Enjoy An Epic And Give Back To The Sport

John Pavlat, Bike Industry Veteran

I recently attended the IMBA Epic celebration at the South Yuba Trail near Nevada City, California. Even though I've been an IMBA member for years, but this was the first time that I had ever done trail maintenance. I've worked on bikes for 20 + years yet I wasn't sure what it exactly meant to maintain a trail.

I learned that a "Pulaski" and "Mcleod" weren't just the last names of kids that attended my elementary school, but hand tools resembling a pick axe and a garden hoe on steroids used to reshape, remove loose debris and smooth a trail. And a "lopper" is a long handled pair of snips used to trim small overhanging branches. Not to be confused with an 80's pop star "that just wanted to have fun."

IMBA has designated 24 Epic Rides since 1999. While most mountain bikers add them to their long-term, must-ride lists, IMBA celebrates each ride with a special two-day celebration. I joined the first one of 2002.

Saturday's program included about three hours of trail maintenance with an hour or so of out-and-back hiking to get to our designated section of trail. It was relatively easy work and I found it to be rather enjoyable while soaking up the sunshine and inhaling the clean mountain air. As an added educational bonus I got to meet many fellow cyclists (70 of them) who are very knowledgeable about land access issues and what it takes to "work the Hill" as in D.C. and not an improved climbing position or trail maintenance technique. Most people went on an optional hour-long ride just before dinner.

For Sunday's 35-mile Epic ride we split into groups based on our varying riding abilities. It was epic not only for its length (our "medium fast" group finished in about five and a half hours) but also for its outstanding scenery. Almost 20 miles of the ride was singletrack!

In sum, the trailwork coupled with the camaraderie of the IMBA members made the weekend a great experience. The personal payback was the pride I felt when I rode the section of trail that our group worked on. The only thing that didn't sit quite right with me was that among the 70 participants at this epic, the only other bike industry representative was Zach Moore of Wrenchscience.com.

OK, a few hundred miles south the NORBA NCS was being held in Big Bear, Calif. And I realize that some companies sent a handful employees to represent them at the race. But where was everyone else? I didn't have an answer for an enthusiastic couple that drove 12 hours from San Diego as to why my peers weren't able to make the 3-4 hour drive from the Bay Area.

Those of you reading BRAIN whose livelihood is derived from selling bicycles and related products, I ask you to "give back to the sport." If you're an IMBA member who hasn't done any trail maintenance, I encourage you to spend a few hours with your local chapter working on a trail. This was my first time and it was a fabulous experience. I'm sure that you will have a similar result.

If you are not a member of IMBA or any other cycling advocacy group I strongly recommend that you join one. One hundred dollars per year is as simple as cutting out one double-shot-no foam-skinny-grande coffee drink a week. The gratification from the Joe is nearly instant and always short-lived. But your support of an advocacy group has farther-reaching benefits over the long run. Give back to the sport.

John Pavlat died in December, 2002. He was a long-time IMBA member, bike industry leader, and champion for cycling causes such as the American Cyclo-Cross Foundation, IMBA, the San Francisco Bike Coalition and the USAC Junior Development Cycling Foundation.

IMBA Epic Celebration - South Yuba Trail - May, 2002 John joined 75 other mountain bikers to celebrate the designation of Northern California's South Yuba trail as an IMBA Epic.
The two-day celebration included volunteer trailwork, riding, and agreat party.
Located outside Nevada City, California, the South Yuba loop is more than 35 miles of mountain bike bliss. A highlight of this ride is the nearly 17-mile stretch of singletrack along the South Yuba River.