TYLER (KYTX) - A new bike trail in Tyler is bringing together a love for the outdoors, fitness and the economy.
As the ribbon was cut, tires hit the gravel of Tyler's newest mountain biking trail.
Billy Hibbs is one of the people who came up with the vision for a trail that has now become a reality.
He says, "Tyler is now probably the only community of it's size in North America that has four great mountain biking venues all within close context of the city."
As the fourth Tyler trail, it completes what creators call the Ride the Four Pedals of the Rose. The "Four Pedals" biking trails include the Tyler State Park to the north, Faulkner Park to the south, the UT Tyler course on the east side, and now Lindsey Park in the west.
"The more spots the better," said Tyler rider Tony Humphress. He was one of dozens of riders that raced on the new 10-mile trail for the first time.
"It's beginner to intermediate," he said. "Mostly intermediate. It's really fast, it flows really well, it's a lot of fun."
New trails like Lindsey's attract new riders, and they're not just from East Texas.
"If someone's willing to travel two or three hours to come up here then we've got a good set of trails," Humphress said.
Mayor Barbara Bass announced, "The city of Tyler is going to use this as a way to promote Tyler."
The trail is open to bikers of any level, but there's no discrimination. If you're not into biking you can still walk and run the brand new trail. It all contributes to making Tyler even more of a fit city.
"Tyler is blessed to have such natural beauty and this mountain bike trail allows us to showcase that beauty while getting fit, and we know we're about Fit City here in Tyler," Mayor Bass said.
The year-long joint effort by the City of Tyler, the Tyler Bicycle Club, and the Smith County Justice System is now a success.
Some volunteers put more than 100 hours of work into creating the trail. It was hard work that's turned a beautiful piece of Tyler land into a family friendly spot for people all over the country to come exercise, and get a breath of fresh air.
