I flew out to Colorado to visit a friend in Loveland. I put my bike in a cardboard box I got from Adams Avenue Bicycles with the intention of riding everyday.
Within hours after landing in Denver, I was in Full Cycles, on the Hill, in Boulder, CO. I asked for a ride recommendation.
"You should check out our bike park. It's a new 40 acre facility."
I managed to get a 3+ hour session in there a couple of days later. I was on an XC bike, which is not ideal, but I had to run what I brung.
I rode every section of the park that was to the left of the irrigation ditch:
Valmont Bikepark Info Sign by bermdog, on Flickr
All of the features in the park are rated: XS, S, M, L, XL. I never rode anything above M.
I found the Creekside Pump Track easy to get started on, but I nearly folded it up a couple of times in the tighter berm.
Creekside Pump Track by bermdog, on Flickr
I managed to cleanly hit the XS dirt jump set, but never made the turn at the end at speed. It seems pretty tight, or not banked correctly.
The S dirt jump set is a roller, small table, bigger roller, to a step-up. I never managed to get the timing correct to clear the table, but if I rolled the first roller and the table, I could get air off the final roller, and get my front wheel on top of the step up, but my rear wheel would always clumsy bash the front side of the step up. I need better technique, and a less awkward bike. The great thing about the park is everything is rollable, so not clearing an obstacle is safe.
Dirt Jumps by bermdog, on Flickr
There was some singletrack that I rode in the park, with one notable section. An option coming down is called "The Corkscrew," which is a very twisty trail with big berms and rollers. If you spent some time dialing in the course, there would be potential for really high speeds and air, but I kept it on the ground.
The Mesa Top Pump Track is much larger than the Creekside Pump Track. At first I did not like it as much because it seemed harder to get speed. I started learning the turns and the rhythm, and I liked it more. I was able to roll in, pump the track, take the line that allows you to do a u-turn at the "end" of the track, and pump my way all the back to the roll in spot, and roll out.
On some of the lines I was trying, I would still hit the seat when I was trying to suck up the bike to absorb a bump to pump. My seat was down as far as I could get it. I need a less awkward bike.
Next to the Mesa Top Pump Track is the roll in spot for the Dual Slalom Course, and the L and XL drop in of the Slopestyle Course. The DS Course, rated M, had the biggest features that I rode. It had inner and outer courses, and places where you could switch sides. It featured several rollable doubles, both step ups and step downs, which were more like tabletops with a small dent in the middle. I rolled all of the mid course doubles because they usually were followed by a turn, but I did manage to clear the final tabletop on the course.
Slalom has Right of Way by bermdog, on Flickr
Finally, I rode the S line of the Slopestyle course. Even though it is rated S and started lower than the L or XL lines, you still get going pretty fast. If you just want to roll everything to check out the course, you have to brake to keep your speed down. If you just let yourself roll, you are going to be in the air. I rode down a couple of times, and I often ended up in the air on accident. This is where the awkwardness of my bike was the most noticeable. A couple of times I was wrong in the air and landed awkwardly, but I always managed in ride it out, and I successfully escaped Boulder without crashing.
Slopestyle Course by bermdog, on Flickr
This park was awesome. It is a great example of what a public facility should be. Built with help from donors, supported by the city, free to use for everybody. It had a good vibe, too. I saw every kind of rider there: little kids on bikes without pedals, cyclocross racers, xc riders, and bros going big. I even saw a couple of mountain boarders.
Untitled by bermdog, on Flickr
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