Canada’s capital of Ottawa has had a few indoor skateparks over the years, but nothing quite like the Epic Indoor Bikepark. At 53,000 square feet, this place is going to give Joyride 150 a run for its money.
Owner Lin Zhang is the first to admit she doesn’t know much about ramp riding, but she’s put together a killer team to get the place built. Jordan Bonafico is leading the charge; he’s been riding for years and took three months off of his architect technologist job to build the park. And he’s got tech wizard Steven Moxley banging nails and assisting design. And they’re all living at Zhang’s house.
“All the boys live in my house,” says Zhang. “I like them. For me it’s a big adventure. It makes me very excited about the project. I don’t know anything about riding, I just looked at it and want to have a great nice place to ride for the riders. That’s my intention. I want to build a park that the riders will call home.”
In a town where winters are long and cold, a place like this is long overdue. And to local bike shop Joe Mamma, the park represents nothing but good things for the cycling community.
“I’ve been looking at doing this for years, but haven’t been able to figure it out,” says Joe Mamma owner Jose Bray. “I sat down with Lin Zhang for an hour and she has me convinced this will work. She’s learned how to do it through the trampoline businesses she runs.”
That business is the very successful Skyzone Indoor Trampoline Park. In Zhang and Bray’s mind a similar model should be a viable business. The Epic Indoor Bikepark has three party rooms, beginner pump tracks, advanced jumps, strider friendly obstacles, a cross-country loop and a rental fleet big enough to get 70 kids out riding.
“It’s great for me,” says Bray. “It’s great for all the bike shops in Ottawa; kids are going to be breaking stuff all winter long.”
Located in Nepean, just south west of the city centre the park is set to open sometime in February. And you can bet it’s going to be awesome.
“I told Jordan to put whatever he wants in the park,” says Zhang. And if you’ve ridden anything Jordan has built over the years (Mount Trashmore, the Cambridge Dirt Jumps) you know this guy knows what he’s doing. See you there on opening day.
7 comments
do you need to rent a bike or can you bring your own BMX bike in.
Hey, the park looks amazing but will scooters be allowed?? I have at least 100 scooter people that are bumed that it’s only a bike park. Your business would be a lot more successful if this is allowed please!! I’m a scooter rider and I need somewere to ride in the winter!! Other than that the park looks amazing! Good job!
Oh my someone who knows nothing about riding opening a park spewing off about broken bikes : (
Not so fast FYI bikes are broken in mountain/DH riding. Hopefully not indoors.
Broken and bent bodies? All the time no matter where.
gg, I think you will see that it was Bray that mentioned broken bikes. He’s the owner of the bike shop, not the owner/developer of the facility.
I’m pumped for this. And I hope the beginner pump track will be appealing to my 4 year old too. can’t wait for the opening!
I think Scooters aren’t designed to shred these epic bike courses!
You might want to focus more on skate parks instead.
I think skateboarders should be allowed in here. We have a way bigger and better community than the bikers. Bikers don’t even use the parks the city made for them they use our parks illegally and we gladly share. It’s not fair to give them the only indoor park in our city and not allow us to use this park, especially when I know atleast 75 skaters would be there on any given day.
This is great news! I think this will do well. Joyride 150 is an amazing place and to have something similar close to home is awesome! The cycling community will thank you. Winters are long and cold here and to be able to ride somewhere warm all winter long is amazing.