International Mountain Bicycling Association

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) is a non-profit educational association whose mission is to create, enhance and preserve trail opportunities for mountain bikers worldwide.

IMBA was formed in 1988, when five California-based mountain bike clubs created an alliance to fight widespread trail closures. The founding clubs were the Concerned Off Road Bicyclists Association, Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay, Bicycle Trails Council of Marin, Sacramento Rough Riders and Responsible Organized Mountain Pedalers. Gibson Anderson, of Sacramento, was elected IMBA's first executive director.

In 1993 IMBA hired Tim Blumenthal, a former IMBA board member and cycling journalist, as its executive director. When Blumenthal began, the organization had roughly 1,200 individual members and about 60 affiliated clubs. The headquarters moved to Boulder, Colorado, in 1994.

In the late 1990s, IMBA's membership grew in Canada, Europe and Australia. An international summit was held in Switzerland in 1997. Educational outreach programs such as the Trail Care Crews – traveling trailbuilding schools sponsored by Subaru car corporation – helped expand IMBA's reach. At the end of 1999, IMBA had more than 28,000 individual members, 14 staffers and a budget of $1.2 million.

In 2006, IMBA's membership grew to 32,000 members, with more than 600 affiliated clubs and patrols and a staff of 26. International programs, including IMBA Canada, are continuing to grow. In the US, IMBA has established partnership agreements with most major federal land management agencies, and is widely recognized as a leading source of information for trail-based recreation.

Trail support and maintenance

The IMBA strives to promote mountain biking, trail building, and trail maintenance in a way that enhances the local community, and in a way that considers and minimizes the ecological impact to the environment. The IMBA has developed a set of principles known as the "Rules of the Trail" which promotes responsible and courteous conduct on shared-use and singletrack trails.

Affiliated organizations

*Australia
**Mountain Bike Australia
*Europe
**Italy
**Germany
**Netherlands
**Spain
**United Kingdom
*North America
**Canada
***Association pour le Développement des Sentiers de Vélo de Montagne au Québec
**Mexico
**United States
***Bicycle Trails Council of Marin
***Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay
***Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance
*** Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association
***Michigan Mountain Biking Association
*** Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists
***Monterey Off Road Cycling Association
***Mountain Trails Foundation
*
Northwest Trail Alliance
(formerly Portland United Mountain Pedalers)
***Responsible Organized Mountain Pedalers
***Southern Nevada Mountain Bike Association
*** Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association
*** SouthWest Association of Mountain Bike Pedalers (SWAMP)
*
Valley Mountain Bikers
*South America
**Argentina

Ride Centers

IMBA has created a "Ride Center" designation whereby IMBA recognizes and rates sites that feature extensive trail networks. IMBA staff selects candidates for "IMBA Ride Center" recognition on an invitation-only basis. Ride Centers are the organization's strongest endorsement of a trail experience. As of December 2013, the following is a list of IMBA Ride Centers.
* Park City, Utah (Gold level)
* Bike Taupo, Taupo, New Zealand (Silver level)
* Oakridge Area, Oregon (Silver level)
* Sun Valley, Idaho (Silver level)
* Central Savannah River Area/Forks Area Trail System (FATS) (Bronze level)
* Hot Springs, Arkansas (Bronze level)
* Cuyuna Lakes, Minnesota (Bronze level)
* Harrisonburg, Virginia (Bronze level)
* Helena, Montana (Bronze level)
* Mt. Buller, Victoria, Australia (Bronze level)
* Santos, Florida (Bronze level)
* Singltrek pod Smrkem, Czech Republic/Poland (Bronze level)
*Snowshoe Highlands, West Virginia (Bronze Leve

* Redlands, California (Bronze level)

On July 9, 2013, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell announced that a Richmond Region Ride Center would open in 2014 in the Richmond, Virginia metro region as the first legacy project of the Richmond 2015 Bike Race.

World Summit

Each year IMBA has a bike race showcasing different trail systems all across the world. Some locations have included Steamboat Springs (2014) and Bentonville, Arkansas (2016).

See also

* Mountain Biking
* Single track (mountain biking)

References

External links

*{{official website, http://www.imba.com/
CNN: Idaho tops states on IMBA report cardSummit Daily News: IMBA to visit Breckenridge

International non-profit organizations
Non-profit organizations based in Colorado
Cycling organizations in the United States
Mountain biking teams and clubs in the United States
Mountain biking