About IMBA-UK >> Updates >> Update 59 (Mar 2009)
Forestry Commission Scotland's Ae Line Trail at 7Stanes
Welcome to the IMBA UK March 2009 update.
If you have information, news or events for the next email update, please by Saturday 25 April. I look forward to hearing from you.
IMBA UK has been contacted to find out if there are any enthusiasts in the Llandovery area who might be able to have a look at a piece of land and its potential for development as a mountain bike trail. The co-owner would like to explore the opportunity of collaborating on the designing and building of a trail, if it is feasible. If you would like to be put in touch, please and I will forward your details.
As previously noted in the last email update, IMBA UK currently has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Forestry Commission England and CTC.
Following on from enquiries from within IMBA UK's membership regarding the status of the MoU, IMBA UK have written to Forestry Commission GB for clarification on their understanding on the scope of the existing MoU. We await a response from FC and will inform the membership of their response once we have received it.
MoUs represent a moral not legal obligation between the partners involved in seeking to deliver agreed programmes / outcomes.
The board of IMBA UK, have also taken this opportunity to consider revising the existing MoUs, and seek to enhance or develop new ones to further strengthen the position of mountain biking, and will be contacting the major cycling bodies to seek their support.
Adventurers from across the country are getting geared up to take part in Scotland's longest, continuous mountain biking adventure. The first trip of its kind, the route will take participants almost 500 miles through the Scottish wilderness on some of its best mountain biking trails and between some of the countries most magnificent cities.
Beginning in the South West of Scotland and ending in Inverness the trip will be a test of fitness and stamina. With 9 days of adventurous riding crossing the country no less than three times, taking in the cream of Scotland's trail centres combined with fantastic wild riding.
The initiative is the brainchild of Scottish mountain biking specialists Trailbrakes, founded by Pete Corson and Jamie Andrew the co-founder of newly formed charity 500 miles. When Pete heard Jamie's inspirational story he realised that there was a great opportunity to use the adventure to raise funds for 500 miles.
Jamie Andrew decided to set up 500 miles with fellow quadruple amputee Olivia Giles to raise funds to help amputees and other disabled people in deprived parts of the world. The charity raises funds for surgical operations and prosthetics for men, women and children across the globe.
500 miles founder Jamie Andrew said, "Every year, thousands of men, women and children living in developing nations lose arms and legs due to infection, disease and extreme poverty. Money raised for 500 miles goes towards treatments that can change the lives of people who would otherwise be bed or wheelchair bound, unable to work or forced to live in discomfort without limbs or with limbs made from scrap. We are delighted to be working with Pete and the Trailbrakes team and we hope that we can raise as much money as possible through this fantastic biking adventure."
Pete Corson of IMBA Affilates Trailbrakes said, "This is a unique and exciting opportunity to be among the first people to ride Scotland's longest continuous mountain bike route. To experience the most magnificent scenery, trails and cityscapes that the country has to offer is motivation enough, but to complete the ride for a great charity like 500 miles will make the experience all the more special".
Thanks to their prosthetic legs, both Jamie and Olivia are fully mobile and lead full, independent lives. Jamie has since spent much of his time training for and partaking in a variety of demanding physical challenges including an Iron Man Triathlon, the North Sea Yacht Race and numerous mountaineering feats all over the world, raising money for charity at every opportunity.
Participants on the 500 miles challenge will stay in hostel or Bed and Breakfast style accommodation until the final night in Inverness where they will be treated to a luxury hotel.
Dates: For 2009 the first Challenge will run from August 7th to 16th. The Challenge can also be organised at any other time of year for groups of 4 or more.
To find out more about this new challenge, visit Trailbrakes.co.uk or contact Pete on 07922 653327. Email: .
The SRAM Cycling Fund has announced a $40,000 contribution to the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) to launch the formation of IMBA Europe. SRAM's contribution will firmly establish a united Pan-European effort for mountain bike advocacy and sustainable trail development.
"We are extremely excited about this European-led opportunity," says Stan Day, President and CEO of SRAM. "The end game is to broaden access to mountain biking across Europe. IMBA's expertise in trailbuilding and management, and their experience working with government land managers throughout the US will contribute significantly to achieving this end," says Day.
"There are several well organized mountain bike groups in Europe," says IMBA's CEO, Mike Van Abel. "SRAM is providing a timely boost to European mountain bike advocacy efforts, including support for professional mountain bike leaders. There is a growing need to advance knowledge and best practices for sustainable trail development, with a particular focus on policies and funding coming from the European Commission."
In May 2009, the leaders of European national mountain bike advocacy organizations will meet again in the Czech Republic. Tomas Kvasnicka, president of CeMBA, says, "My organization is quite excited about IMBA's strengthened presence in Europe. This step will end the isolation in which European groups like ours have worked until now."
"This is an important step forward for those in Europe who want to see expanded mountain bike trail access," says Wales-based Professional Trail Builder and IMBA UK vice president, Dafydd Davis. "I have attended several IMBA World Summits over the past five years and I am convinced that IMBA, more than any other group, has the framework and experience essential to create government and mountain bike enthusiast partnerships."
Attending the meeting on behalf of IMBA UK will be Karl Bartlett and Paddy Harrop.
