Sick BMX protest video.
- Thread starter DownhillnDunkey
- Start date
wow...remind me not to move to AZ
that's absolutely ridiculous. I grew up in a town (and a time) that didn't have a skate park and I remember hearing about ones that did in far away places (like southern california) and was amazed. parks you didn't have to build yourself? towns that supported sports like that? pretty incredible.
now parks are so common that bikers feel that they deserve either their own or their own time in them. protests like the ones in that video are way more likely to close down skateparks, rather than build bmx parks. the hassle and liability is already huge, but throw a bike in there that has way more speed... just ain't going to happen.
I spent my whole summers building bike jumps in the woods near my house. this sense of entilement these bikers are showing not only misplaced but detrimental. kids today...
plus their legal arguments (freedom of assembly, etc) are completely out of context, inaccurate and got that 12 year old arrested. completely f-ed up.
now parks are so common that bikers feel that they deserve either their own or their own time in them. protests like the ones in that video are way more likely to close down skateparks, rather than build bmx parks. the hassle and liability is already huge, but throw a bike in there that has way more speed... just ain't going to happen.
I spent my whole summers building bike jumps in the woods near my house. this sense of entilement these bikers are showing not only misplaced but detrimental. kids today...
plus their legal arguments (freedom of assembly, etc) are completely out of context, inaccurate and got that 12 year old arrested. completely f-ed up.
that is awesome... i dunno what you mean by the above post, but in the case of my local park, which should be finished this spring, BMXrs/mtb street/park riders have come to all of the designing/planning meetings... now they are saying we wont be allowed in the park? I mean what are yolu supposed to do
The point is, where are BMXers supposed to ride if they're not allowed to ride anywhere else.. They should have a place where it is LEGAL to ride and where they can be held responsible for their own injuries/actions.. I mean Kids getting arrested for riding their BIKES... BIKES.. riding their BIKKES!!!.... While they are bustin bikers, there are people either dying or gettin sold drugs.they dont expect their own park, they just want it so they can be there with everyone else.webb said:
Why not? if the skater and the inliners can use the parks why cant the bikers. The fact is, bikers tax money went to pay for the park just as much as the skaters tax oney did. i think its good that kids are getting out and excercising their right to freedom of speech when they see something that they dont think is right, thats what we do here in america. Whats rediculous is that the cops are aresting the people who are out of the house excercising. While all we see on tv is obese this and obesity that, how much sense does it make to arrest bikers. i also realize that these cops are only obeying orders, but just because the powers that be are against something, that doesnt make it right.webb said:
By the way, its an interesting strategy to make your first post on a bike forum be about how bikers wanting to ride in a skatepark are wrong...
word guys
they aren't just riding their bikes. they're riding their bikes in an environment designed for skateboards to perform aerial manuvers. bikes go faster, kids get bigger air, kids can get hurt more easily. more injuries increases the chance of the town getting sued for allowing kids to bike in skate park.DownhillnDunkey said:
so.... if I was a town official in mesa, AZ, which didn't seem particularily crime/drug-ridden, then I would want my police officers enforcing the rules of the park to prevent this. that would seem like a pretty good use of their time to me. if I was a resident, I would also want these rules either enforced or changed- the town being sued would result in a fewer benefits from my tax money. if the town population or officials thought this was a fair risk to take, then so be it. I'm not for the rule, but I'm against the weird sense of entilement those kids have. If I was there I'd be more stoked about a town providing kids a skatepark than pissed that bikers couldn't use it.
don't get me wrong, I love jumping my bike. but build your own jumps or go through normal channels to have the rules changed. quoting ghandi and excersizing your "freedom of assembly" will result in 10 year olds getting arrests on their records, which is worth it when the cause is for freedom from the british empire, religious or racial equality, but not for the ability to ride your f-ing bike in a skate park.
