IMBA advocacy survey examines strategies

IMBA Trail News
Volume 12, Number 4
September 1999

IMBA recently conducted a postcard advocacy survey of member and non-member mountain bikers. The survey focused on overall impressions about trail access, IMBA's role in keeping trails open and the best methods for improving local mountain biking opportunities. The survey sheds light on mountain bikers' viewpoints about trail access, and also provides valuable information about the direction IMBA should take in the future.

IMBA mailed 1,000 survey postcards, half to members and half to non-members; 215 were returned (21.5%). Members were more diligent in completing the survey than non-members, with return rates of 33% and 10% respectively.

More than two-thirds of the respondents said trail access for mountain bikers is better today than it has been at any time in the past 10 years. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said IMBA is playing a significant or crucial role in improving opportunities for mountain bikers. These results are an indication that the work IMBA is doing is paying off, at least in terms of public perception.

Mountain bikers have strong opinions about what IMBA should do to improve riding opportunities. More than half of the respondents said IMBA should focus on improving interaction with land managers and/or political action and lobbying. Encouraging volunteer trailwork and building
mountain biking's image were also two popular methods selected. Interestingly, utilizing lawsuits against agencies that set unwarranted trail restrictions garnered a low 3% support rating.

Perhaps the most impressive figure revealed by the survey is that the average IMBA member volunteers for 18.8 hours of trail work per year. If extrapolated to IMBA's 15,000 members, this would mean that they performed 282,000 hours of trail work in 1998. The survey also found that non-members participated in an average of 9.6 trailwork hours per year. It's encouraging to see that the concept of sweat equity is inspiring mountain bikers not involved with IMBA.

The results of the 1998 IMBA advocacy survey are generally positive. More trails are being opened than are being closed. Mountain bike access has improved greatly since 1990. IMBA members are putting large amounts of time into keeping trails open.

Methods that IMBA currently utilizes to keep trails open ­ land manager interaction, encouraging volunteerism, political lobbying and improving the sport's image ­ are strongly supported by mountain bikers across the United States. Based on the results of the survey, these are tactics that IMBA should continue to employ. IMBA members and non-members overwhelmingly favor positive, consensus-building methods to gain trail access instead of lawsuits against agencies.

The survey also raises some points of concern. A large percentage of mountain bikers ­ 20% of those surveyed ­ continue to experience trail closures in their area. There are also cyclists who know very little or nothing about IMBA. The survey shows that IMBA is heading in the right direction, but there is still a great deal of work to be done.

For a complete copy of IMBA's 1998 Advocacy Survey, please e-mail Dan Vardamis at or call 303-545-9011 ext. 101.

-- chart by Dan Vardamis