The YMCA’s Matt Dove and Mark G designed and managed the program, with assistance from SF Urban Riders director Dan Schneider.  Many elements of the YMCA’s programs were inspired by the popular SFUR bike skills events hosted in McLaren and Golden Gate Parks.  The YMCA’s program drew 15 to 20 youth daily to come out and experience riding a bicycle on trails.  The program has taken kids out to explore trails in the Presidio, Golden Gate Park, and of course, our beloved Mt Sutro.

The first day of the bike program was conducted at the YMCA’s presidio location, and served as a mountain bike orientation for the youth in attendance, many of whom had never ridden bicycles off road before.  The instructors presented drills and excercises that illustrated both street safety and basic off road skills.

The first day of real off road riding was hosted by SF Urban Riders, within the trail system of Mt. Sutro.  Participants in the program completed two to three laps, stopping to practice some of the more technically challenging features of the Sutro Trail system.  Young mountain bikers got to build confidence and have fun learning how to pedal through a tight switchback, how to float, rather than rattle over some particular rocky sections, and how to confidently roll off of that one tricky log in the trail.  While enjoying lunch within the serene summit garden, YMCA staff and SF Urban Rider’s Dan Schnieder presented a brief history of the area, as well as lessons on how to properly ride trails and show courtesy to other trail users.   The energy among the kids was decidedly positive, with ‘cool’ being the ubiquitous term to describe the activities.  Attendees were also overheard saying “I’m psyched for the mud…” and “I want to go back into the forest”…

Well said, young ones.  I don’t think that feeling ever changes.

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.

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.