More members, facilities and competitions all part of Macleay Valley Mountain Bikers Club's future plans

The sport's popularity has been gaining momentum since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the club is now looking to improve it's trails and facilities to accommodate the demand.

Stewart said there are bigger and better things planned this year, including hosting round one of the One Contract Property NSW State MTB series in February.

The competition will see mountain bikers from all over the state converge on Kalateenee Mountain Bike Park between February 17-19.

Stewart said the state-wide event will bring a tourism and economic boost to the Macleay Valley as the club looks to host more "world-class" competitions in the future.

"It will be three full-on days of mountain biking that is going to bring hundreds of visitors to the area," Stewart said.

"The club's plan is to have our trails at an international standard so that we can hold those world-class events as well as continue being available to the general public who just want to go for a Sunday afternoon bike ride.

"Mountain biking is a sport that doesn't just benefit the club when people go and ride the trails, it benefits the community where the trails are located.

"You only have to look at places around the country and the world, to see that the towns with accessible trails see an increase in visitors, and in turn they also see an increase in tourism for local businesses. "

Stewart said this year isn't just about racing, but also about encouraging the community to get involved with mountain bike riding.

"We do want to expand our members in the club, and we would also like to hold community events and social races for people who enjoy riding the trails," she said.

"We also want to make our trails accessible to everyone. Some of our trails are already accessible to riders who have an adaptive bike, but we want to continue to do more to ensure the trails are inclusive for everyone.

"A long-term goal is to also upgrade our Enduro trails, install car parks and toilets within the mountain park itself and place more signs around the park to direct people on how to get to those areas.

The desire to expand the trails comes after the success of the newly constructed flow trail, Firefly.

"Our new flow trail, which was funded by Kempsey Shire Council, is very popular and has brought locals and visitors to the area, so we want to continue accommodating that interest in the sport," Stewart said.

The club's future plans will be assisted by the NSW Government's $130, 000 funding boost, which was announced by Member for Oxley, Melinda Pavey, during the club's community event at Kalateenee Mountain Bike Park on Sunday, January 15.

The free event included guided rides through the park's trails followed by a barbecue.

"The event was to encourage members in the community and tourists who were here holidaying to come along and have a go at mountain biking," Stewart said. "It was a really great mix of people, and I think everyone had a great time.

"We had about 50 riders turn up in diverse ages; I think the youngest rider was about six while other riders were in the 60s ad 70s, all with varying levels of skills and abilities.

"I think the event really highlighted the great thing about mountain biking, and it's that people of all ages and abilities can take part in the sport and get the exact same enjoyment out of it."

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