Wister Woods sign. (Photo: Rasheed Z. Ajamu)

Doug Dockray remembers riding his bike defiantly in Wayne, Pennsylvania, even though there were no nearby trails or bike parks. But it wasn’t until he attended Solo Sports Camp in California that his love for bike parks was cemented.

There, he was not only a rider but also had the opportunity to build bike tracks. After Solo Sports, he would build four more private bike tracks, all varying in size.

Recently, Dockray’s love of bike parks led him to launch a petition on behalf of his organization, Urban Energy Bicycle Collective (UEBC), for a bike park to be built in Wister Woods. 

“In the west and in Europe, there’s so many bike parks,” said Dockray. “I’m just trying to help the East Coast catch up.” 

UEBC enlisted the help of Gravity Logic, a Canadian bike park construction company, to do an assessment of Wister Woods and see if a bike park was viable. Their assessment claims that the bike park would span seven different areas in Wister Woods and Wakefield Park. 

The assessment includes a beginner trail or “family zone,” intermediate, advanced, and expert trails. The park would have a wooden “drop zone” where riders of all levels can practice and an asphalt “pump track” where not just bikers but also skateboarders and scooter riders can frequent. 

According to the assessment, the bike park would still have normal spaces for park goers to continue regular park activities like jogging and barbecuing.

“Even if Gravity Logic doesn’t end up doing the work, they are willing to help advise the people who do,” said Sahlee Brown, local park ranger and founding member of UEBC. 

The assessment suggests that the bike park will attract family riders, experienced bikers, newcomers, tourists, and professionals in the mountain bike industry. The Gravity Logic assessment also listed that it expects developers to collaborate with local fire and rescue as well as local hospitals in the case of an emergency. 

GIH reached out to Gravity Logic founder Rob Cocquyt for comment, and he responded by email.

“Unfortunately, as a matter of policy, we are unable to comment on specific projects (even in general terms) unless we are actively working with a client and have a contractual disclosure/media agreement in place,” he wrote.

Brown met with some of the members of the Friends of Wister Woods to discuss the future of Wister Woods in December. Kathleen Paulmier, founding member of the Friends group and experienced hiker, claims that even she has difficulty treading through Wister Woods. 

She says that the Friends group spends most of its Saturdays dealing with overgrowth in the park, and getting the city and bike enthusiasts involved could make the park more accessible.

Although she can’t speak for the group, Paulmier says she was a little skeptical of the assessment because it mentions the park being accessible for children, but did not mention the nearby school, Logan Elementary. 

“I would love to partner with Logan and do nature walks with the kids and the park rangers,” said Paulmier. 

Paulmier did admit that if the park is done right, it could be a “win-win” situation for all parties involved. But other community members think the Germantown community at large could benefit from the bike park. 

The proposal claims that the bike park will be “safe and sustainable,” all while providing a “family-friendly environment,” and some residents agree. 

David Coccagna, owner of Uptown Cyclery on Wayne & Rittenhouse, claims many of their clients are anywhere from local bikers to people who bike into the city for work. Coccagna says that the bike park could have educational and community-building prospects. 

“I hope we see an influx of born and raised Germantowners,” said Coccagna, “I hope it isn’t just a destination for other Philadelphians but a place where people in the neighborhood can actually benefit from it.”

Coccagna says if both bikers and community members can commit to being pleasant to each other when the bike park arrives, the space could be really successful.

Both Dockray and Brown have witnessed how neglected trails can become. They are hoping that with the advent of the bike park, there will also be a subsequent committee that will be a part of Philly’s Parks and Recreation that will be tasked to maintain not just the bike park but all trails around the city.

“There’s a lot of people in the community running in the streets, on the sidewalks, when you’ve got this beautiful space right next to you,” said Brown. “All you’ve got to do is open it up.”

Deesarine Ballayan is a Liberian-American freelance journalist from and based in Philadelphia. Her work is featured in The Philly Download, the Logan Center, CSIS, The Philadelphia Citizen, and Billy Penn @ WHYY.