Indiana Makes Big Strides in '04
After receiving the worst grade in the 2003 IMBA Report Card, a paltry D+, Indiana mountain bike advocates have successfully used the grade as leverage to convince land managers to give mountain bikers new places to ride and build positive momentum for the future of the sport in the state.
A posting in January on the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association (HMBA) website said, "The International Mountain Bike Association released their annual report card ranking for all fifty states. and Indiana was ranked dead last, with an embarrassing grade of D+. The good thing about the poor ranking was that it got people's attention. Nothing travels like bad news, and before long you could hear the collective moans of Indiana mountain bikers all the way from the Ohio River to the shores of Lake Michigan."
HMBA and Indiana IMBA rep Jonathan Juillerat showed the low grade to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources last winter, convincing them to allow mountain biking in Versailles State Park and Brown County State Park. Neither park had trails suitable for mountain biking, so permission for access was given on the condition that the club would work to build some of the best trails in the entire Midwest.
HMBA put out the call for mountain bikers to volunteer at Brown County State Park. Mountain bikers answered that call. After a summer of digging in the dirt, a new beginner trail opened this November. The club used an IMBA/Clif Bar grant to construct a new trailside kiosk providing information to riders.
The club is now focusing its attention on new trails at Versailles State Park, as well as intermediate and advanced trails at Brown County State Park. The club is committed to building trails that are fun to use, sustainable and minimize conflict.
IMBA and HMBA also held an Urban Hot Spot campaign in Indianapolis in September. The groups helped establish and strengthen relationships with local and state land managers, developed a strategy to acquire grants to create more trails, hosted a successful IMBA Trailbuilding School and increased momentum for local advocates.
Prior to these 2004 developments, access to singletrack in Indiana - and specifically Indianapolis - was very limited. As recently as ten years ago Indianapolis mountain bikers had many places to ride, but conflicts, trail maintenance issues and lobbying by other groups to ban bikes resulted in widespread closures. And according to a Men's Fitness Magazine study, Indianapolis, with a population of 1.6 million people, has the highest percentage of men who smoke and are overweight, and - not coincidently - the smallest area of recreation land of any state.
Indiana still has a lot of challenges for the future, but they've come a long way in 2004. As such, Indiana's grade was bumped up to a C+, earning them the "Most Improved" designation this year.
Key Lessons:
- Utilize bad IMBA Report Card grade to open eyes
- Work with land managers
- Create tangible goals for new trails
