News & Announcements

More than 30 bicycle students, parents, and enthusiasts gathered Tuesday, Sept. 3, to celebrate the groundbreaking for “The Jumps at Oxford Lake,” a bicycle pump track with a circuit of rollers, banked turns, and features designed to be ridden by using momentum from up-and-down body movements instead of pedaling or pushing.

The new dirt track, scheduled to be completed within the next few months, will offer three different lines for beginning, intermediate, and expert levels. Construction will be done by the Oxford Parks and Recreation staff with assistance from the Oxford Street Department.

Mayor Alton Craft said the project was “inspired” by the Oxford High School Mountain Bike team and coaches.

“It’s because of you, the students, we did this,” Craft said. “I went to the council, and we decided we would give you something you could be proud of. That is what we are going to do. Give you something you can use, show off your skill, and be another ‘number one thing’ for the city of Oxford.”

Council President Chris Spurlin praised the Parks and Recreation team “who continue to have a vision for bringing resources and events for our community and students.”

“Not many cities are blessed with the resources we have,” Spurlin said. “We are excited to see our mountain bike team utilize this course.”

OHS Mountain Bike coach Daniel Hagan said the team has been competing across the country and has been exposed to courses such as the one now under construction in Oxford.

“This is the perfect thing for our kids to get better at their sport and, just basically, have fun,” Hagan said. “It’s more about the smiles than the miles, and our kids have envisioned this, and helped inspire us.”

“We are thankful for our city doing the same thing we teach our kids, and that is to look ahead,” Hagan said. “This jump park is a direct accomplishment with forward-looking city leadership, and our kids really appreciate it. This is going to be a really cool place to come and ride.”

The Oxford Mountain Bike Foundation has been established as a 501(c)3 organization that supports Oxford youth mountain biking through community donations. More information is available on the Foundation’s Facebook page.