A new direction
We see the future of mountain biking in going after opportunities for more close-to-home access. Our goal is to grow the quantity and quality of mountain bike trail communities across the U.S.
Why close to home?
Trails close to home mean more quick hits for mental health and fun. In large cities and small rural towns alike, trails enhance quality of life, provide economic benefits and create community. We know all of this because IMBA and our local partners have been making these things happen worldwide for 30 years, and we want to make sure trails happen in more places, more rapidly.
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What we believe in
These values have guided our work and driven our successes for more than three decades.
Programs and initiatives
Achieving more trails close to home requires all of us to work together. IMBA, in partnership with our local organizations, educates land managers and community leaders, galvanizes the volunteer community, strengthens local mountain bike groups and provides expertise on the creation of new trails. Explore our current efforts; new ones will be added in early 2019.
Trail Accelerator Grants
These are competitive grant offerings, designed to help a community get on its way toward building better places to ride. Awardees receive professional planning services and funding to help launch their trail development efforts and give them a platform on which to leverage additional resources. Thank you to Tom and Steuart Walton for seeding these grants.
IMBA Trail Labs
In 2018, IMBA has partnered with the Walton Family Foundation and Visit Bentonville to host three, in-depth and hands-on workshops in Bentonville, AR, an IMBA Ride Center. Each workshop will highlight best practices and challenges across the trail design, tourism, promotion, and management spectrum. Attendees will be able to return home with a plan for community trail development.
Special Designations
IMBA recognizes outstanding destination-worthy mountain bike trail communities as Ride Centers™ and adventurous backcountry trails as IMBA EPICS. The goal of the program is to inspire, inform and engage local stakeholders so that mountain bikers can have more great places to ride.
IMBA Local
When grassroots mountain bike groups achieve their goals, we all benefit. That is why we created IMBA Local: a suite of support services and education tools to enhance the efforts of individual organizations. We invite you to take advantage of IMBA’s reach, expertise and resources to lighten your administrative load and empower your organization to do more.
Dig In Campaign
2017 was the first year for the IMBA Dig In Campaign, a nationwide fundraising effort we ran on behalf of our chapters to support their local trail projects. 68 groups in 31 states participated. Together, we raised more than $122,000 dollars for 500 new trail miles, maintenance of another 140 miles, 10 new bike parks and 3 projects supporting high school mountain bike racing. The next campaign is scheduled to begin spring 2019.
Trail Solutions
IMBA Trail Solutions is the international leader in developing singletrack trails. Our staff excels at planning, design, construction, and management of trail systems that provide high-quality experiences while simultaneously minimizing environmental impacts. Our expertise has allowed us to develop the current guidelines for the creation of sustainable, enjoyable trails and bike parks that have influenced land management agencies around the world and are frequently adopted as best practices.
News, projects and research
How and why we are creating and catalyzing more trails close to home.
“It has definitely benefited the community [to have so many trails close to home]. Especially the kids, they get off from school and they go ride their bikes. They’re not home watching TV or getting a ton of screen time; they’re outside riding right after school. The trails are creating a healthy community.”
Lindsay Custer
Friends of Arkansas Singletrack President
First Recipients of IMBA’s New Trail Accelerator Grants Announced
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Assessment of the Effects of Mountain Biking in Marquette, MI
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Economic Impact of Mountain Biking in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests
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Thank you!
The more people we can count as strong supporters of mountain biking, the stronger our advocacy and educational efforts are nationwide. Thank you for adding your voice.
Meet the team
"My first mountain bike experience was on a borrowed hybrid bicycle on steep river bluff trails in Nebraska. Stretching the limits of center-pull brakes and 35c tires, I was hooked! Mountain biking has since provided me with the most amazing life experiences as a rider, advocate, trail builder, promoter, retailer, coach and racer. Making all of that even more amazing are the wonderful people I have come to know and ride with along the way. Hit me up and let’s go ride!"
Meet our teamKent McNeill
Vice President of Operations
