Valmont Bike Park: A Boulder Sanctuary

I just can’t say enough about Boulder Mountain Biking.  The community here in Boulder is so proud of its cycling culture and you can see signs of it all over town.  Bike trails can be found everywhere, most are paved through the city but dirt trails are never far off.  In winter when our dirt trails are covered in snow, few places within town could provide that sweet sensation when nobby meets dirt, that was of course before the Valmont Bike Park entered the picture.

Valmont Bike Park is located at the corner of Valmont and Airport Roads and boasts 40 acres of all kinds of mountain bike excitement.  This bike park is certainly one-of-a-kind and the perfect place to ride and train for riders of all skill levels and is open year round.  This park was also host to the 2012 Boulder Cup, which was a raving success.

The park contains a Dual Slalom course for those seeking a little high speed competition along with two terrain parks.  Each terrain park has its own distinct quality, one with more natural jumps while the other contains natural and fabricated stunts.  Both are sure to get your adrenaline pumping but be careful because these parks will require above average skill.

There is also a Pump Park and Skillz Loop for those looking to develop finesse on the bike.  The Pump Park is uniquely designed to carry the rider on a winding course using momentum as your primary driver while the Skillz Loop will test balance and control.  Both features are sure to entertain as well as develop your skills as a rider.

Today I set some time aside to really get a good look at Valmont Bike Park and test my time on the 2012 Boulder Cup course.  I had to make some adjustments on my run since some areas of the course were closed off to help control wear in these areas.  There were a lot of people out today so I made sure to yield to other riders, especially the little ones on Glider Bikes.

The course I took was almost identical to the Boulder Cup course which was mostly flat with only one gradual climb up the back side of the park.  Once on top, the hard packed single-track offered one heck of a ride.  Coming down you can gather a bit of speed with a couple of “air” options and banking turns.  The first Run Up brings you up to a downhill section along the Dual Slalom course.  Once through my course takes you through the south side of the park.  Here you’ll come across some technical features like rock hopping and some really cool man made wood crossings.  Along the way is also a Sand Pit and not long after you reach The Glades. This section seemed to be the most popular today.  The Glades contains so many twists and turns I can’t recall any section that didn’t have something fun on it.  You’ll also find the 2nd Run Up here as well as another awesome wood feature.  There are a few rock formations placed here to test your balance and hopping skills.  It’s hard to test your speed on a busy day but if you get a chance to visit on a weekday, you may find it hard to resist mashing on your pedals through this area.

This bike park was made possible with the cooperation and contributions of a lot of people, businesses, organizations and the City of Boulder.  It’s a fantastic facility and if you’ve had a chance to experience Valmont Bike Park, I’m sure they would really appreciate a small donation to keep the park in great shape and one of Boulder’s finest attractions.  You can view a video of the park at www.valmontbikepark.org to give you a better look.

You can view my course at connect.garmin.com/activity/248757973 and click on the green arrow to launch the player.  Thanks again and have a great ride.

Alan Romero