Cycling enthusiasts in Cape Breton are gearing up for the opportunity to compete on a newly constructed mountain bike course as the fall season approaches. Local volunteers and biking enthusiasts have secured access to municipal land adjacent to the Emera Centre hockey rink in North Sydney, Nova Scotia. This wooded area is deemed ideal for short-track mountain biking.
Advocates seeking to boost interest in the sport within the community note its popularity in other regions of the country. However, the lack of infrastructure in Cape Breton has hindered accessibility to mountain biking for both youth and adults.
Aaron Whiteway, leading the initiative to introduce mountain bike racing to the area, expressed surprise at the limited mountain bike trails upon his arrival. Over the past few years, Whiteway and fellow volunteers have been working on clearing a 700-meter course that features a mix of fast asphalt stretches, challenging technical turns amid hardwood trees, gentle slopes with large rocks, and old ATV trails surrounding the arena.
The Cape Breton Regional Municipality provided the land, with staff assisting in trail development. They emphasized that expanding recreational opportunities benefits the community in the long run. Wil van Hal, the recreation manager for the CBRM, envisions developing a mountain biking trail system to not only serve the local biking community but also to position Cape Breton as a premier mountain biking destination.
Whiteway emphasized that the track will cater to riders of all skill levels, with plans to host races later this year. The races typically involve a time trial format lasting 15 to 20 minutes on courses spanning half a kilometer to a kilometer. The winner is determined by the most laps completed within the designated time frame.
In an effort to make the sport more accessible to local youth, Whiteway intends to offer lessons on the course to foster growth within the biking community. His daughter, Violet Anderson, highlighted the beginner-friendly nature of the course, stating that anyone who can ride a bike can participate and quickly learn the ropes through practice.