Bell Built 2015: Semifinalists Announced

Apr 9, 2015 at 16:04
by Bell Bike Helmets  
Bell Built Contest 2015

The Semifinalists

WEST REGION

1.Sky Tavern Bike Park DH Trail

• Location: Reno, NV
• Sponsor: Sky Tavern Bike Park Advisory Group
• Find out more about this project here

Description: With lift-served access on the outskirts of Reno, the Sky Tavern Bike Park already provides a downhill track and a dual slalom course. The proposed new trail will feature a mix of natural features and machine-built sections, including natural rock gardens, steep rolldowns, jumps, and berms, dropping 650 vertical feet.


2.Exchequer Mountain Bike Park

• Location: Mariposa, CA
• Sponsor: Merced Irrigation District
• Find out more about this project here

Description: The Bell Built trail will be a highlight of a new bike park located within two hours of the Bay Area, home of hundreds of thousands of mountain bikers. With a handful of trails already in place the gravity run will challenge riders and offer panoramic views of the open terrain.


3.Chutes and Ladders (Alsea Falls)

• Location: Alpine, OR
• Sponsor: BLM + Team Dirt
• Find out more about this project here.

Description: Tucked into the Oregon Coast Range, "Chutes and Ladders" will be the most difficult trail in this rapidly developing network. The steep, forested terrain will offer opportunities for chutes, roots, rocks, and built features over the 900' vertical drop.



CENTRAL REGION

1.Red Rock Park MTB

• Location: Gallup, NM
• Sponsor: Adventure Gallup and Beyond
• Find out more about this project here.

Description: Red Rock Park is best known for its 400' tall red sandstone cliffs. With large areas of slickrock the trail will offer jumps, drops, and multiple lines down steep slopes with plenty of room for interpretation.


2.Cedar Creek DH Trail

• Location: Ruidoso, NM
• Sponsor: Bicycle Ruidoso
• Find out more about this project here.

Description: The Cedar Creek DH trail will pass through ravines and down ridgelines as it descends through an open conifer forest. At 1.3 miles, the trail will take advantage of the natural terrain but also highlight big jumps and berms for a breathtaking descent.


3.Spirit Mountain Bike Park

• Location: Duluth, MN
• Sponsor: Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores (COGGS)
• Find out more about this project here.

Description: Spirit Mountain already offers the best lift-served riding in the Upper Midwest and the proposed new descent will up the ante by taking advantage of the mountain's abundant bedrock for steep rolldowns, hucks, and rock gardens.



EAST REGION

1.Urban Wilderness Gravity Trail

• Location: Knoxville, TN
• Sponsor: Appalachian Mountain Bike Club
• Find out more about this project here.

Description: Situated in the heart of Knoxville, this bike park is being constructed with a range of trails that will appeal to a variety of riders. The highlight will be the proposed gravity trail that will feature rock gardens, drops, and constructed features in a highly visible area that will draw attention to this regionally unique trail.


2.Timer Trail

• Location: Anniston, AL
• Sponsor: Northeast Alabama Bicycling Association
• Find out more about this project here.

Description: Rock, rock, and more rock will rattle and test the skill of any gravity rider who descends the Timber Trail. Already flush with a range of singletrack, Coldwater Mountain will be augmented by this gnarly, techy trail that will feature car-sized boulders, steep rollovers, and drops.


3.Gorges Jump Line

• Location: Brevard, NC
• Sponsor: Friends of Gorges State Park
• Find out more about this project here.

Description: A stronghold of East Coast riding, Brevard, NC, has the terrain to lay down a steep, rocky trail peppered with jumps and drops. The scenic waterfalls and deciduous forest will add to the experience of any visitor and make for a photogenic ride.

Bell Helmets Press Image

For more information on the semifinalists, visit the Bell Built Campaign page.


