Kirby Adams

@kirbylouisville

MEGA UNDERGROUND BIKE PARK

Where%3A Mega Cavern%2C 1841 Taylor Ave.

When%3A Expected to open mid-January

Cost%3A Still being decided%2C but comparable to other indoor parks%2C which charge about %2420 to %2430 a day

It's becoming abundantly clear: The best place to play in Louisville is right under your feet.

The giant playground known as the Mega Cavern beneath the city has what's touted as the world's only underground zipline and the largest underground holiday light show on the planet. Within weeks, it will add the Mega Underground Bike Park, which will be the nation's biggest indoor bicycle park and make Louisville a bicycling destination, according to track designers and cycling enthusiasts.

"This is the all-time best thing that has ever happened to cycling in Louisville," said Derek Fetko, owner of On Your Left Cycles in the Highlands. "When it's finished, this park is going to go a long way to help the Louisville mountain biking and BMX community become more competitive in the racing world."

Jim Lowry, co-owner of the Mega Cavern said the park is tentatively scheduled to open in late January and "everyone wants to be here for opening day. In fact, we're getting calls and emails from France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and riders from every corner of the United States," he said.

The park, which is 75 feet underground, will have 40-plus trail lines covering 320,000 square feet, making it twice the size of the current largest indoor park — Ray's Indoor Bike Park in Cleveland, Ohio, according to Joe Prisel, who designed the Mega Cavern park.

Cyclists will be able to ride year-round because the cavern is a constant 58 degrees and dry, giving the bike park "pretty much perfect conditions for riding 365 days a year," Prisel said. The cost will be comparable to other indoor bike parks, which range from about $20 to $30 a day.

Prisel, a professional cycling competitor and coach from Burlington, Wash., has been involved in the design and construction of 20 bike parks around the world. He regularly rides the Louisville course he's been constructing with another avid cyclist and park designer, Jeff Perkins, since late September.

The sheer size of the cavern took Prisel by surprise. "But about 10 minutes after looking around, I realized this is such an open canvas that we are able to build exactly what we'd construct in a huge space outdoors," he said.

Sure to impress

Once the trails and jumps started taking shape, Lowry and Prisel began inviting riders of varying ability levels — including members of the Louisville Bicycle Club — to use the course and provide feedback. The designers already have widened the cross-country trails so that an adult and child can ride side by side after a rider suggested that they be more family-friendly.

"I feel like this park is going to make Louisville an even bigger bicycling destination," said Andy Murphy, Louisville Bicycle Club president, after a ride through the park. "We have the Tom Sawyer Park BMX park, the outdoor Extreme Park and the cyclocross park at Eva Bandman Park, now the world's first and largest underground park," Murphy said.

Fetko has been to the underground park several times, primarily riding the pro or expert areas. "The jumps are incredible, and there isn't any wind down here, which is really cool."

No wind means riders working on tricks don't need to adjust for the resistance.

Like a ski resort, the bike course will be marked with signs in green, blue and black, indicating beginner, intermediate and expert trails.

"Safety is a huge focus of my design, and I am constantly thinking about how to move 500 or more riders from one area of the park to another safely and without getting in each other's way," Prisel said.

The park allows mountain bike and BMX riders to progress, Prisel said. "It will have a lot of stuff that everybody can ride, from the very beginner on the completely flat cross country trails to the advanced beginner areas with gentle rolling hills." Intermediate sections will have small jumps and technical areas where riders can practice skills like their balance while pedaling the top of short rock walls. For the pros, there are big jumps and a pump track, where the riders use speed and gravity to navigate the course rather than pedaling.

Because of the cavern's size and the amount of dirt being used in the project, riders can expect plenty of elevation, which Lowry said makes his park more like riding a mountain course than a simple bicycle track.

"Think about riding or skiing down a mountain," he said. "You don't go speeding straight down, you go back and forth, over bumps and smooth sections. You are moving fast at some points and more slowly at others."

Riders can bring their own bicycles and equipment or will be able to rent. Lowry has ordered BMX, mountain and electric bikes, which the facility will rent along with elbow and knee pads. Everyone will be required to wear a helmet.

Fetko of On Your Left Cycles and others are among those anticipating the park's opening.

"I am completely blown away that Louisville is getting something this amazing," Fetko said.

Reach reporter Kirby Adams at (502) 582-4336. Follow her on Twitter @kirbylouisville.

MEGA UNDERGROUND BIKE PARK

Where: Mega Cavern, 1841 Taylor Ave.

When: Expected to open in late January

Cost: Still being decided, but comparable to other indoor parks, which charge about $20 to $30 a day. May offer season passes, punch cards, two-day weekend rates and others.

Information: (877) 614-6342; www.megacavern.com

Other things to know:

•You can bring your own bicycle or rent one.

•All riders will sign waivers and must wear helmets.

•Gear (helmets, elbow and knee pads, etc.) will be available for rent.

VIDEO RIDE

Take a virtual ride through the Mega Underground Bike Park at courier-journal.com.