IMBA Epic Participants Discover Diverse Trails in Arkansas and Vancouver

For Immediate Release
August 15, 2000
Contact:
303-545-9011

Hot Springs, Arkansas features smooth singletrack, heat and humidity. Vancouver, British Columbia boasts technical trails, cedar log bridges and bike size boulders. Yet these radically different riding environments have one thing in common: both were designated as IMBA Epics this year.

The Arkansas IMBA Epic, located in the rolling Ouachita Mountains, features 37 miles of flowing singletrack on the Womble Trail. Earlier this summer, this designation was celebrated with a two day event. On day one, participants worked with the IMBA affiliated Ozark Off Road Cyclists to build three bridges. On day two, the volunteers returned to ride the route.

"The Womble is a must do if you are anywhere near this part of the country," said Heather Szabo, IMBA's membership coordinator. "The trail flows through a lush, green river valley and is a snaking-through-the-trees cruise."

Vancouver, BC, receives more than 75 inches of rain annually and is situated in the world's largest temperate rain forest. Thanks to an extended dry spell, however, the IMBA Epic celebration here featured bone dry trails - a good thing for less technically skilled out of towners. Even when dry, Vancouver's North Shore mountain bike trails are arguably the most difficult in the world. Vancouver trail gurus have worked with their natural environment to create dark mazes of 90-degree turning, log bridge spanning, rock-face dropping trail networks.

The Vancouver Epic celebration established new connections among local mountain bikers. More than 40 cyclists helped construct a full bench trail, a cedar bridge and two switchbacks on land designated for recreation by BC Hydro company. Cycling BC coordinated the Vancouver Epic celebration.

The IMBA Epic program recognizes outstanding adventure mountain bike rides - half-day (or longer) circuits that blend off road cycling's most appealing elements. These are the types of rides that inspire great volunteer trailwork and trail advocacy efforts.

Two more IMBA Epic celebration rides are scheduled this year, in Harrisonburg, VA (Oct. 14-15) and Patagonia, AZ (Oct. 28-29). For additional information on IMBA Epics, visit our website www.imba.com or email .