Trail building

Properly built and maintained trails will not only help the cycling community grow but also strengthen relationships with the city, says the president of a local bicycling club.

About eight members of the Black Sheep cycling club and a few city officials attended the workshop hosted by the International Mountain Bicycling Association trail care group. The two-day workshop, which started on Saturday, focused on how to properly create and maintain biking trails. The group put those techniques to the test by building a 100-metre section of trail near the old Shuniah Mines a few minutes drive from Centennial Park.

Mark Maranzan, president of the Black Sheep cycling club, said having a proper trail means a healthier club by creating more interest for people to take up the sport.

"If we want this sport to grow and truly reach out to the people of this city, it is absolutely number one priority to have properly made trails," Maranzan said. "I don’t think anyone in the past really looked to build those relationships with the city because as riders were an organized group but we’re relatively small in capacity."

Individual riders made many of the trails available to mountain bikers. Since those trails weren’t developed with a bigger picture in mind, the paths don’t link up well and can become challenging even to the most experienced of riders, he said.

Maranzan said the club wants to build new trails so riders of all levels can enjoy them.

"We’re looking at a set of trails that works with the city," he said. "It is a full range of trails with many difficulty levels that anybody can come out here and ride."

He added they will have a designated crew to maintain the trails.

Werner Schwar, co-ordinator for park planning with the City of Thunder Bay, said it’s important for not only the city to have properly made trails but to also to build a relationship with the biking clubs who use them.

"We’re the land owner but they are the actual users of the Shuniah Mine area," Schwar said. "They are the ones developing the trails. It is in our best interest that the trails are done sustainable for the long-term and is done safely for everybody. It really couldn’t have happened without a partnership."

The cycling club has saved the city thousands of dollars by volunteering their time to build the trails. Schwar wasn’t sure how much it saved the city but he estimated it could cost hundreds of dollars to design, build and maintain the trials.

The ultimate goal is to have better access to the trails, he said.

"Right now the main access is off the highway," he said. "Obviously with all the construction work it is not the best scenario. We’re looking at developing easier access for beginner riders can access the trails from Trowbridge and perhaps from Balsam Street."