Bike Park coming together

The new Whanganui Bike Park beside London St is really beginning to take shape.

Stage 2 of the community bike park on London St is nearing completion as it becomes possible to get an idea of what the finished product, which was initially all volunteer work, will ultimately look like.

A project between Sport Whanganui and the Whanganui Mountain Bike Club, work started early last year on the new park - the first stage involved fencing and building a junior pump track.

Then a grant from 4 Regions Trust allowed organisers to employ Paul Langlands - a professional track designer and BMX rider - to design and construct the senior riders track.

Langlands and a group of young local riders worked on the layout for over 12 days.
Sport Whanganui's community sport manager Jodie Brunger said she has been "blown away" by the generosity of the contributors.

"We have had so many different groups get behind the project in so many different ways, from Whanganui Intermediate students building bench seats to Emmetts allowing the use of their crane to install an 11 and a half tonne culvert they donated to the park.

"These are just two examples of how the community has got behind the project and made it their own."

Morrie Gibbons Signs have provided signage which shows all the track partners, and Brunger said they have to increase the size of it because more are coming on board.

Plans across coming weeks are to do planting around the track, with Sport Whanganui and Whanganui Mountain Bike Club updating their Facebook pages to drum up volunteers to come help.

It is hoped to start the construction of Stage 3 of the park later this year.

This will involve creating a tar sealed road with traffic lights, Stop and Give Way signs and a roundabout.

Leighton Toy, general manager of property for Whanganui District Council, said the contribution from businesses and volunteers has been outstanding.

"It shows real community spirit and will be another recreational asset for Whanganui when it is completed.

"Even though it is a facility for bike riders, when the picnic tables and shades are installed it will be a useable as an outdoor area for everyone.

"The council is really happy to have been able to make this land available for this purpose."

A full list of Community Bike Park track partners includes:
Bullocks, Loaders, Jurgens Demolition, Whanganui Mountain Bike Club, The Bike Shed, Sport Whanganui, Whanganui District Council, Shane Stone Builders, Whanganui Intermediate School, Mitre 10 Mega Wanganui, Morrie Gibbons Signs, The Tree Truck, Four Regions Trust, Andrew Horrocks, Harrisons Hire Master, For Our Kids, Whanganui Hot Rod Club, Whanganui Fire Service, Tar Tek, Ross Clarke, Drainworld, Velo Ronny's Bicycle Store, Julia and Richard Murray, Display Associates, Matt & CMC Haulage Wanganui, Emmetts, Porter Hire, Kingsgate Hotel, Paul Langlands, Shade NZ, Camtract Civil Contractors, Hoskin Transport, Bullocks Concrete, Wanganui Concrete Contractors and Adrian from Pettit Concrete Flooring.