Plans proposed for major Tralee bike park to rival best in Europe

Tralee is considering creating an urban bike park, similar to facilities in Lisbon and Glasgow, a council meeting has heard.

A one-acre site with room for expansion is all that is required for a world-class urban bike park facility for local families as well as tourists, according to plans put to the meeting by a representative of Mountain Biking Kerry.

Meetings with councillors and officials have already taken place, the Tralee Municipal Meeting heard.

Up to 300 people now participate regularly in mountain biking in Kerry between adult events in Killarney and youth rides to Dingle. However the nearest proper facilities are in Co Cork in Coillte woodlands, representative Anluan Dunne, said.

Kerry hosted three major events in mountain biking in 2019. And while “the explosion in mountain biking” has been recognised by the Government with a €13.6 million investment in national bike trails, none of the money went to Kerry.

An urban bike trail could be delivered at “a fraction of the cost” of a national trail centre, Mr Dunne said.

“Tralee is the natural location for the facility due to its population size and its established position as the county’s gateway town for adventure sports,” he said.

He said an urban bike park would be an ideal place for families and for younger cyclists to learn how to pedal and get to know rules of the road in a safe environment. It would also be a selling point for tourists.

The proposal is for an asphalt surface bike park centred on a competition-grade pump track with a series of banked corners interlinked with smooth bumps and areas of gravel and drop-offs.

Such a facility in Glasgow resulted in a dramatic fall in just one year in vandalism, drug use and crime among bored youth.

An old golf course was used in Leeds and in Lisbon, Portugal, one acre in the centre of the city had become a major attraction, the meeting heard.

Tralee manager Michael Scannell revealed the local authority had three sites in mind – the Wetlands facility on the Blennerville side, a woodland site and “a third alternative”. All three would be examined and the best chosen.

Meanwhile, the council also finalised plans for a new boxing gym and gym hall and related facilities on a brownfield site which is part of the Mitchels area of regeneration, at Cloonmore.