A new mountain bike (MTB) trail over four kilometers long is currently being built in the Krylatsky Hills Natural and Historical Park. The route, harmoniously integrated into the natural terrain, includes ascents, descents and turns for off-road cycling. The project includes 25 specialized sites.
“Such facilities not only become part of the sports infrastructure, but also become an important element of the city brand, form the culture of active leisure and stimulate the development of cycling. The new route will be accessible to everyone – from beginners to experienced extreme sports enthusiasts,” said Maria Deronova, First Deputy Head of the Department for Coordination of Activities of the Urban Planning and Construction Policy Complex of the City of Moscow.
The team building the XSA Ramps route faces the task of simplifying existing paths, as well as separating the flow of pedestrians and cyclists. Thus, a reliable, understandable and safe movement system will be created.
“We are not building a ‘package of trails’, but a future urban system: sports, education, traffic culture and cycling tourism potential,” said Konstantin Taranov, co-founder and CEO of XSA Ramps. “Our goal is for the mountain bike park to operate sustainably and safely every day after construction is completed.”
The track is designed taking into account different loads both for full training of active athletes and for beginner cross-country cyclists. From the starting point, a long climb begins – an aerobic section for endurance and heart rate work, which smoothly turns into a wide section of road, and then into the “stone river”. After that, athletes will be able to relax on the anti-slopes, which can be passed with smooth arcs or “navigate” between the trees.
In the central part of the distance there are steep descents and reverse ascents that seem insurmountable, but this is not so – everything is calculated centimeter by centimeter, and even the least experienced cyclist will be able to overcome the climb with due perseverance. The course also has several sections with bridges, overhangs, rock outcroppings and logs, giving the feeling of driving in a real mountain area. Each stage is specifically designed so that there is no linearity and each athlete can choose the path that seems optimal to them.
The environmental friendliness of the project is one of the foundations of the solutions used when creating the track. The path has been designed with existing plantings in mind, and its configuration will fit harmoniously into the natural terrain, minimizing interference with the environment.
To maintain tree root systems, much of the work is done by hand. Root collars remain at a normal level, and the movement of equipment is organized according to the “track to track” principle, which significantly reduces the impact on the soil and fertile layer.
The track base consists of inert, permeable materials such as crushed stone and screening. The jumping boards and ramps are made of natural, non-chemically treated wood.