In Macomb County, Michigan, the wheels of change are turning fast as mountain biking sees a surge in popularity. The pandemic-fueled mountain biking boom isn't showing any signs of slowing down, with local parks like Stony Creek Metropark now a hotspot for cycling enthusiasts.
With the onset of COVID-19 and the consequent lockdowns, Michiganders turned to outdoor activities to fend off cabin fever and maintain social distancing norms. This interest coincided with a $700,000 investment in Stony Creek Metropark's mountain biking trail system, a project that was widely publicized on social media, according to information from Macomb County Planning and Economic Development. The park's sales of daily and yearly passes have dramatically increased, with yearly pass barcode scans nearly tripling since the trail redevelopment began. Notably, in the summer of 2020, a total of 153,863 yearly pass barcodes were scanned, compared with 114,423 in 2019.
A telling sign of this growth is the shift in sales at bike stores where inventory struggles to meet the high demand. "Bike stores can't keep bikes in stock. And we've pulled in new riders. It's been a perfect storm of demand being there and the new trails being offered," Huron-Clinton Metroparks district park superintendent Gary Hopp told Macomb County Planning and Economic Development. This sentiment is reflected in the soaring sales figures of not just Macomb Bike but numerous local bike shops, which have seen an uptick in a more diverse clientele.
These trends go beyond the sales floor. Aaron Barla, a CRAMBA member and trail coordinator for Stony Creek Metropark, was so confident in the potential of the sporting discipline, that, he pivoted from his job to start Select Cycle Works LLC, a mobile professional bike service in June 2021. "I knew it would be lucrative," Barla explained, attributing his business decision to the influx of riders and the potential he saw in Detroit's metro area, as related in an interview with Macomb County Planning and Economic Development.
The county has continued to foster this growing passion for mountain biking through the winter months as well. Fat bikes, with their characteristic oversized tires, have seen a rise in their utility on Stony Creek's snowy trails. "When it gets really cold in January and February, and the trail gets packed down and slick, and icy, that's when riders go to the studded tires," says Barla, spotlighting the season's unique challenges and the adaptations riders make to continue enjoying their sport.
Facilities like Stony Creek have optimized winter conditions for bikers, opening up new opportunities for riding even as the temperatures dip. David Hengehold, a local rider, found winter biking an excellent way to enjoy Michigan's snowy landscape. "It's good to be out in the elements, the fresh air, it's fun," Hengehold stated, emphasizing the different ambiance that winter brings to the trails.
Making the sport more accessible, the Huron Clinton Metroparks offer a trade-up program that allows park users to exchange used daily passes for a yearly pass. This allows fervent riders to translate their day-to-day commitment into a more permanent status within the community of mountain bikers carving paths through Macomb County's outdoor splendor.
