Are you a NEMBA and/or IMBA Member?

[pk]

Hi all,

I'm trying to get a sense of how many folks on this forum are members of NEMBA, IMBA, both or none.

Please respond. No, this isn't a guilt-tripping thread. I'm just curious about the membership habits of those who visit this forum.

thanks for voting!

pk

[slapheadmofo]

20-20-20 right? :)

[huknpuff]

I voted nope. Lay it on me I'm Irish Catholic so I'm used to guilt trips ;)

Tommy

[slapheadmofo]

20-20-20 right? :)

[AA]

NEMBA only for me, not sure what 20-20-20 is...

[radair]

Both, as both organizations have been a huge asset to us in the Whites.

As a bonus we just bought our new Subaru at dealer invoice using IMBA's VIP program.

[Jisch]

NEMBA only - just re-upped today... I should check IMBA out...

John

[MTBME]

NEMBA and IMBA

[Husqvarna]

Memberships with NEMBA, IMBA, FOMBA, EFTA. Active contributor/volunteer with SeaCoast NEMBA and FOMBA.

[MissJean]

NEMBA yes.
IMBA ??? Can't remember, I get their stuff in the mail tho so maybe I am.

[Longshanks]

NEMBA. I figure, as long as I'm riding the trails, I might as well support the org. I rode the Borderland trail for the first time last week. Lots of rocks = lots of fun. And some challenging parts.

[pk]

NEMBA only for me, not sure what 20-20-20 is...


It was an past IMBA membership slogon, that would now read:

$25 NEMBA; $25 IMBA; 20 hrs of volunteer trailwork.

pk

[bdee]

Both IMBA and NEMBA.

[minkhiller]

Both, now I am going to go over to Dirt Rag and see what that crowds levels are. I think it will be an interesting comparison.

[Quo Fan]

NEMBA and IMBA.

[splat]

NEMBA, CRW , LAB but I think I might have let My IMBA slip

[wannabee]

PK must be a mind reader, or was that in the other life.
I had this long drawn out rant and rave typed in here, all set to post it, then said, 'who cares'.
This year (2005) I belonged to both NEMBA and IMBA. I also belong to a local 'roadie' club. I volunteer at NEMBA and some of the the 'roadie' and EFTA events in my local area. I've ridden in the local state park only four times in 2 years. The road bike is collecting dust.
In 2006, membership in all three groups might be dropped.
I'm not saying that IMBA or NEMBA don't serve a purpose, but you don't have to belong to either to enjoy or give back to your local state park.
NEMBA does provide money locally to supply lumber to build bridges (etc), but without NEMBA members showing up to make these bridges (etc), NEMBA's lumber will just stay where the lumber company dumped it, unless somebody needs it for something else, ie fire wood, decking, or stairs.
As for the 'roadie' club, they're getting too fast or I'm slowing down. Must be those knobies on the road bike.

[peterdbikes]

NEMBA, IMBA, Granite State Wheelmen, Rails to Trails, East Coast Greenway, LAB, Friends of the Northern Rail Trail, FOMBA..

I try to support a wide range of bike related oranizations.

[vinnycactus]

SORBA/PASA member.

[I Are Baboon]

I'm both. I just renewed my IMBA family membership yesterday.

Love that deal IMBA got me on my Subaru. :)

[johnbryanpeters]

IMBA, NEMBA, VMBA

[dirtrider2]

IMBA & NEMBA MEMBA

Dave

[DVRider]

20-20-20 right? :)


More like 20-20-50+

[slapheadmofo]

20-20-20 right? :)


More like 20-20-50+


NICE! ;D

[ragertim]

In 2006, membership in all three groups might be dropped.
I'm not saying that IMBA or NEMBA don't serve a purpose, but you don't have to belong to either to enjoy or give back to your local state park.
NEMBA does provide money locally to supply lumber to build bridges (etc), but without NEMBA members showing up to make these bridges (etc), NEMBA's lumber will just stay where the lumber company dumped it, unless somebody needs it for something else, ie fire wood, decking, or stairs.
As for the 'roadie' club, they're getting too fast or I'm slowing down. Must be those knobies on the road bike.



a couple of things to consider before you drop ur memba-ship:
1. nemba still needs the money and not just for lumber...the money goes into signage, it is used to finance events that hopefully raise additional funds, it goes into tools, it pays for the publication of singletracks, and some of it goes to regional nemba. the money is needed to keep the wheels of progress greased as well as for the actual trail project materials.
2. nemba needs your name. when approaching a land manager or politician, nemba uses its clout in the form of number of members as an indicator of mountain bikers that care what happens to our parks. while its true that nemba carries the torch for all mountain bikers - members or not - without your name, that is one less voice nemba can count on.

and about trail maintenance, you're right about not enough people showing up to turn the lumber or whatever material into new or better trails...
1. if just one out of 4 nemba membas showed up for just one of the 50 or so planned trail maintenenace days - that would be an average working group of 20 people for 4 hours for a total of 4000 hours. right now it is more like 1 out of 20 showing up an average of 5 times (but that is a different rant).
2. if every memba showed up and brought along a friend (non-memba) we'd be able to do 8000 hours of work and clean up every trail in new england in one season...

something to think about.

