News Briefs

IMBA Trail News
Volume 16, Number 4
Autumn 2003

IMBA Meets President Bush

IMBA board member Jim Hasenauer raised the issue of mountain biking in National Parks with President George W. Bush on August 15. The exchange occurred at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area on the outskirts of Los Angeles following the President's speech on his National Parks Legacy Project, which calls for funding of park facilities and maintenance. Hasenauer and long-time local mountain bike leader Peter Heumann were two of a small group of California government, civic and volunteer group leaders selected to attend this event. Hasenauer and Heumann also spoke about IMBA's National Park mountain biking agenda with Secretary of Interior Gale Norton and National Park Service Director Fran Mainella. Hasenauer told the President that mountain biking is banned in most National Parks and that IMBA is working to change that. (IMBA has made this issue a top priority and has hired two prominent D.C. law firms to push for better National Park access.) In his speech, President Bush encouraged Americans to volunteer to help National Parks.

IMBA Leads Congressional Ride

IMBA's first-ever congressional staff mountain bike ride drew 25 people to Riverbend Park, Virginia, Sept. 12. Senate, House, and committee staff joined IMBA leaders and local advocates on what was for many, their first mountain bike ride. IMBA, the Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE), and America Bikes hosted the event. IMBA executive director Tim Blumenthal said, "This ride is part of IMBA's effort to increase mountain biking's presence in Washington, D.C. Between our dedicated lobbyist and legal counsel, targeted federal land management agency work, and simple things like hosting congressional bike rides, we're making sure that government officials understand our sport and our needs." Specialized, Subaru, Clif Bar Inc., Trails.com, and SRAM provided support. Regional retailers Shenandoah Bicycle Company, The Bike Stop, Camp Horizons, City Bikes and The Bike Lane provided bikes for staffers to ride.

Crews in Full Swing after Wedding

Following the Aug. 31 wedding of Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders Scott Linnenburger and Aaryn Kay, both Crews are back on the road this fall. Scott and Aaryn recently presented a trailbuilding workshop at the Mid America Trails and Greenways Conference in Indianapolis. Now they're headed to northern Virginia, western Pennsylvania, and New York's Staten Island. The New York visit has the potential to expedite the first legal singletrack in New York City, sure to be a boon for city-slicker off-road enthusiasts. Meanwhile, western Crew members Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner completed a tour of the Pacific Northwest, where they've shared their trailbuilding knowledge in British Columbia, Oregon, and Seattle, including a statewide Washington State Parks staff training. Now they're heading south to Lake Tahoe and Truckee in northern California, en route to a 10-day Hot Spots campaign in Sacramento. For the complete Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew schedule and contact information for each visit, go to www.imba.com.

Army Corps Rides Singletrack

When U.S. Army Corps of Engineers leaders came to Colorado recently for a national meeting, IMBA staff had the privilege of taking 30 of them on a mountain bike ride at Keystone Resort. "It couldn't have been more fun teaching Corps staff basic mountain bike skills and taking them on their first singletrack," said IMBA government affairs director Jenn Dice. "For most participants, it was their first mountain bike ride. The simple act of taking a land manager on a basic ride can be one of the best ways to establish a cooperative relationship that leads to new trails." The Corps and IMBA signed an agreement in 2002 to partner on trail projects coast-to-coast. In one short year, the results have been impressive: dozens of miles of new trail on the ground and many more in the planning stages. A sampling of new trails on Army Corps land can be found on the back page of this issue of IMBA Trail News. For more info on organizing a land manager ride in your area, contact IMBA.

Congress Restores Bicycle Funding

Future funding for the Transportation Enhancements program was restored by the U.S. House of Representatives Sept. 4. The International Mountain Bicycling Association and the America Bikes coalition thank you for all your phone calls, emails and letters throughout the last month. Thousands of bicyclists called their members of Congress urging them to vote for the Petri-Olver amendment to reinstate 2004 funding. The amendment passed on a vote of 327 to 90! The Transportation Enhancements program is the largest source of federal money for projects such as multi-use paths, bike lanes and safety education efforts.This victory not only restores $600 million in dedicated funding for 2004, it puts the bicycle and pedestrian community on strong footing for the bigger battle over the reauthorization of TEA-21, the 6-year transportation funding bill. For more info visit imba.com.

