through the air on his bike.

Sunday was Campbell's first look at the BMX track under construction at Woodward Park. Some 200 yards away, volunteers were busy shaping a jump that will be part of a mountain bike skills progression park.

The BMX track, mountain bike park and a yet-to-be-built freeride jumping course are all part of an extreme makeover taking place in the park's northwest corner. The 57-acre area was previously undeveloped.

"Before, Woodward Park was mostly for runners, picnickers and people walking their dogs," said Campbell, who recently returned to BMX racing after a long absence. "Now there's something for everybody, and that's how it should be."

For decades, off-road cyclists were forced to leave town to make use of their knobby tires. With no tracks in Fresno, BMX riders traveled to places like Madera and Reedley. Mountain bikers had it even worse with the closest trails at least 45 minutes away by car.

Not anymore. Both the BMX track and mountain bike park are expected to be finished by mid-November.

"This will change everything," said Ryan Garcia, the city's 28-year-old action sports supervisor who is overseeing the project. "Even if you've only got an hour or two to spare, that's plenty of time to get a good ride in."

The BMX track couldn't come at a better time for local riders because Madtown BMX at the Madera County Fairground is about to close to make way for a shopping mall.

Riders will be required to purchase a $45 annual membership to use the Woodward BMX track and pay $5 to practice and $10 to race, which will cover insurance and maintenance costs. Fees will be reduced for low-income families, and bikes and helmets will be provided for those needing them.

There will be no charge to ride the mountain bike park or freestyle jumping course.

Most of the 1,000-foot long BMX track has already been built. Asphalt will be added to the start line, staging area and high-banked turns, and lights will be brought in from Madera.

Garcia, a pro BMX rider and former National Bicycle League grand champion, said the Woodward track will be suitable for hosting national and international events.

BMX racing will debut as a medal sport at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.

Plans call for the Woodward BMX track to be fenced and landscaped. Bleachers will be installed for spectators.

Though unfinished, the track is already drawing riders eager to test their mettle on the 30-foot double jump.

Tyson Balthazar, a 20-year-old BMX racer from O'Neals, came away impressed after riding the Woodward track for the first time last week.

"It's even better than I thought," Balthazar said. "People are going to come from all over the state to race this track."

Fellow BMX racer Josh Taylor of Fresno added, "The word is already out. Everyone I talk to is stoked about it."

The same can be said for the mountain bike park, designed by Bay Area-based Hilride Progression Development Group co-owned by Nat and Rachel Lopes. The husband/wife team spent three years designing and building trails for the International Mountain Biking Association.

Highlights of the L-shaped park, which overlooks Highway 41 and the San Joaquin River, include a downhill jumping course, multiple cross-country trails and an elevated section where riders will have to balance themselves while riding over logs and narrow lumber.

Features and jumps are rated for beginners, intermediates and experts.

"Our whole concept, and we've found it to be true all over the world, is that mountain bikers like to see their skills develop," Nat Lopes said. "Woodward will be the perfect place to do that. It will be the most progressive mountain bike park in California."

The park is being built by city crews and volunteer labor, led by members of Central California Off-Road Cyclists who spent several hours Sunday building one of 40 continuous tabletop jumps that form the Air DH Course.

Each jump will be built to specific dimensions and can be ridden over or jumped across.

"This is going to be the best place ever to learn how to jump," said Jeremiah Starkey of Fresno, one of the volunteers.

Local racing promoter J.P. Sickler, hired by the city to coordinate the park's construction, said additional donations of logs, telephone poles, large boulders, weather-treated lumber and equipment are needed.

Cyclocross racer Edward Lund of Fresno said he was skeptical when he first heard about the park. But his impression changed after riding some of the finished sections.

"This is a world-class setup," Lund said. "I'm kind of flabbergasted the city went for it."

The BMX track, mountain bike park and freestyle jump course have a combined $300,000 pricetag. Fresno's Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department borrowed money from the city's general fund to cover expenses.

Off-road cyclists believe the payoff is well worth the investment.

"Nowhere else in the state are a national-caliber BMX track, a mountain bike park, freeride area and all kinds of road courses so close together," Sickler said. "You can use every bike in your garage in one place."