IMBA Hot Spots Program Focuses on Houston

For Immediate Release
01-07-03
Contact: Christina Case, GHORBA President

713-880-8129
or
Dan Vardamis, IMBA Hot Spots coordinator

303-545-9011

Improved mountain bike access in Houston is the goal of an upcoming nine-day Hot Spots campaign hosted by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and the Greater Houston Off Road Biking Association (GHORBA) January 10-18, 2002.

IMBA staff and local advocates will conduct a series of meetings with land managers, community leaders and other conservation and recreation groups to discuss ways to improve mountain bike access in the Houston metro area. This coordinated work is part of IMBA's Hot Spots program that works to improve urban trail access and inspire new mountain bike advocates.

We recently interviewed Christina Case, president of GHORBA, to find out about the current mountain biking situation in Houston, what the goals are for this Hot Spot visit and how people can get involved. If you'd like more information, including a full schedule of events, please visit www.ghorba.org.

The IMBA Hot Spots Program is made possible by generous support from Clif Bar Inc.

Houston IMBA Hot Spot Interview:

IMBA: Houston was rated as the worst city for mountain biking in the 2001 IMBA Report Card. What are some of the contributing factors?

Christina Case: A number of things. Definitely our relationships with land managers and city officials could use work. We need to convince them we are a legitimate user group and not just a bunch of kids. The main issue that we've dealt with for the past few years is maintaining access to the one city park where we are allowed, Memorial Park. It's a constant battle, but it's very important to the local cycling community. Memorial Park has some of the best terrain in the region, and is really the only singletrack riding within one hour of downtown Houston.

Why is this a critical time for Houston mountain biking?

The city is in the midst of creating a master plan for Memorial Park that could eliminate current singletrack trails that mountain bikers use. The IMBA Hot Spot visit is timed perfectly to hopefully influence this process to benefit cyclists.

What is the Houston cycling scene like?

The mountain biking community here is small but tight. Those of us who mountain bike tend to ride together. There is also a very strong racing scene. On the flip side, there are tons of people who don't recreate at all. Houston was recently rated the fattest city in the nation, and there are a lot of factors behind this. We spend a great deal of time commuting in our cars. We eat out more than any other city. Houston is rated last in Texas in terms of open space park acreage per capita. It's not an accommodating city for outdoor recreation.

What's the mountain bike advocacy scene like in Houston?

Well, GHORBA is the only mountain biking club in Houston, and we've come a long way in our three-year existence. We conduct weekly rides, perform advocacy work and have very successful trailwork days. A lot of people also get involved in advocacy through their local bike shops, and the road riding advocacy groups here are quite strong.

What are some goals of the upcoming Houston IMBA Hot Spots visit?

To paint mountain bikers in a much more positive light to city officials. To show how mountain biking can enhance the quality of life of our city and the general health of the population. We want to get people who have never ridden out on bikes and learning about GHORBA. More than anything else, though, we want to gain credibility as a user group. The Hot Spot visit is a wonderful opportunity to do this.

What opportunities are there for people who want to get involved in the Houston IMBA Hot Spot campaign?

There are lots of great chances to learn about mountain biking, IMBA and GHORBA at rides, slideshows, parties and other fun events scheduled. In addition, we'll be hosting a Fat Tire Festival on January 18 as part of the Hot Spot campaign. The festival will have lots of unique and entertaining events, and we'll giving away a ton of stuff as prizes.

Where should people go to find more information?

A full schedule of events with locations and times is on our website at www.ghorba.org.