Club News: Midwest

IMBA Trail News
Volume 13, Number 4
Fall 2000

The Central Ohio Mountain Bike Organization (www.joincombo.org) is building new trails on reclaimed coal mine land owned by American Electric Power. AEP's enthusiastic welcome to cyclists comes as a nice change of pace in a state with too few mountain biking destinations.

Oklahoma Earthbike Fellowship prez Charles Duke, OK IMBA state rep Mike Tickle and others recently met with Forest Service managers to discuss opening the Oklahoma portion of the famous Ouachita Trail to bikes.

A two-year test of a 50-mile section in Arkansas concludes this summer. There were many positive comments from the test and with any luck the full 132 miles of the Ouachita will open to bicyclists in the near future.

In Missouri, folks are gearing up for a Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew visit this October 6-9. The Kansas City group Earth Riders has formed the Midwest Mountain Bike Patrol. Sponsored by the NMBP and midwest chain BikeSource, the group is aiming for 30-40 members by year-end. Twenty-four new patrollers were certified this summer, and the next training session will be held Sept. 30. For info on joining the MMBP, contact Ken Miner at 913-481-9033 or visit www.earthriders.org/mmbp.

Michigan riders should surf www.mmba.org for all the state's advocacy happenings.