IMBA CANADA Blog

After camping at Blomidon Provincial Park we headed into Wolfville, Nova Scotia to work with the Annapolis Valley Mountain Bike Association (AVMBA). Glenn McMullen, the president of the IMBA affiliate club, is also the owner of 52 acres just 10 minutes from town. The purpose of our visit with the AVMBA was to help design a trail network close to town with a focus on beginner trails, and to train some new volunteers to help build the trails. Glenn had done some scouting around the property and discovered that some corridors had been cleared, most likely from past logging operations, so he began to lay down trail in the open corridors. After consulting a map of the existing trails along with topographic maps and aerial photos we helped Glenn lay out a stacked loop system on his property so that there was something for everyone to ride.

With the help and enthusiasm of four volunteers we spent time designing, building and repairing trail to make a large section of trail more beginner friendly. At the end of the day everyone who we talked to and worked with understood the importance of beginner trails within the context of their trail systems and promised us to go back and rework existing trail. We left Glenn with enough ideas and work to last him a few more years but we hope to return to see how his trails have improved.

A big thank you to Glenn and his partner Angela for hosting us in their beautiful home and cooking us the most kick-ass scallops we’ve ever eaten.

Prince Edward Island is well known for many things; Anne of Green Gables, the vibrant red soil, potatoes and the birthplace of the Confederation. Canada’s smallest province is just teeming with history and we couldn’t wait to pay the good folks of PEI a visit. We arrived in Charlottetown a day early and met with Luke, a long standing member of the cycling community, who gave us a crash course on the history of cycling on PEI. After experiencing some of the trails first hand we quickly decided where the focus of our visit should be. Getting beginner trails established on the Island.

During our stay we had the opportunity to meet with the head of forestry for the Island, the director and technical delegate of Cycling PEI and two local landowners. At each meeting we offered solutions and insight on how to improve trails and mountain biking on PEI. The most important goal of our visit became providing direction for mountain bike trail development on PEI.

We focused our efforts on the first 5 kilometers of existing trail in Murray River and were delighted to find so much history lying around the forest. Old homesteads, vehicles, and artifacts littered the sides of the trail, which made the trail interesting and unique. However, the trail itself was not spectacular. We designed a new 50 meter section of trail which eliminated fall line, provided better flow to the trail and left the local builders a template to work with. On Saturday after the trail building school we worked with 4 volunteers to create a beautiful bench cut which looked like a piece of red ribbon laying the forest and was so smooth to ride that even the non-mountain biker in the group was able to ride it.

A big thanks to our two hosts Luke and Alison MacDonald, and Paul and Susan Jenkins. Thank you to Cycling PEI for putting us up at the Rodd Hotels and bringing us to the beautiful province of Prince Edward Island.

 

We arrived in Sherbrooke, Quebec three days early. We heard the situation there was “complicated” so we decided that it was best to meet with everyone as early as possible. Through a clever manoeuvre with the city using the 2013 Canada Games as leverage, Mont-Bellevue has been secured as a permanent mountain biking venue. The purpose of our visit was to convince the city of Sherbrooke that when they finally contract out the job of building trails for the games, the needs of mountain bikers and hikers must be met for years to come.

 

Two indoor theory classes were required for this visit. The first was an overview for city officials, including the mayor’s representative as well as people involved with tourism and the park. The second trailbuilding school was held for dedicated volunteers from across Quebec.

 

The existing trails were a terrible mess. We wanted to present examples of repair, reclamation and new construction, but repairs became the main focus. Luckily, we had access to a truck full of quarry rock, a jackhammer and a diesel powered loader on tracks. Over 100 meters of trail were repaired using knicks, drains, bench cuts and more rock armouring than should ever be attempted in a single weekend. Shortcuts were closed and reclaimed and a new 200 meter reroute was planned out to provide a project for future work.

 

The weekend was a huge success. Not only did we have both newspaper and television coverage, but every representative from the city of Sherbrooke felt that IMBA’s influence would bring positive results to Mont-Bellevue’s future.

 

There are some HUGE shout-outs needed for those that made this project possible. First and foremost, our host Kathy Sue Daniel and her family were instrumental in every aspect. David Lauzon, the president of the ADSVMQ also provided us with a place to stay and lessons on the didgeridoo. Dalbix made arrangements for the rocks and heavy machinery without which very little armoring could have happened. Home Depot gave us access to everything in their rental department without charge and Siboire’s tasty brew was a real treat. As always, not everyone can be mentioned but they are all appreciated.

Congratulations to Mark Battiston for winning the Chumba frame at the East Coast DH Open this weekend. Special thanks to Renegade Cycle Solutions, Chumba Racing and X-Fusion for donating the frame and shock, and raising $650 for IMBA Canada! Also a big thank you to Pete and the guys at Sirbikealot Racing who ran a great race and made the raffle possible.

