METROPARKS MOUNTAIN BIKING AREA (MOMBA)
Where: Huffman MetroPark, 4485 Union Road
Hours: 8 a.m.-10 p.m. daily (April 1-Oct. 31)
Racing down the hillside, winding through the wooded terrain, flying over roots and rocks – mountain biking can be a thrill from start to finish.
Recent additions and improvements to Five Rivers MetroParks Mountain Biking Area (MoMBA) make mountain biking accessible to all ages and ability levels.
MoMBA – opened in 2007 – is the area’s first fully sustainable mountain biking trail system. It was designed to International Mountain Bicycling Association standards and includes more than nine miles of mountain biking trails for all levels of riders.
Here are 3 things to know before you go:
NEW FEATURES: The addition of a Tot Track and Hilltop Flow – a new, wider, beginner-friendly trail – will enable more people to experience what MetroParks outdoor coordinator Randy Ryberg describes as a "showpiece for the state of Ohio."
Tot Track: This 1/4-mile trail is designed for kids to practice balance and other skills on a natural-surface trail.
Hilltop Flow: This 3/4-mile trail is designed to provide a fun experience for all skill levels. Optional features develop skills, such as balance and riding over logs and rocks, that help riders navigate the more difficult features on the main trail system.
The Talon (advanced): This double black diamond trail is designed to challenge the most experienced mountain bikers and is accessed from Hawk's Lair. The most difficult features at MoMBA are found here, including a long elevated skinny. You'll know you have what it takes if you can ride up and over the nearly vertical rock at the entrance of the trail.
NO BIKE? NO PROBLEM: Mountain bike rentals will be available at MoMBA on Saturdays from 9 a.m.-noon beginning on June 18. Rates for youth bikes start at $6 an hour, and adult bikes start at $8.
TRAILS MADE FOR ALL SKILLS: Whether you are a beginner or expert, young or just young at heart, there is something for everyone:
Twisted (beginner): A quick, flowing ride that leads to Five Points Junction. Twisted now connects the existing trails to the Hilltop Flow. It's the next level in the progression for new riders ready to move from the wide open tread of Hilltop Flow to the single-track style of the rest of the trails.
Voodoo (beginner): Voodoo is the least technical and the flattest of the trails, which makes it great for beginners. The optional jump – just outbound of Five Points Junction – is a great opportunity for more advanced riders on their way to Hawk's Lair.
Mr. Zig Zag (intermediate): One of two true closed loops at MoMBA, it winds through the forest without losing or gaining much elevation. Ride Mr. Zig Zag counterclockwise out of Five Points Junction and get one of the best downhill rides in the park. Ride it clockwise and it's an uphill challenge.
Creekside (intermediate): Set along both sides of a beautiful rock-bottom creek, Creekside is the longest intermediate trail with five creek crossings, two large bridges and many intermediate climbs. New features include a couple of berms designed to allow greater speed through turns.
Upper & Lower Stealth (intermediate): Upper Stealth is a roller coaster ride with wide sweeping turns leading out of Five Points Junction. Climb back uphill to connect to Creekside or head back to Five Points Junction.Lower Stealth connects Five Points Junction to Wild West Junction, where advanced riders can access Hawk's Lair. With tight turns and a few climbs Lower Stealth is a quick, technical trail.
Hawk's Lair (advanced): Has some of the best rock riding in the state. This tricky loop gains 106 feet of elevation in less than a mile and sports a 35-foot deep chasm crossed by a 45-foot fiber polymer bridge and The Spiral, where the trail climbs along a very steep, wooded cliff.
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