Creating And Sustaining A Successful Club - Going Out On A Limb In Montana

Mountain BIking Success Stories

IMBA Trail News
Volume 16, Number 2
Early Summer 2003

The Missoula, Montana, club Low Impact Mountain Bikers (LIMB) is a perfect reflection of its larger community - not too big, low-key and fun-loving. LIMB, like many Missoula residents, is also working hard to preserve the region's abundant open space. LIMB's emphasis is on trails, and they've been getting groups of 10 to 30 volunteers out working to improve Missoula's paths every year since 1990. In the last few years, they've become the major force in the local trails community.

Formed in response to growing biker-equestrian conflicts in the area, one of LIMB's first actions was to go to a Backcountry Horsemen event to familiarize horses with bikes. Relations quickly improved.

According to Bill Jacko, a founding member and current LIMB director, LIMB's early goal was simply "to try to dispel the notion of the mountain biker as some idiot in the backcountry tearing things up."

To that end they made presentations to local school children and worked to build relationships with city agencies. The local Forest Service was involved from the beginning - one Forest Service employee was even on the first LIMB Board of Directors - and they supplied tools and directed LIMB trailwork efforts.

This growing partnership with the Forest Service was aided by four visits from Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crews. By 2001, thanks largely to IMBA Trailbuilding Scools and trailwork led by the Trail Care Crew, the Forest Service authorized LIMB to cut new trail on the mountains overlooking town. In recent months the Bureau of Land Management has sought the club's expertise to design and build an entirely new, mountain-bike focused trail network on BLM land near Missoula.

While trailbuilding success has built LIMB's profile, the club keeps its 100 or so members happy with social events like its weekly Thursday night rides and LIMB pint nights at local breweries. LIMB is also the lead organizer of New Belgium Brewing's annual Tour de Fat bike festival in Missoula, which raises money for future trailwork-something that LIMB is sure to be doing plenty of.

More Success Stories:
Creating And Sustaining A Successful Club

Tampa Bay, Florida: SW Association of Mountain Pedalers hosts weekly rides, trailwork and an IMBA Epic celebration. More info: www.swampclub.org

Durango, Colorado: IMBA affiliate Trails 2000 promotes an extremely successful annual fundraiser and has great trailwork participation. More info: www.trails2000.org