2000 IMBA Annual Report
Mountain Biking on the Move
National and international leadership coupled with grassroots advocacy support: this is the International Mountain Bicycling Association's formula for mountain biking's future.
The year 2000 - our 13th - was IMBA's best yet. We reached all-time numeric highs in nearly every important category: membership, budget, staff size and hours devoted to our work, cash grants, field visits, affiliated clubs, state and international representatives and visitors to our website.
Numbers, of course, tell only part of the story. The real measure of IMBA's effectiveness as a non-profit mountain bike advocacy group can be found in the answers to the following questions:
- Are mountain bikers everywhere finding convenient, appealing trails to ride?
- Does mountain biking have a positive image among government officials and in the eyes of the public?
- Are mountain bikers riding responsibly, volunteering for trailwork and working with other trail user groups to enhance outdoor recreation and preserve open space?
The answer to all three of these questions is yes - but not everywhere and not always. So much work remains.
We invite you to look at the charts, graphs and photos on the next three pages. They present an overview of IMBA's work: our funding, our projects, our key accomplishments and our challenges for the future.
We can safely say that each and every IMBA member started mountain biking with the simple goals of having fun, exploring beautiful natural environments and feeling good, physically and mentally. Somewhere along the trail, each of us discovered that a bright future for mountain biking wasn't guaranteed and that personal involvement in directing the sport is essential.
The challenge, of course, is finding a balance between our enduring passion for riding and the need for mountain bike advocacy and volunteer work.
We hope this year is your best riding year ever. We hope that you find easy and satisfying ways to give something back to mountain biking.
See you on the trail.
IMBA By the Numbers
Percentage of IMBA members who feel IMBA is effectively representing the interests of mountain bikers: 85
Number of McLeod and Pulaski trailwork tools donated to IMBA clubs by IMBA and RockShox since 1996: 1,050
Average annual volunteer trailwork hours performed by each IMBA member: 18.8
Pairs of IMBA socks distributed to IMBA members and supporters since 1997: 27,000
Miles driven by Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crews (1997-2000) as they've built and maintained trails: 244,000
Number of U.S. states the Trail Care Crews have visited: 49 (Alaska is scheduled for summer 2001).
Number of other countries visited by the Trail Care Crews: 18
Number of web page matches found for IMBA in an Alta Vista search: 25,523
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 There are more than 400 IMBA-affiliated mountain bike clubs in the United States. Internationally, Canada leads the way with 19 clubs. IMBA is also represented in 25 other countries worldwide. | |
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IMBA Programs
Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew
The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crews travel throughout North America, building and maintaining trails, teaching Trailbuilding Schools and bolstering mountain biking's image.
National Mountain Bike Patrol
IMBA directs this program to help establish, certify, and operate mountain bike patrols in parks, open spaces, and public lands around the globe.
IMBA Hot Spots
Trail closures are more common in and around major cities. To improve urban access, IMBA has created a hot spot program that directs resources at specific urban trail networks.
IMBA Epic Rides
Deep into a long backcountry mountain bike adventure, our worldly responsibilities vanish, leaving only the immediate joys of the ride, our friends, and nature's cathedral. The IMBA Epics Program celebrates great adventure rides.
IMBA in Washington D.C.
IMBA works with the federal government, Congress, and the three federal land management agencies - the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service - to help ensure the future of off-road cycling.
IMBA International
IMBA is bringing the world mountain bike community together with members in most Canadian provinces and 25 other countries.
IMBA Grassroots National Network
IMBA has clubs and state reps in almost every state in the U.S. IMBA helps coordinate their efforts to open trails.
