[dump]

Have a young nephew who is just starting to ride and came across some old pictures of me airborne. He wants to know how he could do the same. I recommended he start by learning to jump off a curb His dad/mom can't do this. I'm across the continent and not going to be able to show him over the phone.

Was wondering what seattle area spots would be good for them to visit to tap into the community and start this kind of riding. Was thinking a bike park or pump track. They live right in the city.

Thoughts?

 

[canadmos]

Doesnt Seattle have that cool looking bike park under the freeway bridge?

 

[Jm_]

D
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Duthie?

 

[canadmos]

Comments make it seem questionable...

I-5 Colonnade | Trailforks

I-5 Colonnade is the first ever urban mountain bike skills park. It's part of a City of Seattle park, but was funded and constructed by the Evergreen

www.trailforks.com

 

[dump]

The I-5 Colonnade doesn't look like a great place for kids to learn some basics. From the comments:
"The northern half of Colonnade is rideable but the southern portion is returning to its place as being a homeless encampment even after the city did a sweep."

Any locals here?

 

[Jm_]

The I-5 Colonnade doesn't look like a great place for kids to learn some basics. From the comments:
"The northern half of Colonnade is rideable but the southern portion is returning to its place as being a homeless encampment even after the city did a sweep."

Any locals here?

D d d d d d d d d d Duthie has some easy skills areas for progression and all the “trails” are short, it’s literally the perfect place to learn this kind of stuff. Plus it connects to some XC networks so you can do it any way you want (ride in/out, just do Duthie, etc.).

 

[dump]

what is the repeated Ds: D d d d d d d d d d Duthie

all about?

 

[boostindoubles]

Duthie is the obvious place to go and learn the grom ways of life. The I-5 park is going to be getting revamped but it hasn't happened yet.

 

[kidwoo]

what is the repeated Ds: D d d d d d d d d d Duthie

all about?

Because it's basically a beginner/intermediate bike park on a hill and grown adults who have their midlife crises there become stuttering morons as they learn to bowlegged barhump at 38.

They've never felt that much adrenaline before so they develop a stuttering tick. Probably because their aging pituitary glands can't really handle it.

 

[Westy]

The I-5 Colonnade doesn't look like a great place for kids to learn some basics. From the comments:
"The northern half of Colonnade is rideable but the southern portion is returning to its place as being a homeless encampment even after the city did a sweep."

Any locals here?

Colonnade is great if you want to catch hepatitis from rolling through human fecal matter. Put extra sealant in the tires to limit hypodermic needle punctures.

 

[Westy]

There are dirt jumps in Green Lake. There doesn't seem to be much info on them on the web, but that are just south of the tennis courts.

Duthie is probably the best place for a noob getting started. Good levels of progression with a few new bigger lines. The place is filled with soccer mom's and kids on scoot bikes but that is what it was built for.

There are also some small jump sections up in Japanese gulch,. Supposedly some new lines have recently been built, haven't seen them yet.

 

[Jm_]

Plus, I hear E-bikes are the best way to enjoy Duthie.

 

[MrBaker87]

Hey yo!

I actually work as a paid trail builder for the official trail organization in Washington (Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance) and am currently focused in the Seattle area (where I have lived for the past six-ish years).

First off, Covid19 has everything shut down.Literally everything. So for our safety and yours, have him play on curbs and what-not as suggested.

As far as the I5 Colonnade goes; the jump lines need work. We’re on it, but it’s going to take the van on volunteer work parties to get lifted before we get out there again.
We had a successful work party cleaning up the North Side of the Park on 29. Feb, 2020 and scheduled another work party for this month, but had to cancel it due to C19. Crap!! It’s not that bad though. I wouldn’t let my kid go there unsupervised though.

Now to the juice; as mentioned before, Duthie has a little sumpin’ sumpin’ for erryone. Great beginner lines like those in the Luna AirZone or VooDoo Child, a moderate step to gap jumps can be found on Gravy Train - a progressive easy gap line where features get larger as you get down the line and with lots of space between each jump so you can feel confident and recomposed before the next -before stepping it up to more progressive freeride lines such as HLC, Semper Dirticus or 12 Step. Double Trouble is the best line there and has defined steeper lips and flow features. Not for beginners or intermediate riders however. That being said, there are gangs of kids at duthie daily who make it look easy...

Green Lake has two or three jump lines as mentioned. One beginner table line. This area is more geared to jump bikes, though I have done most of it on a DH bike with some effort.

Summit Ridge down near Black Diamond Open Space is another great beginner area. Short runs. Real big double black jumps there (Gannonball) too.
Lower pop’n’tops and flow state at Raging River has jumps. Easy mostly, though can get brake bumpy. Is a full mtb trail so you have to climb up the mountain, but the climb trail comes close to the dh trail many times and you can climb as far as you want and easily repeat sections.

