SAN MARCOS — Hundreds of wheels descended on Bradley Park on Monday for the grand opening of an 8-acre bike park and pump track, welcoming riders of all levels, from novice to expert.
Construction of the $1.1 million park began earlier this year. The bike park involved importing 14,000 cubic yards of donated dirt, which Schneider Grading then shaped into a pump track, perimeter trail and jump lines in collaboration with professional mountain bikers Austin “Bubba” Warren of Alpine and Shreddie Eddie Reynolds.
At a grand opening event on Monday, Deven Schneider of Schneider Grading called the new park a work of art.
“It’s just such a pleasure to create things like this,” Schneider said. “I hope you guys like it. We put our heart and soul, truly, into this project.”
The land at the southeast corner of Bradley Park was officially designated for a bike park last fall after sitting vacant for decades with limited development options, largely because of its history as a former landfill. It has typically been used as the gathering spot for the city’s Fourth of July fireworks show.
Conversation and planning for the facility kicked off in 2017, following strong pushback to the city’s removal of an unofficial bike jump line constructed by local youth on a protected open space.
San Diego Mountain Biking Association Executive Director Susie Murphy said the hundreds of people who attended the park’s opening on Monday demonstrate the pent-up demand for a facility like this. The organization has been a leading advocate for bike parks throughout San Diego County.
“There’s an obvious need for this kind of riding. It appeals to riders of all ages as young as 3, and probably riders that are 70 … all ages that can enjoy a facility together, from BMX bikes to dirt jumpers and mountain bikes,” Murphy said.
The park’s funding was a massive group effort, with dollars provided by the city’s General Fund, the San Diego Mountain Biking Association, Friends of San Marcos Parks and Recreation, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors’ Neighborhood Reinvestment Grant, and the state Parks and Recreation Proposition 68 Per Capita Program.
Warren, who resides in Alpine and has helped design various bike parks, as well as being a pro biker himself, said he wanted to help create a park that could be enjoyed by pros as well as new riders.
“The city basically came in and said, ‘build what you want.’ That doesn’t happen very often,” said Warren. “We wanted to make it a place for the common person to ride and just have fun … It’s just been a passion job.”
The next-closest bike skills parks with the same level of amenities are located at San Diego’s Pacific Highlands Ranch Community Park, Greg Cox Park in Chula Vista and Sweetwater Bike Park in Bonita.
However, the San Diego Mountain Biking Association works with other North County jurisdictions to open similar bike parks. Carlsbad’s planned Veterans Memorial Park will include a bike park when it opens in 2025, and Escondido leaders have also approved plans and funding for the John Masson Memorial Bike Park at Jesmond Dene Park.
“We’ve been working on these for like a decade,” Murphy said.
Bradley Bike Park is located at 1587 Linda Vista Drive and is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to sunset.
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