I saw one, maybe two people protesting who were old enough to be tax payers, and even then they could have been in college. not that the skaters looked like they're working either, but the tax payers/elected officials decided a skate park was a good use of funds and a necessary risk. but I wrote about the tax issue before.escapeartist said:
yeah... probably pretty dumb. but I've been reading these forums for a while and I thought that this was worth commenting on. I'm not saying the kids are wrong, but I think that using the methods established for much more noble pursuits and the constitutional arguments are fairly misplaced.escapeartist said:
I dunno about that... in the parks ive ridden the skaters are going just as big as the riderswebb said:
Like Kadvang said, some of these parks ARE designed for bmx bikes, but they are stilled not allowed in. List the features in a skatepark specifically designed for boards and boots that bicycles can't ride on. The parks in the video appeared as though they had enough space for all, so the riders and skaters wouldn't be packed together. Kids getting hurt? Our skateparks have signs that say "Ride at your own risk." If some jackass wishes to steal a rider's or skater's line, he can potentially get hurt, yes. It's about learning the ways and rules of a park, sharing an area, and not poaching a person's line while they are skating/riding. Our local park is quite small, and are bikes allowed to be there? No. We still ride it, but we respect the skaters and don't get in their way. They are usually cool with us being there, and no one has a problem. Skatepark ettiquite(sp?) if you will...
. i agree with you btw.
webb you have some good points. but either way.. the whole point is. If they cant ride in streets or anything, Create a place where they can.. then chances of you getting hurt on a bike are equal to the chances on a skateboard, in fact i see more skateboard crash videos than bike crash videos.and im sure those kids buy their bikes. the bike price + tax... dont we all pay taxes?
It would be nice to have parks with bike sections or built by both bikers and skaters. i think bikers should have the same priveleges as skaters. And you cant just build ur own jumps either. everytime i try to build jumps they last a month before the city comes with a bobcat. If they are gonna let skaters have places to ride then why not just set a small section of the place off for biking.
sure I guess. but I just think that a better way to go about it would have been going to a town meeting or building their own hits (I mean, the town's NAME is "mesa"... there's gotta be some room for a jump or two), then you wouldn't have a ten year old getting an arrest record. that's all. and I'm writing this thinking there's probably some kids reading these forums that might be in a similar situation... just remember, you guys might really, really want to be able to bike in a park, but it's not worth getting arrested for. AT ALL. save that for a much, much larger injustice.DownhillnDunkey said:
And not all Kids or riders that arent as experienced as others have the ability to build their own stuff.so why not have a spot where they can ride. and it seems when you build ur own stuff.. it gets torn down... :/
bro, wut the f0ck is wrong with u. i dont kno how u could possibly say its ****ed up to fight for ur rights. that kid got arrested becuz he chose to ride into their. to take that farther step. that kid is probably ****in famous for that step. hes hardcore and i kno ur gonna sae something lame like. how can u think getting arrested is hardcore, but i dont giv a sh1t. that lil kid stood up to those cops and got everyone pumped up. maybe u dont appreciate riding, or fighting to ride becuz uve never rode a skatepark, or u suck. dont write sh1t talking about how dumb something is if everyone is talking about how hard core or cool something is and not expect people to say ur a vagina alright. go out and ride ur bike and stop bitching about people trying to gain biking rights.webb said:
Yes and the Obviously the officials at mesa thought it was ridculous arresting kids, so they Made bikes allowed at the park.(im pretty sure that was the park).
Yes U live in concord sweet, thats where i started Bmx 
cool, concords pretty cool, not a lot to ride, but theres good spots within neighboring cities(riding distance) send me a pm the next time u r out here. i mountain bike, but i ride street and djs, so ill be able to ride with u if ur a bmxer. later
please grow up and learn how to write. his point was that there is no constitutional right to bmx-in-skateparks, and invoking irrelevant nonsense (b/c of its irrelevance) like the right to free assembly and generally making a spectacle is unlikely to advance the bikers' cause.aznfreerdr08 said:
I used to BMX, it got stolen!!!! cops didnt help much with that either (haha). I mtb. im just reppin for tha BMXer's. Im gonna buy a new BMX tho. you should come up here and we can MTB.
I didn't read all the posts, but I just wanted to say my part. sorry if it has been repeated.
there is more then one kind of skater as well as one kind of bmx/biker. you have kids that are just starting out and you have expert/pro's. an expert in either area can go extremly fast and high. skateboards don't have brakes. (I'm aware, many bmx kids ride with no brakes as well)
what keeps things sane, is riders from both groups understanding and respecting each other. understanding how a park flows and who is doing what at a given time. if you have 10 little kids that aren't aware of their surroundings (and your an expert/pro) you shouldn't be hauling ass across the park without letting the youngin's know you plan on hauling ass all over.
not all skateparks are set up to allow high speeds.
in parks that allow both bikes and skates, the attitude is on an even keel and the respect or at least understanding of each other is more apparent.
what it really comes down to is respect and communication. I find it somewhat bizzare that a group of either bikers or skaters won't simply ask another group or individual to move or to watch out while they hit a give section of the park. I see it all the time. or when they do ask, they do so with anger.
both groups can exist. and they will exist. in 50 or 100 years do you think we will be having this conversation? (asides from us being dead..)
