December 6, 2005 – Here is the latest IMBA News:

* NEW JERSEY REBOUNDS IN 2005 IMBA REPORT CARD A sneak preview of the 2005 IMBA Report Card (coming next week) reveals that New Jersey improves to a solid “C,” bringing the Garden State out of last year’s celler-dweller position. IMBA State Rep Jay Jones reports, “After entering 2005 with the lowest grade, New Jersey mountain bike advocates made a significant effort to improve the promotion of our many successes.” Stay tuned to imba.com this month to learn how your state fares in the latest report. View last year’s report here: http://www.imba.com/news/trail_news/17_5/itn_17_5_reportcard.html#us

* CAPILANO COLLEGE TO OFFER “MOUNTAIN BIKE OPERATIONS” CERTIFICATE Capilano College (Sunshine Coast Campus) in British Columbia, Canada, will offer a “Mountain Bike Operations” Certificate program in September, 2006. The program is a full-time, eight-month program (26 credits) and covers courses in tourism, risk management, event planning, first aid, mountain bike skill development, trail design and trail building. http://www.capcollege.bc.ca/home.html

* INSPIRATIONAL CYCLIST OVERCOMES ADDICTION, DISABILITY Check out the Denver Post’s story about Rex Patrick, a recovering addict who lost a leg, but found two-wheeled salvation and eventual won gold medals in mountain biking at the Paralympics. http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_3192728

* TAKE A 10-MINUTE MOUNTAIN BIKE SURVEY Researchers at the University of Colorado, the University of New Mexico, and the University of Padua in Italy want to know about you and your mountain biking. The survey will help IMBA show land managers what kinds of riding experiences riders enjoy. One IMBA staffer completed all the forms in five minutes, but don’t attempt that pace unless you’re an expert survey taker. http://bike.colorado.edu/

* VIEW THE WORLD-RECORD MTB JUMP You’ll be cleared for launch after you view images of Nathan Rennie’s mega-jump world record in the Painted Desert, South Australia. http://www.cyclingnews.com/mtbphotos.php?id=photos/2005/news/nov05/rennie_ju mp/gallery-rennie_jump

* READ DIRT RAG’S “10 YEARS GONE” AND A TRIBUTE TO GNUPS “I saw the best riders of my generation destroyed by madness.” So opens Stuart Schrader’s poignant story for Dirt Rag magazine about the longstanding ban on biking in South Mountain Reservation, in northern New Jersey. http://www.imba.com/news/mtb_news_wire/10_05_ten_years_gone.html

Also from Dirt Rag, check out Phillip Keyes’ “Gnurps: Mountain Bike Environmentalist Pioneer,” a tribute to former IMBA staffer Gary Sprung. http://www.dirtragmag.com/print/article.php?ID=720&category=departments

2. REGIONAL REPORTS

* NORTH DAKOTA SIGNS MOU, CREATING IMBA’S THIRD STATE PARTNERSHIP In November, The North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department (NDPR) and IMBA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement. The North Dakota MOU is similar to productive partnerships IMBA has established in Virginia and New Mexico. Doug Prchal, Director of the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department, commented: “We share similar goals and philosophies for providing multi-use trails for the public’s enjoyment, using sustainable trail design and construction techniques.” View a .pdf of the agreement: http://www.parkrec.nd.gov/Acrobat/imba.pdf

* DESERT BLOOM: WESTERN TRAIL CARE CREW VISITS VERNAL, UT Nat and Rachael Lopes, the Western Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew, spent a perfect September weekend working with BLM’s Recreation Specialist, Dan Gilfillan, riding local trails, assessing sustainability, teaching methods of trailbuilding and user management, and helping Vernal take the next step in enhancing their trail system. View a slideshow here: http://www.imba.com/tcc/2005/vernal_ut.html

* FALL FOLIAGE: EASTERN TRAIL CARE CREW IN RUTLAND, VT The Eastern Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew – AKA Chris Bernhardt and Jill Van Winkle – conducted an IMBA Trailbuilding School and helped organize a cleanup event at Rutland, Vermont’s Pine Hill Park. Check out a slideshow and learn how the popular trail system was improved and expanded: http://www.imba.com/tcc/2005/rutland_vt.html

* INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE: IMBA’S JOEY KLEIN TRAVELS THE OUTBACK Ace trailbuilder and mountain bike advocate Joey Klein recently concluded a six-week tour of Australia. Riding opportunities in Oz are increasing at breakneck pace. View a slideshow here: http://www.imba.com/international/slideshows/oz_index.html

3. IMBA STORE

* THE YEAR IN PICTURES: 2006 IMBA CALENDAR With images from mountain bike photography legends like Sterling Lorence, Bob Allen and John Gibson, this year’s edition of an IMBA classic may be the best ever. http://stores.yahoo.com/imba/20imca2.html

* CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMBA ANNUAL FUND AND GET THE CALENDAR IMBA’s number one priority in 2006 is spearheading the mountain bike movement. Your year-end gift of $30, $50, $100 – or more, if possible – will help us do more for riders in 2006 than ever before. Contributors of $30 or more will receive the 2006 calendar. http://store.yahoo.com/imba/dotoimanfu.html

* HOT DEALS AT IMBA’S WINTER SALE You’ll find a wide selection of gear on sale at our online store. Hurry – the sale ends Dec. 11. http://stores.yahoo.com/imba/immer.html

* ONLINE BOOKSTORE FEATURES NEW “STONEWORK” TITLE Stonework is one of the most important skills a trailbuilder can have. That’s why IMBA is offering this unique new book focused on working with rocks. We’ve checked out lots of books about stonework, and most of them have limited relevance to trailbuilding. They focus primarily on stone walls, landscaping projects and using mortar to hold the stones in place. But “The Art and Craft of Stonescaping” by David Reed focuses on dry-stacked stonework – no mortar here dude! This is a key difference and is a big reason why we recommend this book. http://stores.yahoo.com/imba/imbabookstore.html

November 22, 2005 – Here is the latest IMBA Canada news:

TAKE ACTION! ATTENTION ONTARIO RIDERS

Attention Ontario riders! The Terra Cotta and Silver Creek Conservation Areas are undergoing the development of a new management plan. Attend the open house on November 23, or fill out the online survey, and make sure mountain bikers are represented. Details: http://www.creditvalleycons.com/enjoying/tcsc.htm
GIVE THE GIFT OF TRAILS – SAVE $10 AND GET AN IMBA CANADA T-SHIRT!
Give a riding buddy or loved one the gift of trails this Christmas. Buy a supporting level membership for only $30 CAD, and we’ll send you (or your friend) a fancy new IMBA Canada t-shirt for free! That’s $10 off the normal membership price of $40, and a great Christmas gift for both of you!
http://stores.yahoo.com/imba/spofimmespsa.html


TALES FROM THE TRAILS
“Tales from the Trails” is a new section of the IMBA Canada website, devoted to success stories submitted by our members. Got a story you’d like to share? Send yours to lora@imba.com. If we use it, we’ll send you a brand new IMBA Canada t-shirt.

This months story focuses on the women of mountain biking. Check it out by visiting the IMBA Canada home page: http://www.imba.com/canada/index.html

Stories must be no longer than four paragraphs, and should be accompanied by high resolution photos.

WELCOME NEW CANADIAN CORPORATE SUPPORTERS!

IMBA Canada wouldn’t be able to create new and better riding opportunities without the support of the mountain bike industry. Please thank them for their contributions by supporting them with your purchases.

* RYDERS EYEWEAR
Providing affordable performance eyewear for over 30 years, we are thrilled to welcome Ryders Eyewear as IMBA Canada’s newest corporate member. Find out more about their products: http://www.ryderseyewear.com/

Would your company or organization like to join IMBA? Contact canada@imba.com or visit the link below to find out how: http://www.imba.com/canada/membership/corporate_membership.htmlNEW IMBA DEALERS AND CLUBS NEAR YOU

Clubs and dealers are the front line when it comes to getting people out on bikes. We are psyched to welcome the following groups to the ever-growing IMBA Canada network!
* DEALERS