“Renegade Cycle Solutions stands behind IMBA and it’s supporters. We offer a 10% discount to all active IMBA members on all our products.”

decline Symposium
Whistler, BC

Don’t worry folks, IMBA Canada is not actually falling behind, but rather was given the opportunity to participate in the decline Symposium that took place in Whistler, BC this past weekend in order to see how we can move ahead.  decline magazine, known within the mountain bike world for it’s stunning large format photographs and dedication to covering more of the gravity side of the sport, invited a group of people from throughout the bike industry to gather and discuss both the future of their magazine and that of the sport.

A variety of presentations were given regarding topics such as Whistler’s latest Bike Park user numbers study and decline’s new digital magazine format for the web / iPhone / iPad.  IMBA Canada presented on the Saturday morning to a packed conference room about our current projects, our programs and the state of information gathering within the industry.  This was followed by a brainstorming session on ways with which IMBA offices and the bike industry can do more to help one another in both gathering better data on who our ridership is and how the industry can better support IMBA.

All in all, a successful event for both decline magazine and IMBA.  We look forward to future Symposiums and the opportunities that such a fantastic event provide.

The first official IMBA Canada Trail Care Crew school was with the St. Lawrence Islands National Park. Attendees consisted of twenty-nine diverse individuals representing national parks, volunteer stewards, hikers, cyclists, equestrians, skiers and snowshoers. We even had a paddler present. Our “conference room” at Craiger’s Resort came equipped with a full wet bar and a disco ball though we were unable to incorporate these into the presentation.

Our first lecture went smoothly and everyone was excited to proceed outdoors for some practical experience. We split into two groups so that those who were only able to attend the first day could practice some building techniques. The task chosen was a small bench cut demonstration on existing trail.

On the second day rain threatened to cancel the proceedings. Eight hardy workers arrived and we collectively decided that everyone wanted to carry on as planned. The tree canopy actually protected us very well and the lower temperature was welcomed after days of exhausting heat. A few hours were spent on an armouring demonstration where high water flow on a steep section of trail created a threat of erosion. A small trail reroute was planned to avoid even steeper slopes and to provide hikers with better views of trees and water. Being a national park, there will be some steps that need to be taken before the new route can be established and the old one closed. The overall benefit to the users will be well worth it and we desperately hope it gets approved.

Our week at St. Lawrence Islands was a success. Staff that we worked with from Parks Canada embraced our way of thinking about trail design and the volunteers have a new respect for the work required to produce quality trail.

Paul Bruneau from Parks Canada and his wife Shannon were our hosts in Kemptville and we couldn’t get enough of their hospitality. We owe them so much.

Go to Joyride150!

I don’t know what else I can say about this unique indoor riding centre in Markham, Ontario. The warehouse features an 800 meter cross country track, jump park, bmx park, pump tracks, foam pit and progressive technical features. The claimed average visit length is six hours and riders of all ages, abilities and disciplines frequent the site. Three year old children on run bikes can begin learning balance while older siblings practice jumping. Even a parent who races cross country can do laps on varied surfaces to hone their skills. At the end of the day, it’s often Dad who has to be dragged out of the building, kicking and screaming, as he begs for just one more hour.

After getting in some quality ride and work time in Kitchener, Ontario we headed North to the Bruce Peninsula for a few days to meet with the Bruce County Crew. After a quick photo opportunity at the statue of Wiarton Willie, the world famous groundhog, we headed out to visit the Bruce Peninsula Mountain Bike Adventure Park. We were able to ride the Park on Sunday morning and were astounded at how fun and technically challenging the trails were. This park, located just minutes away from Wiarton, has had to remove their wooden structures due to insurance reasons. Many of the Park’s users are still angry at the municipality for removing the structures, but what these users aren’t aware of is how lucky they are to still have access to the trails. The Adventure Park may not be what it used to be, but it’s still a great place to ride, and will soon have a new pump track to add to the fun factor.

The Mountain Bike Adventure Park is not the only place to ride on the peninsula. We headed out on Friday to help out the dedicated trail crew on the Brandt Tract. There was one trail that has consistent water problems and the crew was kind enough to let us test out a method of armoring in one of these problem sections. Since the soil type is mainly clay with absolutely no rock to speak of we decided to try wood piles in the ground to add tread texture and hopefully keep water from creating a slick clay pit in that area.

On Saturday morning after a very successful visit at the Bruce Peninsula National Park, we managed to get in a ride at the Lindsay Tract. This area began its development in 2008 and currently has about 8-10 kilometers of tight and twisty singletrack on it. It will quickly become a great riding destination within the next few years especially since it’s located near the campgrounds at the National Park.

We didn’t get the opportunity to ride the Brant Tract or Carrick Tract but that just means we’re going to have to come back.

