Background:
Ground was broken for the Mt. Airy mountain bike trails on July 3rd, 2018. This marked the construction of the first trail system for mountain biking that was actually in the city of Cincinnati. All other local trails are outside of city limits. This is a huge step forward for those that live in Northside, Clifton, College Hill, and other nearby neighborhoods. Residents now have trails they can ride to from their house, which is particularly beneficial for younger riders who may not have a car, or even be old enough to drive.
The trails are sanctioned by the Cincinnati Off-road Alliance (CORA), but ultimately the park has the final say. There are many hiking trails at Mt. Airy, but these are the only multi-use trails in the park that allow cycling. The largest concern to the park and the trail builders is any impact on the natural surroundings. Erosion is natural, and all trails will change the environment they are in, but by rock armoring drainages and avoiding extended sections of fall line trail, the impact is greatly reduced. The soil in Cincinnati has a fairly high clay content, which becomes very soft and slick when wet. This is why CORA suggests that trails only be ridden when they are dry, to reduce ruts and other trail damage. Clay also takes significantly longer to dry than trails with more sand content.
Due to the extensive work put into the drainage at the Mt. Airy trails, the trails are among the fastest drying in the local area. This is important not just for erosion, but also allows riders to get the most rides in during a year. Next time you are hiking or biking on a trail, take a look for any spots that might be holding water. Often times the downhill side of a trail can be higher than the uphill side, thus trapping water. This tends to happen on older trails with heavy use, and is one of the main reasons trails need occasional maintenance.
The trail is entirely hand built by volunteers, with the exception of clearing dead ash trees. Currently there have been 2638 hours of work done at these trails, since 2018. With a total length of 2.2 miles, that is about 1200 hours per mile of trail. The work includes flagging the initial trail, cutting honeysuckle, digging the actual trail, rock work and drainage mods. The winter and spring is ideal for digging, because the dirt holds water for much longer, making it easier to cut through. In the warmer months, much of the work is removing invasive species, such as honeysuckle and garlic mustard. As traffic increases with nice weather, drainage mods might be done.
The Trails:
There is a 1.0 mile loop, Creamy Whip, and a 1.2 mile out and back, The Falls. The Falls will eventually be connected with a new trail to form a loop back to Creamy Whip. Both trails are bidirectional and multi use for foot (human and dog) and bike traffic. If riding both trails in both directions, the total distance will be 4.4 miles and 600 total feet of climbing. The trails are an intermediate difficulty, owing mainly to the steepness of the climbs, and the creek crossing on The Falls. Over time they will become slightly more difficult as more roots and rocks become exposed. At the moment the trails are fairly smooth, and when riding fast the main difficulty comes from maintaining traction over the many crests in the trail. Trail difficulty is a factor of steepness, roughness, and tightness. While there are some steep sections at Mt. Airy, they are far shorter, not as steep, and straight, when compared to Devil's Backbone at Devou Park, which has some very steep, unsupported corners. It is similar to Harbin Park in terms of how tight the trail is, but has far less roots, so most riders will find it easier than Harbin.
