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65,000 Square-Foot Indoor Bike Park Coming to North Vancouver

Sep 22, 2022 at 19:03
by Alicia Leggett  
photo

A former Sears store in Capilano Mall, downtown North Vancouver, will soon begin its next chapter as British Columbia's largest indoor bike park, with plans for 65,000 square feet of indoor riding space and an additional 50,000 square feet of outdoor bike park open seasonally on the roof.

West Coast Bike Parks Ltd. has partnered with North Shore investors and builders to build something unlike anything else seen in British Columbia. Canada does already have a few indoor bike parks, including Ontario's Joyride 150 and Alberta's B-Line Indoor Bike Park, but the North Shore Bike Park will place more emphasis on trail-esque riding and wooden features alongside the jumps and pump tracks we see at other parks. The closest comparison, according to West Coast Bike Parks founder Mike Upton, is Ray's MTB Park in Ohio, USA.

"It’s all wooden structures. It’s a lot of flow. It’s a lot of jumping and pumping," Upton told NS News. "You’re indoors, so you’re not riding down a hill. But there is elevation, there is the opportunity to do some jumping, do a lot of flow and technical."

The park will partner with North Shore coaching and guiding company Endless Biking to host programming for all levels of riders including lessons, parties, theme nights, and more.

As of right now, the goal is to open for business in February 2023. More information will become available at northshorebikepark.ca.

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158 Comments
  • 382 2
 Finally, a trailhead where I can park my lifted jeep without getting it dirty! #ionlyridemall
  • 115 0
 Hopefully they have a spot where I can park my Tacoma, set up my roof top tent, and bbq all day while people ride!
  • 35 2
 I hope the have ev- stations for my tesla and e-bike
  • 12 2
 @lylerides: Lucky for you, there's a Wal-Mart at the mall and you can camp for free in their parking lots!
  • 16 0
 @lylerides: talk about how sick the riding is over "post ride brews" without ever actually going for a ride.
  • 1 0
 @lylerides: bro your so second gen taco, we use the Traiger now, if you get to ride your not cookin' right
  • 1 0
 Is the bike park going ahead. Web site seems to be down.
  • 1 0
 @fabwizard: looks like it www.instagram.com/reel/CnN5X3aK--U/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y
  • 1 0
 @AndrewHornor: phew
  • 161 2
 But where will the Spirit Halloween store go next year?
  • 28 2
 Well, at least the Rocky Mountain Froriders will be pleasantly surprised to find the indoor bike park when they show up to buy new wigs.
  • 28 0
 Anyone from the area realizes this is a legit question.
  • 15 0
 Moving to the roof. It's the only logical explanation for making that part of the bike park seasonal.
  • 19 142
flag mininhi (Sep 22, 2022 at 21:08) (Below Threshold)
 Great, by the time this is completed the next Faux-demic BS hits and then noones gonna be able to use it
  • 69 11
 @mininhi: shut up
  • 48 1
 It really reveals how far bricks and mortar retail has fallen, that the competition for this high profile space is between Spirit Halloween and a bike park that could just as well locate in a warehouse. I was party to discussions about trying to open indoor skate and bike parks in Vancouver going back almost 30 years. Indeed it never seemed to make sense, given that the weather is more or less OK for outdoor riding most of the year and the accessible population is only 2.5 million people. I remember when Ray's MTB opened and we, particularly street riders, were all jealous. It wasn't really the rain either, it's the cold making it hard to anything freestyle-ish but also the constant darkness outside of work hours. But Ray's is not only in a region where you can't really ride at all for a good chunk of the year but it's within a days drive for like 200 million people or something. Maybe we now have a combination of the growth of mountain biking the success of smaller places like Air Rec, and the ability to get Grade A high profile retail space for affordable rents. I for one will be spending the winter honing my jump skills and regaling teenagers with stories about North Shore teeter totters of the late 90's.
  • 5 0
 Hah! I thought that was just an American thing.
  • 11 41
flag shredddr (Sep 23, 2022 at 2:57) (Below Threshold)
 @mininhi: bro those fake pandemics only come around every 100 years or so. Learn your history bro.
  • 6 0
 I hate saying this but the spirit of Halloween will appear in our local bike shops
  • 3 0
 Why can’t we combine the two?
  • 9 1
 @mininhi: go back to investigating the moon landings. They desperately need your intelligence there.
  • 2 0
 @The-Foiling-Optimist: "Grade A high profile retail space for affordable rents" this cannot happen in our society, gentrification with erect condos everywhere to make the rich development companies richer and push out the lower and middle class
  • 7 0
 @The-Foiling-Optimist: True we can pretty much ride mountain bikes all year, but dirt jump/bmx stuff was always a no go through winter. I remember having to drive down to Burlington pre-Air Rec Center to ride jumps during the "off season". I'm stoked this place is going all wood rather than indoor dirt jumps. I've always found indoor dirt jumps to be gimmicky. They require too much maintenance and take up a lot more space. I'm super glad Air Rec paved the way though for getting something like this to become a reality. It sounded like the cost of the space needed and insurance was always the biggest headache. I hope Air Rec still thrives with this place incoming. N+1 after all.
  • 5 0
 @samslichter: @mininhi won't be able to ride there. His head is too far up his ass
  • 3 12
flag mininhi (Sep 23, 2022 at 18:12) (Below Threshold)
 @Yaan: both ya'll cant handle other peoples opinions. which color are you on the flags or do you take em both ways too?
  • 9 0
 @mininhi: So what's your take on the millions that lost their lives and the health care workers that worked relentlessly to save lives.
Is all that made up?
  • 3 0
 @leon-forfar: You're dead right about indoor dirt. It's quite incompatible with concrete floors as well as the latter gets extremely slippery with just the dust from nearby dirt piles. (Insert long story here about me negotiating with Exhibition Place Toronto's resident Carpet Nazi twenty years ago to get around this problem) I'm going to guess the new place will not impact Air-Rec's business too much. The latter is pretty far away for casual visits from Vancouver or the north shore so I'm going to guess it will expand the pie. I could actually see going there rather than night skiing, depending on the weather. I hope they have an airbag!
  • 95 15
 There is a 10 million square km bike park right outside - called Canada.
  • 48 14
 There's also thing call rain and it's pretty active 9 mo/y in Vancouver. Many trails don't do well in the rain, especially jump/flow ones.
  • 45 10
 Lol @ ottawa guy commenting on Vancouver weather.
  • 14 12
 @hypa: because people totally can’t move around. Definitely not possible that they grew up there or they lived there before. Also not possible that maybe they do live there without updating their profile.
  • 22 0
 @kanasasa: I live on the Shore. We have lots of fully armored trails that handle the wet all year long. Its pretty unique for canada in that you can ride all year long as long as you are smart with your trail choices.

