GLENDALE — Happening on Tuesday, a new mountain biking trail is opening up at Kletzsch Park in Glendale.
Members of the Metro Mountain Bikers said the trail took about three years to develop, working with the Milwaukee County Parks and DNR to find potential areas for new hiking and mountain biking.
"If we build more trails, that gives more opportunities for kids to get out on bikes and ride. They don't need a super fancy mountain bike," said Kevin Eccles, the group's co-chair.
Metro Mountain Bikers hope that having more mountain bike trails in the city will provide better access to kids and families who just want to get out and ride.
"I think it's imperative that we do have access to trails closer to the city, closer to where the bus routes are. Many of the other trails are a long haul from the city, and as we're building more trails in the county parks, that makes it accessible to all people and all bikes," said Marion Gottschalk, board member of Metro Mountain Bikers.
Volunteers spent about 1,000 hours working together to build the trail, from removing invasive species to carving out the new path. Ben Jilek and Jennie Pufahl, who are both part of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), were some of those volunteers. They say you don't need to be a mountain biking expert to ride this trail.
"There's not really much of a barrier to entry. You can just pull up the Kletzsch and ride. The trail's really, really good for beginners," said Jilek.
"If we want to get more kids on bikes, we need access to trails. We work really hard in our cycling association to break down barriers, and having a place to play is part of that," said Pufahl.
The official kick-off ceremony is Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. at Kletzsch Park Pavilion 6560 N Milwaukee River Pkwy, Glendale, WI 53209
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