Track Angels The IMBA (International Mountain Bicycling Association) was created in the United States with a very clear objective: to safeguard tracks at risk of being close to the practice of mountain biking (or mountain bike in Brazil). Since then - 1988 - a lot has changed, IMBA has grown substantially and although its goal remains the same, action methods are now much more sophisticated, as we could verify after two days with a team of the "Trail Care Crew "in Santa Rosa, California. A great moment International mountain Bicycling Association on the facebook
THE MOUNTAIN BIKERS VOICE The roots of IMBA can be found in an association of five local BTT groups, originating in California. Concerned about the growing wave of trails closed to MTBikers, the members of these different groups decided to join forces, through dialogue with other associations of users of the trails and various official bodies, together with a strong action of awareness among BTT lovers, change the course of events. Currently, the motto of IMBA is: Dialog, Build, Respect and Use. Basically, it aims to get a good image of MTBikers and convince official entities and environmental groups that the proper use of MTB trails is no more environmentally harmful than hikers or riders.
It is not by chance that a significant portion of the association's annual budget is used to pay fees to lobby groups with the US government in Washington. IMBA wants to be the voice of MTBikers, often left out in crucial decisions and totally crushed by the strength of hiker groups; in the United States, there are about 76 million hikers! BTT comes in second place, with over 40 million practitioners. SUSTAINABLE TRACKS Supported by 500 local clubs and 34,000 members, including Lance Armstrong, spread across 30 countries, IMBA has gained considerable strength thanks to its commitment to dialogue and education.
The most important spokespersons of the association are the "Trail Care Crew" - in a free translation, Track Maintenance Teams - that traverse the country from lĂŠs-a-lĂŠs to educate local groups of bikers and landowners in the best way to create and maintain sustainable paths and also to sensitize them to the importance of constant dialogue with other entities. Respect to be respected - this is the key concept of IMBA, spread through the weekly courses carried out by the "Trail Care Crew". This program is already in its ninth year and in 2005 will be realized 70 courses; IMBA expects to participate in more than 100 sustainable track construction and maintenance projects, contributing to as much as 100,000 hours of volunteer work-
COURSES The time spent with the couple Nat and Rachael Lopes in Santa Rosa gave us an idea of what IMBA's work methods are, how to approach the problem of sustainability of the trails and, essentially, how the association wants to get the message across biking can be fun and responsible at the same time. Experience of riding the bicycle for the first time most effective to us. Pedaling on a fixed bike–I bought a fixed bike from the Best Bike us storeThe course consists of the following: a first lesson on building and maintaining tracks is given on Friday evening followed by a slideshow; on Saturday a more in-depth lesson is given, followed by work in the field; Sunday is spent on the ground applying the knowledge learned.
These courses are free and are publicized by local groups, members of IMBA - in Santa Rosa, the host group was the "Sonoma County Trails Council". Among the vast amounts of information shared with the 20 respondents, despite the rainy weather, I would like to highlight a few key points: the trails must be sustainable, which means that the environmental impact of these trails is minimal and that their maintenance should be sparse and relatively simple; the trails should be fun to avoid that cyclists feel the need to walk outside them; it is important to create more and less technical areas to satisfy various types of users; the tracing of trails must comply with well-defined rules so as to avoid early erosion; the proper drainage of water is a very important point.
In addition to these aspects, the correct demarcation of the tracks and their classification, due to the technical and physical difficulties, were other topics covered during the course. IMBA has produced a very comprehensive book on track construction and maintenanceEven though living away from the United States, we should all look closely at the work being done by this association, as much of what is being done can make the difference between having an open or closed track for the BTT. An example to follow.