Its a different story pretty much anywhere else in canada. If you drive an hour north or an hour west and there is more snow to deal with.
  • 22 2
 @DKlassen8: where did I say you can't ride year round? Just majority of riders don't. And trail selection is limited.
My 7yo doesn't ride in rain, I do. This news made him really happy
  • 11 1
 @kanasasa: yeah the bigger issue is general lack of jumps
  • 3 2
 i whilst not being from canada fully agree with this statement
  • 11 8
 @kanasasa: you spent 9 months in a bag of fluid , a bit of rain will not hurt you, your bottom bracket might get shagged but you are 100% waterproof and breathable
  • 2 1
 freakin ridiculous. This is like GTA vs real life
  • 2 0
 @DKlassen8: that's amazing...I'm crossing my fingers for another 8 weeks of riding here in northern Vermont.
  • 6 1
 @Compositepro: again, wrong person, I ride rain or shine (or snow) year round, night rides as well. Just aware there are many that don't (and won't).
  • 1 5
flag Compositepro (Sep 23, 2022 at 7:35) (Below Threshold)
 @kanasasa: good man...glad to see you realized being waterproof is a birthright unlike some who wont and dont
  • 13 0
 This is classic Vancouver, getting bitchy and arguing when someone tries to build them somewhere new to ride their bike.
  • 13 0
 People talking about being able to ride outside all year here. These are jumps, not mountain bike trails. Traditional style dirt jumps shouldn't be ridden, and mostly can't be ridden if it's properly raining/rainy season. The ground is too soft, slippery, and sloppy to have the speed. It just ruts up the lips, landings, and flat bottoms to the point that they can just fall apart. If you are riding dirt jumps in the off season, you are causing massive damage to the jumps and leaving the builders with a ton more work to get them back to being good come spring/summer.

