Cyclists working with Harlingen officials to draw children, disabled riders to trails

This is part of the plan to market Harlingen as a bicycling destination for all types of people.

HARLINGEN — A cycling group is working with city leaders to draw more families and children as they plan to turn the city’s Arroyo Colorado trail system into an outdoor attraction.

At City Hall, officials are supporting members of the Valley Off-Road Bicycling Association as they request the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation help fund construction of an adaptive trail aimed at drawing disabled riders and a pump track geared to help children learn to handle off-road cycling.

“It really compliments the entire trail system,” Javier Mendez, the city’s parks director, said. “It brings a different level of rider to the trail.”

Adaptive trail

To fund the projects, David Hernandez, the cycling group’s founder and president, is requesting the Legacy Foundation fund about $150,000 to build the pump track and about $50,000 to help construct the adaptive trail.

“This is part of the plan to market Harlingen as a bicycling destination for all types of people,” he said during an interview.

At Arroyo Park, members of the group are planning to build the 1- to 1.5-mile adaptive trail running in a figure-eight design along the baseball diamond, Hernandez said.

“This would probably be the first adaptive trail in the region,” he said.

Organizers believe the trail would draw families with children with special needs to the city whose parks boast award-winning all-inclusive playgrounds, Hernandez said.

“It fits right into that mission,” he said. “That’s another precedent we’re trying to set. It could bring in more families. It gives them the opportunity to ride trails connected to entire trail system. As more and more people use the trails, we want something for everyone. It’s something healthy. This is something we want to bring back — the love of the outdoors.”

Course features

The trail made of paved or compacted material such as asphalt would give disabled riders a fun course to ride, Hernandez said.

“It’s meant to be a little bit more than a flat surface,” he said. “It includes turns, berms and rollers, or small humps you role over.”

The trail would also help children learn to ride bikes, Hernandez said.

“It’s a perfect place for kids to learn how to ride a bike,” he said. “It gives them a safe place out of the street. This adaptive trail has features to make it a lot of fun.”

Community draw

At McCullough Park, members of the cycling group are planning to build a pump track, aiming to turn the course into a city attraction.

“When pump tracks are built, they become hot spots in the community for people to have fun,” he said. “It becomes a big draw. It becomes a hive of community activity.”

Across much of the world, pump tracks offer children courses to help them learn how to handle bikes like BMX and mountain bikes, Hernandez said.

“A lot of communities use it to teach kids how to handle a bike,” he said. “It’s a place kids can come out and have fun. They can train and learn handling skills. It’s a great way to train novice riders.”

Training course

Now, Velosolutions, an international manufacturer, is planning the track’s design, Hernandez said.

About three-feet wide, the asphalt track would features berms rising 3 to 5 feet high, with rollers climbing up to 2 feet, he said.

The tracks are designed to mimic mountain bike trails, he said.

“The pump track simulates the terrain that you would ride,” he said. “It is not flat — it has rollers and berms. It’s meant to allow a rider to corner.”

If they land the projects’ funding, organizers are planning to launch construction late this year, with completion tentatively set for next spring.

“We’re going after these specialty projects that could lend a lot of credibility to the work we’ve done,” Hernandez said.

Background

For more than 20 years, city officials have been developing the Arroyo Colorado trail system.

Now, they’re planning to turn the trails into a cycling destination.

In 2000, the city opened the Arroyo Colorado Hike and Bike Trail’s first stretch, running 2.1 miles across winding banks, crossing three bridges, from McKelvey Park to Arroyo Park.

Soon, the project’s second phase will extend the trail 3.7 miles to McKelvey Park.

At City Hall, officials are planning the trail’s third phase — a 1.1-mile span from McKelvey Park to Hugh Ramsey Nature Park.

Meanwhile, they’re planning turn a 10-mile mountain bike trail into an attraction as they work to hold the city’s second Texas Mountain Bike Racing Association state championship race in October.

Last year, the race drew about 200 racers from Texas and parts of Mexico, Hernandez said.

For more than 15 years, Hernandez has been riding the arroyo’s steep dirt banks.

In 2017, Henry Roberts, the late founder of Bicycle World, launched a project to build the city’s mountain bike trails along the arroyo’s high embankments.

Ever since, Hernandez has been working with members of the cycling group to carve the trails.