Years ago, IMBA’s only designation for truly excellent singletrack was the term “Epic.” Over the last several years that has slowly been changing, with new designations including “Gateway Trails,” “Flow Trails,” and “Ride Centers” being added to the vocabulary.

“Ride Centers” are areas that are truly mountain biking destinations in every sense of the word. The best ride centers have trails of all difficulties ranging from beginner to expert. They also include trails for all disciplines of mountain biking, from cross country to downhill and everything in between. Not only do they have great trails, but these areas provide great lodging, great restaurants, and great places to buy a drink.

IMBA has currently designated only seven locations as true “Ride Centers,” and even those are broken down into three categories: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Here they are in descending order:

Park City, Utah (Gold)

Round Valley Trail. Photo: pdw02.

As IMBA’s only Gold-level ride center, Park City embodies every single one of the factors that I mentioned above. It has miles and miles of pristine singletrack with gorgeous Rocky Mountain views, trails ranging in difficulty from easy to hard, trails for all different types of riders, and plenty of facilities to support the droves of people that travel from out of town.

Trailside Loop and Skills Park. Photo: gab26.

According to IMBA Regional Director Ryan Schutz, “what’s really important is that [the trails] function as a cohesive network, with signage and trail connections that create a model riding area.”

Round Valley Trail. Photo: pdw02.

Oakridge Area, Oregon (Silver)

Alpine Trail. Photo: tumbleweed14.

The communities of Oakridge and Westfir have poured considerable resources into transforming their economies from ones driven by timber to economies driven by tourism–and mountain biking plays a big part of it. With everything from close-to-town loops to all-day epics, Oakridge is sure to please both the beginners and the veteran rippers with 500+ miles of singletrack.

Middle Fork Trail. Photo: AK_Dan.

Copper Harbor, Michigan (Bronze)

Photo: ukraine.

Located at the tip of the Keweenaw peninsula above the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Copper Harbor is about as remote as you can get, making this a true “destination” trip. Copper Harbor is home to an ever-expanding network of trails ranging in difficulty from beginner to expert. Surprisingly, many of the trails are designed as gravity-fueled freeride trails with plenty of berms, jumps, and gnar to keep most any freerider grinning from ear to ear! Shuttles run during peak times, but if you have the legs and the bike for it, you can earn your turns as well.

Cuyuna Lakes, Minnesota (Bronze)

Photo: RoadWarrior.

Cuyuna Lakes just held their grand opening this summer, but the brand-new purpose-built trail system is already a “Midwest Mecca.” Mountain bike legend Hans Rey, after sampling the trails on opening day, said, “They’re among the best I have ridden — super flowy and fun.” Coming from Rey, that’s a real compliment! The trails currently include fast, flowy sections, challenging slow-speed technical sections, and everything in between. Cuyuna Lakes is also exploring the possibilities for challenging downhill-esque descents. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for this new destination!

Harrisonburg, Virginia (Bronze)

Photo: RoadWarrior.

Harrisonburg, located in the beautiful Shenandoah valley, has a wealth of characteristically gnarly East Coast singletrack, with a few sections of beginner-friendly trail thrown in here and there. The community features excellent in-town singletrack, with several certified Epics just outside of town. The racing scene is alive and well in Harrisonburg, with local races of various distances all the way up to the Shenandoah 100, part of the NUE series.

Santos, Florida (Bronze)

Photo: trek7k.

The fact that a trail system in Florida has made it onto such a short list of world-wide ride centers speaks volumes of the quality of the riding at Santos. Santos features everything from groomed to rowdy cross country singletrack and from technical stunts to a progressive freeride/jump area, as well as the opportunity to get some serious air in the Vortex! Factor in nearby camping, bike shops, several popular festivals and races, and a thriving year-round mountain bike scene, and you have a true mountain biking destination… in Florida!

Singltrek pod Smrkem, Czech Republic/Poland (Bronze)

Photo credit: http://www.singltrekpodsmrkem.cz

According to IMBA, this “is the first purpose-built mountain bicycle trail system in continental Europe.” Translated as “Singletrack Under the Spruce,” this trail system follows the border of the Czech Republic and Poland and features 40 miles of pristine singletrack. In a place where people are accustomed to riding fire roads and old hiking trails, Singletrack Under the Spruce is a radical departure from the norm, and a breath of fresh air. Taking after popular facilities in the United Kingdom, the trailhead “boasts a comprehensive. . .facility that includes a bike shop, rentals, café, bike wash, showers and changing rooms — all situated above a gorgeous lake.”

More information about Singletrack Under the Spurce is available on their website.

Your turn: Which factors do you think are most important in a mountain bike destination? Is it just about having miles and miles of trails, or does a real mecca need to have more?

IMBA recently partnered with Hans Rey and trail designer Diddie Schneider to certify Flow Country Trails around the world and so far five trails have made the cut. We first wrote about the concept during the 2010 IMBA World Summit where Hans Rey spoke about his vision for mountain bike trails that anyone, from beginners to experts, could ride and enjoy. Here is the low down on the first five Flow Country Trails along with three additional recommendations for the list.

Mottolino Bike Park (Livigno, Italy)

photo: mottolino.com.

The trails at Mottolino were the first official Flow Country (FC) Trails in the world and we got a sneak peak at video of the trails at the 2010 IMBA World Summit. As the first official FC trail, Mottolino showcases the best features of this type of trail: smooth tread, bermed and banked turns, and miles of flow. Mottolino offers lift service for those who don’t believe in earning their berms.