Even the mountain bike jump trails hold up "ok" in the rain (you still should stay off them) since drainage can be better implemented when there is a lot of grade on the hill, but dirt jumps are typically on MUCH flatter terrain and are built with much more clay in the dirt. Dirt jump drainage can only go so far.
  • 10 0
 @keeqan: Exactly. this isn't for the "hardcore north shore bro" that rides in pissing rain and calls people weak who chose not to get hypothermia to go with their ruined drive train. 6 year old kids who are getting into bikes and love riding don't necessarily love riding in the rain and cold, along with the casual weekend warrior and those with time restraints would be stoked on an indoor park which provides dry riding and progression all under one roof.

As a bmx rider who dabbles in mountain bikes, I would much rather ride jumps or ramps over MTB and the options for dry riding in the winter are extremely limited in the Lower Mainland. For me (and I'm sure many other people) this place will be perfect. Air Rec is cool but it's also a 45-60 minute drive and as a new parent I don't have the time to spend almost 2 hours travel time to ride for an hour or so, so this place being 5 minutes from my house is an amazing gift to me and other people in the area. If you enjoy riding in shitty conditions by all means carry on doing so, but many people don't and I'm sure many of the people being negative on here will most likely end up riding here anyway...
  • 2 1
 @Stuartkbmx: I hope this business succeeds! It is waaaay better than Sears. I don't think @bishopsmike was saying he doesnt like the idea. But it does seem a little bit pointless?

If you live in vancouver, rain is just a part of life. You have to go work in it and you have to walk your dog in it. Your hypothermia comment makes no sense. Honestly we lose more mountain bikers in the winter to skiing more than anything.
  • 4 0
 @DKlassen8: my comment wasn't necessarily directed at him and I was responding to someone mentioning Vancouverites bitching about getting great new things handed to them on a plate. As a transplant here, it seems that is very much a way of life that I will never understand.

Hypothermia was for a dramatic effect, but you get my point. Yes, it rains a lot here and it is a part of life, but if there's an option to not ride in the rain then I'm all for it. As I mentioned, I prefer bmx to mountain bikes and being originally from a country/city that sees little rain and is blessed with ideal riding weather most days of the year, I personally and selfishly don't like riding in the rain so for me anyway this place will be great.

Each to their own if you like riding in the rain, but I feel this place is not aimed at that demographic and is looking to target a different and potentially new group of riders all together.
  • 1 0
 @Stuartkbmx: I am also a transplant here. The winter can be great because of the lack of crowds and the new challenges. That "easy" trail can be become very difficult in the wet, which is a nice challenge. Being muddy after every ride sucks though.

You are totally right. This a great option for everyone.
  • 2 0
 @kanasasa: just need a 400 dollar rain jacket
  • 51 1
 Finally, a reason to go to the mall!
  • 8 4
 Just add food, beer...maybe a Hooters.
  • 4 1
 @jrocksdh: what’s hooters?

-me, a canadian
  • 9 0
 We can all thank Jeff Bezos for making this bike park possible
  • 6 1
 @me2menow: I thank bezos for not having to waste time at shopping malls.
  • 4 0
 @louiefriesen: an American wing and bar food-ish eatery popular in the 90s treading dangerously close to getting #MeToo'd
  • 2 0
 @Connerv6: still very popular today!
Thriving.
  • 42 2
 Some of the best riding in the world and now a indoor bike park the size of some shopping malls. If you can afford to live there there's nowhere better than Vancouver.
  • 16 0
 That's.... why I'm here. Wink (though 'afford' is a strong word)

Looks like a fun option to shake things up a bit.