Since its inception in 1988, IMBA has fostered partnerships between government agencies and volunteer stewardship groups. Today, IMBA conducts programs in Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom
iBikeRide is looking for help in running a local North London consultation with Haringey Council and the friends of Lordship Rec Grounds in Tottenham, North London. They have funding for a urban off road bike park and are looking for the potential local riders to the area to give us their views whilst we are in the design stage of this project.
iBikeRide is managing the consultation and has an online survey at www.iBikeRide.com. Please check it out and encourage others to post towards so we can maximise the input and raise awareness for this and these type of projects.
This project is exciting and important as it extends off road cycling to people in urban areas across social and economic backgrounds. We plan to launch in 2010.
The team behind the successful Fort William Mountain Bike World Cup has unveiled a brand new, adrenaline-packed programme for this year's award-winning event, which returns to the scenic Scottish Highlands on the 6th-7th June.
In addition to the 'Gravity Gathering', a showcase of world-class Downhill and 4Cross biking competition, this year's event also features two brand new elements set to wow the crowds and give them a taste of the action. The Cross Country Sprint is a new, crowd-pleasing race set on a fast and exciting short course that will showcase the cream of British biking talent to spectators. Also new for 2009 is the World Cup Bike Test, where fans and enthusiasts can put the latest bikes through their paces on the World Championship XC course in the Leanachan Forest. Now in its eighth year, the event is expected to attract more than 400 competitors and up to 20,000 spectators, and has been voted best mountain bike event in the world three years running.
Mike Jardine from event organisers Rare Management, comments: "The Nissan UCI Fort William World Cup is much more than a fantastic sporting event - it's also a great weekend away for anyone who wants to get outdoors and enjoy the thrill and buzz of the sport in a spectacular location.
"We've got another exciting programme of world class competition planned for this year's event, and are looking forward to welcoming back the global superstars of the sport to Scotland. This year there will be two British reigning Downhill World Champions to watch and cheer - the amazing Gee and Rachel Atherton brother and sister pairing who have taken the sport by storm. They'll be racing on what is widely regarded as one of the best mountain biking terrains in the world. With plenty of global stars, incredible biking action and lots more to see and do, it promises to be to be an unmissable event."
Tickets for the event go on sale on the 23rd March. For more information on this year's programme, tickets, the course and competitors as well as travelling to the event and accommodation in the local area please visit Fort William World Cup website.
iBikeRide has relaunched its website. Putting the social back into social networking, iBikeRide's new site after weeks of final testing and tweaking is much more than just a lick of paint.
Already having a reputation for being one of the friendliest sites, welcoming both new and experienced riders and encouraging them to improve their skills, the site has relaunched with a host of new community services to help encourage people to meet up and get out beyond the virtual space of the web and out on the trails.
The new site has a radical new design as well as these interactive services to enable you to have fun, find useful information, ride together and share your experiences. We intend it to be appealing to trail riders, downhillers and dirt riders of all ages. Hence it aims to underpin the growing nature of multi discipline off road cycling emerging today.
Of course it would not be a social network if we constrained ourselves to one site and one community. iBikeRide also has an active presence on twitter. Please follow our tweets at http://twitter.com/ibikeride.
iBikeRide has also launched a new service called GPS Route Finder which can be found at http://ibikeride.com/gps-route-finder.html.
We look forward to seeing you and hopefully joining us at iBikeRide.com.
Women are being invited to saddle up and discover the joys of mountain biking in Hamsterley Forest, near Barnard Castle.
The Hamsterley Trailblazers, backed by the Forestry Commission, are staging female coaching sessions for complete novices and ladies keen to brush up on rusty technique.
The first was on Sunday 22 March when experts taught basic riding skills, followed by a second session a week later (29 March) focusing on simple bike maintenance and culminating in a ride through the spectacular 2,000-hectare (5,000-acre) County Durham beauty spot.
Vicky Chilcott, Hamsterley Traiblazers Secretary, explained: "Last year's female workshops were amazingly popular, underlining that there are loads of women out there who want to give biking a go. These sessions are all about building confidence and showing everyone can gear up for the sport."
When Hamsterley Trailblazers set up in 2003 there were just two women out of nearly 20 members. Now over 30% of the group's 160 roll call are women - and the number is growing.
Neil Taylor, Forestry Commission Ranger, added: "A day in the saddle is a great way to experience the forest and keep in trim, which are two brilliant reasons to sign-up for these events." Sessions cost £5 (free to Trailblazer members) and last up to five hours starting at 10.30am. Booking is required by contacting . Bike hire can be arranged through Wood n Wheels on 01388 488222. The sessions will be repeated on 14 and 28 June.
1,004 miles of Core Paths which can be used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders, wheelchair users of all abilities to access the countryside, lochs and the coast of Argyll & Bute.
353 miles of new "Aspirational" Paths that will over time allow the network to be improved
157 Launching Points which give access to water for non-motorised water sports including canoeing, diving, sailing, and Sea Kayaking
Contact: For more information on Core Path Planning please contact the , telephone 01546 604119.
Please note that Your comments must be received by Planning Services in Kilmory by 12.00 Noon on Monday 1st of June 2009 if they are to be considered.
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