-t

[edge]

I joined nemba during the nam purchase and will be a member for life.

I didn't know anything about nemba before then.

[ride in maine]

I am Nemba and Imba both and its more like 20 20 60 , but enjoy all of it and look forward to new trails every year
ltr calvin weeks

[dirtrider2]

Wannabee, I don't understand what you are talking about when you say:


PK must be a mind reader, or was that in the other life.
I had this long drawn out rant and rave typed in here, all set to post it, then said, 'who cares'.
This year (2005) I belonged to both NEMBA and IMBA. I also belong to a local 'roadie' club. I volunteer at NEMBA and some of the the 'roadie' and EFTA events in my local area. I've ridden in the local state park only four times in 2 years. The road bike is collecting dust.
In 2006, membership in all three groups might be dropped.
I'm not saying that IMBA or NEMBA don't serve a purpose, but you don't have to belong to either to enjoy or give back to your local state park.
NEMBA does provide money locally to supply lumber to build bridges (etc), but without NEMBA members showing up to make these bridges (etc), NEMBA's lumber will just stay where the lumber company dumped it, unless somebody needs it for something else, ie fire wood, decking, or stairs.
As for the 'roadie' club, they're getting too fast or I'm slowing down. Must be those knobies on the road bike.



NEMBA doesn't just provide wood, etc. And how does pulling your membership help the number of people showing up to a trail day?

NEMBA is an organized group of riders who have the expertise, the tools, and the desire to improve and expand the mountain bike experience in the New England area. Clearly, there are a lot of riding locations and challenges therein, but having a centralized group that can be used as a resource is certainly better than 100's of groups trying to recreate the wheel.

I'm not sure to what extent your involvement in Nemba has been, but here in Vietnam, Nemba has been immensly helpful. Not 'just' with the purchase, but in helping with a wide variety of issues involved in managing the land.

One more thing to think about: around the time of the land purchase, the stunts involving bridges were torn down all over Vietnam. I was quite angry about it and felt like this was just going to be the first step in a total sanitization of the trails. I gave a friend of mine who was on the committee at the time an earful and part of his resonse was: "you should join the committee if you're so concerned." Joining the committee was truely an educational experience for me. However, the number one thing I learned was that it was made up of riders just like you and me who decided that giving up a couple of days here and there really makes a difference in our riding experience.

You don't like what Nemba's doing for you and your riding area? Think that you can do better or help? Good. Join. Become an active member. If you can't spare any time, then your money helps groups like the one I joined do a better job in making and keeping trails that people from all over can enjoy.

Dave

[wannabee]

Dave, et al.
I've been a member of NEMBA for several years, right Phil. I've been involved in my local park for more than that, volunteering at NEMBA and local bike club maintenance days. Like others, I've put many hours in on maintenance, etc. than on actual trail riding. Many of us, do.
After so many years, it's time for somebody else to take my place, to build a bridge thru foot deep mud and water, to cut back trails with hand clippers, and move a mountain with a hand trowel.
It just seems to me that resources (people, not tools and materials) are not showing up at organized NEMBA trail maintenence days anymore. People would rather ride and abuse the trails than to help sustain them. A kind of apathy exists.
True, many parks have great crews expanding trails, making fabulous bridges, clearing blowdowns, etc. I'm kinda jealous of the crews that go out and create on their own, whenever. I'd love to do that, but at many parks, your hands are tied. If not a NEMBA organized event or having million dollar liability insurances, "Keep your hands in your pockets". "You can't do that!" "Got a permit?"
Maybe that's why no one shows up anymore?
Everybody is sueing everybody else, and his brother (and sister).
Could this be it?
Would YOUR name be added to the list of people being sued by a person that got hurt while riding a trail that YOU worked on? Or because YOU helped maintain a mountain bike trail, or built a bridge that had a hole in it that reached out and grabbed a wheel, and over the bars they went?
Do YOU carry that kind of insurance?
I wouldn't be surprised if the rider wouldn't try to sue the people that made the hammer that drove the nail (they're on the list) into the lumber (on the list, too) that covered the bridge that had the hole in it. Oh, include the people that dug the holes for the posts, cut the timbers, made the concrete, (might as well include the sono tube maker, too), etc., etc.
Can you afford to loose your house, your car, your job, all because you got sued by some bike rider that got hurt riding a trail that you worked on? I can't.
Maybe that's why nobody is showing up........

