It’s no secret that mountain bikers will travel far to ride great trails. We’ve covered this thoroughly. Towns build trails, mountain bikers travel to towns, ride trails, buy lots of beer and pizza after the ride, businesses make money, and the story goes on. This isn’t exactly a sustainable way of living for most of us though, and the majority of a mountain biker’s riding takes place close to where they live. In fact, this is IMBA’s next big push. If mountain biking can crown destinations that stand tall and proud, then what can it do for our own cities?
IMBA’s reasoning for the push on hometown trails? Statistics spell it out on their webpage. About 63% of recreationists travel 10 miles or less to play, 80% of Americans live in urban areas, and close to 90% of rides happen on what mountain bikers consider “local” trails, (which IMBA cites from Singletracks). IMBA also says that more trails mean…(more)
