Drysdale cafe owner petitions to give teens what they want: real bike jumps

A DRYSDALE business owner is leading the push for a bike park and pump track to be built in the region.

With bike parks to open in Ocean Grove and Point Lonsdale, Patrick Lamanna believes the next one should be in Drysdale.

The Ground Zero cafe owner said if most towns have their own skate parks there is no reason they cannot have bike parks too.

Launching a community petition in mid-April to build support for the idea, Lamanna believes he needs at least 1,500 signatures to be taken seriously by the City of Greater Geelong.

“I feel like Drysdale is the ugly stepsister of the Bellarine,” he said.

“We don’t have the population or the money that Ocean Grove has and we don’t have the same tourism the rest of the peninsula has.

“We get forgotten.”

Speaking with members of the Drysdale community, Lamanna has learnt of teenagers creating their own jumps around the town.

As the jumps are later flattened by the council due to safety concerns, Lamanna said the makeshift jumps speak to the desire of young people for a bike park in the area.

“At the end of the day, we get the petition, we go to council and we say these kids want it and these parents want it for their kids,” he said.

“We have people complaining about preteens doing what preteens do, but we are not giving them anything to do instead.”

Lamanna said the park he is advocating for does not need to be as extravagant as the $3.5 million facility in Ocean Grove, but disputed the idea that the bike park could be a hub for the whole Bellarine.

“I think they forget that somehow kids have to get there,” he said.

“Not everyone has a bike rack. You can’t take a bike on a bus, so they’d have to ride there, and that’s dangerous.

“I wouldn’t want my teenagers riding from Drysdale to Ocean Grove.”

While the petition centres on Drysdale, Lamanna said nearby Clifton Springs or Curlewis could also be suitable locations.

The petition has already attracted more than 600 signatures, with Lamanna hopeful continued support will build momentum.

He said a local bike park would give young people a safe place to ride, encourage outdoor activity and help strengthen community connections.

After contacting Bellarine MP Alison Marchant, Lamanna said he was encouraged to keep building community backing.

Similar projects in Ocean Grove and Point Lonsdale gained traction through strong local advocacy, with both ultimately supported by council funding. Lamanna hopes this can be replicated in Drysdale.