MTB Zone Bike Park (Bischofsmais, Germany)

photo: bikepark.net.

MTB Zone Bike Park in Germany also offers lift service for riders and they even have bike rentals on site. One of the highlights is the dual slalom course that allows riders to race side-by-side through the smooth, sculpted turns.

Punchline (Hailey, Idaho)

Part of the Croy trail system, Punchline is a 1.3 mile semi-circular loop that’s designed to be ridden clockwise (most FC trails have a single direction of travel). Punchline features rocks, berms, step-ups, and jumps that are meant for advanced riders but should be roll-able for less skilled mountain bikers. Although it’s a short loop, riders will climb (and descend!) a couple hundred feet.

Rush Trail (Draper, UT)

Just south of Salt Lake City, the Rush Trail is currently 2.2 miles of Flow Country bliss. And while the trail descends about 400 feet along its length, it’s not a DH trail per se; it’s solidly FC. You’ll find the Rush trail in the vicinity of the Corner Canyon Trail.

Sandy Ridge (Sandy, OR)

I got a chance to ride the Sandy Ridge trail this summer and it was a blast! First off, there’s nothing sandy about this trail – it’s totally what you’d expect from western Oregon (ferns, thick canopy, and mossy). Everything is totally roll-able but if you’ve got the skills you can really air out the jumps and rail the berms. The main downhill run is currently about 4 miles long while the climb up the paved road should be tolerable even on a long travel bike.

Other FC-Worthy Trails

Looking at the list so far, Europe and the western US have a lock on FC trails but there are plenty of other trails where you can get your flow on.

Forks Area Trail System [FATS] (South Carolina)

FATS is well known for its 30-ish miles of smooth, flowy trails near the Savannah River along the GA/SC border but somehow it hasn’t nabbed an FC badge yet. Still, it’s an IMBA Epic and even though you won’t find a lot of sustained downhill riding on most loops, FATS is a fun trail for riders of all abilities.

Allegrippis  Trails (Raystown Lake, PA)

photo: WVPedler.

Another East Coast pick, the Allegrippis trails are purpose-built for mountain biking with lots of dips and smooth tread for miles and miles. Dirt Rag holds their annual Dirtfest here and many riders report this is one of the best trails they’ve ridden. Like FATS, there aren’t sustained descents (or climbs) which may be holding up an official FC designation.

Copper Harbor (UP Michigan)

photo: ukraine.

The trails at Copper Harbor have already made the Singletracks photo of the day at least once and with good reason. An IMBA Epic, the Copper Harbor trails feature miles of flowy singletrack and elaborate wood bridges snaking through the forest. As you can see, not all berms are made of dirt!

An article in the Wall Street Journal about flow trails this summer also mentioned the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, though it’s not clear which trail or section they meant (Flume trail perhaps?).

Flow trails are popping up everywhere as more and more purpose-built mountain bike trails are sited and constructed thanks to local volunteers and groups like IMBA. What is your nomination for the next official Flow Country Trail?

IMBA announced their list of 2011 Epic rides late last month and in case you missed it, here are the trails that made the cut. Two of the five new Epics are outside the US and, as IMBA’s Mark Eller notes, the new crop includes several backcountry trails. “For many years, the term ‘Epic’ was the only honorific IMBA used, so we started applying it beyond backcountry trails. Today, the variety of Model Trail categories provides more options, so it’s a good moment to go back to the original idea of an Epic ride.”

Brown County State Park (Indiana)

photo: MINiC.

With nearly 30 miles of singletrack, Brown County State park is a pretty solid pick for IMBA Epic designation. A couple quotes from singletracks reviewers: “the best trail system I’ve ever ridden,” and “if I could give this trail system more stars I would.” The trails are flowy and fast with rocks, boulders, and bridges to keep things interesting. And if great trails weren’t enough, Brown County State Park also offers fantastic views and scenery. As one reviewer put it prior to the IMBA Epic announcement, “I have ridden three EPIC systems and this is better than two of them!” Touché.

Kerr Scott Trails (North Carolina)

photo: plantme777.

North Carolina just bagged their third IMBA Epic trail with the addition of the Kerr Scott Trails this year. Dark Mountain was the first mountain bike trail built at Kerr Scott Reservoir back in 2002 and local volunteers have been working with the Corps of Engineers ever since to add more trails and more miles. Today, Dark Mountain is joined by the Overmountain Victory Trail and the Warrior Creek trail for a total of 35+ miles of singletrack. Sign up for next year’s BURN 24 Hour mountain bike race to get your fill of this Epic trail!

Mountain Hero (Yukon, CANADA)

Talk about a backcountry trail! Mountain Hero features 28 miles of hand-built singletrack crossing mining claims inside the Yukon, Canada’s westernmost province bordering Alaska. The IMBA description suggests bringing along bear spray if you attempt this one so bring your A-game.

Rattling Creek (Pennsylvania)

IMBA hasn’t posted a lot of info on this trail (system?) located near Lykens, PA but from the sound of it, this place is a hidden gem! There’s a 3/4 mile boulder field along the trail and riders say the trail flows well in either direction (a rare distinction among mountain bike trails). As best we can tell there are about 20 miles of trail at Rattling Creek, though we’d love some help filling in the blanks!

W2 Trail (Wales, UK)

Unlike most bike trails in the US, the W2 trail in Wales boasts a bike shop, showers, and bike wash right at the trailhead parking lot! The trail system itself features 27 miles of singletrack inside Afan Forest with a mix of tight, twisty stuff and clean jump lines. One ticket to Wales please.

