IMBA World Summit hits Steamboat Aug. 20 Steamboat Springs is on the world cycling map yet again, this time hosting the International Mountain Bicycling Association 2014 World Summit from Aug. 20 to 24, an event expected to lure more than 400 mountain bike riders from across the world. Marking the first time the biennial event has taken place in Colorado, Steamboat was one of 16 locations to apply to the Boulder-based organization for the honor. The most recent IMBA Summit, in 2012, was held in Santa Fe, N.M., with previous hosts including Whistler, British Columbia; Moab, Utah; and Park City, Utah. “Steamboat is a fantastic venue for IMBA to celebrate trail-building efforts and all things mountain biking,” Bike Town USA President David Scully says. “It’s going to be another great summer for cycling here.”
As for Steamboat winning the bid to host the event, it boils down to everything that makes Bike Town USA such a great place to ride. “There was a bunch of criteria for the selection,” says IMBA events manager Terry Breheny. “Lodging and meeting space came into play, but we also wanted a destination worthy of attracting mountain bikers from across the world and strong community involvement. With a strong chapter in Routt County Riders and all the cycling momentum it has going, Steamboat was very appealing.” If Steamboat’s event is anything like previous conferences, it will appeal to leaders of cycling efforts in a variety of communities while including plenty of riding and fun. “It lets bicycling enthusiasts from all corners swap stories about their projects,” says past participant and local trail builder Gretchen
Sehler. “People take a lot of information home with them, which makes mountain biking better for everyone.” The conference draws mountain bike leaders, industry experts and riders from across the globe to learn about trail building practices, park initiatives, grant processes, working with volunteers and more. Speakers focus on everything from increasing mountain biking tourism to funding community bike projects. “It’s a pretty big deal that it’s coming here,” says Routt County Riders board member Nate Bird, adding the weekend will end with the Summit-X Enduro Benefit Race. “We’ve been having success after success lately on the bicycling front, and it was a community effort to bring it here.” Info: www.imba.com/world-summit
Aryeh Copa
IMBA Labels steamboat bronze-level ride center
STEAMBOATBIKETOWN.COM
The accolades for Steamboat as a biking community continue to grow. In fall 2013, IMBA named Steamboat a bronze-level Ride Center, making it the first Ride Center in Colorado and one of only 17 in the world. The designation affirms the town’s bicycling infrastructure and promotes Steamboat to a large biking audience. “IMBA has 35,000 active members and another 100,000 on their contact list, so that’s a big direct market,” Routt County Riders Vice President Eric Meyer says. “People will see this label and know that Steamboat is a pretty good place to ride.’” IMBA bills Ride Centers as destinationworthy riding hot spots, where people can ride not just for a quick weekend but an entire week. Locations that apply are judged on such categories as trail experience, where Steamboat scored high, as well as available
services, community involvement, and tourism and marketing efforts. There is currently one gold-level Ride Center (Park City, Utah); five silver-level centers; and 11 bronze-level centers. Bike Town USA organizers think that the designation proves Steamboat is a great place to ride and follows the city’s effort to climb the ranks as a Bicycle Friendly Community, in which it earned silver status in 2007 and gold-level recognition in 2011. “To get to that level, you need to have the full complement of riding, from beginner to expert,” Bike Town USA’s Grant Fenton says. “It’s recognition of all the hard work Routt County Riders and other volunteers have been doing. Coming from the world’s largest mountain bike organization, it carries a lot of weight.”
2014 STEAMBOAT SPRINGS BIKE GUIDE
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