We hear from Devon O’Neil, writer for BIKE Magazine about his four part article “Lines in the Dirt”. The piece explores trail access issues in three very different communities. In addition, we hear some feedback about last episode from Brannon Pack of the Ozark Off-Road Cyclists and learn a cool way for reporting on wet trails from RVA More and Friends of Pocahontas State Park.
Ep 17 – Don’t Tread on Me: How Trail Associations can Manage Users on Soft Trails
Answering Jay Darby’s question of “How do we, as Trail Advocates, inform and educate users when it’s appropriate or not, to ride trails based on condition.” We listen to feedback from guests all over North America, including Alex Brieger, of the Central Washington Chapter of Evergreen, Matt Andrews of the Minnesota Off-Road Cyclist, Ben Horan of MTB Missoula, Jeff Hehn of the FatLanders FatTire Brigade, Brannon Pack with the Ozark Off-Road Cyclists, Christine Reid of the North Shore Mountain Bike Association and Jeff McNamee of the Salem Area Trail Alliance.
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Ep 16 – Digging Into the IMBA Board: Interview with Kevin Loomis of SDMBA
This episode we hear from Kevin Loomis of the San Diego Mountain Bike Association. He’s the President of the 2nd largest city chapter of IMBA and has some concerns about the IMBA Board itself. Including the lack of IMBA Chapter Representation on the current Board, and how, despite, three rounds of layoffs for staff, no changes have been made to the Board itself.
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Ep 15 – The End of this Chapter?: Six IMBA Chapters On Why They Decided to Stay or Leave
This episode we discuss the IMBA Chapter program and hear from 6 different voices. My guests come from different Trail Associations in the US, some have left the IMBA Chapter program and others have chose to stay. My first guest is Matt Andrews, Executive Director of the Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists and former Regional Director of IMBA. Next is a discussion with 4 representatives from different clubs. Brannon Pack, Executive Director of the Ozark Off-Road Cyclists, and Lance Pysher, President of the Bitterroot Backcountry Cyclists, both groups have decided to remain IMBA Chapters. We’ll also hear from Ben Horan, Executive Director of MTB Missoula and President of the Salem Area Trail Alliance, Jeff McNamee; both groups who have left the program. And finally we chat with Kevin Adams of the Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition and former Vice President of Chapter and Member Services at IMBA. Kevin recently wrote an article for Singletracks titled, “Is the IMBA Chapter Program Right for Your Club? Analyzing the Pros and Cons” and we’ll get his advice for any IMBA Chapters out there.
Ep 14 – IMBA’s New Executive Director: An Interview with David Weins
This episode we sit down with IMBA’s brand new Executive Directer: David Weins. We discuss Dave’s work with the Gunnison Trails in Colorado, his new position as E.D., IMBA’s role in Washington, D.C., the chapter program and the future of the organization. There’s been much change at IMBA of late and we’ll hear David Weins himself about what that means for IMBA going forwards.
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Ep 13 – Keeping the Focus Local: Looking Into the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and the Cold Creek Mountain Bikers
The main guest is the Executive Director of the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, Yvonne Kraus. We discuss what their chapter program is all about and we learn what Lobby Day is. We also sit down with the President of their Cold Creek Mountain Bikers chapter, Eric Albers, and get their perspective.
Ep 12 – Politics & Non-Profits: Interview with Vernon Huffman, President of Access4Bikes, Differences of a 501c3 vs a 527
Taking a quick break from our 3 part series on Umbrellas and Consortiums, we look into two types of Non-profits in the U.S. Vernon Huffman of Access4Bikes in Marin County, California explains what a 501(c)(3) is and why A4B chose to be a 527 instead. We also learn about their upcoming event on May 20th, Ales and Trails.
Ep 11 – Working Together: Interview with Thomas Schoen of the Cariboo Mountain Bike Consortium
Kicking off a new 3 part series about Consortiums and Umbrellas, we ask: What happens when clubs and trail associations work together? It’s not always sunshine and rainbows; why is that? This episode we explore the many successes of the Cariboo Mountain Bike Consortium and chat with the president and executive director, Thomas Schoen.
Next episode we’ll look closer at the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and what they’re doing in Washington State. The final episode of the trilogy will be a discussion with David Weins, the new Chair for International Mountain Bike Association, and we’ll discuss what’s new and what IMBA does in Washington, DC.
Ep 10 – For the Kids: Youth Programs Changing the Future of Mountain Biking
The future of mountain biking relies on the youth of today. This episode we explore two very different programs that provide community service to get kids on bikes. The benefits are huge, and my guests, Rocky Blondin of the Fraser Valley Mountain Bike Association and Bruce Martens of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association are pivotal in diversifying the sport and introducing mountain biking to youth, who may not have had a chance to ride without their respective programs.
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Ep 9 – Barriers for Beginners: How Bike Shops Can Make or Break a New Rider’s First Impression
After a bit of a hiatus here’s a quick episode discussing the role that Bike Shops might have to helping new riders entering the sport of mountain biking. What’s it like to walk into a bike shop with zero knowledge? While shopping for a stroller recently, I take a walk in someone else’s shoes and discover what it like to be a beginner again.