On Saturday, Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation workers and a host of volunteers from the mountain biking community will begin construction of trails in Ryder Park, offering local enthusiasts their first opportunity to pursue their sport without a trip out of town.
“There’s basically nowhere within 30 minutes to go ride,” Gray Augustus said. “The shops have pushed to find an area to put some trails in that could be rode close to town for 10 years plus.”
Augustus, who works at Bill’s Bike and Run, said members of his shop, along with those at Idaho Mountain Trading and in the Snake River Mountain Bike Club, have been eyeing possible trails in the Ryder Park area for two to three years. The group’s members began speaking with Parks and Recreation officials about six months ago, and Augustus predicts between 40 and 50 volunteers will show up Saturday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Augustus said anyone is welcome to volunteer. Volunteers are encouraged to bring shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows and other trail-building implements.
The trails will be located close to downtown and just off the River Walk near Sunnyside Road, allowing easy access for those who use the path system.
“It gives access to a lot of those beginner riders who want to get into the sport,” Augustus said. “This is something I’ll take my 5-year-old to ride, but I can go there on my own and have fun too.”
The beginner section will have features including rollers (sections of small bumps), berms (banked turns) and table tops that advanced riders can jump and beginners can ride up and over. Construction will take place on rough trails already in the area.
Parks and Recreation Director Greg Weitzel said the improved trails will do a great deal to improve Ryder Park.
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