Down in Tacoma, Swan Creek is a great option too.

 

[jstuhlman]

Because it's basically a beginner/intermediate bike park on a hill and grown adults who have their midlife crises there become stuttering morons as they learn to bowlegged barhump at 38.

They've never felt that much adrenaline before so they develop a stuttering tick. Probably because their aging pituitary glands can't really handle it.

w-w-w-w-what about 45 year olds? asking for a friend.

 

[ZHendo]

There are dirt jumps in Green Lake. There doesn't seem to be much info on them on the web, but that are just south of the tennis courts.

Duthie is probably the best place for a noob getting started. Good levels of progression with a few new bigger lines. The place is filled with soccer mom's and kids on scoot bikes but that is what it was built for.

There are also some small jump sections up in Japanese gulch,. Supposedly some new lines have recently been built, haven't seen them yet.

The Green Lake jumps are built and maintained by a bunch of BMX guys. There used to be 3-4 main lines with more of a progression to the big line, but that core builder crew took it over and created 2 main lines that are really steep and technical, and left some pretty crappy beginner/intermediate jumps off to the side to keep the park happy.

Everybody bashes Duthie on here, but its an awesome spot for progressing. I coach advanced classes and clinics for Evergreen if I ever have a student or even a buddy who wants to practice jumps and progress from intermediate to bigger lines, Duthie is the spot. Most of the black/double black jump lines there are typically not all that crowded.

 

[Westy]

The Green Lake jumps are built and maintained by a bunch of BMX guys. There used to be 3-4 main lines with more of a progression to the big line, but that core builder crew took it over and created 2 main lines that are really steep and technical, and left some pretty crappy beginner/intermediate jumps off to the side to keep the park happy.

Everybody bashes Duthie on here, but its an awesome spot for progressing. I coach advanced classes and clinics for Evergreen if I ever have a student or even a buddy who wants to practice jumps and progress from intermediate to bigger lines, Duthie is the spot. Most of the black/double black jump lines there are typically not all that crowded.

Everyone here is a world cup level athlete and looks down on anyone who doesn't exclusively ride world cup level trails.

I hit Duthie a few times a year and always think to myself that it was more fun than I was expecting.

 

[canadmos]

Colonnade is great if you want to catch hepatitis from rolling through human fecal matter. Put extra sealant in the tires to limit hypodermic needle punctures.

That sucks to read. I remember seeing video of the place years and years ago and it looked pretty awesome for an urban park. Was it on Drop In?


But good to hear it might get some love....eventually.

 

[Westy]

That sucks to read. I remember seeing video of the place years and years ago and it looked pretty awesome for an urban park. Was it on Drop In?


But good to hear it might get some love....eventually.

Never rode there Became sketchy before I moved here. Too bad, I know Skooks put a lot of effort in to it.

 

[kidwoo]

Just fyi, anyone who hasn't been to duthie should definitely check it out.

I was just making a joke in my earlier post. That place really is kind of neat and the people responsible have built something pretty badass.

I genuinely am a world cup level jumper (squash too low, not many tricks) so I usually head somewhere else when I'm in the area with some rocks and roots. But duthie is cool and you really can learn how to jump shit there.

 

[Westy]

Duthie is also good people watching. You invariably see some dude prop his wife or GF on their 20 year old XC bike for a first ride and send them off a small drop with a few instructions that usually ends up in ass going over tea kettle. Evergreen should really put up a large sign with a PSA that says "Just pull up is not sufficient instruction"

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Never rode there Became sketchy before I moved here. Too bad, I know Skooks put a lot of effort in to it.

I miss Skooks.

 

[Jm_]

Duthie is also good people watching. You invariably see some dude prop his wife or GF on their 20 year old XC bike for a first ride and send them off a small drop with a few instructions that usually ends up in ass going over tea kettle. Evergreen should really put up a large sign with a PSA that says "Just pull up is not sufficient instruction"

I've seen clinics and groups being coached out there. As said above, places like RR have some nice jumps and lines, but you gotta climb a ways for it. Duthie everything is right there and the "long" trails aren't more than 5 minutes to get back up, plus there are the skills areas for just starting off small.

 

[dump]

Any recommendations on where to pick up a used bike for poking around? My brother needs something to go around with his 8-yr old on. Doesn’t want to do craigslist. Thoughts? Thanks.

 

[Da Peach]

Any recommendations on where to pick up a used bike for poking around? My brother needs something to go around with his 8-yr old on. Doesn’t want to do craigslist. Thoughts? Thanks.

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