Check out Fraser Valley's Newest Addition: The Fraser Bike Park is Ready to Ride!
If you've driven through Fraser lately, you've likely noticed an influx of dirt, heavy equipment, and activity near the Lion’s Ponds east of Highway 40. Crews have been hard at work all summer and into fall to bring the Town of Fraser's long-awaited vision to life - the new Fraser Bike Park is in the home stretch of completion and just recently celebrated the soft opening of the asphalt pump track!
With over 600 miles of cross-country trails, Trestle Bike Park's world-class downhill biking, and plenty of gravel riding opportunities, the Winter Park area is a biking mecca. So an innovative, all ages and abilities bike park is a natural addition to our adventure-loving community! The 120-acre Cozen's Ranch open space on which the Fraser Bike Park is built sits adjacent to the Fraser River near the Fraser River Trail, giving users quick access to the extensive Idlewild and Rendezvous trail systems. Read: hone your skills at the bike park before heading out on a trail ride or end your ride with a few laps on the pump track!
True to the heart of our community, the open space and all it will bring is free for everyone to enjoy! That includes the new asphalt pump track as well as the full bike park slated for a grand opening in late spring. So when the snow melts, it will be easier to say goodbye to ski season - the $1 million+ bike park will make those warmer days even better!
THE DESIGN
The bike park has features for users of all skill and ability levels. It boasts 1,800 linear feet of beginner through intermediate dirt skill trails, 1,000 linear feet of dirt connector trails, and 1,680 square feet of paved asphalt pump trails. The layout is designed with everyone from young children to adaptive cyclists to seasoned riders in mind. So bring your Strider bikes, adaptive bikes, BMX bikes, and mountain bikes to take advantage of this fun new addition in Fraser as you grow your skills and soak in the mountain views!
This spring’s grand opening will feature skills courses, a fun bike “playground,” progressive jump lines, and a welcoming trailhead hub complete with seating, shade, repair stations, signage, and natural play areas. The skills area and "playground" will even incorporate a little theming, giving a nod to the area's pioneering and mining heritage.
One of the park's goals is to help riders build their skills and grow more comfortable, providing progressive features that allow riders to keep challenging themselves. Even the pump track is separated into a lower, more accessible track for beginners and the outer track designed with intermediate to advanced riders in mind!
PUMP IT UP!
If you've never ridden a pump track before, you're in for a treat! A pump track is basically a looping series of rollers and berms designed for bikes to generate speed by “pumping” (shifting your body up and down, forward and back) to flow through the track’s shape. It really is magical when you stop pedaling and start using gravity, momentum and your body’s rhythm with the track.
When you ride it, start in a ready or “attack” position with your feet level on the pedals and your knees, hips and elbows bent so that you’re able to move with the track. As you dip into a bump, shift your hips back and push down; then, as you go up the next rise, shift your hips forward and unweight the bike to keep your speed going. Approach berms at mid-height or higher if you can, pump as you enter, lean into the turn, and then exit low with your eyes up so the wall helps fling you out smoothly. Basically, just keep your body loose and mobile, feel the track beneath you, and use your hips and arms like springs to keep the flow going. It’s tons of fun, a great workout, and super rewarding once you nail the rhythm!
FRASER RIVER CORRIDOR MASTER PLAN
The bike park is part of the Fraser River Corridor Master Plan - a long-term vision to best utilize the Cozen’s Ranch open space. Created with a wealth of community input, the plan includes an interconnected paved trail system, riverfront access, a natural playground, an amphitheater, and a nature exploration area, all designed to balance recreation with preservation of the Fraser River and local wildlife habitats. And the new bike park is a huge step toward realizing the vision!
AN IDEAL TIME TO INVEST!
Our community has big plans to keep making the Fraser Valley an even more desirable place to live and play! From the town gondola and ski-back trail connecting downtown Winter Park to Winter Park Resort to the Fraser River Corridor Master Plan to the Fraser Creative Arts Center, enhanced outdoor opportunities and amenities are on the not-so-distant horizon. So now is the time to invest in mountain real estate as property values are set to grow! Whether you're looking for a weekend getaway, a rental property, or a long-term investment, this is an ideal time to stake your claim in a community that’s growing in all the right ways. Let's connect - I would love to learn more about your real estate goals, give you all the details on the buying process, and support you with my decades of experience as a local Grand County realtor!
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