DH Focus Group Gathering

mtbdirteater · Apr 10, 2005

Ti Glittergirl said:
HEY! Downhill Riders

Let's talk about building a Downhill Course in the Front Range

April 19 at 6:00pm

Attend a Downhill Focus Group Gathering.

It's your chance to give your opinion and what's important to build a "dream course" in the Front Range.

Hosted by The Pedal Pushers with Steve Shelp and TCS (Trail Conservation Services).

We're serious about building a course! This gathering is to bring more ideas and opinions into the planning.

Refreshments and treats too.

Located at The Pedal Pushers:

200 Quebec St., Building 300, Suite 109 (see mapquest link below)

Contact:

Reven Swanson, yellogirl@earthlink.net
303-322-4034
www.tcscolorado.org

The Pedal Pushers is located at 200 Quebec St., Building 300, Suite 109
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&searchtab=home&address=200+Quebec+St+building+300+Suite+10G&city=Denver&state=CO&zipcode=

Steve Shelp & Jason Coble
303-365-2453
www.pedalpusherscyclery.com

Join US! More trails, More Fun, More Tricks!

Thanks Reven, actually this has already been taking place and much has been accomplished, but we always encourage and would love additional ongoing input. This is great! So I would recommend coordination with the existing DH group here in JeffCo, the CDCC which I work with as well. They have extensive experience with this and previous relations. Together, we have a wealth of research material, data, refferences, existing working relationships and support to build on. Myself and the other Task Force representatives work closely with Open Space staff and the OSAC committee. We bring the user group input to both. The JeffCo Trail Use Task Force was created through a resolution passed by the Board of County Commisioners in 1995 to work at the user level. CDCC representation will be there on the 19th as well to help coordinate. Thanks a bunch from all of us for your input and coordination help Leven, you rock!

Cheers,

Dave

rhythmcycles · Apr 16, 2005

My name's Alex Clark and I run The Fix and RhythmCycles.com with Shawnee McGovern in Boulder. I've missed the past meetings, but Shelp called me last week about Tuesday's meeting, so at least one of us should be able to make it down for that. I can also voluteer The Fix bike shop if you need anywhere to meet around Boulder in the future.

-Alex 303.910.5591

$tinkle · Apr 21, 2005

how did it go?

fly rider · Apr 21, 2005

Things went well on Tuesday night. Thanks to Pedal Pushers for the use of their shop. We discussed alot of the same things but it was nice to see some new faces. The primary goal now is to get everyone's input as far as what they want when it comes time to build downhill trails. Here is a list of what we would like so far.

-1000 vert feet minimum.
-shuttle road, must be paved two lane with shoulder or on park property with no private access.
-adequate parking top and bottom.
-south facing.
-variety of trails for all levels of riders;beginner, intermediate and advanced.
-trail rating system (Whistler Trail Standards, I'll put a copy of this on the CDCC yahoo group site).
-uni-directional trails for climbing and descending.
-technical trail features such as tabletops and double jumps, rock chutes and rock gardens, elevated ladder bidges and teeter totters.
-bypasses for technical trail features.
-spectator room at big features.
-special signage at all technical trail features.
-ds and mx tracks.
-skills area with dirt jumps and wooden stunts.
-bathrooms.

Certain things on this list are obviously more important than others. Please let us know what you think are the most important items on the list or if we've overlooked anything. I'll put a copy of Whistler's Trails Standards on the CDCC yahoo group site as well as our list of dh criteria.

Today, at 7:00 pm, there is a Trails Use Task Force meeting and Matt Thompson, Shane Meyer and I will be there to field questions concerning dh mtb. Shane and I also helped Dave Cohen, the TUTF MTB rep, prepare a statement and video to be presented during the meeting. The primary goal of tonight's presentation is to show JeffCo Open Space that all the user groups, including hikers and equestrians, are in agreement that our solution will help end overcrowding and conflicts caused by speed differentials, between different user groups, on multi-use trails. We hope to get some sort of statement of cooperation, from Open Space management, within the next few weeks.

We need ideas for areas that meet our criteria. It is likely that until we can find a suitable location for a new park that we could get a trail at an existing park. So far we are considering making a recomendation to build a trail or trails down the back side of Mt. Falcon or the back side of Mt. Morrison. Any other ideas are more than welcome.

I'll post an update tomorrow about how the meeting went.

Motionboy2 · Apr 21, 2005

I think as far as order of importance the list should go about like this:

-1000 vert feet minimum.
-south facing
-shuttle road
-adequate parking top and bottom.
-variety of trails for all levels of riders;beginner, intermediate and advanced.
-trail rating system (Whistler Trail Standards, I'll put a copy of this on the CDCC yahoo group site).
-uni-directional trails for climbing and descending.
-technical trail features such as tabletops and double jumps, rock chutes and rock gardens
-special signage at all technical trail features
-bypasses for technical trail features
-spectator room at big features.
-ds and mx tracks.
-skills area with dirt jumps and wooden stunts.
-elevated ladder bidges and teeter totters.
-bathrooms.

In my opionion the best bet would be to start by getting basic trails that have natural technical features with a shuttle road. A low traffic dirt road is fine, a paved road is fine, as long as it gets you there and it is not a high traffic road. There are plenty of DJ areas around and wooden features can be easier to attract liability. Once the basic's are accounted for and the trail system is successful then other features like MX or Dual courses, bathrooms, wooden stunts and other luxuries would be secondary...

fly rider · Apr 22, 2005

Matt Thompson, Shane Meyer, and I attended the Trails Use Task Force meeting, on behalf of the CDCC, last night and here is a quick report. Lots of politics, but the bottom line is that I heard nothing that should deter the process of getting downhill trails. There was one elderly woman named Leigh who kinda freaked after the downhill presentation saying that the original purpose of Open Space was not for that kind of recreation, but the director of the Open Space Advisory Committee told her that open space was for the enjoyment of everyone. I got a strong sense from all the Task force members from OSAC and Open Space staff that they totally recognize the need for us to have seperate trails. they realize that if they don not provide more facilities for our growing and changing user groups that no one will be happy. The equestrians seemed to be in agreement as well. The hikers seemed to favor more hiker only trails and are also trying to gain 3 more seats on the task force in the guise of "naturalist" representatives, which the OSAC director pointed out. Personally I feel that it is totally irrelevant as the Task Force does not form any Open Space policy. They exist to filter concerns from their constituents to land management. Ralph Shell, Open Space Director, said that even if the Task Force were unanimous in a recommendation that he does not have to implement it if he feels it is not in Open Spaces best interest. Likewise, if he felt a solution was needed, that did not have the consensus of the Task Force, that he would do what he felt necessary. He wants recommendations from all user groups and he will choose which ones to implement.

The CDCC will continue to work to channel our recommendations through the mtb reps on the Task Force. Dave said that he would help us set up subsequent meetings to help us continue the process. I would like to see a proposal on Ralph Shell's desk with in the next two to three weeks to look at Centenial Cone Park, Mt. Morrison and even Mt. Falcon parks as possible sites for our initial trails. My primary concern is finding a spot with an appropriate shuttle road. A road on the park property that was not accessed by local traffic would be ideal but Open Space does not have funding to build roads. If a spot could be found with an unimproved road could we raise the money to improve and maintain (grate once every spring) a dirt road? Any other ideas on good spots?

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DH Focus Group Gathering

Ti Glittergirl

Chimp

mtbdirteater

Chimp

Ti Glittergirl

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rhythmcycles

Chimp

Ti Glittergirl

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$tinkle

Expert on blowing

fly rider

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Motionboy2

Calendar Dominator

fly rider

Chimp