Creating Trails

In Columbus

The mountain bike community in Columbus, Georgia craved a more natural riding experience away from busy city parks. Two decades in the making, Columbus acquired a blank slate just north of downtown to sculpt into what is now the Standing Boy trail system. IMBA Local partner Chattahoochee Valley Area SORBA and local trail champion Blake Melton have been leading the vision for Standing Boy. They partnered with IMBA to plan and design 25 miles of singletrack in a multi-phase plan that includes shared-use trails, bike-only directional trails, and trails for all skill levels. IMBA Trail Solutions was back in 2021 adding a bike-only gravity descent chock full of hits, rocks, and berms. It's the first trail of its kind in central Georgia and the next level of progression for Standing Boy.

Committed Partners

In Chattanooga

Riders in Chattanooga have long had many miles of shared-use singletrack, but have lacked a variety in trail styles that will introduce more riders to mountain biking and keep riders pedaling as their skills progress. Now, nearly a dozen partners in the Chattanooga trails community–led by IMBA Local partner SORBA Chattanooga and local trail champion Taft Sibley–are ambitious and all-in for more and better trails. IMBA has partnered with local leaders to help secure land, funding, trail planning, trail design, education, construction, and training for ongoing stewardship that will sustainably maintain the area’s first one-way trails and gravity trails. These trail systems are so close to home, you can see rooftops through the trees. Walden’s Ridge Park will open summer 2022 after two years of advanced construction by IMBA Trail Solutions.

Engaged Communities

In the Salt Lake Valley

The Bonneville Shoreline Trail has become a model for more trails close to home, passing six Utah counties in the Salt Lake Valley and serving as a backyard trail to over one million residents. Simultaneously, it’s a long-distance dream, potentially stretching 280 miles from the Idaho border to Nephi, Utah, and connecting near trail systems like Draper’s Corner Canyon, which hosts the biggest NICA league in the country. IMBA has been a partner on the trail for more than two decades through education, trail design, trail construction, and by leading the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Advancement Act in Congress, a bill that would adjust federal land management boundaries to connect more of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. The bill received hearings in April, June, and November 2021, and has strong bipartisan support.

Mountain Biking's Ride to Prominence

Stories from the trail reached more new and long-time riders in 2021. Media coverage increased and IMBA’s social media presence featured richer visual storytelling alongside local community voices. Join the conversation with us on YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 
 

The IMBA Team

Grows and Evolves

The IMBA team welcomed several new faces in 2021, expanding its expertise in education, community engagement, storytelling, promotions, trail planning, and trail construction. IMBA was delighted to welcome back former IMBA Trail Care Crew Manager Marty Caivano to a new community engagement role, as well as John Cox to an education role, both connecting communities to the resources they need for more trails. Longtime IMBA staff Eleanor Blick and Josh Olson were promoted to leadership positions.

The IMBA Board of Directors said goodbye to several veteran members who served full, nine-year board terms as 2021 came to a close. IMBA thanks Chris Conroy, David Zimberhof, Alden Philbrick, Howard Fischer, and Mike Cachat for their near-decade of dedication each, as well as Ximena Florez for several years on the board and Ximena's contributions to help IMBA modernize its technology. IMBA welcomed Michelle Zimmerman and Ron Ritzler to the Board.

Meet the Team

Trails are Common Ground

Trails have become more crowded than ever. Evolving technologies by all trail users creates conflict between user goals and experiences, and risks trail access long-term. Trails and trail systems of yesterday are no match for the user needs of today and tomorrow.

IMBA was a catalyst to unite local, regional, and national advocacy organizations and companies to cast a new vision for trail use and experiences with Trails are Common Ground. The national initiative launched in late 2021. 

Never before have trail user and advocacy groups collaborated in this way to make trails more welcoming and inclusive for everyone; to lift user knowledge and empathy so users are kinder and more responsible; and to innovate how trail systems are planned and designed to accommodate various trail pursuits harmoniously.

IMBA Supporters and Partners

Are Creating More Trails

More trails close to home happen thanks to forward-thinking and acting supporters of all kinds. Philanthropic support of IMBA’s mission and programs in 2021 was the strongest in years—an expression of confidence in IMBA’s progress to support trail development in 250 communities by 2025.
 

Companies and foundations recognize the need to accelerate trail development. We thank every single company, retail business, and foundation that stepped up and forward with generous support IMBA can devote to trail development. In particular, Tom and Steuart Walton for helping IMBA pioneer Trail Accelerator Grants. These grants help projects get off the ground and leverage more funding for project completion, seeing upwards of 2,100-fold increases in funding for trails. 
 

IMBA thanks Niner Bikes for promoting a bike sweepstakes featuring a rad, one-of-a-kind JET 9 RDO that raised more than $45,000 for trail advocacy and development. Niner puts its heart and soul into the IMBA mission. As does Shimano, which takes advocacy and creating trails seriously. Shimano is a generous, collaborative partner with their finger on the pulse of issues facing mountain bikers. Shimano is not only the backbone of corporate giving to IMBA’s work, it also powers Dig In to help IMBA Local Partners raise more for trail project needs.

IMBA welcomes new and phenomenal philanthropic partners, including VISTA Outdoor Foundation. VISTA Outdoor Foundation joins IMBA’s more trails close to home initiative in a big way. IMBA thanks all the awesome outdoor companies behind VISTA. Plus a new foundation partner joins IMBA to create new trails in Omaha, Nebraska. The Conine Family Foundation continues as a significant partner supporting IMBA’s strength in government relations.

Meet All Our Partners
 

The Singletrack Society, donors that make generous and major gifts to the mission, grew by 30 percent in 2021. The Society made one of the biggest differences in IMBA’s ability to support IMBA Local Partners, to win on the policy front, and to educate more communities on trails. Society members are special, fun individuals who care, share the IMBA vision, and see the return on their philanthropy. Thank you to each and every member of the Society. Consider joining them.
 

Donors of every kind and at every level were generous in helping IMBA in 2021. Thousands made donations to the IMBA mission and to programs like Dig In. The IMBA team thanks you.
 

Revenue and Expenses:

Trails Are In Demand

IMBA achieved even more financial stability in 2021, despite national economic conditions. Demand for communities to partner with IMBA Trail Solutions on professional trail planning and high-quality, sustainable construction resulted in strong income to support advocacy efforts. Philanthropists, foundations, and companies expressed their confidence in IMBA’s strategies and efficacy. 

Organizational investments were made in community engagement, educational support for trail champions, rider education for better trail experiences, and IMBA Local Partners. IMBA sent $1.2 million back to IMBA Local Partners via membership revenue alone. Strong and stable local membership and two successful membership drives are supporting more trail development and trail advocacy for more trails and counting close to home.  

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