Singletracks Mountain Bike Podcast

On Top of the World: How Gravity Logic Builds the Best Bike Parks

Listen Later

Tom Prochazka is a co-founder and director at Gravity Logic, a bike park design and development company based in Whistler, British Columbia. He served as the manager of the Whistler Bike Park from 2001 to 2007 and designed the iconic Top of the World Trail which opened in 2011. Since then he's worked on bike parks all over the world from the western US to Europe and South America.

In this podcast interview we ask Tom:

  • How did you get involved in mountain bike trail building?
  • What do you think makes Whistler such a special place?
  • What drove the huge increase in Whistler visits between 2001 and 2007?
  • How did Gravity Logic get its start?
  • Tell us how the Top of the World Trail came together. How is it different from the other trails in the bike park?
  • What's your definition for the term "bike park"?
  • Are for-profit park operators able to get a decent return on investment on a bike-only, ground-up build?
  • How much work is involved in keeping bike trails running during the season? 
  • Does a trail ever work exactly as planned on paper? Do builders and designers need to make adjustments once they see how people are riding the trail?
  • Are there many tradeoffs between safety and fun when it comes to mountain bike trail design?
  • It seems like most bike park visitors prefer flowy, jumpy trails to raw, technical lines. Why do you think so many mountain bikers like to complain about flow trails? 
  • What are some of the latest trends you're seeing in bike park design today?
  • Do you have a favorite park or trail that you like to ride?

    • More information: Whistlergravitylogic.com

    Cover photo provided by Tom Prochazka.

    --Keep up with the latest in mountain biking at Singletracks.com and on Instagram @singletracks

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store
    Singletracks Mountain Bike PodcastBy Singletracks.com
    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7

    4.7

    548 ratings

    More shows like Singletracks Mountain Bike Podcast

    View all
    Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast - Presented by TrainerRoad by TrainerRoad

    Ask a Cycling Coach Podcast - Presented by TrainerRoad

    3,620 Listeners

    Velo Podcast by Velo

    Velo Podcast

    523 Listeners

    The Ride Companion by TRC Media House

    The Ride Companion

    101 Listeners

    MTB Podcast by Worldwide Cyclery

    MTB Podcast

    1,372 Listeners

    The Inside Line Podcast - Vital MTB by Vital MTB

    The Inside Line Podcast - Vital MTB

    294 Listeners

    Downtime - The Mountain Bike Podcast by Downtime MTB

    Downtime - The Mountain Bike Podcast

    244 Listeners

    King of the Ride by Ted King

    King of the Ride

    638 Listeners

    Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca by SILCA

    Marginal Gains Cycling Podcast, Presented by Silca

    275 Listeners

    GMBN Presents The Mountain Bike Podcast by GMBN Presents The Mountain Bike Podcast

    GMBN Presents The Mountain Bike Podcast

    155 Listeners

    The BikeRadar Podcast by Our Media

    The BikeRadar Podcast

    100 Listeners

    With Pace by Payson McElveen

    With Pace

    728 Listeners

    Breakfast With Boz Presented by Wahoo by Ian Boswell

    Breakfast With Boz Presented by Wahoo

    210 Listeners

    The Pinkbike Podcast by Pinkbike

    The Pinkbike Podcast

    628 Listeners

    MOVING THE NEEDLE : The Andrew Neethling Podcast by movingtheneedle

    MOVING THE NEEDLE : The Andrew Neethling Podcast

    54 Listeners

    Just Ride by Red Bull

    Just Ride

    42 Listeners