Positive Signs

IMBA Trail News
Volume 13, Number 5
Winter 2000

"Mountain Bikers Must Stay on Singletrack."

So reads an actual trailhead sign at Camp Tamarancho Boy Scout Camp in Marin County, California, where Jim Jacobsen and the Bicycle Trails Council of Marin have built nine miles of narrow trail in the last six years.

The irony of the sign is obvious, and it is intentional. In the places where mountain biking trail access is most restricted, singletrack is often off limits. The Tamarancho sign is good for a chuckle, but it's also indicative of widespread progress by our movement. A quick review:

IMBA has just signed new national agreements with two key federal land management agencies. Our new Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Forest Service and a new multi-year assistance agreement with the Bureau of Land Management will make it easier for IMBA and our affiliated clubs to work with these agencies at every level. Together they manage more than 460 million acres of U.S. public land.

IMBA's Trail Care Crew program is soaring. You wouldn't believe the stack of letters and emails of praise we've received this year. We are happy to report that Subaru of America has agreed to back this effort for another three years.

IMBA Trailbuilding Schools are spreading technical trail knowledge and enhancing our reputation as experts. We'll conduct at least 20 in '01. The IMBA Epics program, which returns next year, introduces our work to mountain bikers who haven't heard of us and it also gets people thinking out of the box about their next riding destination.

IMBA's website traffic is steadily growing, as is the assortment of useful info on our site. We've got promising international projects going in Canada, Mexico, Italy and Great Britain.

Nine of IMBA's 16 staff members spend the majority of their working hours on mountain bike advocacy: helping our clubs, advising land managers, writing letters to government officials, and developing educational materials. We're also donating lots of cash, grants and trailwork tools to support grassroots efforts.

Local and regional IMBA-affiliated mountain bike advocacy groups are becoming more sophisticated and effective. IMBA's network of clubs now totals more than 400 and an increasing number have professional staff. The trailwork accomplishments of mountain bikers are impressive and improving. According to a survey we conducted in '99, the average IMBA member donates more than 18 hours per year to volunteer projects.

Mountain bikers are gaining clout. I recently went on a ride outside San Francisco with about 20 business executives. Nearly every one of them was 30-something and passionate about mountain biking. Each seemed to have vision and energy to match their financial and business resources. If we can effectively tap this force--not just in the Bay Area but nationwide--mountain biking will benefit tremendously.

In sum, I see many positive signs, but still so much work to do. If we can maintain a sense of humor to match our energy and commitment, we'll succeed.

- Tim