I think it is fair to say that yes mountain biking is improving small mountain towns, however, in Idaho it is a total change of demographics as well. People are just moving to smaller western towns. We have a mass influx of people from all over the United States that are bringing more toys then ever and have money. I don’t know where they are giving money away at but I need to find out. I lived in a bombed out logging town in central Idaho and now the price of real estate has gotten stupid. With no employment base and the mass influx of people bring their toys, they have no problem dropping $300k for a cabin. The small town I was in still wants to argue that they need to bring logging and mining back, but do not see the price of real estate and the summers busy 7 days a week as a positive. They still do not think of RECREATION as a viable industry, even though it is a billion dollar a year bone for Idaho economy. The infrastructure for logging here is gone and the people in the small towns that want it back need to move forward and realize they need to welcome Subaru’s and the folks driving $80k pickups pulling their $80k Nitro Toy haulers. Look at the last study that just came out from the Department of Commerce. Recreation surpassed the national GDP. Whats that tell you.