Launch Bike Park at Spring Mountain (Pennsylvania)
With the closure of Blue Mountain's bike park, the East Coast is down a lift access area. Thankfully the crew at Spring Mountain (Launch Bike Park) have put in the efforts to make their riding zone worth your travels.The opening day of Launch Bike Park at Spring Mountain in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania is April 23rd! We are opening earlier than any other bike park on the East Coast. This is our first full year and it should be an awesome season.
Launch Bike Park at Spring Mountain was open for a short time last year, from September to early November. During that time, we learned from riders what we needed to change to make the park even better for its first full season in 2011. We feel that the changes we made will make spending a day riding the park much more enjoyable. One of these changes is adding hooks for bikes on the lift chairs. Sadly, Blue Mountain's Vertical Earth Bike Park will not be opening this year and although it will be greatly missed, Launch is here to satisfy riders’ needs. Here is everything you need to know about Launch this year:
Location:
757 Spring Mount Road, Schwenksville, PA 19473
Hours and Important Dates:
Opening day: Saturday, April 23rd (We will not be open the 24th due to it being Easter Sunday)
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays
(The park may be open a few weeknights in the summer but that depends on rider interest)
The park should be open every weekend depending on weather until late fall.
Prices:
Full day pass: $25
10 Ticket pack: $199
The 10 Ticket pack option is a great way to save some money if you will be riding at Launch Bike Park many times this year. You can use the tickets all yourself, or split them with your friends!
We will not be selling season passes this year.
Events:
Gravity East Series race on September 17th-18th
There are a few other events being planned but no dates are official yet.
The Trails:
![photo]()
The trails at Spring Mountain are very technical and rocky. Last year, riders told us that they wanted a few easier trails. Because of this, we will be changing some of the trails to be easier for beginners and riders who just want some flow. But for those who love rocky downhill, we have plenty of that too.
I'll go over 5 of our many trails.
Wally's Leg:
Last year, this trail was listed as a black diamond due to the drops, wooden features, and rocks. This year, the trail crew is making the upper section of Wally’s Leg flowy and easier to ride. After the first section, Wally’s Leg becomes more difficult and the easiest way down the mountain is turned to another trail, the lower section of Walt’s Erector Set. Some of the features on the lower section of Wally’s Leg are tight berms.
The Bee Hive:
This short trail on the lower mountain has a few fun rock gardens that expert riders can ride through with speed. It is not too difficult and beginners will be challenged, but not out of their limits. The trail also has a difficult step down hip jump, but there are lines to go around it.
Walt’s Erector Set:
If you can ride it, this trail is one of the most fun on the mountain. It’s full of bridges connecting large boulders. Definitely check this out.
The Highlife:
This trail is really technical. It starts off fast with steep bridges and fast rock gardens, but once you get deeper into the woods, the trail becomes tight and slow. This one takes skill.
Jaws:
If you ride all the other trails and feel that they were no challenge, check out Jaws. Pictures do not do this trail justice. It is the steepest and rockiest trail on the mountain. At the end it becomes much faster and ends with a 13 foot gap over a fallen tree. Gnarly.
This is only a little bit of what we have at Launch Bike Park. Come check it out!
For more information and future updates, see the links below:
www.springmountainadventures.com
bikrocosm.com/launch
Launch Bike Park at Spring Mountain was open for a short time last year, from September to early November. During that time, we learned from riders what we needed to change to make the park even better for its first full season in 2011. We feel that the changes we made will make spending a day riding the park much more enjoyable. One of these changes is adding hooks for bikes on the lift chairs. Sadly, Blue Mountain's Vertical Earth Bike Park will not be opening this year and although it will be greatly missed, Launch is here to satisfy riders’ needs. Here is everything you need to know about Launch this year:
Location:
757 Spring Mount Road, Schwenksville, PA 19473
Hours and Important Dates:
Opening day: Saturday, April 23rd (We will not be open the 24th due to it being Easter Sunday)
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays
(The park may be open a few weeknights in the summer but that depends on rider interest)
The park should be open every weekend depending on weather until late fall.
Prices:
Full day pass: $25
10 Ticket pack: $199
The 10 Ticket pack option is a great way to save some money if you will be riding at Launch Bike Park many times this year. You can use the tickets all yourself, or split them with your friends!
We will not be selling season passes this year.
Events:
Gravity East Series race on September 17th-18th
There are a few other events being planned but no dates are official yet.
The Trails:
2010 Trail Map
The trails at Spring Mountain are very technical and rocky. Last year, riders told us that they wanted a few easier trails. Because of this, we will be changing some of the trails to be easier for beginners and riders who just want some flow. But for those who love rocky downhill, we have plenty of that too.
I'll go over 5 of our many trails.
Wally's Leg:
Last year, this trail was listed as a black diamond due to the drops, wooden features, and rocks. This year, the trail crew is making the upper section of Wally’s Leg flowy and easier to ride. After the first section, Wally’s Leg becomes more difficult and the easiest way down the mountain is turned to another trail, the lower section of Walt’s Erector Set. Some of the features on the lower section of Wally’s Leg are tight berms.