[jerseygirl]

NEMBA.

[slapheadmofo]

It just seems to me that resources (people, not tools and materials) are not showing up at organized NEMBA trail maintenence days anymore. People would rather ride and abuse the trails than to help sustain them. A kind of apathy exists.



http://www.bustedspoke.com/Photos/bs6119.jpg

http://www.bustedspoke.com/Photos/bs5656.jpg

http://www.bustedspoke.com/Photos/bs5385.jpg

[wannabee]

Great crew(s) there slapheadmofo.
Now that's what I call 'a TURNOUT'!

How did you spread the word about the work party?

[radair]

.......Everybody is sueing everybody else, and his brother (and sister).
Could this be it?
Would YOUR name be added to the list of people being sued by a person that got hurt while riding a trail that YOU worked on? Or because YOU helped maintain a mountain bike trail, or built a bridge that had a hole in it that reached out and grabbed a wheel, and over the bars they went?
........

I'd be really interested in specifics of all these lawsuits you're talking about, because I'm not aware of any. Or are you just speculating that this is possible?

In any volunteer group a small percentage of people do a large percentage of the work, that's just the way it is. Trail building and maintenance is hard work and it's definitely not for everybody. If you're getting burned out, take a break and go ride for a while, but please don't drop your membership. NEMBA's membership base provides the lobbying power and financial resources needed to continue the work.

[slapheadmofo]

:)

The first two are from a couple of the Nam build days this summer, the last one is from Wendell SF early this year. I didn't have anything to do with organizing them - I just showed and did what I was told; I found out about each of the events right here in the forums (you couldn't have missed the Wendell threads if you tried ;))

The Nam pics don't even begin to do justice to the crowd; there were people everywhere - I'm guessing somewhere around 40 or so showed up for each of the 'big' days? (I know there have been comparable turnouts at Great Brook too). I also got to do some work in Lowell/Dracut SF where a whole bunch of people attended and got a lot done, as well as Leominster SF, where we had less people, but still plenty of enthusiasm. (It does seem to be a lot easier to get people excited about building new trail than going in and and doing maintenance on existing stuff.)

On the flip side, even though there have been plenty of days with great turnouts, nothing could have been accomplished without the dedication of the (relative) few who go above and beyond and really make things happen - doing all the legwork, getting the 'OK's, flagging the trails, organizing the events, putting in tons of hours prepping before and polishing after...I figure the least I can do is show up a few times a year and help those guys out, as well as chip in a little for pizza and lumber.

[C.P.]

Dave, et al.
I've been a member of NEMBA for several years, right Phil. I've been involved in my local park for more than that, volunteering at NEMBA and local bike club maintenance days. Like others, I've put many hours in on maintenance, etc. than on actual trail riding. Many of us, do.
After so many years, it's time for somebody else to take my place, to build a bridge thru foot deep mud and water, to cut back trails with hand clippers, and move a mountain with a hand trowel.
It just seems to me that resources (people, not tools and materials) are not showing up at organized NEMBA trail maintenence days anymore. People would rather ride and abuse the trails than to help sustain them. A kind of apathy exists.
True, many parks have great crews expanding trails, making fabulous bridges, clearing blowdowns, etc. I'm kinda jealous of the crews that go out and create on their own, whenever. I'd love to do that, but at many parks, your hands are tied. If not a NEMBA organized event or having million dollar liability insurances, "Keep your hands in your pockets". "You can't do that!" "Got a permit?"
Maybe that's why no one shows up anymore?
Everybody is sueing everybody else, and his brother (and sister).
Could this be it?
Would YOUR name be added to the list of people being sued by a person that got hurt while riding a trail that YOU worked on? Or because YOU helped maintain a mountain bike trail, or built a bridge that had a hole in it that reached out and grabbed a wheel, and over the bars they went?
Do YOU carry that kind of insurance?
I wouldn't be surprised if the rider wouldn't try to sue the people that made the hammer that drove the nail (they're on the list) into the lumber (on the list, too) that covered the bridge that had the hole in it. Oh, include the people that dug the holes for the posts, cut the timbers, made the concrete, (might as well include the sono tube maker, too), etc., etc.
Can you afford to loose your house, your car, your job, all because you got sued by some bike rider that got hurt riding a trail that you worked on? I can't.
Maybe that's why nobody is showing up........





The more I hear this concern of being sued [because you've joined a trail work party and did trail/bridge etc improvements, and someone got hurt on said trail] the more I have to think, it's not high enough on my list of things to worry about. In the last year, there have been a bunch of times when I've been in a conversation that rotates around this topic. And Each time, when I have some time think it through, I just cant get to the part where I should be quitting trail work and such activities b/c of these concerns. It's just not there...

