It’s raining. Again. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, specifically around Vancouver or the North Shore, that’s just the baseline reality for about eight months of the year. Usually, that means cleaning grit out of your pivot bearings every three days or just accepting that your brake pads will vanish into thin air. But then North Shore Bike Park showed up in the old Sears building at Capilano Mall, and honestly, it kind of flipped the script on what "riding the Shore" looks like when the clouds break.
North Vancouver is the literal birthplace of technical mountain biking. We’re talking about the ladders, the rock rolls, and the stuff that makes your palms sweat just looking at it. But doing that in a downpour? It’s a choice. A choice that leads to a lot of laundry. North Shore Bike Park stepped into a massive 65,000-square-foot void to give people a place where the dirt stays dry and the wooden features don’t turn into ice-slicked death traps. It's weird to think about a world-class riding destination sitting right next to a food court and a Winners, but here we are.
What is North Shore Bike Park, Really?
Basically, it's a massive indoor playground. If you’ve ever been to a skatepark and thought, "I wish this had more dirt and fewer teenagers on scooters trying to tailwhip into my shins," this is for you. It’s located inside Capilano Mall in North Vancouver.
They took a department store and gutted it. Now, instead of racks of clothes, there are massive asphalt pump tracks, wooden tech lines, and some of the best jump lines in the province. It's not just for the guys with $10,000 carbon enduro bikes, either. You see kids on balance bikes, BMX riders, and even older riders who just want to keep their fitness up without risking a slip-and-slide on a wet root on Mt. Fromme.
The scale is the first thing that hits you. It’s huge. You walk in and the smell of rubber and fresh wood hits you. It’s a specific vibe. It’s loud, it’s high-energy, and it’s surprisingly inclusive. Most people assume an indoor bike park is just for dirt jumpers. They’re wrong. While the jump lines are a massive draw, a huge chunk of the floor space is dedicated to skill-building.
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The Layout and the Flow
The park is roughly divided into zones. You have the Small Pump Track, which is where the groms and beginners usually hang out to learn how to generate momentum without pedaling. Then you have the Big Pump Track. This thing is an absolute cardio nightmare in the best way possible. If you want to know why professional downhill racers are so fast, look at how they use pump tracks. It’s all about core strength and timing.
Then there’s the Green, Blue, and Black jump lines.
- The Green line is basically a series of rollers. You can roll over everything. No stress.
- Blue lines start introducing actual gaps and steeper faces.
- The Black lines are where you see the local rippers doing things that don’t seem physically possible indoors.
Why Indoor Riding Actually Makes You a Better Outdoor Rider
People love to gatekeep. There’s always that one guy in the parking lot at Mt. Seymour who says, "If you aren't riding in the mud, you aren't really riding." That’s nonsense.
The North Shore Bike Park offers something the forest can’t: repetition.
In the woods, if you mess up a technical skinny or a jump, you usually have to hike back up a slippery trail, reset, and try again while getting eaten by bugs. At the bike park, you can hit the same feature 50 times in an hour. That’s how muscle memory is built. You’ll see people spending two hours just practicing their manual across a flat box or perfecting their body position on a high-speed berm.
The asphalt pump tracks are a game changer for cornering. Since the grip is consistent—unlike the shifting loam and wet roots of the actual North Shore trails—you can find the limit of your tires. You learn exactly how far you can lean the bike before it breaks loose. When you take that back to the dirt, you’re faster. Period.
It’s Not Just for Pros
One of the coolest things about the park is the coaching programs. They have sessions for literally everyone. There are "Ladies Only" nights that have become massive social hubs. There are "After School" programs for kids.
I’ve seen a 4-year-old on a Strider bike successfully navigating a pump track while a 45-year-old dad is ten feet away learning how to jump for the first time in his life. It’s a weirdly supportive environment. Nobody is judging you for casing a jump because everyone there has done it.
The Technical Reality of the Space
Running an indoor park is a logistical nightmare. Air quality is a big deal when you have dozens of people huffing and puffing. The ventilation at North Shore Bike Park is surprisingly good. It doesn't feel like a basement; it feels airy.
The dirt sections are also a feat of engineering. Maintaining indoor dirt is hard because it dries out and turns to dust. They use specific soil mixtures and regular maintenance to keep the "tacky" feel that riders crave. If the dirt gets too dry, you lose traction. If it’s too wet, the building smells like a swamp. They’ve found a middle ground that works.