Maps & Info on IMBA Trail Finder

Interested in finding new trails to ride, but not really sure where to start your search? IMBA and Trails.com have come to the rescue with the new IMBA Trail Finder, a great resource on the IMBA website that will help you find places to ride throughout North America. Basic trail info is free, and a Trails.com subscription ($5 for a month; $30 per year) gives you full access to in-depth guidebook trail descriptions and topo maps. Trails.com will donate 25 percent of this purchase price to IMBA. A subscription to Trails.com provides access to 1,000 guidebooks and detailed information on 30,000 trails. Trail Finder's effectiveness is demonstrated, for example, by a quick search of trail listings near Seattle. In a few seconds, you can access a list of 10 trails within 25 miles of the city limits, complete with great descriptions, downloadable topo maps and a weather report. The info comes from well-researched guidebooks, so you can be sure the trails are legit. An added perk is finding info for other activities like road cycling, nordic skiing and hiking. Check it out today at imba.com.

IMBA Epics Season Wraps

The final two IMBA Epic Celebrations of 2003 were highlighted by great singletrack, sumptuous food and bluebird autumn weather. In New Hampshire, 50 participants built new bridges and rode the Nanamocomuck Trail. The trail was classic East Coast - rocks and roots - with a few twists, including granite slickrock that offered splendid views of the White Mountains. The New England Mountain Bicycling Association helped host the event. Meanwhile, in northern California, 60 folks performed trailwork and rode 25-plus miles of hilly terrain at the Henry Coe Epic near Morgan Hill. This final IMBA Epic celebration of '03 was hosted by the Responsible Organized Mountain Pedalers. IMBA is soliciting nominations for 2004 IMBA Epic locations. To nominate a trail visit www.imba.com/epics/nominate_epic.html