Russ Hays, The Bicycle Shop – Victoria, BC
http://www.russhays.com/

* CLUBS

AdventureHers – Regina, SK
http://www.adventurehers.com/
Merritt Mountain Bike Association – Merritt, BC
http://www.merrittmountainbiking.com/index.html
Williams Lake Cycling Club – Williams Lake, BC
http://www.puddlebike.com/
KC MTB – Kingston, ON

To join as an IMBA bicycle club or dealer visit:
http://www.imba.com/canada/membership/

1,000 MEMBERS IN 100 DAYS

Only 40 days to go to meet our goal, and we’re not even half way there! If each current IMBA Canada member gets one more person to sign up, we’ll crush our target of 1,000 new members by December 31. Please help us grow by spreading the word, or by giving the gift of trails this holiday season.

Find out how you can help: http://www.imba.com/canada/1000_canada.htmlPATROL UPDATE – NMBP GEAR SALE
A heads-up to all patrollers: NMBP and IMBA gear will be on sale starting Nov. 22 to Dec. 12. Jerseys, shorts, jackets and other patrol uniform pieces will be discounted up to 40 percent. Quantities are limited, so order early to get the best selection. http://stores.yahoo.com/imba/nmmer.html

DONATE TO THE IMBA CANADA ANNUAL FUND

IMBA Canada is taking mountain biking to the next level. Help us make sure that you have outstanding trails to ride close to home by donating to the IMBA Canada Annual Fund. Our immediate goal: raise $5,000 before the end of the year to kick-start our work in 2006.

Contributors of $30 or more will receive our all-new full-colour 2006
calendar: http://stores.yahoo.com/imba/caledefu.html

TAKE THIS MOUNTAIN BIKE SURVEY

Researchers at the U. of Colorado, the U. of New Mexico and the U. of Padua
(Italy) want to know about you, your mountain biking, and what you like and
dislike about different trails. So, if you mountain bike a little or a lot,
please fill out their survey at: http://bike.colorado.edu/

Your responses will give us a better understanding of how mountain bikers
choose where and with whom to ride.

NEW TRAILS TO RIDE SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Not even the winter weather will slow the remarkable progress that IMBA’s
fee-based Trail Solutions program is enjoying south of the border this fall.
Construction on a mountain bike-specific trail system in NorCal’s King Range
is in full swing. Other projects this season include work in the Sumter
National Forest in South Carolina, at Wakefield County Park and Rosaryville
State Park in Washington, DC Metro area, and an upcoming IMBA-built freeride
park in Florida. Learn more about Trail Solutions here:
http://www.imba.com/trailsolutions/index.html


IMBA RETURNS TO OZ

Trail Solutions’ Joey Klein has clicked his red boots and returned to Australia (for the third time) to help Mountain Bike Australia, Tony Scott and the lads push for more and better riding in Oz. The Klein Down Under Tour will be a seven-week, six-state affair.

SEATTLE SKILLS PARK COMING

Colonnade Bike Park, a unique skills park located under the deck of Interstate 5 in Seattle, is under construction, thanks to the Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club. The park will include two acres of trails laden with technical features such as switchbacks, log rides, rock gardens, skinnies, wall-rides and small jumps. Read more here:http://www.imba.com/news/mtb_news_wire/10_14_05_seattle_i5_trail.html

SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN BIKING GROWING “EXPONENTIALLY”
“Major changes are on the way at Glentress, the UK’s No. 1 mountain biking centre,” according to Richard Moore, a columnist with Scotland’s Sunday Herald newspaper. The article continues, “The sport has grown exponentially in the last few years, and Glentress has been at the heart of that …”

Read more here: http://www.sundayherald.com/52539

Learn more about Glentress and Scotland’s innovative “7 Stanes” mountain
biking centres: http://www.7stanes.gov.uk

REMINDER: FALL BACK INTO MEMBERSHIP

Has your IMBA membership lapsed, or will it expire soon? Fall is traditionally one of our busiest seasons for membership renewals. Please keep your membership current and help keep trails open to bikes. http://www.imba.com/membership/index.html

October 20, 2005 – Here is the latest news from IMBA:

1,000 MEMBERS IN 100 DAYS! IMBA CANADA ASKS FOR YOUR HELP

A membership campaign to recruit 1,000 new members before the end of 2005 is the new focus for IMBA Canada. “We need more members to effectively lead the fight for trail access in Canada,” says IMBA Canada coordinator Mark Schmidt. “Our first year has been a success, but more members equals more influence.” Be part of the IMBA Canada mountain bike movement:

* Post our “1,000 Members” press release and web banners on your website

* Send out a prepared email blast to your friends on behalf of IMBA Canada

* Encourage your friends to join IMBA!