I don't think so. city parks departments will set aside a give amount each year to go towards 'skateparks', or 'alternative sports parks' or whatever name they give them. and they will be enjoyed by the public. just as basketball courts, soccer fields, and other public parks are enjoyed by many different groups.
there is more then one kind of skater as well as one kind of bmx/biker. you have kids that are just starting out and you have expert/pro's. an expert in either area can go extremly fast and high. skateboards don't have brakes. (I'm aware, many bmx kids ride with no brakes as well)
what keeps things sane, is riders from both groups understanding and respecting each other. understanding how a park flows and who is doing what at a given time. if you have 10 little kids that aren't aware of their surroundings (and your an expert/pro) you shouldn't be hauling ass across the park without letting the youngin's know you plan on hauling ass all over.
not all skateparks are set up to allow high speeds.
in parks that allow both bikes and skates, the attitude is on an even keel and the respect or at least understanding of each other is more apparent.
what it really comes down to is respect and communication. I find it somewhat bizzare that a group of either bikers or skaters won't simply ask another group or individual to move or to watch out while they hit a give section of the park. I see it all the time. or when they do ask, they do so with anger.
both groups can exist. and they will exist. in 50 or 100 years do you think we will be having this conversation? (asides from us being dead..)
I don't think so. city parks departments will set aside a give amount each year to go towards 'skateparks', or 'alternative sports parks' or whatever name they give them. and they will be enjoyed by the public. just as basketball courts, soccer fields, and other public parks are enjoyed by many different groups.
story of my life. 3 parks in denver never allowed bikes but irode them on my 20 and my mtn bike all the time. i have been arrested (and let off) fined out my ass, which a lawyer takes care of everytime, maced (actually opened up wheel park for bikes, me and 12 other bmx's were maced through a fence becuase we looked agressive (i guess a preppy white kid, 4 black dudes, 3 mexicans, 2 chinese kids, and a few other white kids are scary to a cop with a gun, baton, shot gun in trunk etc etc). That video was dope and much porps go out for the guys who stood up for all that ****, its complete bull **** how the dont allow it. Here in missoula the local YMCA has a sick ass skate park thats all wooden ramps with box jumps way to big for a skater/ froot booter to clear and they wont allow bikes in b/c it causes excessive wear. i put together a 20 minute power point slide show about park riding on bmx/mtn bikes and played them footage of it and they still said no. Its simple on wood ramps dont allow pegs= less holes in the skate lite
. Now the local youth center has a skate park that keeps on growing day by day and is nasty, soon to have indoor dj's, a foam pit and a huge curved wallride. this place is purely rider input into its design from the local bmx/mtn bike/skate/and froot booter shops. truely incredible
. Now the local youth center has a skate park that keeps on growing day by day and is nasty, soon to have indoor dj's, a foam pit and a huge curved wallride. this place is purely rider input into its design from the local bmx/mtn bike/skate/and froot booter shops. truely incredible
It is incredible to me with all the talk in this country about obesity and excersize that there are laws in place that prevent people from riding bikes and getting their excersize.
I know that a skatepark is a dangerous place, that is where I tore my ACL, but I also know that it isn't any safer for a person on a skateboard, longboard or fruit boots. Where one is covered from liability all are covered from liability. It can be tough for boards and bikes to co-exist in one place at the same time, mainly because of volume of riders and varying speeds of riders. In Boulder there are times allocated for bikes vs boards. There are sessions at the local Xgames park that are broken up by board and Bike.
Besides are the park rules, rules or laws? Can you really get arested for going in there? Is Mace a good tactic for 10-15yr old kids.
I am not going to say these kids were really in the right for doing a protest in the way they did. I mean if safety is an issue then maybe they should consider a compromise and wear a helmet.
