The official grand opening a of a new mountain pump bike track at Brad Ragan Park in Spruce Pine is Saturday, May 22nd. All ages are welcome to bring bikes and helmets and tryout the new track. This is the first track of this kind in Mitchell County. The Thickets mountain bike pump track is located at shelter #3 at Brad Ragan Park, 293 Laurel Creek Court in Spruce Pine. A pump track is an endless loop of rollers and berms where bicycle riders propel themselves through the track by shifting their body weight, or “pumping,” in conjunction with the track’s contours. With this means of maneuvering, this allows for little to no need to pedal. Pump tracks are used for recreational and skills development as well as being a community gathering place for all ages to play who enjoy bike riding. For the grand opening at 11 am there will be a ribbon cutting and demo rides by guest cyclists. The Town of Spruce donated the land for the pump track as well as a portion of the funding to build the track. Trail builder TJ Kearns constructed the track through purely volunteer hours, along with local mountain bike enthusiast Tim Kearns, who is also a Mitchell County Outdoor Recreation Task Force member and an international cyclist and record setter who lives in Spruce Pine. Chris Boone, who is known for his record setting bike ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and others, also contributed volunteer hours to complete the project. There is no charge to use the track.
