GRAND RAPIDS/ROCKFORD – If you’ve had a flat tire mountain biking the popular Merrell Trail in the greater Grand Rapids area, getting back in gear will be a little easier starting today.
That’s because a partnership between international technology firm Appropos, based in Grand Rapids, and the West Michigan Mountain Biking Alliance will result in the installation of the trail’s first self-service bicycle repair station. The station was built on Wednesday, and is located near the trailhead, at 2908 Ten Mile Rd. in Rockford.
“Mountain biking is an environmentally friendly, healthy and fun form of recreation and we wanted to do our part to make it easier and more convenient to enjoy this activity throughout Grand Rapids,” said Mark Johnson, chief marketing officer of Appropos, a cutting-edge software development firm and the creators of Envoy, an integrated business-to-business sales platform. “Many members of our team at Appropos are avid mountain bikers, and we’ve all experienced a flat tire, broken chain or loose pedal at some point. This is our way of giving back to the West Michigan biking community and the many cyclists who enjoy this amazing trail.”
The self-service bike maintenance station, made by Dero, will be set up at the trail head, near the trail’s parking lot. Johnson himself has had at least two flat tires each year on the Merrell Trail.
“We can’t thank Appropos enough for their generous support and donation,” said Scott TenCate, West Michigan Mountain Biking Alliance advisor and Merrell trail coordinator. “This new self-service repair station will further improve and strengthen our biking infrastructure in the greater Grand Rapids region. It is another step toward developing safe, responsible trails that all can enjoy.”
TenCate was one of the lead fundraisers who worked with Plainfield Township to build the Merrell Trail, which is one of the most popular trails in the area. Contributions for the trail came from Plainfield Township, The Wolverine World Wide Foundation, Merrell footwear division, Wynalda Packaging and over 4,000 volunteer hours from the West Michigan Mountain Biking Alliance.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015
CONTACT: Steve Faber
Byrum & Fisk Communications (616) 821-8006
