Compared to that, the $2.2 million estimate for mountain biking improvements at Pocahontas State Park seems a bargain, especially after subtracting the $1.4 million needed for a handicapped-accessible training facility at the trailhead. About 20 miles of dirt trails will cost about $800,000, said Greg Rollins, president of RVA MORE, a chapter of the International Mountain Bike Association.

The Pocahontas project is part of a regional effort to be designated an IMBA Ride Center. Two critical pieces, which could be constructed for as little as $200,000, are a gateway trail and flow trail at Pocahontas, Rollins said.

The flow trail would be designed for speed and have tabletop jumps built in.

The gateway trail for beginners would also be accessible to disabled people using hand cycles, an experience that’s not available now. The MidAtlantic chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America has been involved in the planning, said Jen Purser, administrative director. Groundbreaking is tentatively planned for late summer and the trail could be in use this fall, she said.

Combined with about 20 miles of existing trails in Pocahontas and about 25 miles of trails in the James River Park System, the additional trail network would provide three or four days of mountain biking in the Richmond area, Rollins said.