For the US trails it looks like this year’s list is a sweep for states east of the Mississippi. Better luck next year left coast!

Preface: I spent 9 incredible days of riding in back-to-back exotic (for me) locations famous for their mountain bike trails. I’ll lay them out in the manner that makes sense to me with liberal bragging thrown in for good measure. Week 1 was in Copper Harbor, Michigan for a work retreat that included daily riding. For week 2 I got on a plane to meet up with old friends on a desert adventure we’d been planning for 6 months.

It’s damn dark up here at 6am, but there are a dozen bikes lined up on the fence outside and our tour guide is handing out maps. Aaron Rogers is our local guide, the president of the Copper Harbor Trails Club and viciously fast on the local dirt. I guess that’s how it is when you’ve built most of the trails yourself. Inside the lodge we’re eating breakfast, filling Camelbaks, making a last minute gear check and getting our layers on right: not too warm and not too cool for the early morning Michigan Upper Peninsula weather.

The trails. That’s what you want to hear about, right? First a word on the setting. I moved to the midwest (in winter. great idea) for work and have been trying a little of this and a little of that to get my fix of the type of singletrack riding I had grown used to back east in the Philadelphia area. Try as I might the fact remains: there is a lot of prairie around here. It can be great for things like a gravel metric ride, but big climbs and long descents are few and far between unless I want to do some serious highway miles to get them. And drive we did to get to Copper Harbor Michigan. Seven hours in the car through Wisconsin and then the Upper Peninsula to the tip-top of the finger that jabs into Lake Superior. The scenery was beautiful – we went through a tunnel of trees that was miles long, saw no less that three bald eagles, a coyote and many deer. If you’re doing a five day, four night trip like this a little driving won’t kill you, and I got to see some unfamiliar parts of the country that were rugged, remote and picturesque. OK, now on to the riding.

It’s amazing. Every damn last foot of singletrack was impressive. I’ll admit I’m a cheap date – give me a halfway decent bike, some dirt to roll on, and some trees to dodge and I’m happy. But the dozen people I was riding with had true skills, including the entire mountain bike development team responsible for bringing to life the rig that won the world downhill championships this year. If they were digging these runs, you know the trails are good. The terrain went from rocky, rooty big-drop downhill-type runs to cush cross country tracks through the pines. The finishing touches were being put on an A-line style run down from the top of the peak, right next to a set of boardwalk switchbacks that take you down (or up) the steep face of Keweenaw Mountain. With the right basket of technical riding skills you could lace together several days of grinding climbs and extended, beautifully flowing descents that leave you looking like this:

Folks, this is what “Bike Stoned” looks like

The photo above was taken at the bottom of a trail simply named Flow. Recently completed, it is a masterpiece of switchbacks, whoops, ripping ridge lines and the sweetest, plushest dirt I’ve ever rolled a knob on. We all looked like Dave when we reached the bottom: blissed out in the realization that this is work. On our final day we took advantage of the shuttle service available from Keweenaw Adventure Company. You can believe we chose Flow a few times that day. Throw in some descents of Woopidy Woo and we were all feeling just right.

My coworker estimated that over $30K of bikes were on this trailer

Did I mention the accolades? I’ve spent enough time praising these Michigan miles so here’s a ringing endorsement from IMBA (and they know about this sort of thing): Copper Harbor has the distinction of being one of their “Epic Rides.” That’s a hell of an honor since there are only 48 in the world that the association has designated. All you have to do is air up your tires, grab a map and hit the trails in this order: Copper Harbor Loop, Garden Brook, Woopidy Woo, Garden Brook, Blue Trail, Dza Beet, Here We Go, Ma Maki, Say Hello, Dza Beet, Simeh, De Deet, Red Trail, Clark Mine Road, Pauls Plunge, John Lincoln Green, Manganese Road, Ma Maki, Der we Went, Stairway to Heaven, Copper Harbor Loop to Trail Head. Do yourself a favor: check out the interactive map here and watch the videos that accompany most of the trails. I particularly like reminiscing about Stairway to Heaven.

So there you have it. If you’ve got the opportunity to get to the north country, or are looking for a centrally located destination for a sweet riding retreat, hit up Copper Harbor. You won’t be disappointed. There are rustic cabins to toast your riding buddies and tell tales by firelight at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, gear outfitting and shuttles at the Keweenaw Adventure Company, and tasty post-ride grub and beers to be had at the Mariner on the main strip in town. All in one spot for your riding pleasure. Bring your legs, your skills and your camera – they’ll all be well used up here.

“What does mountain biking mean to you?”

This question is posed all the time in forums, blogs, videos, and magazines. It can be a tough question to answer because there are so many things that make mountain biking such a rewarding lifestyle. I know that for me, and for many of you, one of the most rewarding aspects of mountain biking is getting to enjoy some of the wilder, more unsullied places on the planet. There is something peaceful and pure in nature that speaks to us, that calms the spirit.

That blissful escape from the urban world is destroyed when you reach a scenic overlook only to find someone’s garbage lying on the ground.

Sometimes I hate people. This trail-side trash heap totally ruins the scenic beauty of this spot. Green Mountain, Blue Ridge, Georgia.

For me, this picture represents the beauty and grandeur of nature that I head out on the trail to find. Trail 401, Crested Butte, Colorado.

We can all help protect the majestic beauty of the mountains, forests, meadows, and deserts that we ride in by choosing to Leave No Trace.