MENTIONS: @BellBikeHelmets



Author Info:
BellBikeHelmets avatar

Member since Mar 6, 2013
39 articles

42 Comments
  • 25 1
 Vote for Sky Tavern bike park. Open to the public during the week, with the opportunity to have lift-served DH and Dual Slalom races for special events. 20 minutes from Reno or Lake Tahoe. Sky Tavern rules!
  • 16 0
 UNR puts on a killer collegiate race there every year; it's usually the best one in the WCCC series. That place has huge potential!
  • 12 0
 The ownership (City of Reno) is very motivated to make something out of this facility. It has two chairlifts and has been used to teach local schoolchildren to ski (at a reasonable cost) for several decades now. Over time, it has been receiving less and less snow in the winter, and the ski program has been forced to move to other ski resorts. All of the infrastructure is in place and operational, and a dedicated local crew of volunteers exists to get the trail work done. Permitting is easy when compared to Forest Service or BLM land. Snowfall has been so poor over the past few years that this place may close completely in the near future. With time and funding, it could easily become like Highland...a summer-only "ski" area.

Vote for Sky Tavern!
  • 11 0
 Sky Tavern is getting my vote. How much does it cost to ride there during the week? And what skill levels of trails do they currently have?
  • 7 0
 idk cost, but i've raced xc, slalom, and dh there. Slalom is rad. the dh trail we race on is sweet, fun on a 6" bike and downhill bike both, not super hard to get down, but fun for all skill levels, more so for "advanced". the xc descent had a good mix of flowy singletrack and some small rocky sections.
  • 8 0
 @uglyguy No cost as of right now since we're in build mode, pedal passes (ie donations to make sure we can run the park) will likely start late summer once we've built the next phase. When the lifts spin regularly, the intent is to keep the cost down. We're really trying to create a strong community oriented park (with a wide variety of terrain), so price gouging isn't in the plan, we want everyone to be able to ride. Maybe another week til we're melted out and we'll start this summer's construction for real. Come help out and we'll show you around!
  • 8 0
 @kabanosipyvo just to clarify, a separate nonprofit leases and operates the land and facilities year round. The City of Reno gave up control of the property years ago, so we're 100% volunteer run and funded 100% on grants/donation/event revenue. Since we have zero public backing, the Bell grant would be a HUGE deal for us.
  • 4 0
 @RenoLaw thanks for setting me straight, that's great information. The grant is ESPECIALLY key in this case.
  • 12 1
 Alsea Falls could use this so bad. Team Dirt has awesome momentum going right now and that trail system is going to be incredible once there's a little more mileage and some more challenging trails.
  • 13 0
 SKY TAVERN!
  • 8 1
 Kinda surprised that there are no New England projects. Would have thought we would own this one given all the rocks and roots that we have. Anyone else think that all the projects seem to lean towards flow trails even though they kept saying rocky and rooty?
  • 5 0
 I have all my travel so I can ride smooth flow!
  • 3 0
 simply a matter of where the highest ranking applications came from, nothing else.
  • 7 1
 A downhill shuttle train in Gorges State Park would be an incredible addition to the riding in the southeast. Everyone from Texas to Maine comes here to ride. A shuttle trail ride a few minutes down Hwy 64 from Pisgah would be INCREDIBLE.

The terrain and elevation are there and Gorges is beautiful. Neko loves it. The Shaw Brothers love it. You'll love it. If not, you're stabbing a bald eagle baby in the eye!

