There was also the glorious moment of the planning commission revealing the data gathered from the last survey.  Another hearty thanks to everyone who took time to fill out the second survey.  Just look at these figures! The people have indeed spoken.

What’s that? Can’t read the text? Lets have a closer look.

So now we just need to keep pushing.  Within the hallowed halls of the great institution known as SFUR, which could easily be mistaken for a dive bar, we’re working to get a second draft of our bike park proposal submitted.  Then comes assurance that we can have a space to work with, then comes fundraising and building.  Then comes some sweet, sweet play time for you, me, and everyone who loves bike riding in the bay area, and many who do not yet know how much they (will) love it.

Many thanks, and if you have time, please fill out the second survey, located here.

Note that this survey is not as open ended as the first, and it is a little disappointing to not see any mention of a bike park within, especially given the results of the first survey.  Please take some time with the second survey to select the ‘other’ option and note how much you would appreciate a place for you and your children to ride bicycles off road in a structured environment.

You mean, aside from a dream backyard playground?  Just imagine taking an empty, unused lot in San Francisco, and terraforming the flat and unremarkable lot into a miniature earthen replica of an ocean wave, a miniature pump track, and suddenly you have created the new community hangout, getting riders young and old to come out and have fun on a human powered rollercoaster.

The city is still reviewing our plans for a McLaren Park bicycle skills development area, which would include a pump track.

A pump track certainly wouldn’t be much of a hit with the youth:

And, if you look far and wide, you might just find a pump track in the least likely of places, like your local Jaguar dealer

Of course, if anyone has a backyard pump track they feel like sharing any time, we’d always like to hear about it.  Ahhh, dreams.

Keep dreaming, and we’ll keep pushing for those dreams to become reality.

So many shoes, so many shoes, that our kids will soon have beautiful trails to ride and glorious bike parks to explore…  Nike, the same powers that brought Union Square visitors the giant, gaunt, and intense poster of Lance Armstrong’s race face are now running a 650,000 dollar grant to support community and school groups which aim to unlock the potential of young people through programs that focus on sport.   Well, as you can see in the current lead story – SF Urban riders is all about getting the young’ns out on the trail.

We need your help to secure funding from this unique opportunity. Please follow this link to vote for our group and spread the word via facebook!

With your help we can secure funding to organize regular youth rides and skills camps.  If anyone remembers our skills clinics at the local Pilarcitos race series last fall, those type of programs are exactly what we will expand upon and bring to more places, with more quality features, challenges and lessons to engage and exhilarate children who stop by, no matter what their age.  If you don’t remember the events, perhaps the images and video below might stir your imagination.

Thank you for helping us in this unique community based fundraiser.

Click below to have a look at the proposed Mclaren Bicycle Skills Park!!!  Just as some folk can remember the days when San Francisco had no skate parks, one day people will strain to remember when McLaren Park wasn’t home to an amazing bicycle skills park.

That all has changed at the Colonnade, thanks to the efforts of their local bike club, the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance.

While it was something that didn’t happen overnight, through their dedicated efforts and the aid of the community, they succeeded in creating a major success story. This dead urban space is now a draw for the local community, and also brings in mountain bikers from all over, bolstering the local economy. It now is a destination on the local bike path, and also features a dog park for local community residents.

There is much we can take from the example of Seattle. It clearly is possible to create an urban riding destination, and a safe place for children as well as riders and enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels. Let’s remember to shoot for the sky- there is no reason San Francisco shouldn’t be the next major city known for its urban riding opportunities. We have a great need for a place to ride for all user groups in the cycling family, and we can and will make it happen.

Here is a great documentary on the I-5 Colonnade Project:

For another great feature on the Seattle Skills Park, click here

If you love riding mountain bikes, and want more opportunities to do so in this fine city, please take a few minutes to fill out this survey, and indicate your desire to see SF develop some MTB-specific areas in our parks: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=5aauLkCXEpzdTjgaC6C7pg_3d_3d

SF Urban Riders strongly urges everyone concerned about fair allocation of our recreational areas to stay involved. Filling out the survey mentioned above is the easiest way to help without leaving your home. There are also local meetings you can attend if you enjoy sharing with real people of your neighborhood.  The Parks department will listen to your voice, and they are holding community workshops to see what the community wants to see developed as open space.  It would be awesome if a mountain biker or 50 attend each of these meetings.  If not ,we could end up with another couple golf courses instead of any trails to enjoy on our days off.

I for one, don’t plan to take up golf.  I for one, plan to find the meeting most relevant to my home in San Francisco and attend.  See http://www.openspacesf.org/event for a full listing of community workshops.

For more information on the overal program, visit www.openspacesf.org

Pete Weber of IMBA goes over the blue prints of the Valmont Bike Park Project

SFUR realizes that our stalwart troops may be in need of some inspiration.  Lord knows I catch myself seeking it.  Sometimes I catch myself thinking, why, oh why am I stuck loving mountain biking in the Bay Area, where so many people seem to misunderstand mountain bikers solely because they dress unusual, or move differently, or smile a lot because they are having fun.  No matter there’s a bit of dirt in our teeth.

Sometimes I think, why, I should move to Bend, I should move to Durango, I should move somewhere the singletrack is endless, somewhere the trails begin and end at my backdoor, and all the hikers and dogwalkers smile at me as I smile at them.

Then, in my wishings, I look at what other big, gritty, urban cities have done with spaces for off-road cycling:

Seattle, Washington is a classic example:

From Plans,

To Reality:

Even within our California, exist beautiful examples of what mountain bikers and cities working together can accomplish for the greater good…

Like Woodward, just outside of Fresno: It started as a well-wrought plan,

and turned into a most impressive reality

Even out in the big apple, out where the urban is as urban as it gets, good people have managed a plan,

Which soon became a reality:

It can and will happen here in San Francisco.  It’s up to us to team up and volunteer where we can make a difference. Any cyclists out there that would like to lend knowledgeable hands and/or minds to the process are always welcome.

SFUR is working on  a comprehensive plan for Bike Skills Development Areas  with Crocker Amazon,  McLaren & Golden Gate parks in mind.  We are sensitive of the natural areas of these parks, and look forward to working with the Natural Areas Program in the planning process.  We are getting support from IMBA, HilRide, and SF Rec & Park to help make this happen.

There’s so much more out there, and we’re only at the tip of this unstoppable movement.  Just think, in 20 years, the people that are paying for the nice houses next to the golf course, they won’t really care much for golf.  Maybe a few of them will.  Likely, more of them will want those beautifuly sculpted switchbacks and smoothly transitioning doubles you see above.  Soon, it will be trails and bike parks, not golf courses that are the highly prized and sought after recreational areas near homes.  It’s only a matter of time, and we’re just doing what we can to make SF a better place.  Stay tuned, yall.