North Augusta bike pump track is nearly finished

It's not officially open for business, but the dirt and some local bicyclists are already in the air in Riverview Park, with the help of a volunteer corps with a taste for off-road biking.

Helping lead the effort to build a bike pump track was Asheville resident Ben Blitch, who gave the project a thumbs-up review Tuesday afternoon.

"It's going great," he said. "The pump track is pretty much done, and the only thing it really lacks is getting some people out here to ride it, for compaction."

The track got plenty of attention from Wednesday through Monday, in particular, and plans are for the grand opening to be May 7 at 6 p.m., to coincide with the International Mountain Bicycling Association World Summit, which will be held in Augusta.

Referring to the track, Blitch said, "It's really unique, and it's great that it's underneath the trees. It's in the tree canopy. That's something that's missing a lot of times. Most of the time, these are out in open fields, and it will really add a lot - this pump track being in the trees."

Some users have described the track as offering the chance for an exceptionally intense workout, with riders using an assortment of muscle groups to keep circling the track with a minimum of pedaling involved. Much of the work is done by "pumping" the body, in rhythm, to maintain forward motion over the up-and-down course. Less experienced riders can also use the track, with less emphasis on strenuous exertion and precise timing.

The location is a campground area beside the disc golf course, close to the water-treatment facility, between the river and the Greeneway.

Sponsors are Andy Jordan's Bicycle Warehouse, Specialized Bicycles, the City of North Augusta, the CSRA chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association, Fox Racing Shox, Augusta Futurity, B4 Construction & Consulting Inc. and W.H. Reeves Construction Co.

More bike-based ideas are in the books, as noted in a press release from Andy Jordan's Bicycle Warehouse. It notes, "Future plans for the area include a 'bicycle skills area' consisting of skinny bridges, rock gardens and other natural obstacles, as well as three miles of single-track, mountain bike trails. When complete, North Augusta will be a total 'ride center.'"