McLaren Bike Park

If you’re in the neighborhood – put this meeting in your calendar: McLaren needs assessment #3: Wednesday May 19th, 2010.  6:30pm – 8:00pm @ Louis Sutter Playground Roundhouse.  We had a good showing of MBP supporters at the last meeting, and we need to continue that trend to push this project forward. This is also a great opportunity to meet your fellow bike park advocates in person.  Click on the city seal to the left to see official details about the needs assesment meetings

I wholeheartedly support the development of a bicycle skills park in McLaren Park. I was born and raised in and around the Excelsior neighborhoods. McLaren Park has been my playground and secret riding spot all my life. As a kid BMX was a huge part of the local neighborhood culture. Bands of working class Latino, Filipino, Black and White kids used to run the streets searching out dirt jumps, backyard ramps, and asphalt fixtures. Armed with our dads tools we built dirt tracks & ramps at Cotter St, Alemany Blvd, Cayuga Park, Corpus Christi… Many of us joined race teams with the two local bike shops at the time- Borelli’s & R/P Racing- and traveled the state racing in BMX competitions.

As I raise my four kids less than a mile away from McLaren Park I am confident a bicycle skills park will cultivate a new generation of bike riders on the South East side of the city. I know first hand the importance of having positive recreational activities that fall outside of the traditional sports. Bicycling has been my life saver, it kept me out of trouble and connected me to a tight knit group of friends, including community members who supported us. I look forward to a bicycle skills park that is community driven and supported by local residents, community organizations, area schools, churches and small businesses.

Male 37. 94112. 3/26/2010 23:44:49

It was a good meeting regarding the Mclaren Park Planning Process.  A few of us took the time to show up in support of the bike park.

A great many thanks to everyone who was there, and a great many thanks to those who took the time to fill out the first mclaren park survey.  A full report is available at sfurbanriders.org.

A room full of cyclists in support of a bike park and multi use trails: That’s the message that we need to get across to the planners and government of San Francisco at large.  Help us do so and  fill out the survey that runs in conjunction with the planning meetings.  There are no bike park – specific questions just yet, but feel free to put down your thoughts and dreams for the park in the ‘other’ category, as well as vote for the places most in need of rejuvination within the park.

This coming Tuesday, 3/23 at 6:30pm  is the second of three meetings designed to gather community input regarding the development and improvements within McLaren Park.  We need your help to support the vision of a bike park in McLaren.

Please consider taking an hour out of your evening to come out to the meetings, especially if you live nearby McLaren park and would like to see a bike park developed.

All the details of time and place can be found here.

And to make life easier, here’s a google map of the meeting location.

What an excellent addition to the park this would be!

Female 56. 94110. 3/20/2010 21:56:47

Bicycles are good for kids and adults. Its healthy and brings good usage to a park that needs to be untilized in a positive way. I am a neighbor of the park and a father of a little boy I hope can use the new track and trails when they are built.

Male 42. 94134. 3/20/2010 18:04:06

I have been an avid mountain biker for 16 years. The last 6 I have lived in San Francisco. SF is a great city to live in, however there is very little decent mountain biking / DH free riding to do in the City. This is a great project and a great idea for the mountain biking community in San Francisco.

Male 29. 94115. 3/19/2010 13:34:19

As a past SF resident and nearby neihbor (Berkeley) I fully support the creation of a bike park in SF. I’d travel across the Bay to ride it and no doubt would support some SF businesses while I’m over there.

Male 34. 94703. 3/19/2010 13:06:20

hey dudes at park & rec i am 100 years old and i want a dirt bike park in mclaren park, gotta stay in shape…thx

Female 100. 94110. 3/19/2010 11:50:25

I support McLaren Bike Park. McLaren Park is San Francisco’s largest and most forgotten park. It is underutilized, underdeveloped, and under appreciated. This corner of the City is often under served and this project is a huge step in bringing McLaren Park up to par with it’s more famous sister, Golden Gate Park and for brining more receational opportunities for this end of the City. With McLaren Bike Park, cyclists of all ages will have a technically challenging and engaging place to ride. More visitors to McLaren park will also spread park visitors out easing congestion in other parks. More visotors to McLaren park will also reduce the opportunity for illegal dumping and crime as these activities will be deterred by increased visibility. This project will serve as a catalyst to turn the park around and open the eyes of the City and Bay Area residents to what a great resource McLaren Park is, hidden right under their noses.

Male 35. 94014. 3/19/2010 10:14:52