I think the final note about Endless is a pretty awesome example of how a space like this can be used- perfect for certain kinds of lessons/skills coaching, especially though the winter when there's a bit more downtime on the coaching side of things.
  • 20 1
 They didn't even mention the Air Rec Center, just a short drive east of Vancouver.
  • 13 0
 @barp: the air rec center is a treasure. You gotta love having the ability to train in the dark months in maple ridge
  • 1 3
 @barp: The Abbotsford Rec Centre? Is that still just BMX?
  • 1 1
 @barp: Nevermind, It's in Maple Ridge and Poco. That looks sick.
  • 3 1
 Yep. My wife’s mom lives up there. Her small, very old house is worth millions now. We live down in Seattle and make an effort to visit every few months.
  • 5 0
 @hypa: Every month is a dark month in the Ridge. Wink
  • 2 8
flag yoimaninja (Sep 23, 2022 at 5:40) (Below Threshold)
 Not tryna hate, but for something that's going to claim the title BCs "largest indoor bike park" 65,000 sqft really isnt thaaat big for. For reference and for those who have been, Ray's is 92,000 and The Wheel Mill is 80,000.That said it's certainly better than nothing and the outside part almost doubles it. Rooftop jumps sound sweet so long as no one yeets themselves off it.
  • 4 0
 @wblack86: hope the visits pay off
  • 3 0
 @rrolly: looool do people really call it that? That's almost as bad a mf from squamish calling it squamton...
  • 1 0
 @barp: I heard it's closing.
  • 13 0
 @yoimaninja: jeez,
Regardless of how big Rays is, this would still be BC’s largest indoor park. You do understand how that works right, Ray’s, or the Wheel Mill is not in BC…..
  • 1 4
 @onawalk: right not arguing semantics, just saying 65,000 is a lot smaller than I think most people realize for an indoor bike park. But hard to complain about more places to ride our bikes, especially when I don't even live there.
  • 4 0
 @yoimaninja: comparing to others not in the area doesn’t make sense.

However, 65k sf really isn’t much…I mean quite frankly neither is 70-80k. It’ll be a glorified pump/jump track, but that’s cool too I guess.
  • 1 0
 Maple ridge is actually quite nice. There’s a good trail system there (Thornhill), and it’s around 45 minutes to Vancouver, and 2 hours to Whistler.
  • 2 0
 @rrolly: my buddy just moved from ridge to Mission. Man, the sheer number of fat people with neck tattoos... now that place is dark, hahaha!
  • 1 0
 @louiefriesen: Nice place to live. Shitty to drive to, through or from. Spent 25 years there, wont go back because of the traffic.
  • 2 0
 @fabwizard: The secret is to never leave.
  • 1 0
 @fabwizard: I live near Fort Langley, I normally drive to Abbotsford to pick up a buddy then thru Mission to Thornhill, fairly easy drive.

Sometimes I'll go thru Maple Ridge but it's never been bad for me.
  • 1 0
 @louiefriesen: sounds like you take the easy way.

Maple Ridge has changed over the years from highway through to a stop light at every corner.

And every second driver thinks it is there job to slow down other drivers especially the passing lane
  • 2 0
 @louiefriesen: You live just down the road from me. Small world! I've probably run into you at thornhill or the woodlot, since that's where we ride too.
  • 1 0
 @hypa: I live on 100 Ave, you?

I have a DeVinci AC, and it looks like you do too lol.
  • 1 0
 @fabwizard: yeah I agree on the lights, there’s tons. But I guess for the traffic I normally don’t drive during rush hour (like 2pm there and 7pm back).
  • 2 0
 @louiefriesen: I love my AC so much. It does everything I want it to, including tearing up shoulder tendons as I constantly fight the extea weight, hahaha!
We're actually up on the hill looking into fort langley. I bike commute down 96th a couple times a week.
  • 43 4
 NO scooters !!!!!!
  • 9 26
flag bocomtb FL (Sep 22, 2022 at 20:52) (Below Threshold)
 Why are scooters bad?
  • 30 0
 @bocomtb: scouter kids have no concept of skate park etiquette
  • 11 0
 @bocomtb: They get in the way and the kids that usually ride them have no spacial awareness or etiquette.
  • 33 3
 @J3cc: Having ridden skateparks my whole life, it is not just scooter kids. Pretty much all novices on any type of wheels get in the way at some point. But they learn. everybody should be welcome
  • 4 2
 @antihero: i agree. I like seeing new kids at the skatepark. Even scooter kids that stick around will evetually learn and switch to skateboard.
However scooters have hade skateparks to accessible. Nog moms and there live year olds block lines all the time. Atleast with skateboard and bmx you can still have fun on street and you will start on the right end in the park
  • 20 3
 I do not agree with the sentiments in this thread at all. Why should we be excluding anyone from a skatepark based on what they are riding? Sure, scooters have made skateparks more accessible to more, and perhaps younger, children, but surely that is a good thing! More kids means more progression, and more skateparks / bikeparks for everyone. The next time a kid (scooter or otherwise) is standing in your line, try asking them politely to move, and explaining why. Etiquette is not something you suddenly get when you spend a certain amount of money on bikes; everyone has to learn it and you can help with that.
  • 6 0
 No kooks allowed at my core mall-riding spot!
  • 3 0
 @J3cc: like skateboarders at pump tracks?
  • 2 0
 @antihero: 100% rather than shun/demean them for having something different under their feet, give them the same mentorship as you would a new skateboarder and make the whole situation better for everyone