Get started at: http://www.imba.com/canada/1000_canada.html

JOINT IMBA SUMMIT/WORLD MTB CONFERENCE COMING TO WHISTLER!

Mountain biking leaders and land managers from around the world will gather June 20-23, 2006, in Whistler, British Columbia, for a combined IMBA Summit and World Mountain Bike Conference. The merger of the two conferences creates an unprecedented opportunity for mountain biking advocates, land managers, trailbuilders and the bike industry to come together. http://www.imba.com/news/news_releases/09_05/09_16_imba_summit.html

* Attention clubs: Start planning now to send a club executive, or general member to the combined IMBA Summit/Conference. It’s a great opportunity to meet other club leaders and strategize for the future.

FROM TSALI TO THE SEVEN SUMMITS: 2005 EPIC RIDES UNVEILED

The latest additions to IMBA’s Epic Rides program have been unveiled: – Left and Right Trails, Tsali, North Carolina – Syllamo Trails, Mountain View, Arkansas – Loon Lake Trail, McCall, Idaho – Tahoe Rim Trail, Lake Tahoe, Nevada – The Seven Summits Trail, Rossland, British Columbia

Check out the new additions, along with 32 other classics: http://www.imba.com/epics/2005_epics.html

RATE YOUR PROVINCE’S RIDING WITH THE 2005 IMBA REPORT CARD

It’s time to grab a red pen and hand out mountain biking grades: Voting for the IMBA Mountain Bike Report Card is underway. IMBA’s Report Card presents a letter-grade (A through F) analysis of singletrack riding opportunities, trailbuilding achievements and advocacy issues. Be sure to weigh in on the riding near you! http://www.imba.com/news/news_releases/09_05/09_16_2005_report_card.html

NEW CANADIAN FIELD REPS – WELCOME ABOARD!

IMBA Canada is pleased to welcome two more Field Reps to our dedicated team. IMBA’s Reps volunteer their time to help address local mountain biking issues. Please don’t hesitate to contact them – they’d love to hear from you!

HENDRIK WEIGELDT – BRITISH COLUMBIA hweigeldt99@hotmail.com, 250-362-9053

You may know Hendrik as the founder and promoter of the infamous “Lost in the Rocks and Trees” mountain bike race. Formerly IMBA Canada’s Northern Ontario Rep, Hendrik is now in Rossland, where he joins James Brown as a BC Representative.

DENIS ROCHON – WESTERN QUEBEC nochor2000@yahoo.ca, 613-673-5823

Denis will be joining Dominique Larocque and Jérome Pelland as IMBA Canada’s newest Québec Rep. Denis’ focus is on two specific projects: Montebello (which will be cut by Highway 50) and Ripon (the Black Mountain Network).

Learn about becoming an IMBA field rep here: http://www.imba.com/repcenter/

CALL FOR TRANSLATORS

IMBA Canada is looking for professional translators to help provide more resources in both English and French. If you or someone you know is interested in donating their services for some small projects, contact canada@imba.com

INSURANCE UPDATE FOR CANADIAN CLUBS

IMBA-affiliated clubs in the U.S. and Canada are once again eligible to purchase a special mountain biking club insurance policy from McKay Insurance of Iowa. The policy insures your club for liability arising from events like club rides, kids rides, meetings, trail maintenance, bike patrols, and other club activities. A standard policy costs USD $1.55 per club member, with a $200 minimum. The current policy starts on October 15, 2005, and extends to October 15, 2006. Visit McKay Insurance http://www.mckayinsagency.com/bike-home.html for details and an online application. Learn more by reading these Frequently Asked Questions. http://www.imba.com/membership/insurance.html


NEW IMBA DEALERS AND CLUBS NEAR YOU

Please welcome the following list of dealers and clubs that have recently joined IMBA Canada!

