Kansas Singletrack Society to hold instructional mountain biking day for youth Saturday
Andy Cramb is pleased with the number of kids he sees on mountain bikes in the Wichita area. What doesn’t please him is that they’re almost entirely on pavement.
Cramb and other members of the Kansas Singletrack Society are hoping to change that with an instructional mountain biking day for youth Saturday, on their trails at Miller’s Meadow, near 143rd Street East and Pawnee.
“The main thing is that we are promoting the health and wellness kids can have getting into our sport,” said Cramb, the club’s secretary. “We want to pass on our love of the sport to another generation.”
Cramb said the group was formed about 10 years ago by a group of local mountain bike enthusiasts frustrated with few true trails in the Wichita area. Now, they manage five singletrack trail systems that range from a 10-acre tract, with two miles of compact trail, within Wichita, to sprawling trails in hills and ridges far out into the countryside.
Much of Saturday’s event, which is scheduled from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. will stress safety and understanding how mountain bikes work and any upkeep that might keep them in good shape. There also will be plenty of riding.
“Mountain bike trails are completely different than riding on a street or just some concrete path,” Cramb said. “They can encounter a lot of different kinds of obstacles to deal with. We’ll be starting the kids on some good flat areas. If they want later on, with a parent or guardian, they can ride back to some more challenging areas.” Miller’s Meadow is located near 143rd Street East and Pawnee.
The event is free for youths 18 and under and will include drinks and some snacks. Participants must furnish their own bikes and helmets are mandatory.
“We absolutely will not let them ride if they don’t wear a helmet. Everybody riding out there has to have a helmet,” Cramb said. “One of the first things we’ll talk about is that about 10,000 kids were injured on bicycles last year, injured enough to require a hospital stay. For most of them, just wearing a helmet would have taken care of all of that.”
The event is dependent on weather. Significant rain can make the trails unsafe, and bikes can damage a wet trail.
Cramb asks people to check out Miller’s Meadow Facebook page for more details and updates. He can also be reached at 316-207-4956.
Five Mountain Bike Trails near Wichita
The Kansas Singletrack Society maintains five mountain bike trails within about 90 minutes of Wichita.
▪ Miller’s Meadow - 143rd St. East and Pawnee, about 5 1/2 miles of mountain bike trails. Some portions can be challenging for beginners but there is plenty of easy trail, too.
▪ Air Capital Memorial Park Mountain Singletrack Trail - just south of the east bound access road at Kellogg and Seville, which is just north of Pawnee Prairie Park. This was once a city dump for old concrete and other road materials. Some of the obstacles are old construction materials. The trail has tight loops to get two miles of riding on 10 acres of land.
▪ Santa Fe Lake Singletrack Trail - Santa Fe Lake Road and Southwest Shore Drive, near Augusta. Currently there are about two miles of trails, with another four expected to be added this fall. The trail has some climbing challenges. There is $5 day day-use charge for anything on lake property.
▪ Badger Creek Singletrack Trails - Trails of about 4 1/5 miles are on each side of Badger Creek at Fall River Reservoir, in southeast Kansas, for nine miles of total riding. The trails cut through old growth oak forests, with some steep climbs amid large boulders.
▪ Camp Horizon Singletrack Trail - 30511 Horizon Dr., Arkansas City. About 12 miles of trails have been created up and down the ridges of the Arkansas River Valley. The trail has some challenging climbs and a lot of rocky structure.
All trails are free. Riders are required to wear helmets and are asked not to ride on wet trails. All trails are open for walking, hiking, walking with leashed dog and runners. Walkers and runners are asked to go the opposite direction the mountain bikers are riding.
For more information: www.kssingletrack.com
This story was originally published September 30, 2015 at 1:58 PM with the headline "Kansas Singletrack Society to hold instructional mountain biking day for youth Saturday."