Strength in Numbers
IMBA Trail News
Volume 15, Number 3
Summer 2002
Watching the Tour de France on the Outdoor Life Network last month, I was happy to see Lance Armstrong appear in a League of American Bicyclists membership ad. Lance has unmatched credibility among cyclists that is enhanced every July. His prominent support of the League and IMBA helps both of our organizations grow and do more for bicycling.
Of course Lance isn't the only asset we have. To boost mountain biking and improve trail access, we need to connect effectively with the variety of societal trends and statistics that affirm the value of our sport.
By now, most Americans have probably heard about U.S. President Bush's new effort to promote physical fitness and active lifestyles. The president has increased his training regimen and is encouraging all Americans to join him. The role of mountain biking in promoting fitness and countering obesity, particularly in children, can't be overestimated. It is one of the powerful societal benefits of our sport. When we describe our programs and our organizations, we need to emphasize this. (And let's not overlook the physical benefits of trailwork, either.)
The power of mountain biking in enhancing tourism is important, too. An increasing number of communities in diverse locations recognize this and are developing effective campaigns to promote their trails and supporting facilities. Mountain biking brings millions of dollars a year into ski towns such as Vail and Winter Park (Colorado), Mammoth (California), West Dover (Vermont) and others. Our sport has become an indispensable economic engine in less obvious locations such as the Cable/Hayward region of northern Wisconsin and also Medora, North Dakota. Appealing trails attract mountain bikers and boost adjacent lodging, food and retail businesses. We need more up-to-date studies that summarize the economic benefits of trail tourism and we need to recognize that almost any town or region can become a mountain biking destination.
Bicycling employs lots of people. Bicycle manufacturing and retailing is nearly a $6 billion-per-year U.S. enterprise. While most bikes are built abroad, domestic companies employ thousands of people and pour huge dollars into the economies of California, Wisconsin, Colorado, Tennessee, Illinois and other states. Former IMBA board member Felix Magowan realized long ago that the status of bicycling in Colorado would be enhanced by putting a value on it. That figure - about $800 million a year - continues to turn heads in state government. It has enhanced the voice of Bicycle Colorado in the halls of the state government. Other state and national groups should follow this lead.
Nearly every IMBA affiliated club performs hundreds or thousands of volunteer hours each year. Many of our clubs do a thorough job of tracking this contribution to the public good, but other groups let the numbers slip away. A volunteer hour of trailwork or cleanup is worth at least $10 to any government agency. In some states, the value is calculated as high as $17 per hour. So here's the task: track volunteer hours carefully, calculate their value by multiplying the number of hours by a per-hour dollar figure, then publicize the product as a donation to the community.
Good Health. Active Kids. Beneficial Tourism. Clean Business. Valuable Public Service. Mountain biking contributes to all of these important societal goals. We need to do a better job of letting the public know what we're doing and how it helps everyone. This will solidify our place on the trails.
- TB
