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IndyStar article on increasing mountain bike trails
Making way for bikers
By Robert Annis
Posted: April 15, 2008
In a state that has no mountains, an increased interest in mountain biking has two local parks adding bike-specific trails.
Fort Harrison State Park on Indianapolis' Northeastside is set to OK plans for a bike trail as early as this summer, and a bike trail at Southwestway Park, about 10 miles southwest of Downtown, is set to be approved next month.
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If the new trails get built, the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association would be one step closer to having a trail in each corner of the city, said Paul Arlinghaus, the association's vice president.
Town Run Trail Park is now the only mountain biking park in the city. It's on the west side of White River, immediately south of 96th Street, and offers nearly nine miles of single-track dirt trails.
The mountain bike association donated labor and materials to build and maintain the park's trails.
The club, which has more than 200 members, supplied more than 6,600 volunteer hours last year to build trails throughout Indiana.
Arlinghaus said the trails are designed to prevent erosion and damage to the landscape. They cost little to maintain, he said, and parks that charge entry fees often see increased revenue.
At Fort Harrison, the biking group has identified 3 to 4 miles for a potential trail. Property manager Doug Wickersham said trail building wouldn't start until late summer or fall.
Mountain bike trails will be added to Southwestway Park's master plan next month, said Don Colvin, Indy Parks' resource development administrator, and work will begin this summer.
The Parks Department will work with the bike association to develop the trails, which could be completed by next spring.
"A sustainable trail requires much more than raking a path through the woods," Arlinghaus said. "The majority of trail will be built using a technique called bench cutting, which excavates dirt to allow the trail to go along the contour of a hill and yet have more level tread for the hiker or biker to travel on."
Southwestway Park Manager Merri Taylor said she's fielded calls from people wanting to mountain bike, and she's received complaints from hikers and equestrians who aren't happy about riders on the trails.
"They're the younger guys who don't know the proper etiquette," Taylor said of the bike riders who cause problems. "They've run hikers off the trails before."
She thinks the bike trails would attract park visitors, and said Hoosier Mountain Bike Association members tend to police themselves.
"They close off areas that need time to rejuvenate and switch things around to keep the erosion down. Those guys are great and very knowledgeable, and as park manager, we'd love them to be on board to do this," she added.
Mountain bikers have tried to develop trails at Eagle Creek Park, but Indy Parks Director Joe Wynns and other officials have denied them. The park is designated a nature preserve.
"The mountain bikers think we should ignore that, but my staff and I don't feel that's an appropriate use of the land," Wynns said. "It's a natural area; it's been that way for years. . . . Every change of administration they go out there and make a presentation, and every time the answer is no."
Arlinghaus said Central Indiana mountain bike riders have other options for now, singling out Brown County as a destination that attracts riders from outside the state.
"It all starts with the terrain," Arlinghaus said. "You've got about 300 feet of elevation, long climbs and some incredible scenic views. People drive the roads of the park to see the woods -- well, we're out there in the woods."
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Call Star reporter Robert Annis at (317) 444-5572.
Tags: arlinghaus, association, bcsp, ben, benjamin, bike, biking, brown, county, creek
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mark Finney on -
And here's a photo of the Mountain Bike Trails sign in BCSP:
http://www2.indystar.com/autofocus/photos/show/61012/1
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