WHAT IS BEING DONE IN PORTUGAL? Perhaps the most appropriate word is nothing, but let's stay for the very little. Associative and civic participation are not exactly the brand image of Portugal - we still have a lot to learn from the American people and the countries of Northern Europe. This generalized disinterest, together with the remoteness of most of the Natural Parks and institutions linked to tourism, results in a situation that is struggling to become a serious problem. On the internet, we find lots of information on various topics, such as practices to optimize the climbs but we find little material giving tips to improve the descent-
Marked trails, with rare exceptions, do not exist, surveillance in the Natural Parks where motorcycles and quadricycles continue to run with impunity - is rare, so the destruction of sensitive areas and the emergence of unplanned trails abound. As long as the situation does not change - starting with the awareness of the main stakeholders, BTT users - the future looks black. The first actions to limit access to some rails have already begun, in places like Sintra, and if MTBikers do not act quickly, forming associations to defend their interests, like IMBA, may be caught by surprise by drastic measures. The dialogue between BTT users, Natural Parks, owners and institutions such as the ICN (Nature Conservation Institute) or environmental groups must happen and the first step should be taken by those who practice mountain biking.
A SUBARU AS A HOUSE For the couple Nat and Rachael Lopes (Nat has Azorean descent), this is the second year of the great adventure IMBA. From January to December, your life consists of walking through the western part of the United States, carrying out the program called "Trail Care Crew". Behind, they left their previous professions - Rachael is an archeologist and Nat worked as a consultant in the field of marketing, design, and photography. The passion for mountain biking and the desire to travel spoke louder. In his mobile home, a Subaru Outback loaded with bikes, mountain bike clothes, tools and audio-visual material, among many other things, travels about 50 thousand kilometers a year, to spread the IMBA word for 35 different locations.
Despite being a hard-working and relatively underpaid job, for Nat (31) and Rachael (28), both Californians, the ability to travel constantly, meet hundreds of people with the same passion for modality and ride a mountain bike on the best trails of the country makes forget quickly the many hours spent behind the wheel of the famous blue Subaru. "Sometimes we go on the freeway and there are people who honk and say goodbye when they recognize the IMBA car," says Nat with a proud smile. The involvement of Subaru in this project is not just for the supply of cars, since the brand still pays for all travel expenses, leaving IMBA to pay the salaries.
A typical week for the "Trail Care Crew" team from the West - there is another responsible for the East zone - is to travel between Monday and Wednesday and from Thursday to Sunday to carry out workshops on maintenance and construction of trails sustainable development. IMBA performs 70 of these actions per year, but the number of applications in 2005 reached 170. Nat and Rachael will visit 20 different states, including Alaska, and four Canadian provinces, but the couple's dream is to spend six months in Europe developing contacts with local mountain biking groups. The invitation to visit Portugal has already been made.
ACTIONS OUTSIDE THE USA After gaining a solid position in the United States, IMBA embarked on expanding its program to other countries. In Canada, a delegation was recently opened in Toronto, but the association is also very active in Italy, Israel, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Mexico. Currently, there are representatives of IMBA in the mentioned countries and still in Iceland, Norway, Sri Lanka and Sweden. With the support of local groups, very interesting results have been achieved. To start the year well, nothing better than a best pedaling through one of the most beautiful regions of the planet-
A case in point was what happened in Wales, where IMBA actively collaborated in the construction of a network of mountain bike trails that today attracts around 150,000 people a year to the region, which has dramatically increased revenues from tourism. According to official data, in 1994 the area was visited by only 14,000 people/year. The specialized "Trail Solutions" consulting program was also involved in the rehabilitation of an area close to Mexico City, where lands originally intended for the industry ended up hosting a recreation area with mountain bike trails. Aware of the evolution of the sport, IMBA has also collaborated in the construction of specific freeride tracks in Canada.
For curiosity, know that the famous "A-line trail" in Whistler (British Columbia) is used by about 5 thousand people on any summer day. RULES OF IMBA TRACKS 1. Walk only on open trails 2. Do not leave marks on your way 3. Keep track of the bike 4. Always give priority to other users of the trails 5. Do not scare animals 6. Plan your MTB pedaling in advance -Best Regards