Club Notes: Southeast

IMBA Trail News
Volume 14, Number 1
Spring 2001

Don't let the lack of mountains in Florida fool you into thinking there is no difficult riding in the state. In January, yours truly visited the folks from the Suwannee Bicycle Association in White Springs and participated in IDIDARIDE 2001. Although the trails weren't too technical, the sheer distance of 50 miles was an eye-opener. The camaraderie and food were also outstanding!

The folks at the Pensacola Off-Road Cyclists (PORC) invite everyone to ride their trail network. The club is currently maintaining and riding trails near the University of West Florida. Check'em out at www.porc.org. In North Carolina, mountain bike trails are being developed at Richmond Hill Park in Asheville. The new trails will offer great riding for all abilities. The park is within the city limits and adjacent to the French Broad River. Local cyclists played a major role in a citywide effort to keep this parcel from being turned into a golf course.

The western North Carolina cycling community is working with hikers, horseback riders, and environmental groups to improve trails in Dupont State Forest. The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew will visit the forest in late March. Longtime IMBA members Woody Keen and Chuck Ramsey are leading the charge at DuPont.

The Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) has a new weapon for trail construction. The SORBA-Gainesville chapter in Georgia has partnered with the Chicopee Woods Area Park Commission to purchase a Toro Dingo. The Dingo features a 34-inch wide tracked loader, making it ideal for cutting new singletrack. A new Dingo-crafted mountain bike race course in Gainesville will open soon.