A NEW £240,000 cycle track has been unveiled in Greenock — and one councillor got on his bike to officially open the area’s newest sporting facility.

Cycling enthusiast Councillor Terry Loughran welcomed invited guests to the Rankin Park Hub, dubbing it as ‘Inverclyde’s very own mountain bike trail extravaganza.’

The hub offers something for children, intermediate and more advanced cyclists and also includes loops and a coaching area.

Councillor Loughran said: “The mountain bike hub is another exciting piece in the jigsaw to provide first-class leisure facilities for the people of Inverclyde.

“It will offer something different to the traditional sports we already have available and allow cyclists of all abilities to test themselves, improve their skills and fitness and, above all, have fun.”

Members of the active schools and sports development team organised the launch, which included a video clip of the trails.

They have been given their own titles — with names including Weaving Woods, Flying Scotsman and Red Alert.

Visitors then got the chance to test out the the new facility on bikes and on foot with the help of trail leaders.

Councillor Loughran said: “We now have our own forest trail in the middle of Greenock.”

Sportscotland was a funding partner in the project, which attracted £90,000 from the Legacy Active Places Fund towards costs.

There are plans to develop the facilities to link up with Clyde Muirshiel Park and The Cut, and establish Rankin Park — using the rail link at Drumfrochar — to connect with other routes across Renfrewshire and North Ayrshire.

Cllr Loughran said: “We have invested in developing mountain biking with a planned curricular schools programme, after schools clubs, adult coaching and social ride outs.”

Inverclyde’s sports champion Councillor Ronnie Ahlfeld, above with Councillor Loughran, described the new facility as ‘fantastic’.

He said: “There are lots of trails for beginners and I hope plenty of young people take advantage of it.

“It’s also open all the time, so it’s great that the community can use it at will.
“I look forward to trying it out with my grandkids.”