After reading about the Muddy Spokes club in Georgia it got me to thinking: Has anyone ridden all (48 and counting) of the IMBA Epic trails? I checked the list and I’ve only ridden 7 so far but that means there are at least 41 more amazing trails to ride before I die 😉
Riding all the IMBA Epics would be a huge accomplishment, on par with completing the Great Divide trail on bike or the Appalachian trail on foot, and I think there should be recognition for those who meet the challenge. When I was in Boy Scouts I took tremendous pride in the merit badges on my sash and I’d love to have a patch or sticker to add to my jersey or bike after completing each IMBA Epic (see my crude sample image for FATS).
One of the arguments IMBA likes to use when convincing land managers to open new trails is that mountain bike tourism can mean big $$ for local economies. Promoting the IMBA Epic tour series could certainly provide some extra motivation to get more riders to explore trails outside their home states. The current focus on IMBA ride centers seems to be more focused on establishing great trail networks close to major metro areas but I feel like some of us still want to experience more remote, challenging trails.
So, who’s up to answer the call this summer? Let’s see how many IMBA Epics we can ride before Labor Day and the member who can verify the most IMBA Epic rides through photos gets a singletracks t-shirt and Pro membership. Ride on and explore!
