Travelers Rest, SC Gets a New Place to Ride

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Written by Administrator

Wednesday, 20 July 2011 17:07

This past weekend, trail builders, mountain bike riders and volunteers were at Gateway Park in Travelers Rest, designing the city's first mountain bike flow park and skills area.

The project is a collaboration of the Greenville County Recreation District (GCRD) and Upstate SORBA (Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association) “Through many creative fundraising efforts, including an Alley Cat (scavenger hunt) Bike Race in downtown Greenville, several organized fundraiser group rides, and even recycling an old motor grader for scrap metal donated by Sunrift Adventures. Upstate SORBA raised the funds needed to hire professional trail builders Andrew Mueller, Michael Thomas of Elevated Trail Design and Woody Keen of Trail Dynamics to come to Gateway Park in Travelers Rest this past weekend,” said Greenville Recreation District Greenways Director Ty Houck.

Phase I of the project is the Flow Park and MTB Skills Area funded in part by a recreational trails grant from the S.C. Department of Recreation and Tourism. The idea behind a flow park is to simulate a short mountain bike trail. It is great fun for beginner and pro riders alike.

What is a Flow Park or Pump Track?

A pump track is a continuous loop that can be ridden on a bike without pedaling. Tracks consist of a series of rolling bumps (rollers) and banked corners (berms) that allow the rider to gain momentum and reach speeds of up to 20mph! Basic pump tracks are an oval shape with a berm at each end and rollers in between to make the straights. More advanced pump tracks will be irregular shapes with lots of different lines and sections with several berms in a row or even rollers that can be jumped over.

Pump Tracks were originally developed by professional racers to improve their skills and overall racing times but now it has turned into a fun activity for anyone who can ride a bike to enjoy. It is a safe and fun way to exercise on your own or with friends. It is a full body workout - very tiring! The most amazing (and unique) thing about riding a pump track is that you never pedal your bike. By “pumping” at the right time, you translate gravitational force and vertical downward thrust into horizontal momentum. Think about how a child is able to go higher and higher on a swing, without ever pushing off from the ground. Same phenomenon.

Rollers

A roller is a small mound that you ride over on a pump track. They vary in height and length depending on the track. Ideally you want rollers to be long and low so when you are traveling at speed over them you are able to maintain control. By using your body to absorb and compress the bike into the ground as you ride over the roller you can pick up speed.

Berms

A berm is a curved bank of earth that allows you to maintain your speed while riding around a corner. The bank of the berm allows you to lean into the corner and maintain speed as your center of gravity is over the wheels.

Phase I construction of the flow park (pump track) bike Skills area began Saturday with dirt moving and mounds taking shape. With the help of several local riders / volunteers the track slowly came to life. Shaping and compressing each mound into a masterpiece of undulating rollers of hard packed red clay dirt. The work continued into Sunday afternoon as volunteers completed the massive Main Loop and Kid's Mini Loop.

Phase II “Eventually we would like to create a loop of single-track trail built throughout the perimeter of Gateway Park and adjacent wooded areas, and tie this section in with the Swamp Rabbit Trail,” added Upstate SORBA President Chip Batson. “Our goal as a cycling advocacy group is to bring more mountain bike opportunities to this area through partnership and community involvement; we would love to see a flow park like this in every park in town”.

A very big Thank You to All of the Volunteers involved in making this project become a reality! More Photos can be found HERE on Flickr