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They have approved a pump track and skate area in Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre (OSC) near the Southampton Bike Park. There is an old boating lake that is no longer being used and the council plan to turn it into a Pump Track, Skate Area and Childrens Cycle Skills area.The risk is that they build a little skate park – like the many others around Southampton – a little pump track – like other under-used ones – and then have a flat area of tarmac for children to learn to ride with each separated so lots of wasted space between them.
I want to make sure they don’t build 3 little areas but rather build a big, integrated area capable of hosting national/international pump track races with skills areas and skate specific bits. This will mean a single big park for everyone to use.
I am in touch with the council and will be involved in the planning but I know from my experience with getting the Southampton Bike Park built, they love petitions with lots of signatures, preferably from a wider geographic area to show it will draw people into the facility and also ideally including women and other under-represented cycling groups.
But this is for a pump track, and family friendly stuff, that's likely to draw in business and visitors and things. There's too much of this stuff.
Where's the inaccessible and shred it worthy off piste gnarr with a passing place for parking my stealthcamper (tm) in?
Signed
That is all in the 'secret spot' up in Lordswood. You either know it or your not from round here and don't deserve to ride it 🙂
national/international pump track races
I'll own up to not knowing that was a thing...
Signed
Thanks - if you can get more lady folk to sign that would be great to emphasise how inclusive it will be. Perhaps if you offer to buy them a pretty bonnet? 🙂
When I was seeking signatures for local pump track etc, found it useful to contact local School groups/trusts to get letter of support inc them outlining potential benefits to school and their pupils.
Good idea. At the moment we have definite permission and funding. It is the scope of the design that I am seeking to influence. I want to get the skate park and bike park integrated rather than wasting space with fences between them. I also want to be able to host national and international events there which means there needs to be a 200m+ pump track available. This might be mostly in the main riding area and then a big curve around a skate specific area - who knows.
The risk is that the council split it into little pieces and give it to different companies to complete.
This will result in a standard little skate park which already exist around Southampton and a little pump track no better than a couple others that are around Southampton. If this happens then why bother coming to the Sport Centre for cycling when you can use what is in the local park? I want something truly inspirational and useable from very beginners up to the pro riders.
In Southampton Bike Park today I was talking to the mother of a 4 year old who was riding the Dual Track. She had come to see it because he other son had read about the pro-riders sessioning it on the front cover of MBUK (apparently another mountain bike magazine). Imagine a skate/pump track for anyone between 4 and pro-level.
I think I've successfully signed it and shared onward as well.
Signed.
Done and shared locally. Good luck!
Over 90 signatures on day 1.
Please keep sharing and signing of you haven't already.
Signed! Velosolutions did an amazing job here in Sheffield. The track is very well used by loads of folk. And I get a cheeky half lap in on the way to or from work.
Good luck.
Apparently I am not supposed to suggest any one company to do the work but I used one I picked at random to show how a good pump track should look and how it could also include other tricks and multi-discipline use. Now what were they called? Oh, I remember - Velo Solutions
Also a great head start to getting a round of the British Pump Track series and much wider publicity.
Is there a Petition to keep the boating pond? Or Wil that cause to much of a row?
Kye forte (forte trailscapes) does some very good pump tracks as well.
Just persuade them away from maverick for the skatepark. Don't need another skatepark with 3' quarters and any odd thing bigger with shit radius.
Is there a Petition to keep the boating pond? Or Wil that cause to much of a row?
👏 Come on now, stop talking rollocks.
signed - might have to do an outing from Andover to the Soton bike park!!
Kye did the upgraded surface on Southampton Bike Park which is great so I assume he will be in the running for this work too. I don't want to show sup[port for one company over another at this point. I first want agreement on the scope.
DaveBrookes - There is the Bike Park and also a few hours of singletrack in Lordswood which is about 500m fromt he park. Make a proper day of it.
Cheers WCA - I am ext Soton so aware of Lordswood. Got left behind by some friends the last time I rode there - so not been back for a while. With the bike park to, I really should try again 😉
Bumped for Friday afternoon.
I have a meeting with the Council Finance guy and a couple of other people at the back end of next week so please get as many to sign and share this as possible over then weekend. It will be very helpful.