Bike Jam 2025: Smash Hit

On the eve of the UCI World Cup Final for downhill mountain bike racing at Whiteface, the Barkeater Trails Alliance (BETA) hosted its own event at the Lake Placid Olympic Oval: a Community Bike Jam sponsored by The Devlin Inn and Suites.  This free kid-friendly event invited both local and visiting families into downtown Lake Placid to celebrate mountain biking, community, and the start of the UCI World Cup.

​Starting at 6:00pm, the Oval, suffused with the glow of an impending sunset, was crawling with folks -- on foot, on wheels, and on both (plenty of strider bikes in the crowd).  Music played over the speakers set up by one visiting entertainer: KRUSHER, a BMX stunt team that hails from Montreal.

Before the music started bumping, Glenn and Doug -- executive director of BETA and the owner of BikeADK, respectively -- worked together to set up wooden mountain biking features in the Oval's grassy center.  They had hardly set them down before children were taking turns on the rollers, skinnies, and drops.  

Even the youngsters who hadn't brought their bikes were in luck: the Lake Placid Elementary School generously lent us a portion of their bike fleet.  Those bikes were in use from start to finish.  They were in such high demand that on occasion, someone walking a bike back to the rack would be intercepted by a hopeful rider.  It reminded me of asking someone who is putting on their coat if you could have their table when there are no other empty seats in the coffee shop.  High demand, indeed. 

Imagine: a little after 6:30pm, the sun low in the sky, the Oval grass busy with kids of all ages looping around one another to take their turn on the feature(s) of their choice.  Some do wheelies, some are just trying to stay upright.  Adults peruse the booths set up by BETA, Bike ADK, Placid Planet Bicycles, High Peaks Cyclery, and the Regional Official of Sustainable Tourism.  People stand in groups at whatever distance from the features feels comfortable, enjoying a pleasant evening, when suddenly...from the area under the row of flags at the northern crest of the Oval, a dramatic and thundering drumbeat.  Just one, and then two, and then many, many more.  

Fogo Azul had arrived.

This woman-led samba drumline descended the steps into the Oval and marched around the bike features.  They curled around, creating a face-to-face drum-off between two sections of the band.  People linked arm-in-arm danced down the aisle separating the two groups of drummers.  Kids took the opportunity to ride through as well, toothy grins galore.  We heard from the musicians that this was the first time they'd ever had people ride bikes through the drum-off and it was quite the experience for them, too.

After sufficient drumming, oohing and aahing, Fogo Azul retreated, still playing, to their starting point before bringing their music to an end.  While the action seemed to ebb, the lull didn't last long.

The announcer for KRUSHER BMX fired up their speakers and jumped on the mic, informing the crowd (which had grown significantly during Fogo Azul's playing, drawing in folks who had originally planned to just walk by the Oval) that the show was about to begin.  The stunt team had warmed up sufficiently and were ready to get to flipping.  With a soundtrack of fan favorite classic rock tunes and energizing ballads, the team executing trick after trick -- flips, 180s, tailwhips, and so many more (whose names elude me) -- now under the brilliant Oval floodlights since the sun had fully and truly set.  The crowd of at least 300 watched from either side of the series of ramps and quarter pipes, some standing along the galvanized barriers and some seated on the hill between the High School and the Oval, cheering and clapping with each expertly executed stunt.  "Really enjoyed the BMX show (my daughter loved it). Would come again," one person attested.

​Around 8:00pm, the show came to a finale.  Kids lined up to get autographs from the athletes they had just witnessed flying through the air.  Slowly, the crowd dispersed from the barriers and wandered across the Oval.   Thank you everyone for coming to this event -- it was such a pleasure to have you there.

We'd also like to thank the presenting sponsor for this event, The Devlin Inn and Suites, for making BETA's Community Bike Jam possible.  In addition, thank you to all of the volunteers who made it happen, local shops and High peaks Cyclery, Placid Planet Bicycles, Bike Adirondacks, and ROOST for adding to the stoke, and Lake Placid Elementary once again for lending us a fleet of kid's bikes.  Thank you, everyone!