Valmont Bike Park Opens

Jun 17, 2011
by Justin Brantley  
Source: Alpine Bike Parks | Jason Sumner

On a sunny Saturday afternoon at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, City of Boulder officials led a ribbon cutting ceremony, marking the official opening of Valmont Bike Park, a 40-acre paradise for cycling enthusiasts of all ages, abilities and interests.

Features of this game-changing facility include a progressive slopestyle course, cross-country trails, a dual slalom track, a UCI-approved cyclocross circuit, pump tracks and dirt jumps. Best of all, the park is free and open to the public.

Fifteen years in the making, Valmont was a true community effort that came to fruition through the united effort of a passionate cycling community, a forward-thinking parks and recreation department, and one of the best bike park builders in the business, Alpine Bike Parks, LLC out of Whistler, Canada.

Video from opening weekend:
Views: 17,782    Faves: 194    Comments: 11


Alpine’s all-star team of builders and shapers included professional fabricators and excavation professionals and trendsetters like former World Four-Cross Champion Eric Carter, and pro dirt jumpers Jamie Goldman and Ryan Howard.

“We feel like our team is the best in the business,” said Alpine Bike Parks’ founder and principal owner, Judd de Vall, who spent the better part of a year living in Boulder while overseeing the project. “But just because this park is built by experts doesn’t mean it’s for experts only. Every section of the park is progressive, so it’s a truly all-inclusive experience that allows riders of all skill levels to enjoy the park and safely improve their abilities.”

This uniquely thoughtful approach has made Alpine Bike Parks an industry leader in the field of bike park and natural surface trail development. Their service offerings range from feasibility and planning, to design and development, to construction management, to feature fabrication and installation, to an extensive array of post-construction services, all of which were on display at the grand opening of Valmont.

Valmont Bike Park
Valmont Bike Park!
This loop looked fun to ride Here a mom follows her daughter around the loop
This loop looked fun to ride! Here a mom follows her daughter around the loop!
This little girl is stoked to be riding
This "little girl" is stoked to be riding!
Stoked to be his bike
Pinning it.

“This is exactly what we were looking for when we started dreaming of what this park could be,” said Mike Eubank, Valmont’s post-construction project manager. “Just look around. You see such a great cross-section of user groups—and they are all smiling!”

Valmont is covered with all sorts of XC. Get out and ride your bike
Classic
Get out there and ride your bike! Valmont has it all!
The tot track was a small cement pump track The were on it all day
Something for everyone!
Striders are always cute This little guy was stoked to be riding
Any rider on a Strider is cute!
As you drop in you can see you have a few choices where to go This park is sick
Tons of lines to choose from as you drop in! This bmxer was shredding all day!
This little guy was killing everything Here he is sending the biggest line on the course
This little guy was killing everything! Here he is sending the biggest line on the course!
Hitting up the wall ride on the medium slopecourse
Hitting up the wall ride on the medium slopecourse!
Giving it a bit of a table of the wallride
Giving it a bit of a table off the wallride!
Riding the wallride at the end of the dirt jump line
Same wallride as above picture.
Opening day at the Valmont Bike Park. Cob getting to the top of the wall at the bottom of the XL line
Opening day at the Valmont Bike Park. Cob getting to the top of the wall at the bottom of the XL line!
Opening Day at Valmont Bike Park. R-Dogg was throwing down on every run on the new dirt jumps at the end of the day Here he does a nicely extended tuck no hander
R-Dogg was throwing down on every run on the new dirt jumps at the end of the day! Here he does a nicely extended tuck no hander!
Opening day at Valmont Bike Park Here Cob aws the crowd with a nicely boosted table
Cob aws the crowd with a nicely boosted table!
Opening day at Valmont Bike Park R-Dogg was keeping the crowd entertained with all sorts of triclks but there is something about R-Doggs 3 s that just make you stop and think WOW
R-Dogg was keeping the crowd entertained with all sorts of triclks, but there is something about R-Doggs 3's that just make you stop and think, WOW!
Whipping it
Whipping it!
Bar spinning the log drop on the dirt jump line
Bar spinning the log drop in on the dirt jump line!
Bar spinning the log drop on the dirt jump line
"Hey R-Dogg, do that again!"

The new park will be open year round, in part because of Alpine’s ability to create trails and features that drain quickly and are not be negatively impacted by precipitation.

And the bike park revolution won’t end in Boulder. Already Alpine has broken ground at the Red Mountain Adventure Park in Woodland Park, Colorado. This will be a collaborative effort between expert skate park builders Spohn Ranch, and Alpine, which will create a set of cutting edge downhill BMX trails.

Alpine has also been contracted to design San Francisco’s McLaren Bike Park. This community-driven project will take a previously neglected swath of land, and turn it into a valuable city resource, where riders of all ages and abilities can safely recreate. The community envisioning process for McLaren Park begins this Saturday, which will allow the community to help draw up the design for their new community resource.

“It’s clear that these types of municipal projects are gaining popularity with land managers and city officials,” said de Vall, a former professional mountain bike racer who founded Alpine Bike Parks in 2007. “When you can bring together a community in a way that’s healthy, sustainable and fun, that’s obviously a good thing.” For more information, visit Alpine Bike Parks.