Unless you are using it as a way to drive people out and keep numbers down, but nobody would do that.

Seems it could apply outside skateparks….
  • 4 0
 @J3cc: You mean they're a spacial kind of stupid?
  • 27 1
 Meanwhile, in America, you aren’t even allowed to ride in the “birthplace of mountain biking.”
  • 25 1
 when has being allowed to do something ever stopped someone from doing it?
  • 10 1
 Wasn't the US founded on the principle of not following the rules?
  • 17 3
 @Mac1987: Precisely.... also why we had a President who was(is) a professional grifter.
  • 13 5
 @jaytdubs: and soon to be convicted criminal
  • 5 14
flag MOLDTRUTH (Sep 23, 2022 at 10:43) (Below Threshold)
 @jaytdubs: Keep Biden out of this conversation.
  • 9 0
 @MOLDTRUTH: haha, that trope isn't going to age well.
  • 20 0
 Indoor riding is about making the best of the bad situation of muddy trails and long winter nights. It’s a very social thing. When I first started Rays everyone was concerned about it being too lame. So the first few years we built stuff that was way too big for a lot of the locals because I wanted it to look bad ass. The next five years all we did was make things a little easier to ride and more fun and flowing. We found that people didn’t want to take as big of a risk during the winter indoors as they would outside in the summer. They use the indoor park to just chill, out recover from their summer injuries and generally just have fun. I’ve had some of the best riders in the world visit my place And I’ve asked them personally what they thought and the responses I got was right in line with what I just said. You can’t put a mountain indoors but you can build stuff that’s reminiscent of being outside that doesn’t have a huge penalty. Riding indoors is basically about saving your strength for summer or just maintaining your skill level and fitness until spring comes. Everyone should be happy that somebody is willing to stick their neck out to open up a place for everyone to have such fun. Instead of making jokes and making fun of the place you should be there offering your help and being happy to pay the entrance fee to have such a place to hang out with your friends, talk bikes and just have fun until summer comes back. That’s what my place has morphed into. this winter if you happen to be at this new place and see the owners, take five minutes and thank them for building such a place. You have no idea how much work it is to keep such an endeavor functioning. Don’t walk around and think about how much cooler it would’ve been if you did it, you didn’t do it. They did. So don’t worry about what you would’ve done until you’re ready to write the check for it. Just stay in there and smile and say, I’m grateful for this place and I’m going to support it and just have fun.
  • 1 0
 Ray's is fucking sick and should be on every mountain biker's bucket list, regardless of weather or season
  • 21 0
 Literally, a block away from where I live...and I work from home... ;-)
  • 4 0
 @DKlassen8: Same deal for me. I’m spitting distance from Steed. This makes for a happy option.
  • 9 0
 Goodbye productivity
  • 1 0
 No more need to have a chain on your BMX Smile .
  • 2 0
 @fektor-b: …but, hello fitness!
  • 19 0
 This is the best thing to happen to Sears in 40 years!
  • 21 4
 Please No scooters, just mtb and bmx
  • 5 0
 I'd like to see no scooters either, but from a purely financial standpoint, they're a big segment of the crowd that would use a facility like this, and with a sizeable overhead cost structure for a place like this, it would def make the business case make way more sense to have them. Talked to a few folks that have had similar ideas to this in other locations and the numbers are a lot tighter without them.
  • 15 0
 Its about time the good folk of North Vancouver had somewhere decent to ride, genuinely happy for them. Now off to ride my 60sec trails in the pissing rain.
  • 11 2
 68,000 x $25/sq.ft/yr ($40+ mor realistic) = $1,700,000.00 rent per year
$141,666.00\mnth / 28 operating days per month = $5,060.00 per day
$5,060.00 / $25.00 per person = 202 paying customer per day.