I may not be eloquent enough to get my point across, but here's why I think it's "just not there".

My thinking revolved heavily around the writing of the recreational use statute law. The way I understand it, is once any trail improvement('s) have been made on a piece of state owned land (or even private) that has use by the public for recreation, any and all injuries sustained while receating on said land protect the landowner from liability with a pretty rock solid set of reasoning within the statute.

<my opinion>I just dont see my name being called out in a lawsuit from a bridge injury someone got in, say, Borderland State Park. Yes, I know there are pics on the internet of us working on trails, bridges everywhere, but let's be sensible about this, each time I think it through, the Rec Use Statute wins the argument pretty handily(especially the Mass rec use statute). Also, there is just not any evidence in the form of lawsuits for the type of alarmist reactions some of the folks I have had these conversations with, for me to be concerned enough for me to drop the chainsaw, hammer, and pick mattocks and give up...</my opinion>

Lastly, there are still plenty of folks showing up for trailwork in the SEMASS area. We did 100's of hours of work last year alone.


edit: I forgot to mention, I've got active memberships with both IMBA and NEMBA.

[priss]

Seems to me everyone who has held a trail day has come on here after and said how pleased they were with the turnout. Well I cant speak to the significanse of that, perhaps the no show events dont post their gripes, but the evidence does seem to suggest organizers are satisfied with the participation.

Remember too that not all the volunteer opportunities are dirt and tool based. Not everyone is into that you know. I heard that if you turn the dirt over there are worms and spiders and stuff under there. YUCKY

So a few sugestions for the prissy ones (being prissy is not doragotory)
Registration booth at MBAS ride
Take a kid MTB day
Lead a ride, lead alot of rides
MTB video awards
Chapter board member

Ok ::) I havent done any of those either. So for the ultimate no work Vol.
Just join NEMBA and Send Cash

priss

[aveski2000]

Both, also send extra $ to IMBA and NEMBA. Usually work six days a week, so I haven't been able to go to many NEMBA events. Last one was my Bonk 'o Rama at Lynn Woods last spring.

[Z]

Would YOUR name be added to the list of people being sued by a person that got hurt while riding a trail that YOU worked on? Or because YOU helped maintain a mountain bike trail, or built a bridge that had a hole in it that reached out and grabbed a wheel, and over the bars they went?
Do YOU carry that kind of insurance?
I wouldn't be surprised if the rider wouldn't try to sue the people that made the hammer that drove the nail (they're on the list) into the lumber (on the list, too) that covered the bridge that had the hole in it. Oh, include the people that dug the holes for the posts, cut the timbers, made the concrete, (might as well include the sono tube maker, too), etc., etc.
Can you afford to loose your house, your car, your job, all because you got sued by some bike rider that got hurt riding a trail that you worked on? I can't.
Maybe that's why nobody is showing up........


Whoa, where is this concern coming from?

A few thoughts:
- Like someone else said, the Rec Use Statutes protect volunteers and landowners. Pretty bullet proof.
- Your NEMBA membership also helps cover for liability insurance for these types of events.
- Even if you're still afraid to do trailwork, that isn't a good reason to cancel your membership!

I'm glad you've been a member this long! At a minimum, please continue to show your support, help boost our numbers, and maintain your membership. (And please don't scare other people away from doing trail maintenance with speculative stories!)

I'd like to also put in a plug for IMBA, since a couple of you said you aren't that familiar: IMBA provides educational programs to increase grassroots clubs' and advocates' effectiveness and lobbies in Washington, among other things. First join NEMBA, but if you have another $25 to spare, send it IMBA's way!

Full disclosure: I'm biased because I'm on both board of directors... :)

[RideDaEpic]

Not here to rant or rave, just curious, roughly how much do you save on the new Subaru?

NEMBA, IMBA, and EFTA: not for today, but for tomorrow.

[radair]

Not here to rant or rave, just curious, roughly how much do you save on the new Subaru?

You get it at dealer invoice.

[Z]

Not here to rant or rave, just curious, roughly how much do you save on the new Subaru?

You get it at dealer invoice.


It's a great deal... and even better, you don't get any high-pressure tactics from the salesmen! There is no wheeling and dealing involved. NICE!

But a word of warning: A friend told me his story where the salesman "forgot" the VIP discount (how can you forget thousands of dollars off?) when it came down to drafting up the paperwork. So you still have to stay on your toes.

Also, I recommend you don't try to trade in a used car while you're at it, or you're back to square one in the negotiation. In my opinion, the VIP program is really only a good deal if you plan to sell your car separately or don't have a car to offload.

Note: you need to have been an IMBA member for 6 months before you're eligible.