FAQ 

A good place to start with the development of a new bike park or track is to check in with your local municipal parks department.  Many parks departments will have a ‘Parks Master Plan’ that identifies their short- and long-range requirements for the communities’ recreational needs.  If a modern facility such as a bike park or pump track is included in this study, it is a great place to start and build momentum from.

Finding an advocate within City Hall is another great step to getting a bike track or park approved.  This may include a parks designer or facilities manager, city councillor or even the mayor.  Once there is sufficient interest to proceed with the development of a facility, the municipality will need to allocate funds through an approved budget – this is typically done by City council each year, so it is important to start early as this process can take some time.

Advocating for the benefits of having a sanctioned facility are a great way to get decision makers on board, and having support from residents and future park users can be generated from an online petition, and having as many people sign who live in the local community as possible. 

Once there is sufficient interest, an available budget, and support from the City, the development and approval process can begin, starting with site selection, conceptual and detailed design, contractor selection, and ultimately final construction.

The main advantages of having a sanctioned bike park or trail in the community are that is provides a legitimate, safe, and proper facility for users to engage and practice their sport.  As BMX and MTB are somewhat ‘underground’ sports, users have typically been forced to ride in unsanctioned areas that do not meet safety or environmental standards, including with proper emergency access and with visibility from the road.  Having a designated area allows people to safely ride their bikes on a proper trail that has been designed and built to approved standards.

Bike parks also offer youth a positive and creative outlet for their energy and recreational needs that are frequently not satisfied by traditional team sports or activities, and are a positive alternative to underground facilities or inactivity.   Cycling offers a physically challenging and healthy option for youth and young adults, and helps tackle obesity, inactivity, and gets people outdoors.

Most importantly, creating a bike park, trail or track fosters a sense of belonging, and community that will help the sport to grow, allow users to progress their skills, and stick with the sport far longer than without a designated area to ride.

Advantages of our Specialized Team

This niche market of bike park, track and trail development requires dedicated individuals with extensive firsthand experience in the sport.  Not only does the work require the utmost skill in crafting the physical features of the course, but knowledge of how to appropriately link the components together into a functional and enjoyable layout.  

This expertise can only come through multiple years of building, maintaining and equally importantly – the ability to properly ride the finished facility.  Each one of our specialized team possesses the desire and passion to create the best possible course to satisfy their desire to ride a safe, fun and challenging course, whether it is on a BMX or MTB.

 Transitions and its affiliated subcontractors can offer a single-phase operation with focused construction tasks that will create the best possible product in the shortest period of time.  We do not require ample time to deliberate on order of operations or what techniques should be used or wasted hours coordinating labourers.  Our small crew can quickly mobilize construction and begin working effectively to achieve the desired result with minimal setup time.  We firmly believe that our team offers the best and most cost-effective approach to creating a bike track or trail facility.

A bike park is a traditional ‘action sports’ facility that caters to a range of cycling disciplines, typically toward BMX and freeride MTB, but can also include pump tracks, skills development areas and flow lines.  Most modern bike parks will include beginner and intermediate skill level jump lines built from clay surface, a pump track, and a skills development area or MTB circuit.  Other amenities can include a bike repair station, shade structure, viewing areas and landscaping around the perimeter.  Municipal facilities may wish to include a fenced enclosure to close the park during the off season or when conditions prohibit safe use.

A pump track is a ‘circuit style’ track that has a variety of features including rollers, banked corners, and rolling jumps that is designed to test your riding skills by using your momentum to ‘pump’ around the track using the rollers, jumps and corners to maintain your speed and flow, without pedalling.  Pump tracks were originally designed for use by BMX and Freeride MTB bicycles, similar to a scaled down BMX track, but with modern asphalt surfacing they can also be ridden by skateboards, rollerblades and scooters, and can be catered to a variety of skill levels.  Pump tracks and their amenities are a great place for riders of all ages and abilities to practice, including families, beginner, and advanced users, and can complement existing sport parks, and are a particularly good addition near concrete skateparks.