Many happy trails for bikers
New Plymouth mountain bikers have something else to explore after three new trails were carved out near Lake Mangamahoe.
The tracks, which are so new they have yet to be named or given a grade, were completed thanks to financial support from TSB Bank Community Trust and New Zealand Community Trust, which each gave $60,000.
‘‘The funding has been a huge benefit in helping us achieve our goals,’’ said Hasely Lobb, president of the New Plymouth Mountain Bikers Club.
‘‘This is just the first step, we’re hoping to complete our plan and build on it for the future.’’
The new trails were built with help from Auckland company TrailPRO.
The club leases three sites from New Plymouth District Council - Mangamahoe, Busing Forest and the Rotomanu jump park - and the new Mangamahoe trails are already proving popular.
‘‘Six kilometres of professionally-built track can take around nine weeks to build and if a track is done purely by volunteers a one kilometre trail can take one or two years,’’ Lobb said.
‘‘The carparks are chocka now most weekends so we’re expecting to see higher numbers of people riding this summer.
‘‘Mountain biking is getting a lot more interest, not just in Taranaki, but across the whole country.’’
It is the only mountain bike club in Taranaki and while most members were from New Plymouth, there were a few from South Taranaki who came up to ride as well, Lobb said.
The club membership has steadily grown over the last two years, jumping from 290 in 2015 to just over 500 in 2017.
‘‘Mountain biking is something anyone of any age can do and people can do all together,’’ Lobb said.
‘‘Age really is no barrier.’’