International Mountain Bicycling Association

It’s thanks to supporters like you, and all of our collective dedication, that we have great places to ride across the US. Reward yourself, take a chance at new bike day. This Pivot Cycles Trail 429 sweepstakes is winding down and we don’t want you to miss out – your support enables IMBA to develop the programs and services that empower community trail champions, passionate riders and dedicated volunteers working together for the benefit of the entire riding community. Enter by July 31st! https://lnkd.in/gbFTFZ2c

Want to “level up” your local organization? Join IMBA for an upcoming conference that promises to provide: 🎯 Inspiration & Vision: Understand your unique role in the bigger picture and learn how to achieve your organization's grandest visions for trail development and maintenance. 🎯 Networking Opportunities: Connect with like-minded individuals and organizations, share experiences, and build lasting partnerships. 🎯 Expert Guidance: Benefit from the knowledge and experience of industry leaders who will provide practical advice and actionable insights. Make plans to join us in Knoxville, TN September 5-6: https://lnkd.in/gSK_Y5PJ

The next phase of trail in Cedar City is being built! Alongside IMBA Local organization Iron Trailcraft, and the Bureau of Land Management, this IMBA Trail Solutions crew is building the Breaks Trail; a 3.7 mile, mountain bike-optimized/shared-use, intermediate line. The Breaks will add another way for trail users to ascend to the top and descend to the bottom of the Iron Hills system from the Pyramid Ridge Trailhead/Campground. This connection to the popular expert-level trails Boneyard and Tombstone will allow for more after-work and weekend loop options for locals and visitors alike. This team has braved a nearby wildfire and scorching temps over the past couple of weeks – post any kudos below and we’ll be sure to pass them on!

Have you read Outdoor Recreation Roundtable’s Recreation Funding in America report? This first-of-its-kind study illustrates the billion dollar funding gap for outdoor recreation in the near future, and the funding challenges related to factors including changing energy demands, evolving participation and excise taxes, inflation, weather events and climate change, and stagnant appropriations. The study’s first key finding calls out the clear gap between the deferred maintenance backlog at all agencies and federal recreation spending. At the current rate, this gap could grow to $34 billion by 2042. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/g3H9zAqm

For Rocky Mountain advocates, another big win happened this April when the U.S. Department of the Interior finalized and announced protections for the Thompson Divide area in central Colorado. This made good on the Biden Administration’s commitment to protect the area that was communicated in the proclamation establishing the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument. For the next 20 years, the almost 222,000-acre area will be protected from the impacts of mining, mineral, and geothermal extraction, preserving the landscapes known for ranching heritage, grazing, wildlife habitat, clean water, and recreation opportunities - including some great riding. IMBA’s Policy Manager Aaron Clark is familiar with riding in the area, and the local mountain bike advocates with the Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association who maintain some of the trails. He shared, “The Thompson Divide polygon is huge and includes many routes open to mountain biking, including multiuse and OHV trails and roads. Popular mountain bike trails protected in this area include the Coal Basin Trail, Dexter Park Trail, Lake Ridge Lakes Trail, South Thompson Creek Trail, and Braderich Creek Trail forming a killer loop near Carbondale, CO.” From Crested Butte almost to Steamboat Springs, forest roads and trails will be protected from impacts of extraction as a result of this action, and advocates for Colorado’s CORE Act have 20 additional years to continue to work toward permanent protections for the cherished outdoor recreation spaces in the state: https://lnkd.in/g7Uzs8iB

Many IMBA teams are working to promote impactful advocacy relationships and promote the future of sustainable trails with high-impact partners like the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM manages more than 245 million acres, more than any other land management agency in the country. For more than 30 years, IMBA has been working to support and increase the impact of this important partnership, which has direct impacts on communities, especially in the West and across the U.S. IMBA partners with the BLM and other federal agencies, through the practice of proactive community planning and investment in local partnerships, to develop new opportunities to support long-term economic development, community health, and ecological integrity for rural communities. So far this year, we’ve been in the wild uplifting collaborative work: March: IMBA Trail Solutions, Government Affairs, and Planning and Design Teams participated in the 2024 BLM National Recreation Training Symposium. IMBA was the only non-BLM organization invited. May: At the California Trails Conference, IMBA provided a full day workshop on trail assessment and maintenance and participated on a panel focused on building collaborative teams for trail building and restoration work. May: IMBA’s Chris Orr, a long-time warrior for bridging trails and communities, with partners from the BLM, provided a presentation titled Recreation Planning Begins and Ends with Community at this year’s Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals’ National Outdoor Recreation Conference. June: For five consecutive full days of training, IMBA’s Chris Orr led a large group of land managers and stewards from the United States Forest Service and the National Forest Service (in the Cleveland National Forest) through trail care best practice techniques.

Join us in welcoming a new IMBA Local Member Organization: Spearfish Trails Coalition The Spearfish cycling community has always taken great pride in our local trails and the visitors they attract, especially during events like the renowned 50-mile Dakota Five-O mountain bike race. Recognizing the potential for world-class trails in Spearfish and wanting to build on this legacy, a group of dedicated bike and trail enthusiasts formed a local organization to lead the effort. Thus, the Spearfish Trails Coalition (STC) was born.   STC chose to partner with IMBA to help realize this vision. IMBA's comprehensive trail building model has a proven track record of creating memorable trail experiences and delivering significant economic value to communities. By aligning ourselves with IMBA, we are able to leverage their expertise and ensure our trails are sustainably designed and built to the highest standards. This partnership allows us to enhance the quality and sustainability of our trails while elevating the overall trail experience for both local riders and visitors. Follow their journey here: https://lnkd.in/g3ePTczq

Have you ridden the newest trails at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area yet? One of the newest additions that ties into the 3-mile, 2,200 vertical foot drop Beavers Loop (which opened last July for the first time) is “Up at Arapahoe,” a much more pleasurable ascent than was possible in years past. For years, riders had to grind up a brutally steep dirt road to get the downhill thrill. Up at Arapahoe and the rest of the trails atop the mountain are officially open for bikes for the season! These newest trails at Arapahoe are thanks to the partnership between IMBA Trail Solutions and the A-Basin trail teams.

IMBA and Pivot Cycles’s partnership has been going strong for some time now. At IMBA, our vision is that everyone across the U.S. has access to great trails - from close-to-home rides to iconic, backcountry experiences. More trails, and better trails, made possible by national, regional and local advocacy. Pivot Cycles is giving one lucky winner a Trail 429 Pro XT/XTR, a bike that rips on every trail and all proceeds from this Trail 429  sweepstakes will go straight to IMBA’s mission and vision. Check out the details and enter to win today: https://lnkd.in/gbFTFZ2c

Because of the rural nature of Lincoln County and the towns being a sizable distance apart, other town populations have been missing out on these established opportunities,” said Christine Prescott, Director of the Caliente Area Mountain Bike Association and board member of the Lincoln County Trails Coalition, “More trails close to home is so real and so important.” It’s that access component that is especially noteworthy to rural communities with large swathes of land that separate them. What can fill in those physical gaps that may exist to make more trails close to home happen in areas like Pioche is having a solid team that’s all on the same page. Hear more from that team and the latest details on the newest system being built in Pioche, Nevada: https://lnkd.in/gHFaAU3B