Mountain Bike Club set to pump it up

A new bike track, aimed at helping youngsters find their feet in the mountain biking world, is to be built in Marlborough.

A double-circuit pump track, a continuous loop of berms and jumps, is about to take shape in Blenheim, next to the Rifle Range Place car park in Witherlea, as soon as soil for the track can been sourced.

Marlborough Mountain Bike Club committee member Fraser Brown said the new track would be a step up from the bike track built alongside the Taylor River, beside the Monro St car park.

‘‘We wanted to create a bit of a children’s bike skills area but also something that adults can have a hoon around on and a bit of fun on,’’ he said.

‘‘It will add something to the trail network that’s already in the Wither Hills. Youngsters can start up on the pump track and then develop some skills and move further up onto the mountain bike track within the mountain bike park and around the hills.’’

Brown said the track would be wide enough for two people to race each other at the same time and ideal for people of all skill levels.

‘‘It will be similar to what they have up in Rotorua for the Crankworx bike festival,’’ he said.

He said it was an exciting time for mountain bikers in the region, especially as more people were getting into the sport.

‘‘Over the last couple of years we have been doubling our club membership, sitting around 300 this year.

‘‘It seems like there are a lot of families getting involved.

‘‘There’s a lot of younger families moving into the region as part of the wine industry and are staying in the region.’’

Avid-mountain biker George Kennington said he was stoked a new pump track was being built.

‘‘It’s a bloody good idea. I’ll use it all the time.

‘‘It’s right there at the entrance of the [Wither Hills Farm] park. People will come in and use it on the way in and out,’’ he said.

As soon as the Mountain Bike Club found suitable soil to build the track, Brown said it would take a couple of months for it to be created.

‘‘Getting the right soil is critical to the longevity of it. If we can find some decent clay then it packs in really well and the surface lasts a lot longer,’’ he said.

The bike track at the Rifle Range car park would be available for everyone to use once it was built.

FRASER BRITTON The pump track in Blenheim will be similar in style, but much smaller than, the Rotorua Crankworx pump track.