LNT Mountain Biking

There are seven main principles of Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. In addition to just listing the main principles, I’ll add some of my thoughts on how it can be specifically applied to mountain biking:

1. “Plan Ahead and Prepare”

This is a good rule for any trip into the forest. Know where you’re going, what the area will be like, and pack everything you think you’ll need.

2. “Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces”

This is very important for mountain bikers! Ever heard the saying: “Keep singletrack single”? The trail is meant to be followed. If you don’t have the skills to ride a particular section of trail, don’t blaze your own trail around it. If you do it, someone else will follow your tire marks. Riding off the established trail accelerates erosion and degrades the purity of the singletrack experience.

Please, if you can’t handle the difficulty of a specific section of trail, just get off and walk.

3. “Dispose of Waste Properly”

Pack it in, pack it out. One of the things that inspired me to write this post in the first place was finding trash all over my local trail system after a recent race. Does it really take you that long to put your half-eaten gel packet back in your pocket? And if you can pack in an extra tube for when you get a flat tire, why can’t you pack your flat tube back out with you?

I picked up all of this trash in less than a quarter of a mile. Perhaps the water bottle was more “lost” instead of “tossed,” but the tube and sweat rag are unacceptable.

For other sorts of waste in the backcountry, I refer you to these directives from LNT.org:

• “Deposit solid human waste in catholes dug 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water, camp, and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished.”
• “Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.”
• “To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water 200 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.”

4. “Leave What You Find”

If you want to take something from a natural environment, please just take a picture. Leave whatever you’re photographing there for everyone else to enjoy too!

5. “Minimize Campfire Impacts”

This really only applies to mountain bikers who are bikepacking, but please try to use preexisting fire rings.

6. “Respect Wildlife”

These ideas really apply to everyone at all times, including mountain bikers.

7. “Be Considerate of Other Visitors”

This is especially important for the mountain biking community. Learning to yield the trail properly to other users goes a long way towards amiable interactions with other user groups and trail access in the future. In case you aren’t aware, the technical rules of yielding are as follows:

• Hikers yield to horses.
• Mountain bikers yield to horses.
• Mountain bikers yield to hikers.
• The downhill rider yields to the uphill rider.

As we’ve discussed in a recent forum thread, this last one doesn’t always make the most sense. But when in doubt, stick to these guidelines, and it can help alleviate stress for everyone.

It Only Takes One

It only takes one person to ruin the purity of nature for everyone else by leaving trash on the ground, carving their initials in a tree, or spreading dirty toilet paper across the forest floor.

On the other hand, sometimes it only takes one person to pick that piece of trash up to restore the woods to its former natural glory.

Don’t be the first person… be the second.

What are your thoughts on Leave No Trace MTB ethics?

10 Reasons to watch Pedal Driven, a BIKEumentary:

1. You saw the earlier Singletracks blog post by trek7k about the fundraising efforts to complete the movie. If you pledged, you’re part of the effort.

2. There are secret/illegal/pirate trails in your area and you want to watch the story of how a group of passionate, dedicated riders got their stealth trails approved by the federales.

3. You know some of the guys and girls from the Leavenworth, WA area who are featured in the documentary.

4. You love trees, but instead of hugging them you prefer to shred among them.

5. There’s a special place in your heart for 4th period civics class.

6. You negotiate instead of aggravate.

7. You want to see incredible footage of IMBA crews in the process of designing, building and testing trails. I never knew why the IMBA-made trails I’ve ridden were so amazing, but the movie does a great job of documenting the process.

8. If you’ve ever been frustrated by that “No Bikes” sign in your favorite slice of wilderness and want to know the whys and hows of getting it open to you and your dirty little friends, this film will open your eyes.

9. City slickers who battle traffic to get to the trailhead will be green with envy at some of these small town communities with singletrack that rolls right out of people’s backyards. Aspire to move into the sticks…

10. You want to learn how to contribute to the efforts of people who love to ride trails, want more of them, and want to make sure we take care of our natural resources while we’re out there enjoying them.

I personally found it hard to set aside time to watch this now that summer has arrived in all its midwestern glory. I’ve been getting in daily trail miles and every hour in the dirt makes me want two more. If the sun is out I have a hell of a time looking at a screen when I could be shredding singletrack.

But this documentary was inspiring in the fact that there are dedicated individuals who took the time to put on clean pants, meet with forest service officials, lobby local governments, sign petitions, turn shovels, lift logs and generally put in the time and effort it takes to get trail access for all of us. And for that, I salute every one of them. Thanks to you all!

Oh, and to Howell at the Moon Productions, the team that made this movie: you are a rad group. Anyone who is willing to put in the time, the dollars, the sweat and the love into documenting our favorite outdoor pursuit (and how to make it better) deserves mucho kudos.

The deets: Website | Facebook | Trailers | Where to buy it | These folks made the thing | Screening tour dates | Get involved!!

Before I met my wife, the entire state of Georgia rarely crossed my mind. I knew nothing about it, except for its geographic location and the fact that it was one of the 13 original colonies. Moving to Georgia never occurred to me as a possible course for my life… not even in my wildest dreams!

As you might imagine, I had never thought about the prospect of mountain biking in this state either. Sure, I had heard of the legendary riding in North Carolina and West Virginia, but Georgia? C’mon now.