202 people per day driving to Caplilano to ride for 1-2 hours.?

This is only to cover rent.
Not employees, equipment, insurance, etc….

Even if the rent was even more severely discounted ($25sqftpy is heavily discounted for mall real estate) this would be a money losing venture before even starting.

And this doesn’t account for startup construction costs……

I’d say a massive $4million dollar kickstarter is needed.
  • 9 0
 Ray's MTB in Cleveland has 14 sponsors, including Trek. That = big $. I assume these guys will go down a similar path.
  • 5 0
 apparently rent is/was next to nothing... how they are able to make it work
  • 5 0
 Joyride 150 in the GTA is $31 a day for adults. It's all the way up in Markham and if you go on a weekend morning in the winter months it's packed. They easily have that many people in a day, likely a multiple of your number on those weekends.

Plus there's:
Rentals
Concessions
A bike shop
Memberships
Summer camps

I was worried that Joyride 150 might not survive the pandemic, but they did and they seem to be going strong.
  • 7 0
 Think you are are seriously over estimating the rent $. That space has been empty for several years and the Landlord hasn’t got a clear alternate use plan. I’m the GM of a nearby Mall and reckon the rent would be max $1m/yr. Super looking forward to this opening to find new ways to injure myself on the North Shore
  • 3 0
 @RDC1: rent is next to nothing from what I was told
  • 4 0
 What you need to understand is that the small completely sucks. It has many vacant retail spaces inside it. It has absolutely no life to it and is clinging on to absolutely nothing. I can imagine that this riding space will be somewhat affordable for rent. I applaud the cap mall managers for being welcoming something different as it's a massive space and I wish this project the best of success. I feel like if a spirit of Halloween store has come into your mall it's the kiss of death for the whole operation.
  • 1 0
 They could do the rental just to cover operating costs until they develop the property. But given how high property taxes are your 1.7 mill would likely be minimum they would have to pay per year. Fingers crossed we get a few years out of it and introduce more people to our sport. I do see an issue pulling customers from other areas as North Vancouver bridges have a horrible traffic reputation and this location is not near transit to DT Vancouver.
  • 12 0
 Lucky! You ever take it off any sweet jumps?
  • 7 0
 Vote for Pedro
  • 7 1
 This is great news! While we are waiting could you please build a Velosolutions pump track for us...pretty pls. Not that I feel entitled, but yes I want it all.
  • 6 3
 username checks out... build your own sh$t
  • 7 0
 in italian we say "piove sul bagnato", literally "it rains where it's wet already" haha
  • 7 0
 Florida has former Sears Stores too?
Ugh ughm Smile

FLORIDA has former Sears stores

FLORIDA HAS FORMER SEARS STORES!!
  • 3 0
 I don't have flow and can usually only clear beer cans with my bunny-whip, and I never found time to try B-Line in Calgary before I moved. But I would check this out for sure, not only for the fun but the potential to build skills. Also, the one time I got a couple days to ride the North Shore a few years ago I did a private guided ride day with Endless Biking. I can't remember my ride coach's name but he was chill and led me on fitness and skill appropriate trails. As I preferred, he offered feedback only when I asked for it, and the right amount of encouragement when I needed it. I would do an activity with them again as well, so could be a really good combo with them partnered up with this bike park.
  • 1 0
 Wow of all places! I cannot believe they are constructing an indoor bike specific park in North Vancouver, which by the looks of the plans will exclude other wheeled sports, those of which cannot be done safely in the rain; those sports that would be far better suited to such a facility...

Don't take this the wrong way, I get it. But honestly there is a huge, and growing community of skaters/ BMX'rs and Scooter'rs, that also really need an indoor facility for those wet days. And if you aren't familiar, it rains here a lot!