* DEALERS

Freedom Bike Shop – Penticton, BC http://www.freedombikeshop.com/ Cap’s Bicycle Shop – New Westminster, BC http://www.capsbicycleshop.com/index2.html Bikes On The Drive – Vancouver, BC Western Cycle Source for Sports – Regina, SK westerncycle@accesscomm.ca Le Yéti Inc. – Montréal, QC http://www.leyeti.com/main.php

* CLUBS

Derailleurs Mountain Bike Club – Summerstown, ON

To join as an IMBA bicycle club or dealer visit: http://www.imba.com/canada/membership/


HELP UPDATE IMBA’S FREERIDING LOCATIONS

IMBA.com’s freeriding resources section received a major facelift this fall. One of the site’s key features is a “Places to Freeride” guide. Please help keep this valuable resources current by sending reports to info@imba.com. Check out the freeride resources here: http://www.imba.com/resources/freeriding/index.html

THOUSANDS RIDE ON TAKE A KID MOUNTAIN BIKING DAY

On Oct. 1, dozens of IMBA-affiliated clubs across North America helped young people discover the joys of mountain biking through the Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day initiative. Enthusiastic reports are pouring into the IMBA office in the wake of the celebration. Stay tuned to IMBA.com/canada for an upcoming photo gallery.

APPLY FOR A 2006 SUBARU/IMBA TRAIL CARE CREW VISIT

The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crews are planning for another big year in 2006. More than 200 IMBA-affiliated clubs, land management agencies and other trail-user groups applied for a visit last year. Only 4 of the 70 slots are available for Canadian visits, so applicants are urged to submit their requests as soon as possible. The deadline for applications is Nov. 1, 2005. http://www.imba.com/tcc/visit.html

October 18, 2002 – The IMBA Report Card is expanding. The Report Card is designed to provide an annual assessment of mountainbike access and advocacy progress for U.S. states, Canadian provinces and other countries.

In addition to a letter grade, each area's key trail riding opportunities and challenges are pinpointed. Grades are based on a number of factors: miles of singletrack open for riding, land manager attitudes, relations with other trail user groups, and the long-term prospects for mountain biking.

Online voting is combined with input from IMBA staff, representatives and local mountain bike advocates to determine final grades. Mountain bikers are invited to grade their state, province or country on IMBA's website during October. At the end of the polling period, IMBA will tally the results and provide a detailed analysis.

In addition to grading U.S. states, the online voting section includes Canadian provinces and all countries where IMBA has an affiliate club, patrol or Sprockids group.

“IMBA's Report Card is an effective way to measure the progress of the IMBA network,” said IMBA's executive director Tim Blumenthal. “This is our third year of rating trail access, and we're determined to gauge our progress around the world and strategize for 2003.”

To vote in the 2002 IMBA Report Card election or see results from previous years visit imba.com. Email IMBA advocacy coordinator Dan Vardamis at dan@imba.com or call 303-545-9011 for more info.

September 5, 2002 –

Dear Ontario Mountain Biker:

Are you ready to move beyond simply riding your local trails and learn to
build them? The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew is providing that opportunity
this autumn in ontario. The crews crisscross the North America in their
Subaru Outbacks, from Maine to British Columbia and Texas to North Dakota,
teaching the art and science of trailbuilding.

Trailbuilding Schools are hosted by an IMBA affiliated club, and include
classroom and field instruction. Each school combines interactive learning,
hands-on trailwork and top-notch instructors to develop skilled trailworkers
and crew leaders. Topics covered include designing sustainable trails,
controlling water flow, building effective trail structures, and routine
trail maintenance.

IMBA Trailbuilding Schools have taught more than a thousand people –
including the land managers that make decisions about bicycle access – how
to build durable, fun-to-ride trails.

IMBA will host two Trailbuilding Schools in Ontario in Fall 2002:

September 6-8, 2002
North Bay, Ontario
Information: trails@nbmca.on.ca, (705) 474-5420

September 13-15, 2002
Bruce County, Ontario
Information: bcpllaforest@brucecounty.on.ca

For more information about IMBA Trailbuilding Schools visit
http://www.imba.com/tcc/trailschool.html or email info@imba.com