IMBA Canada welcomes Mike Riediger as Interim Executive Director On behalf of IMBA Canada, I am pleased to welcome Mike Riediger as the Interim Executive Director for IMBA Canada. Mike brings a wealth of experience in strategic thinking, mountain bike advocacy and tourism, and communications that allow him to move swiftly into the role. His professionalism, and willingness to dive in to solve problems will be vital as IMBA Canada moves forward. Mike is part of the team which founded the Kootenay Adaptive Sport Association in 2018, driving the organization to become an international leader in ..read more

Friends, Family, and Fellow riders, It is with heavy heart that I am announcing my departure from IMBA Canada. I’m grateful to have served the Canadian mountain bike community during my time. Working side by side with volunteers in almost every province and territory has been inspiring. I’m happy to have crossed paths with you. While much has changed in my 10 years at IMBA, one constant has been the dedication that volunteers and trail advocates put into their work. That dedication made it possible to broaden IMBA Canada’s Board of Directors, growing from two to the seven engaged and talented ..read more

Erosion, a natural force that shapes the earth, plays a significant role in the management of trail systems. Caused by trail use, water, wind, and gravity, erosion is often most visibly apparent by the removal of soils from the trail tread or surrounding structures. Given that users and volunteers are often most focused on whats happening on the trail rather than off, this makes sense. Note: Integral to the spirit of mountain biking is the weirdness at the center of forces between humans, climate, and environment. This commentary is a tool to understand processes that happen on trails and w ..read more

Assessment Indicators: Fluvial Terrace Erosion, a natural force that shapes the earth, plays a significant role in the management of trail systems. Caused primarily by trail use, water, wind, and gravity, erosion is often most visibly apparent by the removal of soils from the trail tread or surrounding structures. Given that users and stewards are often most focused on whats happening on the trail rather than off, this makes sense. Saskatoon, SK: This informally created access trail cuts down a riverside embankment, showing both the visible loss of soil causing a gully (top), and a slo ..read more

Impacts on vegetation by mountain bikers and hikers Mountain biking and singletrack trails live within a management framework that is increasingly charged with environmental conservation mandates. Further, ‘romantic-conservation’ and other moralizing and value judgement based decisions about mountain biking are still taking place today despite the continued push for data driven decision making at government levels. This study, conducted in Boyne Valley Provincial Park, highlights the similar impacts of both hikers and mountain bikers on understory vegetation from off trail usage. Additionally ..read more

In conjunction with Container Brewing and RaceFace, IMBA Canada is stoked to announce the amazing projects that will be receiving funding through the “Good Work” grant program. The chosen projects highlight the myriad of ways that clubs across the country can make a difference and work towards creating a more diverse, resilient, and inclusive mountain bike community for all of us.  Moose Mountain Bike Trails Society (Calgary, Alberta) – $700  Wonder Women Wednesday’s – A skills development based introduction to racing program aiming to increase female (and those identifying as f ..read more

It seems that with an unsettling regularity, broad land management decisions are made with faulty evidence, incorrect assumptions, or are loaded with punitive moral indignation. Trail closures, feature removal, or access restrictions are some of the most likely to cause a public backlash, regardless of user type. Inevitably, public outcry quickly boils over and decision makers are faced with managing the response. The most recent click of this metronome belongs to Burnaby, BC. The Burnaby Mountain Conservation Area is home to a variety of multi use trails that serve the local residents. While ..read more

The province of BC has recently released two funding pools that could be applied to trail development. Applications have opened up $160-million for infrastructure funding grants to help strengthen communities in BC. The program ‘Community, Culture and Recreation (CCR) provides funding for projects such as recreation facilities and trails. Learn More – CCR The $5-million ‘Build Back Better’ community program aims to empower youth to work on community service projects. Communities can apply for trail building, clean-up, and other projects. Applicants can receive grants up to $10,000 per youth, a ..read more

Each year, the Government Services and Finances Committee listens to organizations and individuals from across British Columbia on the issues that matter to them and how the government can address it through the budget. For the second year, Executive Director AJ Strawson was happy to represent IMBA Canada and BC riders through the process. Equity Funding for trails is a challenging topic. The amount of work that goes into building and maintaining trails can be easy to overlook by those who aren’t trail users or haven’t participated in a volunteer build session. This is often why traditional re ..read more

IMBA Canada’s continued mission is to ensure that Canada is home to a strong and vibrant mountain biking community, riding a world class network of mountain bike trails. There are contexts where e-Bikes are advantageous to the furthering of this mission, such as when e-Bikes allow those with disabilities to be involved in mountain biking, or for the building and maintenance of trails. The development of e-Bike technologies has caused significant controversy in the mountain bike community. Ultimately, decisions regarding the role and allowance of e-Bikes must be made on a local, case by case ba ..read more