News Release: New Columbia Celebrates Grand Opening of New Bike Skills Park
New Columbia Celebrates Grand Opening of New Bike Skills Park
Project made possible by a $15,500 grant from PDC
July 22, 2013 – Portland, Ore. – Residents of New Columbia and staff from the Community Cycling Center and Home Forward celebrated the grand opening of the new Bike Skills Park with a bike safety fair last week. The new park, located adjacent to the Bike Repair Hub on the corner of N. Trenton Street and N. Woolsey Avenue, will offer a safe riding area for neighbors of all ages and skill levels.
“Last year, this once vacant lot transformed into a vibrant, active space for the New Columbia community with the completion of the Bike Repair Hub,” noted Jonnie Ling Community Cycling Center’s Director of Operations. “We are so excited to work with residents on skill development this year at the new Bike Skills Park; it’s a dream that’s been in the making for quite some time.”
The Bike Skills Park project was made possible by a $15,500 grant from the Portland Development Commission (PDC). Home Forward, the property owner, will provide ongoing maintenance and security for the Skills Park. We All Can Ride — New Columbia’s bike committee — and Community Cycling Center staff and volunteers will offer residents group instruction and skill development training.
The Skills Park course includes beginning and advanced areas for people of all skill levels. The outside perimeter of the track contains looser turns and wider board rides for people at a beginning skill level. The beginner’s loop also offers fun obstacles, like log rolls and a rock garden, giving people experience with uneven grade. The interior of the track contains tighter turns and narrower board rides, boulder pinch points, advanced berms with tighter turns, and a teeter-totter obstacle for those that want to work on more advanced skill sets.
Depending on the age and skill level of the participants, the program instruction at the Bike Skills Park may include:
- Safety – appropriate clothing and equipment to wear on the track; rules for the track.
- Basic bicycle balance – ability to ride without falling; cycling dexterity and agility.
- Proper pedaling and breaking techniques – building momentum and coming to a slow, controlled stop without skidding.
- Proper turning and steering techniques – ability to execute a tight radius turn in both directions.
- Advanced bicycle balance – standing high in the saddle and balancing while moving at slow speeds.
- Multiple task functions – ability to brake, signal, balance, and turn at the same time.
- Emergency maneuvers – safe breaking techniques and avoidance of natural obstacles and hazards.
“I feel very connected to it because I feel that it’s already a big deal with the [Bike Repair] Hub and the soccer field,” says Doug Campbell, a We All Can Ride member. “The Skills Park will enlarge the place like a big magnet for kids and adults. I love the setting. These big Doug Fir and Sycamore trees towering over the park as if to say this is heaven on Earth.”
We All Can Ride invites the Portland community to ride on the new Bike Skills Park at the upcoming North Portland Sunday Parkways on July 28th. Look for it on the N. Dwight Avenue and N. Trenton Street turn.
About the Community Cycling Center
The Community Cycling Center is a nonprofit organization founded in 1994 that helps people access their community by bicycle. We partner with communities on neighborhood-based projects and programs. We believe that all Portlanders, regardless of their income, education, or ethnic background, should have the opportunity to choose healthy, active transportation.
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