I know that a skatepark is a dangerous place, that is where I tore my ACL, but I also know that it isn't any safer for a person on a skateboard, longboard or fruit boots. Where one is covered from liability all are covered from liability. It can be tough for boards and bikes to co-exist in one place at the same time, mainly because of volume of riders and varying speeds of riders. In Boulder there are times allocated for bikes vs boards. There are sessions at the local Xgames park that are broken up by board and Bike.
Besides are the park rules, rules or laws? Can you really get arested for going in there? Is Mace a good tactic for 10-15yr old kids.
I am not going to say these kids were really in the right for doing a protest in the way they did. I mean if safety is an issue then maybe they should consider a compromise and wear a helmet.
it's about education.
there are more skaters that talk to the city/parks dept. if you go into the city council meetings acting like a punk kid, they won't listen to you.
there are plenty of skaters that are adults. they are the ones educating the city about the dangers of bmx in their parks. the city believes what they are told and make rules accordingly.
I have a friend who makes skateparks. they use skatelight and bikes are allowed. I don't see much wear, if any, from the bikes. Another mutal friend has a barn with ramps, covered with skatelite. bikes ride the crap out of it and there is minimal damage to the surface.
telling the cops they have better things to do isn't going to change their mind. you have to change the minds of the cops boss, and that is the people that run the city and make the rules.
there are PLENTY of bike friendly parks throughout the world.
there are more skaters that talk to the city/parks dept. if you go into the city council meetings acting like a punk kid, they won't listen to you.
there are plenty of skaters that are adults. they are the ones educating the city about the dangers of bmx in their parks. the city believes what they are told and make rules accordingly.
I have a friend who makes skateparks. they use skatelight and bikes are allowed. I don't see much wear, if any, from the bikes. Another mutal friend has a barn with ramps, covered with skatelite. bikes ride the crap out of it and there is minimal damage to the surface.
telling the cops they have better things to do isn't going to change their mind. you have to change the minds of the cops boss, and that is the people that run the city and make the rules.
there are PLENTY of bike friendly parks throughout the world.
forgot to add this...
scroll down to where it says "A Tremor in the Force"
http://www.transferbmx.com/transfer/home.php
scroll down to where it says "A Tremor in the Force"
http://www.transferbmx.com/transfer/home.php
I have ridden in parks a lot with bikes in the park a lot and most of the time they just start fights for no reason. They usually are going really close to the skaters/inliners and almost hitting them. Yeah and them arresting a 12 yr old is ****ed up too.
Strange... I love in Oregon... we have tons pf skateparks, almost all of them allow bikes or, at least, 'sort of' allow them.
We just get along... I grew up skatin' so I respect skaters as well as bikers. When I was a skater, I felt the same, all good to me... if someone's gonna snake yer line, it's because they are new and don't know how to watch and wait for their turn. Before I drop in, I know whose gone, who wants to go, and who is 'next' , I get or give a nod to let a skater or other biker know I'm dropping in... new kids we educate. If they don't listen, they get a harsh talking to about how a handlebar in their throat would hurt really bad...
It's all about communication....
works where I live.
Also, common sense and respect... if there's like 50 kids skating and just me and my friend on bikes, we bail.. too crowded. No big deal.
The other thing is,we go early or late to avoid the noobs and crowds. We didn't need laws or cops to figure this out.
Imagine that?
I feel bad for those kids in Mesa, it's prolly a handful of bmx'ers and someone's misalligned perception of them, that is the reson for the hate...
Just RIDCULOUS to arrest a kid though... incredibly stupid.
We just get along... I grew up skatin' so I respect skaters as well as bikers. When I was a skater, I felt the same, all good to me... if someone's gonna snake yer line, it's because they are new and don't know how to watch and wait for their turn. Before I drop in, I know whose gone, who wants to go, and who is 'next' , I get or give a nod to let a skater or other biker know I'm dropping in... new kids we educate. If they don't listen, they get a harsh talking to about how a handlebar in their throat would hurt really bad...
It's all about communication....
works where I live.
Also, common sense and respect... if there's like 50 kids skating and just me and my friend on bikes, we bail.. too crowded. No big deal.
The other thing is,we go early or late to avoid the noobs and crowds. We didn't need laws or cops to figure this out.
Imagine that?
I feel bad for those kids in Mesa, it's prolly a handful of bmx'ers and someone's misalligned perception of them, that is the reson for the hate...
Just RIDCULOUS to arrest a kid though... incredibly stupid.
