Ten Steps to Enhance IMBA in Countries Outside the U.S.

Today, IMBA's work mostly focuses on the United States. Getting IMBA and mountain bike advocacy established in countries outside the U.S. can be challenging and confusing. Here are ten steps to guide international mountain bikers, advocates and clubs through the process.

1. Find What Already Exists. IMBA has official reps in more than 20 countries worldwide. We also have IMBA-affiliated clubs in approximately 40 countries. Before deciding to start a new club, get in touch with people who are already working to enhance IMBA and mountain biking in your country. A full listing of IMBA international contacts can be found at in the IMBA Near You section
2. Join IMBA. The first thing to do if you want to get IMBA established in your country is simple: join IMBA! IMBA represents all cyclists who ride off-road. The best way for international members to join is on our website at www.imba.com
3. Start a Club. Looking for a higher level of involvement than just joining IMBA as an individual member? Consider joining or starting a new IMBA affiliated club. Clubs are the backbone of IMBA. Work to make your club strong. IMBA has complied excellent resources on how to develop a club. You can join as an IMBA-affiliated club and view club benefits at in our Membership section.
4. Become an IMBA Rep. IMBA has many reps in countries around the world. If you have helped establish a strong club, and have been involved in advocacy, you're probably a good candidate to become an IMBA rep. Becoming a designated IMBA rep is the third step in the sequence, behind joining IMBA and working with or starting an IMBA-affiliated organization.
5. Don't Stress the Name. If a club joins IMBA, they automatically become an IMBA affiliated organization. They will not, however, become "IMBA Germany," or "IMBA Uganda," etc. IMBA Canada and IMBA UK are unique situations where we have been working with groups and individuals for more than a decade, and have substantial funding of our work in that country
6. Keep Your Membership Money In-House. The fee to join IMBA as an affiliated club is quite low - $30 to $60 US dollars annually depending on the size of your club. All other money that your club collects from membership and sponsorship should stay within your club and country, and be invested into making your club strong. We encourage mountain bikers everywhere to do the following three things each year to give back to the sport: join the local club, perform 20 hours of trailwork and join IMBA...in that order.
7. Communicate with Members and IMBA. IMBA gets dozens of requests each day for information about riding in different countries around the world. A great way to inform these people is to start a club website with riding info in your area. A website can be a great way to advertise your club within your country. Finally, a website and press releases to IMBA and the media are great ways to let us know what's going on in your area. Info about how to boost your club's internet presence can be found in Maximizing Your Club's Internet Presence.

8. Work the Language Barrier. The language barrier has been one of our biggest challenges in developing IMBA's international network. English is the primary language spoken at IMBA headquarters, so it is beneficial to have an English speaking person as your main contact with IMBA. However, we also encourage IMBA-affiliated clubs and reps to take documents from www.imba.com and translate them into your countries language for placement on your club's website and other materials. A great example of translated IMBA documents can be found at IMBA's Rules of the Trail International.
9. Keep Shipping Costs Low. International IMBA-affiliated clubs often host events in their area. IMBA wants to support these events. However, the cost of shipping promotional materials overseas can be prohibitively expensive. If you need IMBA materials please let us know at least eight weeks before the event, so we can keep shipping costs affordable.
10. Sponsor an IMBA Trail Solutions Visit. Because there are few IMBA international members and travel costs are expensive, it's difficult for IMBA experts to make international visits. One solution utilized in many countries, including the United Kingdom, Mexico, Italy and Australia, is a paid visit from our fee-based trailbuilding program, IMBA Trail Solutions. Clubs in these countries have raised money through sponsorship and government agencies to fund IMBA visits in their area. If your club can raise the funds, this is a great way to have maximum impact in a short amount of time. For more information visit IMBA Trail Solutions