IMBA Expands Advocacy Programs in the United Kingdom

For Immediate Release
08-31-01
Contact: IMBA

303-545-9011

IMBA is expanding its support for mountain bikers in the United Kingdom. The organization's primary goal is to enhance existing advocacy efforts that build and maintain forest trails for UK mountain bikers.

IMBA has launched a pilot UK Trailbuilding Crew which is working throughout England, Wales and Scotland this summer. The UK Trailbuilding Crew is modeled after the highly successful Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew that has led trailbuilding and maintenance projects worldwide since 1997. The pilot is made possible by the generous support of UK Forest Enterprise, the United Kingdom's counterpart to the US Forest Service. The Trailbuilding Crew is leading Trailbuilding Schools around the UK which are drawing rave reviews:

"The IMBA/Forest Enterprise Trailbuilding School was a top way to spend a weekend," said Nathan Grigsby, an attendee at a recent school in Coed Y Brenin, Wales. "We learned how to build a durable trail, got plenty of time to ride both days and are going home ready to build our own trails with FE in our local forest."

The Coed Y Brenin Trailbuilding School attracted 30 participants from all over the UK. IMBA executive director Tim Blumenthal and IMBA's international coordinator Judd de Vall attended and met with UK mountain bike advocacy leaders.

Later this year, IMBA will donate 50 trail tools to IMBA affiliated clubs in the UK as IMBA UK Trail Development Grants. The tools will help mountain bikers build and maintain routes for cross country and downhill riding across the UK.

"Forest Enterprise is committed to the development of sustainable mountain biking opportunities, which we see as a vital tool for rural economic development as well as an important means of involving communities in their local forests," said Dafydd Davis, Forest Enterprise's Mountain Bike Wales Project Coordinator. "IMBA's involvement is absolutely key in helping FE develop these opportunities. At the end of the day, this will be good for riders, good for the environment and good for the UK bicycle industry."

Members of the UK Bicycle Trade are encouraged to support this movement by becoming corporate members of IMBA and contacting IMBA regarding sponsorship of IMBA's programs in the UK.