www.transylvaniatimes.com/story/2015/03/16/news/gorges-state-park-wants-gravity-mtn-bike-trail-brevard-nc/21961.html
  • 6 0
 Great program, Bell! Each year this program builds some pretty great trails! I especially like to see that more gravity oriented trails are being proposed, some places are becoming too manicured.
  • 6 1
 Go Team Dirt and Alsea Falls! A community built trail system, using massive volunteer efforts and community raised funds, to build a truly destination-worthy riding location that is on the way to being a premier level riding center that even rivals Sandy Ridge! Please, vote for the Alsea Falls project! Then, come ride with us and see what we're talking about!
  • 5 1
 Alsea Falls is evolving into one of the most fun places I've ridden, and this loop will definitely move it into an even better position. The terrain that line travels through is stunning, and the growing riding community in the Willamette valley has great momentum right now. So exciting!
  • 5 1
 Is "chutes and ladders" the trail that is using "hide n seek" at Sandy Ridge as a model? If so, AWESOME! (If not, still gets my vote). This sounds like the trail that will give Alsea Falls it's second dimension.
  • 3 0
 I didn't even know about Alsea Falls! It looks great and is in an awesome location. The Oregon coastal range is a great place for trails and can be a difficult place to build. With support to take on the terrain, some of the best trails can be built there.
  • 4 0
 I hope Spirit Mountain in MN wins because it is closest to me, but I wish they would build brand new trails where there aren't any yet, like when they did at Copper Harbor. --- (Some of the funnest trails ever!)
  • 5 1
 Alsea Falls, OR is awesome. I raced there last year, and this year the Oregon State MTB Championships are there. The place is gaining momentum, and it would be great to see some more head their way.
  • 5 1
 Oregon FTW. I was disappointed with the lack of trails here after moving from socal. I would love to see it improve. Portland hates mountain biking!
  • 6 0
 The "Most Bike Friendly City" hates knobby tires...
  • 1 0
 thrasher2... should come to Santa Cruz. Bike mecca but for some reason people feel the need to make every trail illegal.
  • 2 1
 Exchequer gets my vote! A lot of people have limits on driving far away for outdoor recreation and having a bike park at this part of Cali will also make a lot of people reconsider getting into mountain biking. A bike park in Mariposa, CA will spread out the Cali trail system, not saturate a location with bike parks that are minutes away from each other and only cater to existing riders.
  • 1 0
 With the voting now open for the West Coast, the Exchequer Riders Club​ and Merced Irrigation District would like to thank Bell and IMBA for this amazing opportunity for one lucky bike park and wishes Sky Tavern MTB Park​ and Alsea Falls Team Dirt the best of luck and many blessings over the weeks to come. We look forward to a spirited and fun voting period as we know all this attention to mountain biking will bring more trails in more places no matter what. Good luck to our west coast contenders and best wishes to the Central and East Coast contenders for there upcoming voting period. May your stress levels be low and your pedaling periods be long. #bellbuilt #IMBA #pedalyourheartout
  • 2 0
 After the city of Portland has chosen to shut down the trails in the city, it would be a huge step for the MTB community to show that mountain biking belongs and vote for building more trails in Oregon.
  • 1 0
 Vote for Ruidoso, NM! The terrain is awesome, and a world class DH trail in our geographic location has the huge potential to advance mountain biking, since we are at the gateway to a very large area. Thanks everyone!
  • 2 0
 Sad there is no washington propositions but other areas need it more than we do. Props to bell for putting money into the future!
  • 5 0
 Vote for Oregon instead! Just like we'd vote for Washington if/when your state is up for it!
  • 4 0
 This cool of Bell and will be part of my decisions when buying products.
  • 1 0
 Having a trail in Gorges would be sweet! There's currently no riding there, but the hiking and kayaking are top notch. Want to see what that area is all about?

youtu.be/jXTqHqmfkaI
  • 2 0
 Vote for Ruidoso NM we really need this to stop the pirating of trail ... Please vote for Ceder creek DH!!!!!
  • 5 1
 Sky Tavern for sure!!!!!
  • 1 0
 Last time they did this, I think ever single project was a flow trail. Now they're all about steep and rocky and I'm like F-YA!! The central and eastern ones anyway.
  • 1 0
 If anyone is looking for great singletrack Anniston is the place to go. A true hidden gem in the SE.
  • 3 1
 EXCHEQUER and CALIFORNIA get out and Vote Come Monday
  • 2 3
 Why put all that effort and money into a park such as sky if they are close to being closed due to lack of funding. I would much rather go to Northstar which is only 30 min away that already has mulitple double black trails. Exchequer will not only tailor to downhillers but to all families including disabled riders. It's home to thousands of bikers from around the area which means more people will reap the benefits if exchequer wins.
  • 1 0
 Can someone explain the voting periods? Why are they on different dates? Why not all at the same time?
  • 2 0
 1 winner this year. not 3.
  • 2 1
 Two in New Mexico and all three in the East Region are really close together.
  • 2 0
 gorges ftmfw!!!!!







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