IMBA's 2005 report card is out

[radair]

Available here: http://www.imba.com/news/trail_news/18_4/itn_18_4_report_card.html#US

Phat or flat?

[Ben-O]

I've only heard, uh, hearsay about the whole liability deal with Vietnam. What is the official deal?


/sux to be Rhode Island...

[MissJean]

B+ NH :D

[ArmOnFire]

I am a little surprised at how the New England states ranked.

And how they ranked with each other, anybody know if we (New England states) went up or down from last year?

-dan

[bdee]

Yeah, RI blows goats. The riding is wicked lame and the locals all swill 'Gansett. Everyone is supa slow and rides penny farthings on the trails. Don't go there, believe me I've made the trip ;)

Funny thing how that crappy rating could work in our favor though...... wait forget I said anything.

[Slider]

CT deserves second to last. The trails here suck, really. Please don't waste your time trying to find any awesome technical ledges, because they just don't exist. We're talking very bad stuff. Take my word on it.

Slider

[radair]

You guys are misinterpreting what this is all about. It has NOTHING to do with how good the trails and riding are, it's about advocacy. Things like Big River in RI being "officially" off limits, etc.

Dan - those in blue went down compared to '04; those in red went up.

<edit> Also, be aware this is a generalization of each entire state. The advocacy in your town may be superb and have great relationships with town officials, but the overall state scene may not be so great (or vice versa).

If I recall correctly, these grades are a compilation of votes from people in each state, not necessarily assigned by IMBA.

[ArmOnFire]

Got it.
Thanks for clarifying Rob.

[Slider]

Wouldn't the amount and quality of the available riding reflect the effectiveness of the local advocacy? I'd think that, if the trails are not threatened, and they're in good shape, there's less need for that sort of thing.

Maybe there are threats that I don't know about.

But the trails do suck. ;)

Slider

[radair]

Brendan - this is the explanation on RI, near the bottom of the page:

2006 ALERT
RHODE ISLAND: C-
Park budgets shrink, demand for trails grows
Rhode Island receives the lowest grade in this year's report. Why pick on the smallest state in the union? Heavily populated and lacking park space, Rhode Island presents a microcosm of the issues that plague the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Faced with shrinking budgets and competing recreational groups, park managers are reluctant to add new trails. In fact, bike advocates find themselves working harder than ever just to avoid losing ground. "In the Arcadia Management Area, the supervisor now has to manage two park units instead of one, and bikers are increasingly overlooked," says IMBA State Rep Tina Hopkins. "There are still places - like Big River Reservoir - with the potential for new singletrack," adds Hopkins. "But unless riders are willing to step up their involvement, I'm afraid we'll be boxed out by competing groups."

[AA]

If I recall correctly, these grades are a compilation of votes from people in each state, not necessarily assigned by IMBA.


Rob,

I think you are right. earlier in the year the IMBA site had a poll where individuals rated their state on a multitude of issues regarding access and advocacy. A poor ranking is a reflection of how the people that voted view their state. Like any poll there are always flaws in the results. Is Virginia the best place in the country to be a mountain biker? I doubt it, however they are at the top of the list.

[bdee]

Rob I was merely taking the opportunity to tell everyone how lame it is down here. Because really it is, I mean it, stop coming down here, please ;D

Having some increased attention from IMBA probably won't be a bad thing. There are some incredibly motivated folks working on BR. It's got the best chance of happening it ever has. That is, of course, assuming the state doesn't seriously look at flooding it. Given that our water resources are stretched very thin that unfortunate scenario keeps getting tossed around.

Hypotheticals aside I agree with most in the area that BR is the main issue. Most newer RI Nemba members don't realize it is technically illegal to ride there. That's kind of a problem. The laissez fair attitude towards BR by DEM/WRB etc. actually makes it harder for us to attract members. Now I'm certainly not saying I don't benefit from the "wink and a nod" mentality that has gone on there for years. Without a crisis - i.e. a sudden enforcement of the "no bikes in the woods" rule most people riding out there stay blissfully unaware. RI riders have access to a huge amount of land relative to the size of the state and close to urban centers to ride, get lost in and explore. I'm willing to bet most don't realize the issues of riding in BR even exist. We've been working on spreading the word on BR (a lot of this is done very informally at the personal level during rides etc.) and the key folks in RI Nemba and PK (thx) have made some headway on the issues. It will be interesting to see what becomes of the lowest rating and if IMBA will be working with us on BR. It will be great if that's what happens, and getting access to BR can only help attract new members down the road. I'll admit that I almost wish there was a crisis just to generate some buzz and more support for our work in BR. Right now there is no problem/work to be done for the majority of riders out there because they don't know it exists. Remember, I said I almost wish for a crisis.

[ragertim]

it appears massachusetts' flat remark and score is pretty much squarely aimed at GBNEMBA. we certainly have a lot of work to do and are planning it now. my hope is that GBNEMBA will rise to this challenge and make some significant, if not momentous, gains in urban park access.

-t