A huge thank you to our amazing hosts Chris and Marta Laforest for providing us with amazing food, a bed to sleep on and letting us play with the potato canon. A special thank you to Andy, Ed, Ken, Ben and Sarah for putting in your hard work on the trails.

Mountain Biking Masterplan Fieldwork
Crowsnest Pass, Alberta

Years ago, most surveyors that visited Crowsnest Pass, Alberta did so in order to discover coal. This past month, however, Daniel Scott was in search of something else entirely… mint mountain bike trail terrain.

Crowsnest Pass Community Futures, a non-profit organization that works to aid local business & communities, worked tirelessly over the winter in applying for grant money from Alberta’s Rural Diversification Initiative in order to develop a mountain bike tourism cluster in the area. Carrie Morency of CPCF along with various members from UROC (United Riders of Crowsnest) and the community at large, submitted a monstrous proposal outlining why their community would be an ideal location to develop a mountain biking mecca. Come early spring, word arrived that their proposal had been accepted, money was enroute and work could commence. Cue IMBA Canada trail specialist and masterplan development project.

The scope of this project is as immense as the landscape surrounding “The Pass”. Approximately 100 kilometers of mountain bike specific singletrack trail is slated to be designed in the area, along with a mountain bike skills park. In order to accomplish this task IMBA Canada has been contracted to develop a masterplan which outlines this task.

The past month has seen Daniel, along with his two trusted local guides Dave & Wade, cover hundreds of square kilometers of terrain in search of prime riding terrain. The Pass is blessed with a variety of different landscape types which lends the area to some wonderful opportunities for varied riding experiences. Between the alpine, sub-alpine, meadows, pine / fir forest, aspen groves, & grasslands, Crowsnest Pass really can offer a lot. Add four distinct rocks types, a plethora of wildlife and as much elevation as any hammerhead could ever want and you’ve got the makings of a world class mountain bike destination!

Now if that wasn’t enough, Crowsnest Pass is not without it’s own cultural heritage which adds another element of wonder and discovery to the already rich tapestry. Various turn of the century mine workings are strewn about, everything from coal cars to abandoned mining settlements.Crowsnest  Pass is also home to the Frank Slide, a tragic accident some hundred years ago where a portion of Turtle Mountain gave way, swallowing the town of Frank. Today, the massive limestone boulder field that was left by the avalanche is accessible by the Frank Slide Interpretive Center and is one area which IMBA Canada resident trail specialist is keen to get permission to build a mountain bike trail…

Along with assessing the landscape, Daniel worked with Dave Whitten, a local rider and employee of Community Futures, on designing some trails at the local ski hill. Three keen summer students have been hired through a grant program to assist Dave in the first construction phase of this project on the hill and already they are making some great headway. An initial technical XC trail is being built at the moment which will stand as a model for the trail construction techniques to follow for the remainder of the project.

Work continues with ensuring that all the proposed trails have MOUs in place with their respective land managers and measures are being taken to limit the impact that the trail system will have on the various ecosystems found throughout Crowsnest Pass. The purpose of all this fieldwork is to compile a myriad of different data sets with which to distill a plan which will ultimately produce a sustainable mountain bike trail network which benefits the local community, the local riders, and riders at large.

CFCP, IMBA Canada & UROC are working hard to move this project forward with the masterplan being completed before year’s end, the skills park ready to go and some new sweet singletrack on the ground, ready to ride.

Should anyone be passing through Crowsnest and are looking for places to ride, head on over to the Stone’s Throw Cafe and ask the owner, Steve, about any of the following existing local trails: Good Riddance, School of Rock / Whistling Post, Dos Hombres and/or Secret Trail.

Renegade Cycle Solutions, the distributor of Chumba Racing and X-Fusion Shox, will raffle off a brand new Chumba Racing F5 frame outfitted with an X-Fusion Vector HLR shock to benefit IMBA Canada. Get all the details in their press release.

Vancouver Island, BC - Renegade Cycle Solutions (RCS)  is committed wholeheartedly to the philosophy that everybody who rides off-road should support IMBA, either by donation or trail maintenance or both.  We recently made the commitment to offer any IMBA Canada member 10% off any product we distribute. Now we are going one step further.

July 23-25 is the East Coast Open DH Race at Blue Mountain Resort (Ontario) promoted by Sirbikealot Racing. At this first-of-its-kind historic race we will raffle off a brand new Chumba Racing F5 frame outfitted with an X-Fusion Vector HLR shock, (MSRP $2600 CDN). Tickets are just $5 each or 3 for $10 with all proceeds going directly to IMBA Canada.

RCS and Chumba both support grassroots racing, so get off your couch and hit the slopes. While you are there, why not buy a few tickets, pickup a new ride and help a cause close to every rider’s heart.

Check out bluemountain.ca, sirbikealotracing.com, and r-c-s.ca.