Announcing New Trails at Royalview Park

As many of you know, this summer Cleveland Metroparks has been planning mountain bike trails at Royalview in Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville. The Metroparks chose to work with a small group of CAMBA members on this project, utilizing their skills in trail design. Extensive natural resource studies were done at the same time to ensure the trail is laid out with minimum impact.

Some in CAMBA felt left out by the lack of information during the process. While the process was not “secret” the Metroparks took a low key approach, not wanting to make major announcements until the natural resource studies were complete and the board of commissioners weighed in. This process took many months. BIG THANKS go to the CAMBA members who devoted many hours to this project, instead of riding their bikes this summer!

The addition of these trails was a sensitive issue with some public. Other trail user groups protested vehemently. The Metroparks new draft strategic plan (to which many of you contributed!) is recommending an increase in outdoor recreation and health & wellness initiatives. This is based on consultant work, extensive public input and interviews with community leaders. The Metroparks decided to consider new uses to help meet these recommendations, and kudos to them for taking a more balanced approach for all trail users; hike, horse, and bike.

Many of the Metroparks trails are not in good shape or sustainably built. The Metropark is using the Royalview trails as a learning laboratory for their own staff to learn the techniques and design of building sustainable trails for all park users. They hired experienced Student Conservation Corps leaders to teach and build in this effort. Going forward, the Metroparks will use these skills to rehabilitate many of their other trails.

There are 2 loops in the new system. No definite completion date as it depends on weather and speed of crews. Roughly, Loop 2 may be complete this fall and Loop 1 next year. Watch the web site for volunteer work days later in Oct. Thanks go to Cleveland Metroparks and CAMBA for this work!

http://cog.konaworld.com/archives/category/2012-sneak-peeks

Check out some of the new 2012 Kona bikes "Sweet"

Life of a Mountain Biker

Check out this award winning documentary produced and made by our very own Melissa Prax, featuring our very own Robbie Galloway!! MRC employees are amazing!! Give it a minute to load, about 10 min long and well worth the watch

Blossom Parade 2011!!

Cycling Skills Clinics

After a seemingly neverending monsoonal spring, we keep hearing from folks that they're behind in their biking goals. But we find ourselves inundated with race and ride opportunities! For those looking to find their legs again (and better than ever before), perhaps it's time for that one-on-one coaching experience. Highly credentialed and a great friend of the shop, Tim Edwards of North Coast Endurance Coaching offers a variety of classes, all sure to leave you with a noggin full of knowledge.

Sign up for a small and personal, full-day skills clinic for mountain biking, road cycling, triathlon/time trials or cyclocross. Invest in your own abilities and move to the head of the pack this season!

2 Reviews in 1

2 reviews in 1: On Sunday a good size group of us headed out to the Cleveland Metro Parks Canal Way Visitor Center for the very first PAVE de Old Brooklyn to Tremont. The ride put together by MRC's own Paul Hamad, was in the vein of the Spring Classics. Lots of brick roads, short steep climbs, a little bit of trail, and very cool neighborhoods. In tow, was a New custom built Kona Major Jake, ready for an inagural ride. This bike was built as the Road bike for road season and cyclocross for the cyclocross season. All that will be required is a tire and crank swap. The ride was 30 miles in all and this bike was designed perfectly for this ride. The upgraded Avid Shorty Ultimate brakes handled all the steep fast and short desents, while the Sram Force 50-34 crank offered perfect gearing for a true road ride. This frameset simply put rides "amazing" The tapered head/steer tube up front made cornering a dream and spot on. Stiff when needed and very suitable for all day riding describes the rest. Back to the ride. The route had us hitting every brick road from Old Brooklyn down to Tremont then over to Steelyard commons. I had forgotten how many parks and bike trails surround the area. Keep an I out for a sencond one, judging by the amount of fun everyone had. Click here for a map of the ride/route.
My only complaint was Honey Hut was not open, better be next time.

Things are starting to swing..

It's mid April already and the cycling season is in full swing!There are a ton of great rides and events over the next month or so..Keep up with all of them on the MRC Rides,Races, and Events Page or on the MRC Facebook page..
Quick list of things to come:
Thurs April 21st; Free Gearing Clinic 6:00pm, Both MRC Locations
Sunday May 1st; Pave de Old Brooklyn, experience a new Spring Classic
Sunday May 8th; Buddhaful Spin Group Rides and Sunrise Salutations, Polo Fields 7:30/9:00
Saturday May 14th; Tour De Solon.
Sunday May 15th; MRC's TEAM CRC Chippewa Creek Road Race, Brecksville reservation.
then.....2 weeks to .....Blossom Time Parade, MRC's biggest party of the year
Then on to June, July and August: Sunday in June, Right Side of the Road Tour..and so much more..

Other Fun Facts: How do the researchers at NASA's John Glenn Reasearch Center get around on their MASSIVE complex that looks like something out of the TV show lost (seriously, there are some weird looking buildings and train tracks to now where)On their new fleet of Kona Africa and World bikes! Thats right NASA now rocks and rides Kona. What will the first bike on the moon be? and they better not let a bunch of fixed gear hipsters up there.