The Bee Hive:
This short trail on the lower mountain has a few fun rock gardens that expert riders can ride through with speed. It is not too difficult and beginners will be challenged, but not out of their limits. The trail also has a difficult step down hip jump, but there are lines to go around it.
Walt’s Erector Set:
If you can ride it, this trail is one of the most fun on the mountain. It’s full of bridges connecting large boulders. Definitely check this out.
The Highlife:
This trail is really technical. It starts off fast with steep bridges and fast rock gardens, but once you get deeper into the woods, the trail becomes tight and slow. This one takes skill.
Jaws:
If you ride all the other trails and feel that they were no challenge, check out Jaws. Pictures do not do this trail justice. It is the steepest and rockiest trail on the mountain. At the end it becomes much faster and ends with a 13 foot gap over a fallen tree. Gnarly.
This is only a little bit of what we have at Launch Bike Park. Come check it out!
For more information and future updates, see the links below:
www.springmountainadventures.com
bikrocosm.com/launch
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I've pushed up that mountain for years and finally last summer we got the owners to see the potential of a bike park. (The Buckman's are amazing people and are now true stewards of the Philadelphia MTB community.)
As mentioned by others, we're an entirely volunteer crew and have done a spectacular job in a short time. We built a proper bike park just 40 minutes outside center city Philadelphia. Yeah, the Mt is small - So what. Are we Whistler? Not even close. But, if you can ride this mountain you can ride anywhere.
Let's clarify a couple things:
Paper tiger...I think not bro. Come ride Jaws, High Life or Walt's Erector Set "balls out" top to bottom without unintentionally walking a section or going over the bars and you'll be stoked as all get out. Isn't that why we all ride anyway? Worth every penny of your gas and $25 ticket in my book.
As far as the triple black rating on Jaws - My fault. It got that rating because it really is no joke, and considerably more difficult than our other black trails. We didn't want every novice "father and son" unintentionally getting in way over their heads and breaking their neck. This year efforts have been made to make it a little more rideable, so the rating may change.
So haters - Listen DON'T spend your hard earned loot on gas to come ride our park - You obviously will hate it because you are naturally inclined to do so.
Everyone else - If you're interested in a great time riding some great trails with a super fun and positive crew, PLEASE come visit us - You won't be disappointed. Ask for Chad, I or any one of the crew would love to show you (until now...) the Philadelphia areas best kept secret.
See you on the Mt!
And why wouldn't they charge?? It costs money to operate a mountain. You might learn that nothing is free when you crawl out of mommy's c*nt.
Brighton13, dhhardtail, hunsberger, jam-unam and your peeps. You're all basically local and obviously friends, so I looked at your bios to see if I recognized the locals trashing and not getting involved. We may know some of the same folks but I don't know any of your directly. More importantly, from that I see you all know your way around a bike A LOT more than the average rider, and obviously can build your asses off. So...Come help out. The Mt is providing product (wood and materials) and giving us carte blanche to do as we please. Be a part of making it sick.
I'm heading up the jump line construction, but unfortunately can't do a thing until the last piles of snow melt off the trail planned for it. It's a clean slate guys and will probably lay it out in a week or 2. Come out and help me lay it out and even build it if you're game. Brighton13 you received some props from others on your building skills, and the stuff I saw looks bad ass. Hit me up dude, I want your input. Chadstuff@verizon.net
Hope to hear from you.
They will be selling ticket 10 packs for Launch as well (I think they might be discounted on Sat).
As far as trail building goes...
There is still time for you to get involved and provide some input on trails, obstacles etc. Some things have already been planned out and being worked on but more muscle to do some trail work is always appreciated. As long as you check in with Colby and give him your hours you'll be credited for the help and will get some free passes to ride.
It's going to be a good summer at Launch Bike Park this year!
www.facebook.com/people/Launch-Bike-Park/100001447423326
$25.00 dollars
sadly, a picture (in this case) is not worth a thousand words. (it's worth around $7 bucks) viewing the trail map you may feel that 25 bucks is well worth a ride at this "mountain". it's not. this bump can be hiked from lot to summit in about 12 mins (while sippin' coffee). yes, the trial crew is doing there best and builders are rarely to blame when a mountain tries to profit off what they see as a cool new revenue stream in the hotter months.
news flash;
if you don't have terrain that can support "woodsy trail stunt riding, don't force it.
rock gardens are not semi steep quarries.
if ownership wont spend, should consumers??
News flash;
slope style- slope style- slope style-
if small ski hills start building "skate park" type features right smack down the middle of there existing slightly steep trials, trails where everyone can view/ sesh/ and dial in lines, then finally they will have a winning formula.
build to your hills strengths and not only will you have a killer spot, you wont be out of the bike riding business and into the "extreme" world of water park slides.... like some mountains...
News flash:
You have no idea what is being built right now. Don't come and ride it when its done.