Dirt Jumping and BMX at Big Creek in Roswell (Atlanta), Georgia

Big Creek has positioned itself as a indispensable center for almost all things with two wheels and a pair of pedals. Dirt jumpers and BMX riders are no exception to this rule!

Currently serving the needs of these two groups  are a dedicated dirt jump section and a downhill slalom course.  And there's even more in the works...


For part 1 of the Big Creek review series covering road biking, cross country, and downhill, click here.

Dirt Jumps
Big Creek has a dedicated line of high-quality purpose-built dirt jumps that run along the top of the ridge above the other downhill and freeride runs. There are a mix of different size jumps ranging from relatively small to one with a lip that's pushing 6 feet high or more. To the best of my knowledge, there is nowhere else in Atlanta, or even the state of Georgia for that matter, with an area that even comes close to comparing to the near-professional grade of these jumps. While most of the riders I have seen sessiong them have been on dirt-jumping mountain bike frames, I've witnessed a number of BMXers sending it big time as well.

I could write more, but including a video that I made almost a year ago of a dirt jumping competition held there will give you a much more accurate idea of what it's all about:



Slalom Course
Located directly in the center of all of the action, the banked slalom-type course seems to be the focal point of all the attention. It is appropriate that all the other trails seem to be built around it, as riders of all different disciplines can navigate the slalom run. For instance, when I was last out at Big Creek, I saw a kid on a rigid single speed 29er rolling down through the berms.

So granted, the big berms and flow are going to be accessible to anyone on almost any bike. To really rail this trail and air out the big table tops, however, you're going to need to be riding something much more aggressive than a rigid SS 29er. A dirt jump bike would be perfect for this kind of work, and a BMX bike or a downhill bike would also function passably, despite being on opposite ends of the bicycle-size spectrum.




Coming Soon: Pump Track!
Pump track riding is the latest craze to dominate the mountain bike world. Pump tracks are going up all over the country, and are now featured at every major mountain bike festival. As of 2 weeks ago, RAMBO (Roswell Alpharetta Mountain Bike Organization) announced that they were breaking ground on a pump track located at Big Creek.

For those who don't know, a pump track is a closed-circuit track that's located on flat ground. Dirt is used to create rollers, berms, and jumps in such a configuration that it should be possible to simply "pump" your bike through the track without pedaling to maintain your momentum. Once you're going pretty well, the berms are easy to rail and the jumps open up to provide air opportunities in the little track.

Viewed from the outside, it doesn't look all that impressive... but just wait until you try it! Good pump track riders have incredible control over their bicycles, and develop exceptional jumping, line choice, and momentum-maintenance skills.

The ideal tool for riding a pump track is a dirt jumper mountain bike, with a BMX bike able to a decent job as well.

Pump track at the Sea Otter Classic

Pump track at the Sea Otter Classic

If you're addicted to the dirt jumps and live in Atlanta, head over to Big Creek and hit these jumps!

Part 3: What Big Creek still lacks.

Your Turn: Know of any other awesome spots in Atlanta to ride your dirt jump bike? Please leave some info in the comments below!