Maybe I'm dating myself here, but does anybody else remember the whole "no snowboards allowed" at the ski resorts controversy?
I'm not buying the argument that "there's no constitutional right to ride BMX in a skatepark" line for at least a couple of reasons. First of all riding or not riding is not a constitutional issue. It is -obviously-a political one, but not a constitutional one. Also, there is nothing in the constitution about skateparks AT ALL.
If the city is offering these spaces in order to mitigate crime, or delinquency, or whatever, then why do it by excluding a large section of the demographic they are trying to reach? (Unless there is an assumption that only skaters would otherwise be causing trouble.)
Park riding is inherently risky, BMX, skate, blade, all of it. I thikn it would be a better use of city $ to take all the man-hours now put into chasing, arresting, obstructing 12 year old BMX riders and hire a couple of park attendants who can monitor things like helmet use, rider etiquette, privide immediate first aid and so on - just like lifeguards at a pool. That in itself would likely solve all kinds of problems and create a few jobs. Hell, incorporate the parks into the local rec system and offer training camps, summer programs, lessons. Better trained riders are generally safer riders if only because they are good enough to know the rules and their own limits.
I'm not buying the argument that "there's no constitutional right to ride BMX in a skatepark" line for at least a couple of reasons. First of all riding or not riding is not a constitutional issue. It is -obviously-a political one, but not a constitutional one. Also, there is nothing in the constitution about skateparks AT ALL.
If the city is offering these spaces in order to mitigate crime, or delinquency, or whatever, then why do it by excluding a large section of the demographic they are trying to reach? (Unless there is an assumption that only skaters would otherwise be causing trouble.)
Park riding is inherently risky, BMX, skate, blade, all of it. I thikn it would be a better use of city $ to take all the man-hours now put into chasing, arresting, obstructing 12 year old BMX riders and hire a couple of park attendants who can monitor things like helmet use, rider etiquette, privide immediate first aid and so on - just like lifeguards at a pool. That in itself would likely solve all kinds of problems and create a few jobs. Hell, incorporate the parks into the local rec system and offer training camps, summer programs, lessons. Better trained riders are generally safer riders if only because they are good enough to know the rules and their own limits.
usually these parks are built because the skaters go to the city and say "please help us get a park, give us a place to go so we don't have to skate where you don't want us to skate"rigidhack said:
the issue is education. the city devolopers and council members that make decisions make those decisions on what they are told. when 150 skaters and their parents show up to a town meeting and tell the city that bikes are bad, the rules get printed with "No Bikes" on them. it's that simple.
the cops job is to enforce the rules. it's that simple. some cops understand and are cool, some are not. Most are just doing their job.
As I mentioned, in 20, 30 or 100 years, this won't be the issue that it is now, just as snowboards are no longer an issue on ski hills.
the city council members (or whomever the adults are that make rules) need to be educated. there are PLENTY of 'skate'parks in the world that allow both bikes and skateboards.
D
d-sop
Guest
so your saying that a concrete in-the-ground bowl isnt set up to allow high speeds?pnj said:
in my town, we have a bowl. not as hardcore as the ones in the movie (which was a sweet movie). just a 20-30 ft diameter bowl w/ 3 diff. bowls. waaaaaay back when there were skaters, bmxers werent allowed. ive been there 3 times since on my bike, and have seen 1 skater. the truth is, there are barely any skaters anymore; theyre either biking or doin somethin else. thats my 10 cents.
I have NO IDEA how you got that from my post.d-sop said:
what I said was, ANYONE can go fast in a park if they have the skills. too often the argument is that bikes go too fast and are dangerous to the slower skaters.
what I was saying is, BOTH skaters and bikers can go extremely fast. one is not more dangerous then the other all the time. a slow biker and a fast skater can be dangerous just as a fast biker and a slow skater can be dangerous (to each other due to the speeds or lack of speeds.)
Well said.. well said...rigidhack said:
The money that the city spends on cops patrolling and arresting kids in mesa, AZ could easily build them a BMX only park... but the real issue isn't segregation, it's learning to get along... as in our state , seems to work fine..
They're are parks that don't take kindly to riders, but they are cool if come ya early or late and are respectful. There is only one park I know of where no bikes are allowed, and I find that strange, but there is a SWEET track next to it and DJ's... it would be hella fun to ride in that park though, it's sickly big and wide open.
