Until recently undeveloped, the site in Zabobrze, Jelenia Góra’s largest housing estate, is now home to a pumptrack. The facility has become not only a favourite training ground for cyclists and scooter riders, but also a place for environmental education.
A pumptrack is a specially designed asphalt obstacle course with bumps, turns and jumps arranged so that riders can accelerate and maintain their speed without pedalling. Riding on a pumptrack is very popular among children and young people, which is why such facilities are increasingly becoming part of the landscape of cities and towns. The one in Zabobrze is located on a sizable plot and consists of two tracks. The first, a several-hundred-metre dual track, is intended for advanced users. The second, smaller track is most often used by the youngest riders, but also by beginners learning to ride and perform tricks.
What fun
Thirteen-year-old Tymon is at the pumptrack every day whenever the weather allows. He has mastered various riding techniques and is now increasingly testing them at the nearby skatepark. His father, Krzysztof Bednarz, is pleased that instead of spending his free time at the computer, his son actively practises sport.
Andrzej Bira comes to the pumptrack with his grandson Kamil. He says it is great relaxation for a child, provided the child has a helmet and protective gear. There are always crowds of riders here.
- Proof of how good and necessary the idea of building a pumptrack here was is the number of young people using it every day, not only during the summer. This also convinced us to further expand the site with additional attractions, making it one of the city’s most important recreational and educational spaces for children and young people – Jerzy Łużniak, Mayor of Jelenia Góra, concludes the project.
Sport and the Environment
In addition to the training tracks, a shelter, bicycle racks, benches, information boards, lighting, monitoring and waste bins were installed. Trees and shrubs were also planted. A recreational path was created around the pumptrack for walkers and enthusiasts of rollerblading, skateboarding, scooter riding and, of course, cycling.
The construction of the facility helped raise environmental awareness and promote behaviour beneficial to the natural environment. The city’s website contains sections with information about the habitats of flora and fauna around the cycling track, as well as the natural value of protected areas – the Natura 2000 Kaczawskie Mountains and Foothills and the Bóbr Valley Landscape Park. Information about valuable protected species of birds, beetles and plants can be downloaded to a phone from the boards placed near the pumptrack.
The construction of the facility for cyclists was initiated by young city residents, who told city councillors and the mayor that it was needed. Jelenia Góra’s pumptrack is a bull’s-eye!
Information material from the Marshal’s Office of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.
