Welcome all wheels

 My friend Mar and I have a long lasting, but not too, too dedicated goal to ride as many skate parks as possible, so when two days before the ribbon cutting I learned of, not only the grand opening of Springfield's new skate park, but that such infrastructure was even planned, I immediately forwarded the email Mar's way.

Being not only a "crusty old skate punch" (her frequently repeated words), but also a native of Ludlow who grew up skating in and around Springfield, Mar immediately replied that she'd rearrange her work schedule to be there and welcome the park that was "forty years overdue." I'd already been intrigued, but with the added perk of an overdue (fortunately a lot less than decades) visit with Mar, my Thursday was planned.

Until recently, I'd usually venture down to Springfield once or twice a month. Cities are interesting, and once you get to know them, they reveal gems like secret cut-throughs and not-oft-beaten paths that can be tremendous fun on a bike. I have far from a local's knowledge of Springfield, but in the few years exploring I've found a back entry to the central cemetery via an actual urban dirt road, trails along nearly the city's length of riverfront, and even two woodland routes to the Salvation Army thrift store, one with a lake even!

More recently, however, with an uncomfortable hip and preference to spend my fewer longer days on more quiet back roads in the other direction, I was also due for a reunion with Springfield, so I departed at 7:30am on the predicted hour and a half ride to the 10:30am opening. Time to meander is a good thing, and even with a pleasing zig with a generous dallop of zag, I arrived at the park with at least fifteen minutes to spare to find it already being put to use by a bevy of skateboards and Mar on rollerskates!

The crew using the park was interesting, and not just because the skills they demonstrated. Mar an I agreed the average age of riders was probaby pushing 40, which is a pretty impressive stat at any park for a sport that I figure must have been the creation of an orthopedic medical group looking to drum up business. I guess if your body survived to 40 and you're still riding a skateboard, you must've figured out how to do it pretty well, and that was supported by the prowess being shown off. Along with those skills, the ages were evidenced by conversations that shifted to how to prevent graffiti tagging of the park, and I did overheard one of the younger skaters say he'd turned 33 that year with the inflection suggesting that was REALLY OLD.

I'm more of a biker. My limited experience on a skateboard came mainly in high school after I bought the old skateboard from my riding friend Steve for $20, although about four years later he informed me the statute of limitations had run out on that sale, so it was time to give it back. I was no longer using it, so sure. My development of skill had topped out at learning to tack and jumping off a three foot high set of stairs behind my old elementary school. I may, once or twice, ollied high enough to clear the thickness, but not the width, of a couple sheets of paper. Two wheels seem my limit.

With possible rain in the afternoon forecast, I'd ridden my single speed for the advantage fenders might offer. Plus one gear is closer to proper bmx equipment even if the rack rather kills any sense of that aesthetic. I have periodically spent time aboard a true 20" wheel bmx since I turn 40. I'm not sure exactly what adopting that as my midlife crisis vehicle says about me, but I happily take that over a red convertible sports car. It did force me to learn some jumping techniques that were polar opposite of what had always worked for me on bigger wheels with a longer wheelbase between them, and much to my surprise, those skills did tranfer back to my bigger bikes. I do still have the bmx, but full leg extension for the thirty-five mile round trip, as well as not wanting too nimble a bike encouraging me to trying something my recovering body didn't want, meant it stayed home.

There was a third bike in attendance

and while it didn't roll the park features

it did feature a nifty hitch mount!

And a seat

that had me wishing

I'd brought a replacement to offer.

We played! Mar on eight wheels, a collection of four wheeled skateboards, and one wee lass and myself completing the two wheeled contingent. The park was defined as being for "all wheels", although later discussion decided the use of plural ment unicycles would definitely be shunned. Happily, my binary bike and I stayed calm, controlled, and bruise free, just enjoying swooping through banked turns and over undulations. I was even later given an appreciative nod for my track stand by one of the spectating "adults". Yay, my most noted skill was the ability to stand still, going nowhere!

And then out came the giant scissors after an bunch of politicians talked and thanked people while trying to ensure future votes. I was happy to hear the name Alex Weck, who was the previous Mass Bike western liaison and helped run the city's afterschool bike program. My ability to stand stationary on a bike at a traffic light had also once impressed Alex, although probably not as much as all the kale loaded on my ride when I checked it into the Mass Bike valet at the concert where we first met. Hey, the supermarket was on the way there!

And then came out a few drops of rain, and while they didn't, thankfully, progress to much more, I took the suggestion and started my slighlty let winding trip home, this time through Chicopee. I was a little sad to find my half mile connection between two dead ends was a bit overgrown from lack of use, but this disappointment was somewhat abated by finding the overgrowth included blackberries, a few just ripe enough to be edible!