Vancouver is globally recognized for its MTN biking, but it is just as much a city, recognized for some of the best, and oldest skateparks in north America.

I'm not sure if this space is privately funded or city. but IMHO we could use, at the very least, an all inclusive indoor facility or more support for additional facilities, in both Vancouver and North Vancouver.

Thx much!
  • 5 0
 I will break many bones there in the future
  • 5 0
 RIP ye old Lumberyard, and twas just a slice of this thing
  • 2 0
 Hear hear.
  • 2 1
 I always have mixed feeling about these. I definitely prefer riding my mountain bike, but as a parent of a kid who loves BMX and DJs, I worry places like this will build kind of lame indoor MTB features where they could be building an amazing skatepark style indoor facility.
  • 1 0
 20 years ago I worked at Home Depot in Bham. They had built their building right next to the Home Base (remember that?) and blocked it from view for those driving along I5. Pretty standard predatory corporate practice. Subsequently, the Home Base goes out of business and its just sitting vacant. I was always dreaming of something like this, with some dirt jumps outside protected by an awning. Maybe have a rockclimbing wall inside to take advantage of the vertical. I was working at Home Depot so obviously I had no money to do anything, but it was fun to dream.
  • 4 0
 Very progressive thinking on the behalf of North Van municipality. 100/10
  • 3 0
 This has been talked about since the early 2000s. Glad it's finally happening
  • 4 0
 EVERY city should have at least on of these places.
  • 3 0
 Wowww this is unbelievable news. Definitely going to check this place out!!
  • 2 0
 I expect there will be illegal trails built there by those who want more challenge.
  • 2 0
 Awesome. All we need now is a bike park on Cypress again.
  • 2 0
 So many comments from people who never built anything ….
  • 1 0
 Leon-forfar is correct. Wood is better. The comment above is spot on in every way.
  • 1 0
 This needs to happen in Seattle WA Area!
  • 2 0
 HOLY SHIT
  • 2 0
 Yeeee Haw!!!
  • 1 0
 looks like the old Milwaukee's Ray's to me!!!
  • 1 1
 I hope they mix the Halloween store with the bike bike park . Jump over scarecrows. Case and your smashing pumpkins.
  • 1 0
 You Vancouverites are spoiled rotten!
  • 1 0
 Trail dogs are the equivalent of scooter kids.
  • 1 0
 I neeeed dirt jumps, in my LIFE,
bro Smile !!
  • 6 5
 Are e bikes allowed?
  • 1 3
 Looking at Christina's bike featured here recently, I don't think I can easily tell which bikes have pedal assist and which don't. So no one will stop you. It doesn't really matter either as from what I understand, the motor only works when you pedal. And you won't pedal on the pumptrack anyway Smile .
  • 5 5
 Def also want to bring my trail dog too.
  • 1 1
 I might opt for migration to Canada now.
  • 2 4
 Really really feels like an April Fools joke…
  • 2 4
 build it out of dirt. 1000X better
  • 5 0
 10000% no. Indoor dirt jumps are gimmicky and never work as well as wood box jump lines. They require too much maintenance (which realistically cannot be done to the amount needed) and they take up way too much space. I've ridden a few indoor dirt jump parks, and the jumps always get super rough in a short period of time. The trouble is, you have to fully close them to rebuild them, and with the traffic they see, you would need to close them like 2-3 days a week to actually keep them in 90+% condition. That is too much lost riding time for paying customers. I also find that indoor jumps don't "behave" like outdoor jumps when it comes to watering/maintaining. They don't get the elemental erosion that leaves that magic moon dust in the flat bottoms, and they don't have the same kind of drainage that you get outside in nature. That moon dust is great once you wet a lip and broom it into all the cracks on the transitions. Indoor jumps become these big lumps of dirt that clump together and have an odd "smooth" texture (as in the surface of dirt is smooth, but the overall landings still get insanely rough with holes) that can be actually really slippery. It doesn't seem to let your tires hook up as well in some cases.

Box jumps = consistent wood lip needing no maintenance, and the landings will also be consistent and smooth. You can still deconstruct wood if you want to change the set up. Dirt lips are still my favourite, as they add character, but when you have to pay to ride a facility, conditions should be 100% always, which just doesn't and can't happen with indoor public dirt jumps.
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