Mountain bike enthusiasts will soon be soaring down the Johnstown Inclined Plane hillside at breakneck speeds and riding the funicular back to the top to do it again and again.

With that milestone approaching, Inclined Plane Trails project coordinator Michael Cook is taking the opportunity to promote the paths for residents and visitors.

“We were thinking we need to drum up some publicity for the trails with the Incline opening soon,” he said.

Cook teamed up with Bike Johnstown’s “Director of Stoke” Shane Riley to create an informative video on the subject – complete with tips, history and rules for riding – that was recently posted to social media.

He and Riley have gotten to know each other a lot throughout the past few years. They bike together weekly during the Chiller Rides – a successor to the “Chilleur Rides” created by Jarrod Bunk and David Lane – and perform together in the band Tree.

“There is truly ... only one Mike Cook in the world,” Riley said. He commended Cook for the innumerable hours he’s spent building the downhill trails and promoting outdoor recreation in the region, all for free.

Riley offered to record and edit the video to help promote Cook’s work and show people the amenities in the region.

“I think we have this really, really special thing,” Riley said.

While the Incline has been closed for rehabilitation, Cook and some volunteers expanded the hillside trails from around five to 14 pathways. Roughly four miles of trails are now available on the 80-acre parcel owned by the city of Johnstown that he has an agreement to maintain and develop.

The main Inclined Plane trailhead is at the corner of Tioga Street and Edgehill Drive in Westmont Borough, but there are other access points lower on the hillside as well, such as Yoder Street and Coconut Place.

Additionally, the trails are the only such system in the nation served by public transportation, which is the Cambria County Transit Authority-operated Inclined Plane.

At the start of June, the funicular began a 30-day testing period required for reopening. That was briefly delayed due to a cable issue, but started again shortly after.

CamTran does not have a confirmed date for the opening, officials said, but Cook and Riley are hopeful it’s soon. Cook said that speeding down the hill is the fun part, but without the Inclined Plane, people have to organize shuttles back to the top.

When the funicular was operating, several dozen people would flock to the mountaintop each weekend to ride, with thousands coming each year.

Helmets are required for riding the trails, and Cook reminds everyone who dares the downhill trek to ride at their own risk.

Difficulty varies, and so do routes.

“It’s kind of like your own choose your own bike adventure,” Cook said.

The hillside trails aren’t the only aspect of outdoor recreation that’s expanded in recent years. Bicycling culture in the Johnstown region continues to grow with people such as Cook and Riley at the helm nurturing it.

Riley said that meeting his friends each Friday – weather permitting – to ride around the city is nostalgic and reminds him of his youth.

“It’s ... awesome to be able to extend an olive branch to new and inquiring riders into a bike group to help them to learn the basics and fundamentals of riding, in a setting where there are people willing and ready to work with them,” said Dan Prosser, who rides with the group and assists with Bike Johnstown. “That’s something special to be a part of.”

The Chiller Rides are at a conversational pace and there’s “no drop,” which means no one gets abandoned.

Prosser also said that for many residents of the city, using a bicycle is now part of their life. They use them to get from place to place while also recreating.

“There are a dozen people I see everyday in town, no matter the season, where that is their way of travel, and we are lucky enough to have stores available in town that are accessible to them,” Prosser said.

Riley, a Moxham resident who works at Fat Jimmy’s Cycles, is one of those people.

Since moving back to Johnstown from Colorado around three years ago with his wife and fellow bike enthusiast Krysta Riley, a bicycle became a primary means of transportation.

Shane Riley said he can’t remember the last time he drove a vehicle through the city, and added that the regional trail system offers great off-road opportunities as well.

He and Krysta Riley just completed a 100-mile round trip ride to Indiana County and back using the trails.

“That’s what makes western Pennsylvania great,” Cook said. “You can walk out your front door and (outdoor recreation is) just there.”

He’s also been impressed by the growing bike culture, lauding Bunk and Lane for building during their time in town on what the Laurel Highlands On and Off Road Bicycling Association had established years prior.

Chiller Rides are at 6 p.m. every Friday, and the group meets at the Morley’s Dog statue at the corner of Market and Main streets downtown. The meetup location may change to Central Park once construction there is complete.

More information about the weekly events can be found on the Bike Johnstown social media accounts. Additional information on the Incline Plane Trail system can be found at the Friends of the Inclined Plane Trails Facebook page.

Donations to help maintain the downhill trails can also be made by visiting www.cfalleghenies.org and searching for the Friends of the Inclined Plane Endowment Fund.

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