Having lived here for more than 2 years now I can personally attest to the fact that life will take you places that you’ve never dreamed you would go, and that Georgia is a mountain biking hotbed. Specifically, North Georgia is the place to be. While the bottom three-quarters of the state are really quite flat, the upper quarter bordering North Carolina and Tennessee contains legitimate mountains… and legitimate mountain bike trails. Add in a mostly year-round riding season and active trail clubs and you have a formula for great mountain biking.

Pinhoti Trail, Dalton / Ellijay

The Pinhoti trail is a massive, mostly singletrack trail that stretches from the upper reaches of North-Central Georgia all the way down to Central Alabama. The trail is 330 miles in length, and Georgia contains 164 of those miles. Unlike many trails of this scale in the eastern US, most of the Pinhoti trail in Georgia is open to mountain bikes.

As you might expect, IMBA (the International Mountain Bicycling Association) recently bestowed the venerable title of “Epic” to the Pinhoti. The word is out, and everyone knows what an extraordinary ride this is.

Due to its length, it would be nearly impossible to write a concise review of the entire Pinhoti trail. Some of the sections further to the south and west near Dalton are considered to be some of the most technical mountain biking in the state. The sections near Ellijay are beautifully-constructed, narrow singletrack and unlike the sections around Dalton, they are relatively smooth and fast.

If there’s one thing that you can be sure of when riding the Pinhoti, it’s that you’ll definitely be doing a lot of climbing and a lot of descending… and you’ll probably love every minute of it!

Bear Creek, Ellijay

It doesn’t seem fair that Ellijay should have so many incredible trails in such a relatively small area… but they do. Another classic ride, the Bear Creek trail intersects the Pinhoti trail here (mentioned above).

The Bear Creek trail lies in a gorgeous section of the Chattahoochee National Forest and many different factors contribute its scenic nature: Bear Creek tumbling alongside the trail, the mighty Gennett Poplar, and the scenic overlook of the Cohuttas found at the top of the trail.

Not only is this ride stunningly beautiful, but the trail is a blast to pedal on as well. This is a simple out-and-back, with the singletrack climbing steadily for 5 miles. Then at the top, you get to turn around and bomb back down. The descent back down Bear Creek is fast, amazingly flowy, and best of all it is uninterrupted. Continuous downhills of this length are pretty rare here in North Georgia!

Stanley Gap, Blue Ridge

While this is just one trail in the Aska Trail System, Stanley Gap is definitely the crown jewel of the Blue Ridge area. Best ridden as an out-and-back, the trail climbs steeply from the Deep Gap parking lot all the way up to the high point, and then descends back down a little ways to Stanley Gap.

After turning around and climbing back up that shorter section, the main downhill back down to the start is your true reward… and it is to die for! The speeds you can achieve dropping down this steep, steep section of trail can honestly be scary: make sure you either bring the balls or the skills to deal with the tight trees, big rocks, and sudden turns whipping past at mach 5!

Bull Mountain, Dahlonega

Since this trail is practically in my backyard, there is a special place in my heart reserved for the Bull Mountain trail and the surrounding trail system.

Admittedly, the standard 11-mile Bull Mountain loop isn’t the best singletrack ride in the world. Much of the climbing takes place on old roads and doubletrack. However, the descent back down more than makes up for it! Expect rocks, rocks, and more rocks, high speeds, rhododendron tunnels, and the need to pick bugs out of your teeth after grinning all the way down.

In my opinion, two of the greatest things about the Bull Mountain loop are the large amount of elevation gain (and loss), and the remote feeling in the outer reaches of the loop. Up on the high Bare Hare trail, I always feel as if I am totally removed from civilization. It’s just me, my bike, and the mountain peaks!

I recommend adding in this approach trail to turn it into a 17 mile lariat.

Stonewall Falls, Clayton

Stonewall Falls is one of the only legitimate singletrack mountain bike trails in the northeastern corner of the state, and it is definitely worth a little bit of a drive to reach it. This 11+ mile loop is a challenging ride that will at least stretch you physically if it doesn’t test your bike handling skills.

In short, this trail never feels like it is on flat land. It is either climbing a hill or descending the other side. There is no break, there is no respite: your heart will be going the entire time!

In the end, the descents, narrow singletrack, and beautiful forests make all of the pain worthwhile. As a grand finale, Stonewall Falls sits at the very end of the loop, signaling the end of your ride from far off with its roaring water: a fitting end to a mountain bike trail in Georgia.

I’ve done enough writing, now it is time to hear from you: Have you ridden in North Georgia? What’s your favorite trail?

If you haven’t been here, what is your favorite trail where you live?

This is my third and final post covering the first ever Southern Mountain Bike Summit.  In case you missed the first two posts, part one can be found here and part two can be found here.

The Take Away

I’ve been involved in MTB advocacy on the local level pretty much since I started riding a few years ago so I know that a lot of work goes on behind the scenes and that mountain biking is a lot more than just riding your bike in the woods.  But I didn’t realize just how much work happens, and how hard people have fought for access to land and trails.  It was really cool hearing the success stories from the people largely responsible for those successes.  All great trails take a lot of work, and a lot of time, to become reality.  Take the Coldwater Mountain project for example – people have been working on that for over a decade and not even a single foot of trail has been built yet!!