It seems really simple... it's idiotic to me that they city of Mesa would even appropriate funds to arrest kids when those same funds could EASILY be used to safely and creatively mititgate the issue entirely, as your post eloquently suggests.
D
d-sop
Guest
its just plain idiotic and stupid and wrong to arrest kids that are 12 years old. besides the dumb part of it, if they're in jail overnight, there are child rapists and drug dealers in jail. i doubt the cops would put him in a seperate cell. just random thoughts.
and sry pnj. i dunno.
and sry pnj. i dunno.
hmmm ya know first off lemme say that there are some f'n idiots in this thread that make no sense at all.
now on to the issue at hand
kating or riding are not constitutional rights. Having a park would be a priviledge. Riding your bike in a park should be allowed but having 30 bikers and 20 skaters in one park is not safe.
as for this go build your own stuff, well if ya go build some jumps on some land you can get arrested then as well.
maybe the kids were not tax payers in the sense of wage earning income, but dont they pay sales tax on all the boards, bikes, gear, gas, cd's and everything else they buy?
we have a park here that is super badass. we used to paoch it all the time till someone went in and spray painted it and they installed cameras. Luckily the city i live in is very open to riding street so i dont really care.
one thing that people need to learn is that there are proper ways and improper ways to get things done just as much are there are justices and injustices served up by the local, county, state government on these issues.
these guys hearts were i nthe right place but if they actually think city planners are really gonna listen to them now then they are dead wrong. All the arresting and publicity got them was 4 old tennis courts and nothing to put in them.
now on to the issue at hand
kating or riding are not constitutional rights. Having a park would be a priviledge. Riding your bike in a park should be allowed but having 30 bikers and 20 skaters in one park is not safe. as for this go build your own stuff, well if ya go build some jumps on some land you can get arrested then as well.
maybe the kids were not tax payers in the sense of wage earning income, but dont they pay sales tax on all the boards, bikes, gear, gas, cd's and everything else they buy?
we have a park here that is super badass. we used to paoch it all the time till someone went in and spray painted it and they installed cameras. Luckily the city i live in is very open to riding street so i dont really care.
one thing that people need to learn is that there are proper ways and improper ways to get things done just as much are there are justices and injustices served up by the local, county, state government on these issues.
these guys hearts were i nthe right place but if they actually think city planners are really gonna listen to them now then they are dead wrong. All the arresting and publicity got them was 4 old tennis courts and nothing to put in them.
Just to remind us why we ride skateparks:
Bikes in skateparks and bikes on trails: it's really just the same issue. One group was around first, and got everything started. While not always the case, the vast majority of concrete parks where I live were initiated by skater led groups. Many of the trails around here were first hiking trails. Now today's problem for both situations is simply traffic. Bikes don't tear things up anymore than the hard and dense skateboard wheels, nor do bikes tear apart a trail faster than a fat person hiking in small shoes. Yet when we ride our bikes in both places there is a lot more traffic, as there are more users. The sheer amount of people using the facilities is higher, so the chance of collision is higher, and there will inevitably be more conflicts. Is it right to exclude one party over another? I say compromise before exclusion. I don't know of any public concrete parks in Cali that allow bikes, with maybe the Lake Forrest Etnies park as the only exception. If bikes could even get a trial access period to the parks, the traffic wouldn't increase too much because we already frequent the parks quite a bit. However, the tickets and fines handed out would drastically decrease. So what I ask for is a trial period for the whole state just to prove to the Man that the world won't end. That is a cause I would get arrested for if I was under 18, and I'm sure a good lawyer could save you in court. I couldn't watch the vid that started this thread, so I don't know what this kid was doing. Peaceful protest for an issue that is important to you should be encouraged.
Now I want to know why I get kicked out of parks while I'm wearing a helmet and knee pads and the skaters are going hardcore status with no protection, and the sign says we all need pads out the yazoo. I had an epiphany one day that bikes would seem safer if we didn't wear pads. As soon as we put on our helmets by choice, it shows that we admit our sports are inherently dangerous. The council people watch the skaters go helmetless, and they'll think it's somehow less dangerous. Then we show up wearing pads by choice, showing how we think we'll get hurt worse than the skaters.
