What do you want the CMBA to be?
What do you want the CMBA to be? The blurb on the front page says:
The Calgary Mountain Bike Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to maintaining access to non-paved trails in and around Calgary. We are committed to keeping trails open and in good condition by promoting multi-use, through a program of education, stewardship and advocacy.
Sounds like a good start, but what else should the CMBA be doing?
Currently, the CMBA tries to work with the City of Calgary, Friends of Kananaskis Country, Friends of Fish Creek Park, Sustainable Resource Development, Alberta Parks and other groups to get trails built, maintained, not torn down, etc. As an example, recent trail developments on Moose Mountain and by Grassi Lakes have gone in two different directions.
The freeride trails [i.e. Race of Spades, T-Dub, Toothless] and the Pneuma trail on Moose were developed with little or no involvement from anyone outside the local riding community, and by most accounts they are successes. On the other hand, the recent removal of a freeride trail near Grassi Lakes is evidence that the relationship between governing bodies and trail builders isn't entirely peachy-keen.
The CMBA's goal can be summed up as "Trails for the people". The entire reason it exists is to get more sustainable trail available for mountain bikers to ride in the Calgary area. How do you think we should do it?
- Act as the single point of contact between all Calgary-area riders and "the powers that be"?
- Actively organize and support unsanctioned trail building by any means necessary?
- Provide an apparatus that enables mountain bikers to work for the development of new trail?
- Raise money for trail building?
- ???
What else?
I'd like to see CMBA become
I'd like to see CMBA become more like the NSMBA - the single point of contact for trail issues in the region. If that means CMBA starts acting like a lobbyist, so be it. I'd also like to see CMBA not vanish into obscurity again - I'm glad to see some fresh blood resurrecting CMBA after what seemed like a 5-year hiatus. I tried to work within the city's process during the Nose Hill paving fiasco over the last few years and was pretty much ignored. I think the only way to get anything done is to act as a group.
Strength in numbers
+1 on working together as a group. If we can get a critical mass of involved riders, I think we'll get a lot more accomplished.
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Clean my bike? I'm sorry, I don't think I understand...
North Shore MB Alliance
Interesting comment, ertman. Clearly, you must've ridden on those legendary trails out on the coast! :o)
One thing the trails out there DO have is the ski hill-based symbol system for alerting would-be mountain bikers what they're about to get themselves into.
[unfortunately, not all use and carry maps whilst riding, so ...] Good example of a 'black diamond' on the NSMBA website (link in message above)
Wonder if we could coax any of the areas organizations we work with to help pay for such small signs (green, blue and black) to go up in heavy-use areas, such as K-Country. (?!)
They used to have them at Canada Olympic Park (Calgary), and may still ...
Thoughts, y'all?
NSMBA and signage
I agree to both your comments and would like to see CMBA become a large, organized and active group such as the NSMBA or WORCA (Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association). Both those groups are a great example for CMBA to follow.
As for the signage, we have already been discussing signage for Bragg Creek and Calgary trails. This requires sign-off from multiple groups so it will not happen this year. However, I have made and installed some temporary trail singage to the new singletrack we have built on Sulphur Springs and Tom Snow. Not fancy but it does the trick. Look for some new and better signage next year including updated trail maps hopefully.
The best thing you can do for CMBA is come out and help build some of these new trails. I look forward to seeing you out there!!! Happy Riding.
Richard Link
Vice-president