Some of the people responsible for the summit, from left to right: Karen Into (President, Pisgah Area SORBA), Liz McNamara (Vice President, Upstate SORBA), Tom Soret (IMBA Southeastern Regional Director), Robin Allen (SORBA Communications Director), and Walt Bready (SORBA Promotions Director)

Several presenters gave some really interesting statistics that local clubs can use as ammunition when fighting for access.  Here are a few examples:

• Over 50% of children in the US are obese
• There are 1.5 times more mountain bikers than golfers in the US
• 1 in 5 Americans over the age of 16 ride a mountain bike
• Mountain bikers have 30% more voting power than voters aged 65 and above
• For every $1 spent on trails, $4 is saved on medical expenses
• 55% of trail users exercise more than before they had access to trails
• More useful statistics can be found from the Outdoor Industry Foundation and the Rails and Trails Conservancy

If you’re not involved in advocacy on at least some level you should be!  Trails don’t build or maintain themselves you know.   Head over to the IMBA website to find out if there’s an IMBA club near you, or how to start one if there isn’t a club in your area.  And if you’re not already a member of either a local club or IMBA, what are you waiting for?  A basic membership with IMBA is only $30 - it’s the least you can do to give back to the sport you love so much.

Ride Report: Black Mountain

After the final session on Friday afternoon everyone headed over to Poppie’s Market and Cafe.  From there we rode 2.3 miles on a scenic greenway trail, and then split into three groups.  There was a 4-mile ride for the beginners, the intermediate ride was 4.3 miles, and the expert ride was 9.3 miles.  I did the expert ride, and we rode an old Pisgah classic: Black Mountain.  After we split off from the intermediate ride we regrouped at some horse stables before starting the big gravel road climb up Clawhammer Rd to get to the trail.  Todd Branham, owner of Blue Ridge Adventures, was our ride leader, and he told us “You’re about to do most of your climbing right here.  Once you get over this steep pitch the rest is easy.  This will gain about 1200 ft in 3 miles.”   He wasn’t kidding, we were about to go up, up, and away!

Lucky for me, a friend let me borrow his Yeti 575 for the weekend.  On this climb I was extremely thankful for gears!  Even with the lowest gear ratio I can set up on my singlespeed I’d have been walking that whole climb.  It was steep, and it never seemed to end.  I got dropped pretty quickly by all the locals and people used to doing those big climbs.  Thankfully, I wasn’t the slowest person – several others were way behind me.

After the first few miles of stupid-steep climbing the road leveled out some.  We kept going up for a few more miles but it was a much more mellow grade.  One of the redeeming values of the climb is the great view on the way up.  Once we got to the top of the road there was a little more climbing to do, but now on technical singletrack.  I walked it all.  I probably could have ridden it, but I was exhausted after more than an hour of climbing and once the people in front of me stalled and stopped, so did I.  After a minute or so of walking we were at the top – it’s all downhill from here!

Photo: Goo

The downhill was intense.  The top section was steep, with tons of roots, rocks, and water bars.  Drop after drop after drop.  I stopped after a few minutes and lowered the seat on the Yeti.  The rest of the downhill was a lot more fun without the seat in the way.  Part of the way down the trail changes from steep and technical to mellow and fast.  Big sight lines and huge 6 ft tall berms meant you could stay off the brakes and absolutely fly!  This is mountain biking at its finest.

At the bottom we regrouped and then rode back to Poppie’s on the greenway.  At Poppies there was something mountain bikers love, maybe even more than trails: good food!  I got a bison burger and downed it faster than I knew I even could.  It was the perfect way to end a great ride.

The End

This wraps up my coverage of the first ever Southern Mountain Bike Summit.  I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope it encourages you to get involved with your local club, and to attend events like this.  It’s pretty cool being in the same room as all the people responsible for the great riding spots in your part of the country, hearing how they made it happen, and how you can do the same in your town.

Big “Thank You!” and “Job Well Done!” to all the organizers and presenters.  Everything went off without a hitch, and all of the presentations were really well done.

Regrouping at the bottom of the downhill.  Everyone had a great time.

This is the second part of my coverage on the Southern Mountain Bike Summit that was held in Brevard, NC recently.  In case you missed it, find the first part here.  Okay, let’s get on with it.

Building Partnerships to Get Things Done

Day two started with a really good presentation by Sig Hutchinson, the president of TORC and owner of Sig Hutchinson Communications.  Sig knows how to get things done.  He is a mover and shaker in his community in Raleigh, NC where he is largely responsible for raising $140 million for open space preservation, parks, and an incredible greenway system that links several communities and parks together in Wake County.  The system currently has about 70 miles, and there’s another 40ish currently under construction.  Who wouldn’t want something like that in their town!?

Sig’s presentation focused on how to deal with people to build partnerships.  As volunteer groups, most MTB clubs are very willing to ask for things such as donations, land to build trails on, access to existing trails, etc.  But we don’t always think of ways to give back to the people that help make those things happen.  Sig talked a lot about how people are under appreciated.  So when we work with someone, we need to give them credit for what they do to help us.  Get the media involved, send out press releases, let people know about the good work that person did.  They’ll be a lot more willing to help you again later if you do.

People slowly filing into the room Saturday morning.  Half an hour later the room was packed out.

Working With the USDA Forest Service

This was another panel session where several people gave short presentations.  One thing I quickly learned is we actually have some good cycling advocates who work for the Forestry Service. One of the speakers, Jim Schmid is a Trails Manager for the Forestry Service who was a mountain biker before mountain biking even existed.  Back in the 70′s he didn’t own a car so he biked everywhere and he was the first person in his town to buy one of the 1982 Specialized Stumpjumpers (the first widely available mass-produced MTBs) and he’s even cycle toured around Europe.  He is a true bicycle fanatic – and it’s great to have people like him working on the inside with us.