Bikes in skateparks and bikes on trails: it's really just the same issue. One group was around first, and got everything started. While not always the case, the vast majority of concrete parks where I live were initiated by skater led groups. Many of the trails around here were first hiking trails. Now today's problem for both situations is simply traffic. Bikes don't tear things up anymore than the hard and dense skateboard wheels, nor do bikes tear apart a trail faster than a fat person hiking in small shoes. Yet when we ride our bikes in both places there is a lot more traffic, as there are more users. The sheer amount of people using the facilities is higher, so the chance of collision is higher, and there will inevitably be more conflicts. Is it right to exclude one party over another? I say compromise before exclusion. I don't know of any public concrete parks in Cali that allow bikes, with maybe the Lake Forrest Etnies park as the only exception. If bikes could even get a trial access period to the parks, the traffic wouldn't increase too much because we already frequent the parks quite a bit. However, the tickets and fines handed out would drastically decrease. So what I ask for is a trial period for the whole state just to prove to the Man that the world won't end. That is a cause I would get arrested for if I was under 18, and I'm sure a good lawyer could save you in court. I couldn't watch the vid that started this thread, so I don't know what this kid was doing. Peaceful protest for an issue that is important to you should be encouraged.
Now I want to know why I get kicked out of parks while I'm wearing a helmet and knee pads and the skaters are going hardcore status with no protection, and the sign says we all need pads out the yazoo. I had an epiphany one day that bikes would seem safer if we didn't wear pads. As soon as we put on our helmets by choice, it shows that we admit our sports are inherently dangerous. The council people watch the skaters go helmetless, and they'll think it's somehow less dangerous. Then we show up wearing pads by choice, showing how we think we'll get hurt worse than the skaters.
now that's a thought.
you could be right too.
I didn't bother watching the vid. I'll tell you how it's worked out here in montreal.
Around the 70's-80's a number of outdoor parks were set up, like really low budget stuff, no fences, steel faces on the ramps. After all lot of burns people got fed up and some skaters opened a warehouse around the time of rollerblading taking off, bikes were allowed but there just weren't too many people into really riding bikes. The place closed down around the decline of the 'boot and for a couple years there were murmurs all over the island about where a new indoor park was to be built but it never really materialized. Fast forward to two or three years ago and the town council for one of the more ghetto boroughs saw fit to build a park near a housing project with help from the skateshop in the nearby affluent area. It was made from plywood with metal faces on the ramps=they didn't want mountain bikers and considered any and all damage the fault of the bmxers and were thus somewhat frowned upon despite being absolutely integral to the community of the park. The next year they dropped supervision and the park became overrun by cyclists, the skaters were an unusual sight, the year after that (last season) they tore down the old ramps and sold them to a bmx park project that was starting up and bought a set of modular concrete ramps and other fixtures. All bikes were disallowed upon opening and supervision was reinstated. Meanwhile that bmx park project gained steam and the attention of many of the bikers on the island. About this time too a big new public warehouse park started construction- finished around this christmas and bikes on mondays.
something like that. bikers for the most part were a non entity until recently- as far as ones who'd go to a skatepark that is.
you could be right too.
I didn't bother watching the vid. I'll tell you how it's worked out here in montreal.
Around the 70's-80's a number of outdoor parks were set up, like really low budget stuff, no fences, steel faces on the ramps. After all lot of burns people got fed up and some skaters opened a warehouse around the time of rollerblading taking off, bikes were allowed but there just weren't too many people into really riding bikes. The place closed down around the decline of the 'boot and for a couple years there were murmurs all over the island about where a new indoor park was to be built but it never really materialized. Fast forward to two or three years ago and the town council for one of the more ghetto boroughs saw fit to build a park near a housing project with help from the skateshop in the nearby affluent area. It was made from plywood with metal faces on the ramps=they didn't want mountain bikers and considered any and all damage the fault of the bmxers and were thus somewhat frowned upon despite being absolutely integral to the community of the park. The next year they dropped supervision and the park became overrun by cyclists, the skaters were an unusual sight, the year after that (last season) they tore down the old ramps and sold them to a bmx park project that was starting up and bought a set of modular concrete ramps and other fixtures. All bikes were disallowed upon opening and supervision was reinstated. Meanwhile that bmx park project gained steam and the attention of many of the bikers on the island. About this time too a big new public warehouse park started construction- finished around this christmas and bikes on mondays.
something like that. bikers for the most part were a non entity until recently- as far as ones who'd go to a skatepark that is.