by Mary Jo David

A crowd assembled on July 8, at Veterans Memorial Park in Stockbridge, to participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the community’s new pump track, which was financed through funds provided by the Stockbridge Downtown Development Authority (SDDA).

Readers may be asking themselves, “What’s a pump track, and why here?”

According to bermstyle.com, “A pump track is a continuous circuit of banked turns interspaced by rollers and other features that can be ridden on a bike without pedaling. … riders create momentum via up and down body movements called pumping.”

“We were looking at what to do about our older skateboard ramps, when I first heard about pump tracks,” explained Stockbridge Village Council member Molly Howlett, who shared the idea with Geri Uihlein and Mellisa Powers-Taylor to get the SDDA involved. Howlett added, “This just seemed like a great way to attract kids and adults in the community and to, hopefully, bring more interest to our businesses in Stockbridge.”

Powers-Taylor, vice chair of the SDDA, mentioned the pump track’s proximity to the trailhead for the Mike Levine Lakelands Trail in Stockbridge and even the DTE Energy Foundation Trail (for mountain bikes) in Waterloo. She explained that the combination of nearby trails and the pump track is helping to increase the allure of this area for bicycle enthusiasts.

The Stockbridge pump track was designed by VeloSolutions, a company that specializes in designing and building pump tracks and bike parks. The blacktop paving of the track in Stockbridge makes it even more functional than an unpaved pump track, as those riding bikes, skateboards, scooters, skates, balance bikes and longboards can participate. (Motorized vehicles are not allowed on the pump track.)

Dan Closser is a bicycling enthusiast from Chelsea. He and his wife Nikki, as well as their sons Van and Dre were on hand for the ribbon cutting and were among the first to try out the track.

“I love that I’m 40, and I can have fun riding this track along with my young sons who are 7 and 5 years old,” Closser said. Familiar with pump track designs, Closser added, “VeloSolutions designed this track with turns for gaining speed and maximizing the space. The blacktop is good for bikes, skateboards—anything with wheels—and I’m thinking it should require minimal maintenance.”

The day commenced with fits and starts of rain, but riders as young as 5 years old and others old enough to grow full beards took turns riding the “rollers,” as the rain held off for the SDDA’s pump track grand opening.

All photos by Mary Jo David