The big take-away from this session was that the Forestry Service is a multi-management agency.  They have a lot to deal with, including: conservation, restoration, timber, fire management, recreation, and wildlife just to name a few.  So again, patience when working with them is important.  Things take time, and we need to realize that.  Even when they get behind a project 100%, it will not happen quickly.  And they do like working with volunteer groups such as mountain bike clubs; without us working with them there would be a whole lot less trails for us to enjoy.  The southern region of the Forestry Service has over 10,800 miles of trails!  Without volunteers to help maintain them that number would be much, much smaller because the Forestry Service simply doesn’t have the budget or manpower to do it themselves.

Creating Great Trails and Communities

This session focused on why we need trails in our communities.  Trails offer a lot of benefits to communities aside from being a place to have fun.  They’re cheaper than other recreational facilities, they preserve wildlife habitats, they can revitalize derelict property, and they can be an economic boom to communities that embrace them.  Trails also get people exercising and create healthy lifestyles.  One statistic given was that 55% of trail users exercise more than before they had access to trails.  In other words, trails get people off the couch and outside getting healthy.  This presentation also gave tips on how to turn your trails into a destination trail system – somewhere people will travel to from far and wide to ride.  The speakers offered tips on what the trails should offer, the types of lodging trail users will need, and even how to advertise and market your trails.

IMBA Club Care

The final session of the summit was another Trail Care Crew presentation – how to build a sustainable mountain bike club.  And once again, Steve and Morgan did a great job with this presentation.  They gave advice, learned from successful clubs around the country, on how to increase membership, organize meetings, and avoid volunteer burnout.  They also explained why clubs should put on events, and how different events work better to reach certain goals.  For example, hosting a skills clinic would not be a good fundraiser, but it would be good at building a riding community and growing club membership.

The Trail Care Crew spent some time with Upstate SORBA before the summit.  Photo: Upstate SORBA.

Up Next

That wraps up my coverage of the learning sessions.  As you’ve seen, there was a LOT of information thrown at us in those two days.  Find out if a regional summit is coming to a town near you, and if so, go check it out!  There is a ton of knowledge to gain at these summits and it will only benefit your local club and riding scene if some of your folks can attend.

In my third and final post on the Southern MTB Summit I’m going to present my big take-away, the overall impression I was left with at the end of the summit.  There will also be a ride report from Friday afternoon’s ride – these things aren’t all work you know!

This year IMBA is hosting half a dozen regional summits across the US and I got a chance to attend the the Southern Mountain Bike Summit in Brevard, NC this past weekend.  The conference was hosted by IMBA-SORBA and the Pisgah Area and Upstate SORBA chapters.  The summit brought industry leaders, professional trail builders, local club members, and land managers together for two days of seminars covering a wide range of advocacy topics.  Yours truly was there, and it was great!  All of the speakers were really good, and I learned a lot.  There was a ton of information thrown at us in those two days – I took over 11 pages of notes!  We got to do a little bit of riding as well on Friday afternoon, a classic Pisgah ride, but the planned Saturday and Sunday rides were rained out.

This was the first regional summit IMBA is holding in 2011; there will be five others this year in other parts of the country.  Going forward SORBA plans to host one of these summits every two years opposite the biennial IMBA World Summit.  If there’s a conference scheduled for your area I highly recommend you check it out – there’s a wealth of knowledge to gain and you’ll meet some very cool people and have a lot of fun.

I’ll be breaking down my coverage of the summit into three parts.  This is the first part, and it will cover the seminars on day one.  Part two will cover day two, and part three will be my take-away from the summit and a ride report from Friday afternoon’s ride.

Tom Soret, IMBA’s Southern Regional Director

Opening Remarks:  Krista Rettig

Krista is a great advocate for cycling and she’s very energetic and passionate about all types of cycling.  She’s a former mountain bike racer and longtime employee at Trek.  She is currently serving as the Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs for Trek so her talk focused on the importance of cycling in modern society (all forms, not just mountain biking) and how advocacy groups can approach local governments to get projects going.  She emphasized the use of statistics and hard data to convince people, specifically politicians and government employees, of the value of cycling infrastructure, be it a paved greenway or a gnarly singletrack trail.  She also gave advice for local clubs and talked about how Trek is doing their part.  Did you know that for every full suspension mountain bike Trek sells they will donate $10 to IMBA, and some of their dealers will match that?  Next time you’re shopping for a Trek, ask your local shop if they participate in that program, and if they don’t, try and get them to sign up!

Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew: Land Manager Training

The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew is a free resource for IMBA clubs all over the country.  There are two crews that travel around the country 10 months out of the year teaching clubs and land managers how to build, maintain, and manage sustainable mountain bike trails.  The program was started in 1997 and has been, and continues to be, fully funded by Subaru, one of IMBA’s long time supporters.  Subaru covers ALL costs associated with the trail care crews – gas, food, lodging, salaries, everything.  None of your IMBA membership dollars go toward the Trail Care Crews – it’s a FREE program for IMBA.  Subaru also offers discounts on new cars for IMBA members as well.  That’s pretty cool for a car company to support mountain biking in such a huge way and for so long!

The crew that visited us was the husband and wife duo Steve and Morgan Lommele.  Their presentation was fantastic!  This particular talk was aimed at educating land managers about mountain biking: what we want in a trail, what we don’t want, and how we’ll help them maintain it.  The presentation covered the economic and social benefits of trails, sustainable trail building theory and practices, how to design for specific user groups (MTB, equestrian, hiking), and how to use positive control points and how to avoid negative control points.

