The Bike Park, sponsor lineup, and second YouTube channel

It's a new year and there are several new things happening on this YouTube

channel

. So today I'm going to update you so you know what to expect in 2020. First up is a huge, long-term project that some of this audience already knows about. That is, a free public

bike

park

that my

sponsor

s and I spearheaded. To be clear, this is something completely different from the peak of the berm. Let's start from the beginning. Some of you are familiar with Patreon, which is a site where fans can support creators. I charged $2 a month on my Patreon in exchange for additional content and podcasts, and people seemed to really enjoy it.

But last spring, in a moment of madness, I decided to put all that monthly income toward building a free public

bike

park

, eventually. So until we can do that, Patreon money will continue to pile up. Since last spring, that total has increased to $25,000. A single backer even pledged another $25,000 and some companies have also expressed great interest in helping with the project. So we're on our way to solving the hardest part of the puzzle: money. But the location, plans, details and the city we are working with are still in the works. Before we say something to 1.6 million people, we have to work out the details.

So, I'll answer as many questions as I can. First of all, what do I mean by bike parking? I'm talking about a family-friendly progressive jump park, much like Valmont in Boulder Colorado or The Railyard in Rogers Arkansas. Parks like these only take up a few acres and can be enjoyed by families and cyclists of all skill levels. Second question, where will it be? He will be in the greater Asheville area so he can oversee and document construction on this YouTube

channel

. Right now we have a site in mind that I've been showing clips of here, but until certain things are set in stone I can't say much more about it.

Which brings us to the third question… When will we start seeing videos about the Bike Park? My goal is spring 2021. By then, the land should be ready to build on and we should have accumulated enough funds to start building something. If things go really well and we can start earlier, then we will have a money problem and I will have to pay the difference myself. So, to some extent, I welcome the delay. Last question, what will the park be called? We have yet to come up with a name, but for now we'll code-name it Vapor Park, because by the time this project goes live, some will have given up hope.

But the steam park is definitely not steam, it will be made of earth and wood. Expect another update before late fall 2020. Now, let's move on to today's

sponsor

, League of Dinosaurs for IOS and Android. In this multiplayer strategy game, you will command a battalion of tankasaurs to fight the evil galactic pterosaur cartel. I'm just kidding. Thanks to my real sponsors, I don't need to launch Dinosaur League ads mid-video. Diamondback Bikes, Box Components, and Slime Sealant have supported this channel for years and have been incredible partners. But this year I'm going to take a step back. This channel has always been about storytelling and I'd like to think we've gone even further in that direction with the Berm Peak story.

Of course, all of these stories are bike-themed, so it's easy to add a bike sponsor to them. But the bike components present a challenge because to incorporate them into a video, we have to be really specific and technical. With a wider audience than ever, it's a challenge to make this interesting. Also, the only time we talk about components and accessories is during 10 product review videos, where I like to present products based solely on their entertainment value. So at the time of this video, Diamondback Bicycles is the only sponsor of this channel. This year we will tell the story of Berm Peak, go to incredible places and meet extraordinary people.

And just like we've done for years, we'll do it aboard a Diamondback bike, and that gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. But parting ways with my former sponsors was not a decision I made lightly. Box and Slime have been nothing but supportive partners, and while I've decided that having fewer sponsors is the right decision for 2020, I'm so happy to have had the privilege of working so closely with these two brands. The last article today is my

second

YouTube channel, it's called Berm Peak Express. There's a lot going on around Berm Peak that some of you may find interesting.

For example, we installed a winch on the Gator the same morning we started work on the Snake Pit skinny. We filmed it without voiceover, script or storyboard, and my production assistant was still able to turn it into a very entertaining video. I'm not sure what this

second

channel will become, but for now we're using Berm Peak Express to experiment with new types of content. One more quick article, thanks to everyone who purchased products over the holidays. Not only does this help keep the channel up and running, but it also boosts morale knowing that so many of you want to represent Seth's Bike Hacks and Berm Peak.

Thanks for listening to me about these updates. January has historically been a mudpocalypse around here, so I'm taking it as an opportunity to do some off-camera stuff. Expect a return to normal weekly videos soon. Thanks for traveling with me today and we'll see you next time.