Author Archive: Bijou Bike Park

Join us every Monday from 5:30pm until dark to do some much needed maintenance on the park. We will provide the tools.

We’ve been out there everyday until dark getting the bike park dialed before the grand opening this Saturday. Here’s a preview of the riding and working.

Join us for a big volunteer day this Saturday September 12th starting at 9am to get the bike park ready for the grand opening. We’ll be shaping a mini-flow trail, the loop trail and dialing in the jumps on the slopestyle lines. Free lunch and drinks provided.

It’s official, the grand opening of Bijou Bike Park is Saturday September 19th! We will literally have a parade through town to kick off the events. The City of South Lake Tahoe’s 50th Anniversary parade will end at the park around 11:30am and we’ll have a ribbon cutting around 12:30 then the park is open to the public. A jump jam at 2pm and a BMX race at 3:30pm. Limited parking will be available across the street at the College, so please ride your bike and don’t drive. Bring your family and your bikes and come celebrate!!!

The park is closed to the public still, you might see people out there riding, but right now we only have the volunteer builders and their families testing as the build progresses. A tentative grand opening date has been set for Saturday September 19 – pending all construction is complete and the site is revegetated, signage installed and proper safety measures are in place.

We will need help over the next few weeks to button up the site, meaning that all loose dirt is covered with native ground material, planted with a native seed mix and riding surfaces maintain proper compaction. Remember, this is a city park on a main street and the bike park has to look good too! If you have any experience in landscaping, and can donate time, materials or labor please let us know – email: info@ tamba.org

Thanks!

Construction on the slopestyle jump lines

We need help! If you have any experience building pump tracks (or have an interest in learning) we need volunteers today through Saturday at the Bijou Bike Park to help with shaping. Our pro-builder Alex Fowler from PumpTraxUSA.com will be there the everyday from about 9am until dark leading the build and we’ll have TAMBA crew leaders there in the evenings. Bring a shovel if you can and join us!

Bijou Bike Park Update: 3 weeks into construction today, Aug 5. This week the focus has been on the 3 slopestyle lines. We have a small group of “pro” TAMBA volunteers out there every day slapping dirt (including Kris, Cory, Matt, Rycon) The start hill is shaped, the small line is shaped, the medium line is being built with the large line to follow over the next couple days. All wedges are landings for the jumps, the jumps will all be steel framed and wood decked, but will not be here until early Sept. So please stay off the jump lines until they’re done. The BMX track is complete, slurry get’s added next week. Pump tracks start next week. We’ll be making a call for volunteers next week. Until then, see you at the Meyers Mountain Bike Festival this weekend!

We are busy building right now. Soon we will have some time to sit behind a computer and put together a new and improved site for you.
Until then, check out this video of the work we are doing filmed on the first day of construction, July 15, 2015.

On Tuesday March 3, 2015 the City of South Lake Tahoe’s City Council will vote on entering a partnership agreement with our volunteer group to construct the Bijou Bike Park. We need your support on this vote by telling the City Council members the benefits of the bike park. Please write a comment letter to council to make sure this vote passes, or if you have the time to make supporting comments in person attend the meeting (9am, City Council Chambers, at SLT Airport).

Talking points can include:

– The bike park is a recreation facility similar to sports fields, the skate park, the dog park and other existing uses in this public park. It is a missing amenity in high demand that the City can easily provide for the community and visitors.

– The City is getting a public improvement project valued at over $500,000* for an investment of approximately $200,000. The value of our volunteer in-kind services is estimated to be over $300,000 for professional services and labor upon completion of the project, with potential for high return on investment. *estimate based on costs for design, permit and construction estimate

– The Bijou Bike Park will be a high visibility project for the City with potential for national press. It complements trail projects occurring in the surrounding National Forest and summer improvements at Heavenly.

Support Letters can be emailed directly to the City Council Members: Contact information for City Council Members

Letters should be addressed to the City Clerk and All Council Members.

Susan Alessi, City Clerk
1901 Airport Rd or salessi@cityofslt.us

City Council Members

Hal Cole, Mayor hcole@cityofslt.us
Wendy David, Mayor Pro-Tem wdavid@cityofslt.us
Tom Davis tdavis@cityofslt.us
Joanne Conner jconner@cityofslt.us
Austin Sass asass@cityofslt.us

Read the full staff report with background information here.

There is still a lot of work ahead, including finalizing the  TRPA permit, contracting the build, construction. This has been almost 4 years in the making and there is a noticeable tide shift in Tahoe recognizing the importance of bikes, our collective voice is being heard! To get involved and find out more fill out the email form on our contact page or talk to us in person. Thanks!