Bikers Want a Park in San Juan

Travis Engle, 30, often clad in jeans and skate shoes, has been taking his turn at the lectern in the council chambers the past few weeks, gauging decision-makers’ willingness to share the equestrian capital of the West with riders of different sorts—BMXers.

He wants the city to provide the land—he sees the Northwest Open Space as a prime location—for a bike park. He and other bikers are confident they can raise the money to build the tracks. His arguments for such a park have caught the attention of several city commissioners.

Unlike a concrete skate park—which the city has sought grant money to build—a bike park wouldn't be permanent or expensive, since it would be built of dirt, Engel has said while standing at the lectern. It would be wildly popular, he said, attracting people from across Orange County and beyond, even bringing in sales tax revenue for the city. Engle can cite only  four such parks in California.

"There’s nothing being done publicly to stoke that fire," he said of the fact that neither municipalities nor corporations are tapping the popularity of bikes to people of all ages, interests and skill levels.

Engle will deliver a presentation at the City Council meeting Tuesday night.

He moved from the western suburbs of Chicago to Southern California after working in a bike shop for eight years. He was delighted at the prospect of living near Sheep Hills in Huntington Beach, only to be disappointed that the old-school, illegally built track of jumps was not on par with the progression of the sport and many riders' skills.

His spirits were lifted upon discovering Marina Hills, an unsanctioned belt of man-made jumps that straddled the Laguna Niguel and San Juan Capistrano city boundaries. Disappointment struck again when the site was flattened by the landowners in November. "We lost our paradise," he said.

Now he and other local groms are turning to the city. Although they believe the county may be more willing to jump on board with the idea and has more vacant land to offer, Engel thinks there will be less red tape going through San Juan's City Hall. Plus, he loves the town and wants to see it built in his own "backyard."

"It doesn't have to be open space," Engel said. But "the Northwest Open Space is the most logical. The precedent has already been set that [open space] doesn't have to be just dirt. And, if you can't enjoy it intimately, it's just window dressing."

He has drawn up blueprints for the park's three main components: a pump-track (a looped track with rollers and berms), a skills park and an advanced area.

In addition to backing from some local politicians, Engel is supported in his efforts by local bikers.

About 30 of them gathered for a barbecue and rally of sorts Friday afternoon outside of Buy My Bikes—where Engle has worked for eight years. They gathered for a group photo, holding up a sign that read "If you build it, we will ride it."

"I'll stop at nothing to see it happen," Engel said. "It's going to happen. It may not be in in San Juan Capistrano, but it's going to happen."