The Concrete Jungle Goes Off-Road

All you crazy New Yorkers who think you can have your urban lifestyle and eat dirt, too, Saturday is your lucky day. Come out and christen [The Fort George Hill Trails,] the city’s first [off-road bicycle course](http://www.nypost.com/seven/05152007/news/regionalnews/trail_bikers_place_to_pedal_regionalnews_cynthia_r__fagen.htm) in upper Manhattan’s Highbridge Park. Eighteen months of labor and $100,000 gets you three miles of mountain-biking fun with areas for [BMX jumpers, novices and experts](http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/05/15/2007-05-15_city_bike_parks_a_mound_of_fun-1.html).

“I love the ramps. You get amazing air on them. One jump, it's almost vertical when you go up it,” 13-year-old Jonathan Flores told the Daily News. “Before this, you'd have to ride on the street.” Uh, right … where’s this kid’s legal guardian?

“If this works well, we will have a course in every borough. The bottom line here is anything that gets young people out getting exercise is a good thing,” said Parks and Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. That’s right, and if we can’t pass a law requiring a certain number of hours of exercise per day, then by golly we can make it fun so people will do it on their own!