Again, the Trail Care Crews are a FREE resource for your local IMBA affiliated club.  Ask them to come teach your group some things and they probably will!  Check out the Trail Care Crew website for more details.

Connecting With Agency Land Managers

This session had several short presentations made by land managers followed by a Q&A session.  The panel of land managers represented a wide range of agencies from all levels: federal (USFS), State (NC DNR), and County (Forsyth County, GA).  They gave us the inside scoop on what they, as managers, are looking for in a partnership with a volunteer club, and what we should expect from them.  They also explained some of the restrictions they have and why things take so long sometimes – usually due to laws they must follow or simply bad timing.  One of the big points we need to remember is that land managers are busy, they have a lot on their plates, and we need to be patient with them.

Success Stories

Three success stories were presented by the folks involved in making them happen.  These stories showed what great things can be accomplished when a MTB club partners with a land management agency and the two work together for a common goal.  The timelines for these stories also illustrate the importance of patience!

Itusi Trail System – Lake Norman State Park, NC

• Project began in 2001, initially using volunteers to hand build the trails
• There are now five loops, for a total of 17.5 miles of singletrack
• The park did not spend any money on the construction of the trail
• The trails are directional to avoid user conflict, hikers and bikers travel in opposite directions.  The direction is changed every year
• Maintained by the Tarheel Trailblazers

Santos – Ocala, FL

• Partnership between the Ocala Mountain Bike Association and the State of Florida Office of Greenways and Trails
• 84 miles of singletrack!!!
• Freeride park, skills park, 2 pumptracks, and 3 dirt jump lines
• Trails constructed alongside the 110 mile long Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway
• Uses old limestone quarries for technical terrain
• Designated as an IMBA Epic Ride and a Ride Center
• 5 trailheads provide easy access

Coldwater Mountain – Anniston, AL

• This project is 11 years in the making, and construction is FINALLY about to start.  Remember that patience thing I mentioned earlier?
• Partnership between the Northeast Alabama Bicycle Association and Forever Wild
• Will contain somewhere around 50-60 miles of purpose built mountain bike trails
• Stacked loop system will have a little something for everyone, including TWO gravity zones!
• The entire area will be MTB and hiking/running specific – no horses, hunting, or motorized use
• Trail construction should start this year

Photo courtesy IMBA.

Up Next

Day two included sessions on how to build partnerships, working with the USDA Forestry Service, how to create a great riding community, and how to grow your local MTB club. Stay tuned!

I plan on attending the first ever Southern Mountain Bike Summit will be held in Brevard, NC March 25-27.  The SMBS will bring riders, land managers, industry leaders, and politicians together to “teach, learn, meet, greet, ride, and grow the sport of mountain biking in the Southeast.”

The summit will have sessions about a wide range of topics, including some specifically for land managers.  The topics include:

-Leadership Training
-Working with the USDA Forest Service
-Creating Great Trails and Trail Communities
-National Mountain Bike Patrol Training
-Growing Healthy Chapters and Clubs
-Success Stories: Model Trail Systems in the South

There will also be a movie screening, silent auction, the SORBA Board of Directors meeting, and awards for volunteers.  And of course, there will be riding!  Friday the ride will leave from Poppies Gourmet Farmers Market, Saturday’s ride will be somewhere in Pisgah National Forest (home to some of the gnarliest singletrack in the country), and Sunday’s rides will be at DuPont State Forest (home to the most slickrock riding this side of Moab).  There will also be bike demos available for Sunday.

I’m stoked for the summit and will post a summary afterward.  It’ll be a good chance to learn some new things about advocacy, and it’ll be my first time riding Pisgah and DuPont.

Head over the Pisgah Area SORBA webpage for more details and registration information.  At only $65 for the whole weekend registration is very reasonable and one and two day passes are also available.  The price does go up if you register after March 10th, so sign up early!

Yesterday IMBA released its 2010 list of Epic mountain bike trails and the six selections represent a diverse group of trails scattered across the US. The organization claims the trails on this year’s list “provide something for everyone” and we have to agree there’s a lot of variety represented.

photo by Terry_Tiessen

Black Rock (Falls City, OR) Trails for all skill levels, including some with amazing wooden freeride structures like the one shown above.

Fresno-Saucedo Loop (Big Bend Ranch State Park, TX) Miles and miles of trails and old 4×4 roads to explore in the area! Looking at the photos you might think these trails were located somewhere like Fruita or the desert outside Las Vegas.

MoCo Loop (Montgomery County, MD) Forty miles of trails connecting 9 (!) county parks. Plans include a connection to the 180-mile C&O canal path. Can you say bikepacking?

photo by bluejudad

Hurricane Cliffs (Hurricane, UT) This Epic route includes the JEM trail, Hurricane Rim trail, and Gould and Gould Rim trails. The Hurricane Cliffs route also hosts the 25 Hours of Frog Hollow race each year.

photo by trek7k

Oak Mountain State Park (Birmingham, AL) Of the six inductees, Oak Mountain State Park is the only trail I’ve actually ridden (yet). The park features great trails with decent climbs and a dedicated club maintaining the singletrack year round. Look for even more trails – for 30 total miles – to be added in the coming years.

photo by drdiederich

Rock Lake (Cable, WI) Thirty miles of singletrack in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.

Add these and other IMBA Epics to your singletracks trail wishlist to explore in 2011!