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	News Briefs IMBA Trail News Volume 16, Number 4 Autumn 2003 IMBA Meets President Bush IMBA board member Jim Hasenauer raised the issue of mountain biking in National Parks with President George W. Bush on August 15. The exchange occurred at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area on the outskirts of Los Angeles following the President's speech on his National Parks Legacy Project, which calls for funding of park facilities and maintenance. Hasenauer and long-time local mountain bike leader Peter Heumann were two of a small group of California government, civic and volunteer group leaders selected to attend this event. Hasenauer and Heumann also spoke about IMBA's National Park mountain biking agenda with Secretary of Interior Gale Norton and National Park Service Director Fran Mainella. Hasenauer told the President that mountain biking is banned in most National Parks and that IMBA is working to change that. (IMBA has made this issue a top priority and has hired two prominent D.C. law firms to push for better National Park access.) In his speech, President Bush encouraged Americans to volunteer to help National Parks. IMBA Leads Congressional Ride IMBA's first-ever congressional staff mountain bike ride drew 25 people to Riverbend Park, Virginia, Sept. 12. Senate, House, and committee staff joined IMBA leaders and local advocates on what was for many, their first mountain bike ride. IMBA, the Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE), and America Bikes hosted the event. IMBA executive director Tim Blumenthal said, "This ride is part of IMBA's effort to increase mountain biking's presence in Washington, D.C. Between our dedicated lobbyist and legal counsel, targeted federal land management agency work, and simple things like hosting congressional bike rides, we're making sure that government officials understand our sport and our needs." Specialized, Subaru, Clif Bar Inc., Trails.com, and SRAM provided support. Regional retailers Shenandoah Bicycle Company, The Bike Stop, Camp Horizons, City Bikes and The Bike Lane provided bikes for staffers to ride. Crews in Full Swing after Wedding Following the Aug. 31 wedding of Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders Scott Linnenburger and Aaryn Kay, both Crews are back on the road this fall. Scott and Aaryn recently presented a trailbuilding workshop at the Mid America Trails and Greenways Conference in Indianapolis. Now they're headed to northern Virginia, western Pennsylvania, and New York's Staten Island. The New York visit has the potential to expedite the first legal singletrack in New York City, sure to be a boon for city-slicker off-road enthusiasts. Meanwhile, western Crew members Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner completed a tour of the Pacific Northwest, where they've shared their trailbuilding knowledge in British Columbia, Oregon, and Seattle, including a statewide Washington State Parks staff training. Now they're heading south to Lake Tahoe and Truckee in northern California, en route to a 10-day Hot Spots campaign in Sacramento. For the complete Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew schedule and contact information for each visit, go to www.imba.com. Army Corps Rides Singletrack When U.S. Army Corps of Engineers leaders came to Colorado recently for a national meeting, IMBA staff had the privilege of taking 30 of them on a mountain bike ride at Keystone Resort. "It couldn't have been more fun teaching Corps staff basic mountain bike skills and taking them on their first singletrack," said IMBA government affairs director Jenn Dice. "For most participants, it was their first mountain bike ride. The simple act of taking a land manager on a basic ride can be one of the best ways to establish a cooperative relationship that leads to new trails." The Corps and IMBA signed an agreement in 2002 to partner on trail projects coast-to-coast. In one short year, the results have been impressive: dozens of miles of new trail on the ground and many more in the planning stages. A sampling of new trails on Army Corps land can be found on the back page of this issue of IMBA Trail News. For more info on organizing a land manager ride in your area, contact IMBA. Congress Restores Bicycle Funding Future funding for the Transportation Enhancements program was restored by the U.S. House of Representatives Sept. 4. The International Mountain Bicycling Association and the America Bikes coalition thank you for all your phone calls, emails and letters throughout the last month. Thousands of bicyclists called their members of Congress urging them to vote for the Petri-Olver amendment to reinstate 2004 funding. The amendment passed on a vote of 327 to 90! The Transportation Enhancements program is the largest source of federal money for projects such as multi-use paths, bike lanes and safety education efforts.This victory not only restores $600 million in dedicated funding for 2004, it puts the bicycle and pedestrian community on strong footing for the bigger battle over the reauthorization of TEA-21, the 6-year transportation funding bill. For more info visit imba.com. Maps & Info on IMBA Trail Finder Interested in finding new trails to ride, but not really sure where to start your search? IMBA and Trails.com have come to the rescue with the new IMBA Trail Finder, a great resource on the IMBA website that will help you find places to ride throughout North America. Basic trail info is free, and a Trails.com subscription ($5 for a month; $30 per year) gives you full access to in-depth guidebook trail descriptions and topo maps. Trails.com will donate 25 percent of this purchase price to IMBA. A subscription to Trails.com provides access to 1,000 guidebooks and detailed information on 30,000 trails. Trail Finder's effectiveness is demonstrated, for example, by a quick search of trail listings near Seattle. In a few seconds, you can access a list of 10 trails within 25 miles of the city limits, complete with great descriptions, downloadable topo maps and a weather report. The info comes from well-researched guidebooks, so you can be sure the trails are legit. An added perk is finding info for other activities like road cycling, nordic skiing and hiking. Check it out today at imba.com. IMBA Epics Season Wraps The final two IMBA Epic Celebrations of 2003 were highlighted by great singletrack, sumptuous food and bluebird autumn weather. In New Hampshire, 50 participants built new bridges and rode the Nanamocomuck Trail. The trail was classic East Coast - rocks and roots - with a few twists, including granite slickrock that offered splendid views of the White Mountains. The New England Mountain Bicycling Association helped host the event. Meanwhile, in northern California, 60 folks performed trailwork and rode 25-plus miles of hilly terrain at the Henry Coe Epic near Morgan Hill. This final IMBA Epic celebration of '03 was hosted by the Responsible Organized Mountain Pedalers. IMBA is soliciting nominations for 2004 IMBA Epic locations. To nominate a trail visit www.imba.com/epics/nominate_epic.html


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