May 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 18

Who, What, Where & how Around the Parks

Wheels of Change
Two emerging sports bring irreverent fun to cycling

ention the word " cycling " and most people will think of the
high profile, elite world of European road cycling races such as
the Tour de France. However, here in the United States interest is
growing in road cycling's more casual off-season cousin, cyclocross, along with even more unusual cycling sports such as hardcourt bike polo. Both have plenty in common-they are great spectator sports with a lot
of action packed into a small area, they include strongly dedicated and Internet-savvy
participants, and they often dispense with formality in favor of mud, blood, and beer.

Cyclocross
Cyclocross is a winter sport, which could
serve as a good draw to bring people to
parks in colder months, says Micah Rice,
managing director of national events at
USA Cycling. Any potential damage to
the grass is limited because the grass
is dormant. The sport began in Belgium
in the 1940s as a way for road cyclists to
stay fit during the off season. However, it
didn't really catch on in the United States
until the late 1970s, when the first national
championship in Austin, Texas, included
a field of 18 competitors. In contrast, last
year's championships in Bend included
1,500 participants.
" Running a cyclocross event is so
much easier and cheaper than a road
race-really all you need is permission
to use a small piece of land, " Rice says. " A
county park is a fantastic venue. "
Usually the course is between one and
two miles, with each lap ideally taking
8-12 minutes to complete. Every course
is different and can include zig-zagging

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hilly areas that test technical skills along
with flatter, faster sections and obstacles
that require riders to dismount and carry their bikes, such as stairs, fallen trees,
and specially placed barriers.
Cyclocross will be just one of the features offered at a new 40-acre bike park
opening in June in Boulder, Colorado. Part
of Boulder's Valmont City Park is being converted into a cycling park that will feature a
permanent competition cyclocross course,
along with training and skills trails, mountain bike trails, a BMX area, pump track, tot
area, event plaza, and paved cycling paths.

It's always the campfire rule-
it's always left better than we find it.

www.NRPA .ORG

-Ben Schultz, North American Hardcourt, on site availability for bike polo

kevin walsh

Some park systems are accommodating these new sports by building permanent cyclocross courses or converting
underused tennis courts into bike polo
courts. Other cycling sport facilities being
added to public parks include BMX courses and " pump tracks " where mountain
bikers can practice their skills. Although
cyclocross is much better established as
a sport than bike polo, both activities continue to grow at a remarkable rate.

" We invested in a collaborative partnership with Boulder Mountainbike Alliance and the off-road cycling community
to design and build this portion of Valmont
City Park, " says Kirk Kincannon, director
of the City of Boulder's Parks and Recreation Department. " As a result, we've
built a park worthy of our internationally-recognized athletic community-one
that will be a daily asset to kids, families,
local riders, and businesses, and also attract events and riders from all over the
country and the world. "
Rice advises that parks considering
hosting a cyclocross event focus on the
course set-up and amenities. Park directors should ask where people can park,
where a registration pavilion (preferably
heated) can be set up, and how to position the course in relation to facilities like
restrooms so there are as few pedestrian
crossings across the course as possible.
Including a vendor area for coffee and

May 2011 - Parks & Recreation

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