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New mountain biking program in Greensboro aims to grow the sport in the Piedmont

Mountain bikers riding on one of Greensboro's seven mountain biking trails. Photo courtesy of Greensboro Parks & Recreation.

A new program to grow the sport of mountain biking is coming to Greensboro: Greensboro Mountain Biking Experience. It was launched by Greensboro Parks and Recreation to bring together residents, instructors and the department's new mountain bikes. 

Open houses are available and take place in the city's parks. Superintendent for special programs Carla Hoover says trail usage went up by nearly 80% during the pandemic as people sought new socially distant outdoor activities to try. With the surging interest in mountain biking, she says the instruction effort came about by popular demand.

"We had some people asking if we could do classes, and so we found an instructor that we contracted with last year to do six clinics last year for youth and teen mountain biking, and we held one family clinic as well," says Hoover. "So, we've actually hired an instructor on payroll that will be able to do that year-round now."

Beginner instruction for children and adults includes identifying the appropriate size bike frame, how to replace the chain if it pops off, and repairing a flat tire. The emphasis is on safety: eyes on the trail, how to get over a tree stump, and other basic skills to prepare riders for any of Greensboro's seven mountain biking trails.

The next session is Saturday, May 14 at Keely Park. It's free and open to the public.

Before his arrival in the Triad, David had already established himself as a fixture in the Austin, Texas arts scene as a radio host for Classical 89.5 KMFA. During his tenure there, he produced and hosted hundreds of programs including Mind Your Music, The Basics and T.G.I.F. Thank Goodness, It's Familiar, which each won international awards in the Fine Arts Radio Competition. As a radio journalist with 88.5 WFDD, his features have been recognized by the Associated Press, Public Radio News Directors Inc., Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals, and Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas. David has written and produced national stories for NPR, KUSC and CPRN in Los Angeles and conducted interviews for Minnesota Public Radio's Weekend America.

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