PDA

View Full Version : West Van. Mtn. Bike Park Feasibility Study




jace mace
06-18-2005, 11:34 AM
There are comment forms for the West Van. Mtn. Bike Park at Gleneagles Community Centre (and I surmise also at city Hall and the Civic Centre at 21st.) The form asks questions such as what is missing from the study, suggestions and concerns about the vision of the park, concerns about the location, ways to fund a sustainable park, tips from other areas that have been successful in managing mtn. biking additional comments, and finally to sign up if you want to be kept informed.

So, fill out the card and make your voice heard...typically mtbers in a democracy are a minority voice and (usually) do not represent council, citizen et al..especially this district. That being said mtn. biking does have one transending quality going for it...that it is healthy and for the youth,; we are hear to protect the rights of future mountain bikers and build resources for them: Council knows this and has already started by building phase two of the Gleneagles Adventure Park..hopefully this will continue to W. Van. Mtb. Park.

One caveat: There is already a "surreptitious" (insofar) opponent to the bike park. Paul Hundal (from the SOCIETY PROMOTING ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION/S.P.E.C.) says the park is too close to the old-growth forest of Cypress. He says that mountain bikers will look for their own paths and create many new trails that will cause irreversible soil erosion damage. He says even hikers can cause this: He also says that elevated boardwalks are the only solution. Now I don't know if he knows this, but mtbers like elevated boardwalks, although we call them ladder bridges etc., and even skinnies, depending on their width. Now I am not saying to build ladder bridges in the old-growth (the bike park will not be in it, but will border against it); but if their is a problem with sensitive ecology, erosion ,etc. in the proposed park; bikers can build these structures to transport themselves over them.

Anyway,'nough said, fill out the form and hopefully we will have more terrain and alternatives on Cypress (and not choices made for us...posted in other topics in other threads; you know what I'm talking about.) More comments later.




Sharon
06-18-2005, 01:10 PM
He had a piece in the NS News yesterday.


WV council warned of old growth risk

Jim Irving

newsroom@nsnews.com

SIGNS warning people away from old growth forest on Cypress slopes could actually invite exploration, Paul Hundal warned West Vancouver District council Monday night.

Hundal, a Society for Promotion of Environmental Conservation (SPEC) director, argued plans for a mountain-bike riding area alongside the West Vancouver old growth park are "very inappropriate" and show district planners' "lack of understanding" of cyclists' mobility.

Hundal agreed that no signs of human encroachment appear in the protected area today. However, he added, most mountain-bike enthusiasts who currently

use the proposed bike area see it as a parking area and starting point for down-mountain dashes.

Hundal described himself as an enthusiastic longtime mountain rider who enjoys the varied trails of the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve in North Vancouver. He said the 100 acres proposed for the Cypress riding park are a "postage stamp" for cyclists, who would soon be looking for new terrain.

He said bike tires would slice the deep, soft, biologically rich floor of the old growth area "like a pizza cutter."

"Degrading activity happens quickly and is for the most part irreparable."

Hundal said even foot traffic in the old growth area should be permitted only on boardwalks.

Protection would include signs marking the boundary of the area.

Hundal also criticized the volunteer patrols suggested by bike-area supporters. He said volunteers could only try to educate, not enforce rules against entering the fragile old growth.

posted on 06/17/2005

The NSMBA is trying to start a West Van Chapter to help promote Mountain Biking in West Vancouver and to be a part of the process to legitimize mountain biking on Cypress.

Currently, the only LEGAL places to ride are the road, BLT and the Trans Canada Trail.

I have hiked the Old Growth Area and when we got to the section that was as close as you can get to the Mountain Bike Trails they were still pretty far apart.

aShogunNamedMarcus
06-18-2005, 03:46 PM
He said bike tires would slice the deep, soft, biologically rich floor of the old growth area "like a pizza cutter."

He needs to talk with the people in charge at Cypress as during my interview for as a trailbuilder, it was made clear that all trails are to be armoured with no exposed roots and other eco-sensitive items. Now if he's talking about the Gleneagles park which I know little to nothing about, then he could always look at the South Surrey Bike Park.

Can some clarify why it seems mountain bikers are villified as eco terrorists where as dirt bikes and 4x4's can do their thing way off the in woods? Is it b/c its not close to the general population so its a see no evil kinda thing?

AlanB
06-20-2005, 04:17 PM
He had a piece in the NS News yesterday.


Sounds like we need to get more balanced views into the NS News. As is there's not enough to do to get the bike park happening.

Alan