Leeds Urban Bike Park opened its doors on 1 December 2017. Since then it’s been used over 300,000 times by riders using its bump track, BMX track and MTB (Multi Terrain Bike or Mountain Bike) trail through the woods.
We spoke to Jeremy Hayes of Cycle Pathway CIC, the company that runs the facility. He’s very excited about the bridge that is nearing completion on the newest section of trail.
“This section will link the Phase One Red & Blue trail near the Hub café and car park to the Woodland Trail in the woods, avoiding the need to go via the Rose Garden before dropping in to a temporary start point .
“As you ride up the bridge near the start you will see the city laid out before you, it’s quite a view!”
The Bike Park is popular within the MTB community having received rave reviews in the MTB magazines.“When we opened, it was the MTB community that first latched on and made use of the track. It’s pleasing to see more families using it in recent months. We’ll also be starting balance bike and learn to ride sessions for younger children soon.”
As a former national coach, Jeremy is obviously passionate about cycling, but he is also passionate about how cycling can give young people confidence and life skills too.
“I’m keen to see a club develop here with local youngsters, not just to use this facility, but maybe take a ride to Temple Newsam or Castleford. It would be great to see South Leeds competing against other clubs eventually.”
The Bike Park already works with many schools in Leeds having run over 300 sessions in the last year. They’ve come in for some flak over bike hire charges, but Jeremy is unrepentant:
“First of all you don’t have to hire our bikes. The tracks are free to use if you bring your own bike. Secondly you have to understand that we are a not-for-profit company, we have to cover our costs to be sustainable in the long term. The same goes for the café, we’re keen to have such a great social space, for all park users, not just cyclists, but it has to pay its way – so please come and use it!”
As to conflicts between cyclists and other park users Jeremy says he thinks it’s mostly perception.
“Apart from the cycle tracks themselves everywhere in the park is negotiated space, no one has right of way over others. Everyone using the park needs to respect each other.”
It’s clear we have a first class facility on our doorstep, which many local councils are queuing up to replicate and the nearest comparable trail to the new bridge section is in North Wales and you have to pay to use it – let’s make sure our community can make the most of it.
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Miggy park bike rides. I remember back in the 60s doing this. Ride up Westland road to the entrance by the field at the bottom of Parkside school on the cobbled track. By the 18th tee of the SLgc. Before there put up the barriers it was a simple stream crossing.
The short trip was a ride to the “Bomb Holes” and back behind the huge black metal building by the rail tracks. We would climb up the signal post. If we had all day, summer time, we would make a day of it and go to the clearings and ride down to the tram tracks and on down to the bomb holes. We could usually watch the trains go by as they puffed up the incline at a walking pace.
Some days we would pack a lunch and start by the 18th green and go all the way to the bomb holes and Farmer Wards and on to the viaduct.
Other days the slag heaps and the lake that used to be where the sports centre is. Although Belle Isle had a bit of a reputation so we were a bit careful on the slag heaps there. I liked the small slag heap that was in Westland Square by the old Pagetts. It overlooked the building and we skied down it on single bits of boards, sort of a primative snowboarding only on a slag heap. It was sort of greasy and you could build up quite some speed before having to jump off at the bottom. There used to be a single beech tree that grew on top in a little depression and one could shelter from the wind in it. This was all done on single speed bikes from the 50s and 60s. No multi speeds or fat tires. But what innocent times they were, post war decency, never a weird moment. Steve Thompson. Ex Westland road. Now California.
Lol, some move to California. Does it win over sunny Miggy!!