Nothing like a bit in the New York Times Sunday Sports section to bring a little national attention to the growing phenomenon of mountain bike parks! Below is the first bit of the story highlighting the new trails and features built over the past year at Angel Fire in New Mexico:
From NYT: Sweeping berms, jagged rocks, elevated wooden bridges and a gap jump that would make even a seasoned downhill mountain biker think twice.
Angel Fire Resort has it all, and bikers are noticing.
Host to past World Cup events, regional competitions and an annual 12-hour downhill endurance race, cycling enthusiasts say this small-town resort is on the verge of rivaling some of the most renowned mountain bike parks in North America.
A two-man team worked all summer to improve lines that scream down from the top of Angel Fire’s 10,650-foot peak, and management plans to bring the twosome back over the next four years to carve even more berms and jump lines through the resort’s privately owned patch of spruce and aspen trees.
“Within three or four years, Angel Fire is just going to explode,†said Tony Gradillas, a well-traveled downhill aficionado and co-owner of Bike Works in Albuquerque. “It will be a destination spot, for sure.â€
Read the rest here…