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54 Comments
  • 28 1
 Get ready US cities...this is the first public owned bike park...more will come...everyone needs to follow this example!!!
  • 2 0
 and it is about tiiime YESSSSSS so happy
  • 13 0
 how cool would that be if there was bike jumps/skill parks like there were skate parks.
  • 1 0
 Talk to your local PAL orginizations! (Police Activities League) Most of them have never heard of these kinds of parks before and my city is actually thinking of building smething like this.
  • 2 0
 Definately not the first DirtBag81611, but hopefully not the last, with the collonade and Duthie hill open in washington it is great to see more following their example!
  • 2 0
 we need one in nor cal! this is sick!!!!
  • 1 0
 the uk needs stuff like this
  • 1 0
 you guys are so lucky getting stuff like this, London ON is a shitty place to live, they pamper the skateboarders and every dirt jump made in this city just gets destroyed.
  • 2 1
 they think the skateboarders are the bad kids and if they don't pamoer them then they will grafitti thiangs and vandalize the city....but really they're just pussies who grow their hair like justin beiber.
  • 1 0
 woodpushers these days...
  • 10 1
 Ballin-ass bike park. If only Calabazas had been built by riders and not a skater, we could have something like this in San Jose...
  • 3 0
 Too bad i live in the UK :/
  • 1 0
 ..... I live in boooooring Denmark, with all the booooring XC riders.... I want a park like this Frown
  • 7 0
 Just had the best lunch break hour of my life there!!
  • 2 0
 I have been there twice already and it's with out a doubt, Disneyland for bikes. What is so impressive is that not only is it free but, the skill it takes to ride the XL tracks. It is for advanced riders and noobs and eveything inbetween. I live only a hour away but feel angry that its not already in my town. It's just that good! They even have an automatic sprinkler system that keeps the track perfect.
  • 1 0
 you're lucky. i live on the other side of the country.
  • 7 0
 i live on the other side of the world.
  • 1 0
 Hmmmm..... this is about a 4 minute ride from my casa.... SWEET. Long time coming. Nice work -- props to the VBP crew who has put so much blood sweat and tears into this. Much appreciated. PS -- Today is FRIDAY the 17th, not Saturday as mentioned in the article.
  • 1 0
 to DirtBag81611 I am almost certain this is not the first free public bike park, the most money and time budgeted for a public bike park yes, but first no. I have built two in Co, Grand Junction and Fruita. Regardless Valmont is sick!
  • 5 0
 Pretty sure CU's enrollment just went up...
  • 1 0
 Anyone know if there are any houses for sale here?! My little one is almost ready for a balance bike - he'd love it on the tot-track! Awesome venue, not jealous in the slightest...
  • 3 0
 such a sick park! Reminds me of a snowboard terrain park which is really cool with all sorts of sick features! Well made!
  • 2 0
 That places looks awesome! Good to see it as a community owned project that is free to ride as well, Im hoping the uK will see some of that soon!
  • 1 0
 That's awesome. My local bike shop is working with the city to get something like this in our town. As if Southern Utah didn't have enough places to ride, I know I'm very fortunate.
  • 2 0
 My two boys and I stopped there in the afternoon when it opened. Had a great time. Place is HUGE. Something for everyone.
  • 1 0
 Awesome article! Just wanted to include a link to the Valmont Bike Park web site. Check us out at bouldermountainbike.org/valmontbikepark
  • 1 0
 And I'm going tomorrow!!! And moving to Boulder in 2 months! Big props to the guys from Alpine... they're really created something special in Boulder.
  • 1 0
 Frisco, CO has a new bike park that opened yesterday!! Its not Valmont but its only 10 minutes from me.
friscopeninsulabikepark.com
  • 3 0
 Thats sick that a bike park has a legit slopestyle course to ride
  • 3 0
 Dear Calgary city council,...
  • 3 0
 Broke my arm on day two! Awesome park though!
  • 1 0
 nice! A near by township opened one of these 2 years ago. They even maintain it! So happy, sick of all the skaters gettin' stuff from the government.
  • 2 0
 Wow brb packing bike and moving to CO.
  • 1 0
 I grew up in Boulder, I went to CU, and now that I move to SoCal they open this! I think its time to move home.
  • 1 0
 I loved the little kid hauling ass on the pump track with his kickbike lol sick park!
  • 1 0
 Awesome! I live about 20 minutes from there- I go by all the time on my way home from work. Smile
  • 1 0
 I am happy for Boulder. Used to live there and with all that sunshine will be a great place to hang out and ride.
  • 1 0
 i am suuuuper stoked that this is fifteen minutes away from me! Still haven't had a chance to go there, though. Frown
  • 2 0
 I could stand to live near there.
  • 2 0
 That log-drop looks...funny. teehee Wink
  • 2 0
 I love that picture of the little guy "pinning" it I laughed.
  • 1 0
 Look for some up & coming shreaders to come from Valmont. Its that good!
  • 1 0
 WOW! Very cool. That jump park/pump track looks like the most fun thing I have seen in a long time! Good work!
  • 1 0
 Good way to relax after class!
  • 2 1
 We need something like that on the island
  • 9 0
 Yeah you guys on the island are just hurting for sweet shite to ride. (sarcasm)
  • 3 0
 Yeah you guys in Colorado are just hurting for sweet shite to ride. (sarcasm)
  • 1 0
 Isn't there a nice park south of you on Vancouver Island that guys from Straitline have been working hard to promote?
  • 1 0
 to Brule - wow did not know about this park , I just moved to Island - THANKS!!!
  • 1 0
 Loving the signs, Direct and too the point, Good Effort guys ....!
  • 1 0
 stoked my cousins live in boulder
  • 1 0
 2 hour drive for me ... i am going SOON
  • 1 0
 Looks brilliant! We need a UK version!
  • 1 0
 in the vidio at 212 its me







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