Calgary’s newest bike-centric park is now open in Inglewood.
The city’s third pump track opened to test riders on Friday, and was opened fully to the public on Saturday.
“Biking has become so popular and we need more family-friendly biking amenities–there are very few pump tracks in Calgary and this one is unique and offers something for everyone,” said Sheila Taylor, CEO of Parks Foundation Calgary.
Pump tracks combine an asphalt surface with small bumps and mounds called rollers, along with banked turns. Riders can use the motion of their body instead of pedaling to gain speed around the track.
Parks Foundation Calgary was expecting hundreds of Calgarians to try out the new pump track over the weekend.
The city’s previously opened pump track in South Glenmore saw an average of 176 users per day during the summer.
Pump track gets an early thumbs up
Ellis Russell was one of the first bicyclists to use the track on Friday. He gave the track a ringing endorsement, saying that it was something anyone could try.
“It may look scary at some time points, but you can really just get through it and it’s alright,” he said.
“It has great opportunities for everything and it’s way different than all the other parks,”
Taylor said that Calgarians frequently ask the Foundation when they are going to see new pump tracks.
“Pump tracks are by far the most popular park amenity that we hear about every day,” she said.
Created in collaboration
The new track was created as a joint effort between the Parks Foundation Calgary, Calgary Flames Foundation, City of Calgary, and the Government of Alberta.
The park was designed by local architectural firm Ground Cubed and bike track specialist firm Velosolutions.
Making an amenity that would meet the needs of teens and families was important to the Parks Foundation of Calgary, and to the Calgary Flames Foundation.
“Something that is really special about pump tracks is that we see a lot of teens that would normally be home sitting on their screens or feeling isolated, and instead they’re out here enjoying cycling, learning new skills, and making new friends,” said Taylor.
In a prepared statement, Candice Goudie, Executive Director of the Calgary Flames Foundation said that it was important to bring recreational and sport opportunities to Calgarians.
“We are thrilled to work with the Parks Calgary Foundation on a project that will bring new and exciting recreational opportunity to people of all ages,” she said.
Calgary’s pump tracks
Currently, there are only two bike pump tracks open in Calgary.
The Fairview bike pump track is currently closed until late October to protect newly-installed sod grass. The Fairview track is located at 7800 Flint Road SE.
The South Glenmore pump track is located in the South Glenmore reservoir park, and can be accessed from the parking lot at 3520 90 Avenue SW.
The new Inglewood pump track is located at 2040 – 7 Avenue SE.
All are free to use.