What Kind of Bike Should You Bring?
This is where people get confused. Can you bring your 170mm travel enduro sled? Sure. You’ll see plenty of people on Specialized Enduros or Rocky Mountain Altitudes. But is it the best tool for the job? Probably not.
Because the surfaces are hard (asphalt and wood), all that suspension actually sucks away your energy. You push down to "pump" a roller, and your shock just absorbs 30% of your effort.
The "ideal" setup for North Shore Bike Park is a Dirt Jumper (DJ) or a BMX.
- Hardtail frames are king here.
- High-pressure tires (like 40-60 PSI) make you roll faster.
- Lower rise bars or specific geometry for agility.
If you don’t own one, don’t sweat it. They have a massive rental fleet. In fact, renting a DJ bike for the night is probably the best way to experience the park because it changes how the features feel. Everything becomes more "poppy" and responsive.
The Social Hub Aspect
We have to talk about the fact that this is in a mall. It’s genius.
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Parking is easy. There’s food right there. You can drop the kids off at the park, go do some grocery shopping, and come back. It’s turned biking from a "half-day expedition into the mountains" into something you can do for 90 minutes on a Tuesday night.
In a city like Vancouver, where the cost of living is through the roof and everyone is stressed, having a high-intensity outlet that isn't dependent on the weather is vital for mental health. The "bike park kids" have become a community. You see the same faces every week. It’s the modern version of the 90s skatepark culture, but with more helmets and better bike tech.
Addressing the "Indoor vs. Outdoor" Debate
There is a segment of the mountain bike community that thinks indoor parks are "soft." They argue that if you aren't dealing with the elements, you aren't getting the full experience.
But look at the pros. Look at riders like Jackson Goldstone or the young guns coming out of the BC riding scene. They spend a massive amount of time in parks like this. Why? Because the level of technical progression is moving so fast that you can't rely on 4-month riding seasons anymore.
North Shore Bike Park isn't trying to replace Cypress, Fromme, or Seymour. It’s an extension of them. It’s the gym where you train so that when the sun finally comes out and the trails dry up, you don't spend your first three rides feeling "rusty." You hit the trails with more confidence because you spent the winter jumping gaps in a Sears.
Critical Details for Your Visit
If you’re planning on heading over, there are a few things that catch people off guard.
Waivers are mandatory. Do it online before you get there. Don't be the person standing at the desk for 15 minutes fumbling with your phone while your friends are already riding.
Helmets are not optional. Full-face helmets aren't required, but honestly, if you're hitting the Black jump lines, it’s a smart move. Concrete and wood are significantly less forgiving than forest loam.
Check the schedule. They often have private events, filming sessions, or specific clinics. Don't just show up on a Saturday morning and assume every inch of the park is open. Their Instagram is usually the most up-to-date source for daily "stoked or poked" updates.
The "Old Sears" Entrance. It’s weird to find the first time. You want to park near the north side of Capilano Mall. Look for the signs. It feels like you're entering a secret underground club, which only adds to the vibe.
Actionable Steps for New Riders
If you've been hovering on the fence about going, here is exactly how to handle your first session without feeling like an idiot.
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- Go on a Weekday Morning: If you can swing it, the park is empty. You’ll have the pump tracks to yourself. It’s way less intimidating than a crowded Friday night.
- Rent a Dirt Jumper: Even if you have a mountain bike, try the DJ bike for two hours. It will teach you more about bike handling than your full-suspension bike ever will.
- Start on the Pump Track: Don't even look at the jumps for the first 20 minutes. Just get used to the grip of the asphalt. Focus on your feet and keeping your chest up.
- Watch the Locals: Seriously. Stand by the big line and watch how the experienced riders "pre-load" their suspension. You can learn a lot just by observing the timing.
- Hydrate: It gets hot in there. Even in the winter. The mall’s HVAC system tries its best, but 50 people doing high-intensity cardio creates a lot of heat. Bring a big water bottle.
North Shore Bike Park is a rare example of a "mall revitalization" project that actually serves the local culture. It took an eyesore of a vacant retail space and turned it into a high-performance training center. Whether you're a hardcore rider or a parent looking to burn off a toddler's energy, it’s arguably one of the best things to happen to the North Shore mountain bike scene in a decade.
Stop waiting for the rain to stop. It’s Vancouver; it’s not going to. Just go ride inside.