Youth learn the basics of biking
The next generation of bikeoholics rolled through muddy trails in Alameda Park on Saturday for mountain bike lessons.
Michelle Thomas, an avid mountain biker from Harmony, invited children and teenagers to join her for free lessons Saturday morning at the Alameda Single Track.
More than a dozen children learned the basics of mountain biking and were encouraged to gain confidence to try out more challenging obstacles.
The event also highlighted the progress of thousands of hours of volunteer work and more than $100,000 in building 11 miles of trail in the park since 2015.
“I have a passion for mountain biking and the joy that you get introducing it to a new rider is just amazing,” Thomas said.
And the 11 miles available in the park are just the beginning. The track's stewards and organizers with Alameda Single Track hope to complete another nine miles over the next several years.
For children such as Brooklyn Pfaeffle, 11, who traveled with her father from Allegheny County, the trails were more than enough to satisfy their adventure seeking.“It's great getting out there and being surrounded by other people my age,” Brooklyn said as her father, Jamie Pfaeffle, explained Brooklyn is working on building her confidence to ride over obstacles such as logs, rocks and water.“The best way to get confidence is to ride with others kids who will encourage each other,” Jamie Pfaeffle said. Jamie is a member of Trail Pittsburgh, which worked with Alameda Single Track to become an organization.“Every time we found (the kids) on the trials they were laughing and having fun,” Jamie Pfaeffle said.And for Thomas, seeing the confidence boost is part of her reward for holding these classes.“Mountain biking empowers children,” she said. “It's great when you see the most timid children on a bike, and when they ride, they become a whole new person and gain this confidence. They realize their capabilities, and it's great for their confidence.”Thomas said she decided to hold her classes in Alameda Park because the trails are welcoming and have a good mix of easy and intermediate challenges.“They're perfect trails for beginners. They can also be advanced. But they're very new-rider friendly. Very wide. Good mix of flow and single track. Very professionally built,” Thomas said.
Pfaeffle and volunteer and trail steward Henry Dimmick of Butler Township said the trails don't just benefit mountain bikers.“It's not just for bikers but for everybody,” Pfaeffle said.The projected 20 miles of trail are being made in cooperation with Trial Pittsburgh, and they are being built according to the standards of the International Mountain Bike Association, according to Pfaeffle.Volunteers and trail stewards such as Dimmick chip away every year at the tedious process of creating trails through the park to meet the goal.“It's a lot of volunteer labor. There's no contractor out there doing it,” Pfaeffle said.Since 2015, Dimmick said they have about 5,000 hours of volunteer time spread between 1,179 volunteer appearances. There were 377 days that people worked on the park's trails.
“To have all of that within our backyard, within the confines of Butler, is just incredible. People can ride there with close parking and varying difficulties in the trails,” Dimmick said. “Bringing people such a great asset to the community is part of what gives us pride.”As a lifelong county resident, Dimmick remembers using deer trails in the park before the creation of the mountain bike trails. He said that about 10 years ago, storms in the area led to the disintegration of the makeshift trails.Several residents and Dimmick organized the group to create formal trails.“As a road cyclist I don't do a lot of the super technical biking. I can, but I'm 60 and what Alameda brings is, generally speaking, you can ride through without being hurt,” Dimmick said. “It's very accessible to all the things you may be into that day.”Thomas will be holding similar classes throughout the summer. More information is available on her website, mtbtrailblazers.com
