Slated for Augusta, Georgia on May 5 – 8th, 2010, the 2010 IMBA World Summit is expected be the largest yet. Seminar topics will include destination and urban trail networks, land conservation and sustainable trails, youth outreach and new programs designed to grow local capacity for the 700+ clubs and patrols in IMBA’s global network.

In addition to seminars and networking, the gathering will feature parties and plenty of riding, including a closing day tour of the Forks Area Trail System (FATS), an IMBA Epic.

Online registration for the 2010 IMBA World Summit is open now through May 3rd, 2010. IMBA members, be sure to login to your account before completing the registration form to enjoy special pricing.

The conference will be held at the Augusta Marriott hotel. IMBA has received a limited number of discounted rooms available at a rate of $109 from May 3rd – May 8, 2010. The rooms are first come, first served, so please make your reservations early and stay at the center of the action during the Summit.

For additional information visit: www.imba.com/summit/2010_World_Summit.html.

Dirt Rag Magazine would like to invite you to our own event: Dirt Fest. Mark your calendars for the weekend of May 21st-23rd, 2010 and head over to the Allegrippis trails at Raystown Lake in Hesston, PA.

Dirt Fest will be a fun mountain biking festival, featuring 32 miles of prime singletrack for a weekend of great riding. Camping will be available. We invite you to come and join the festivities, demo mountain bikes and check out the latest products in the industry expo area.

IMBA will be on hand to teach trail building clinics and advocacy, and other club events will take place.

Dirt Rag will be bringing the flavor of hops and barley as we host a Pennsylvania beer tasting event, complete with brew techniques and history. Other entertainment and spectacles will follow.

The cost for attending is $30 per person including two nights of primitive camping at Susquehannock Campground or $15 for the weekend without camping.

Visit dirtfest.blogspot.com for more information on Dirt Fest (and/or to contact the promoters about getting your company or organization involved in the expo area, or as an event sponsor). If you’re ready to rock and roll, click here for registration.

Dirt Rag’s Dirt Fest is brought to you by Dirt Rag, IMBA, Raystown Mountain Bike Association, Rothrock Outfitters, and the Friends of Raystown Lake.

Adventure Cycling Association announced that it has received two new grants in support of the organization’s work to establish an official United States Bicycle Route System (USBRS). The grants were awarded by Bikes Belong and New Belgium Brewing and will enable Adventure Cycling to continue its organizing and cartographic work with federal and state agencies and non-profits to establish what could become the world’s largest national cycling route network.

Bikes Belong awarded Adventure Cycling $15,000 in support of the project. Bikes Belong executive director Tim Blumenthal said, “The U.S. Bicycle Route System is a powerful, big idea that will encourage Americans to bicycle more often. It will also focus attention on crucial missing links in our bike route system and speed the process of correcting them.” Bike Belong is the U.S. bicycle industry organization dedicated to putting more people on bicycles more often.

New Belgium Brewing awarded the Association $15,000 annually for two years. Bryan Simpson, media director for New Belgium Brewing said, “Adventure Cycling’s U.S. Bicycle Route System proposal stood out because it works to connect communities and create a safer, more bike-friendly environment nationwide. We’re excited to be able to contribute in whatever way we can to make this project a reality.”

“We are grateful for this show of support for the U.S. Bicycle Route System. This project is receiving important support from funders, as well as from the halls of Congress and the leadership of state departments of transportation,” said Jim Sayer, executive director of Adventure Cycling. “We also want to thank our members, who have been the principal supporters of our work on this visionary project.” Adventure Cycling is the largest cycling membership organization in North America, with over 44,000 members.

The U.S. Bicycle Route System project is part of a global trend, as countries and provinces establish national cycling networks—composed of on-road and trail facilities—to make cycling easier and more enjoyable in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Examples include the National Cycle Network in the United Kingdom, La Route Verte (the “Green Way”) in Quebec Province, the D-Route Network in Germany, and VeloLand Switzerland. These systems are spurring major growth in bicycling and other non-motorized trips, with corresponding reductions in fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Adding to the USBRS momentum is growing interest on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The USBRS project was included for recognition and funding support in legislation recently put forward by Congressmen Jim Oberstar (D-MN) and Peter DeFazio (D-OR). These influential members of Congress are, respectively, the chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. The legislation—to re-authorize the federal government’s transportation program—will be considered by Congress in the coming year.

For a background report on the USBRS, click here. The latest news and updates on the USBRS is available at www.adventurecycling.org/usbrs and/or the USBRS Facebook page.

The 4th annual 50 Mile Ride for Project Rwanda will be held on Saturday April 10th, 2010 in Orange County, CA. This event is a “ride”, not a race. Riders will be treated to a challenging day of mountain biking with an estimated 500 participants, while they raise funds for Project Rwanda.

The 50 Mile Ride has raised just over $100,000 for Project Rwanda over the first three years. According to event founder Doug Grant, “Our 50 Mile Ride event has grown every year. Once riders catch the vision and experience the fun, they come back again, year after year.”

Project Rwanda was founded by mountain bike pioneer Tom Ritchey. When Ritchey first visited Rwanda in 2005 he was awed by the natural beauty of the country—”the land of 1000 hills”. Even more than that, Ritchey was inspired by the people and their stories of reconciliation and hope. Ritchey knew he could use his talent and resources to help make a difference—and Project Rwanda was born. Project Rwanda’s mission is to further the economic development of Rwanda through initiatives based on the bicycle as a tool and symbol of hope.

The purpose of Project Rwanda is four-fold:

• Special Bike Design—Project Rwanda has designed a special utility bike that can quickly and efficiently transport heavy loads of coffee. This coffee bike can increase a Rwandan farmer’s earning potential by 30-40 percent, giving them an opportunity to rise above poverty for the first time in their generation.
• Build Awareness for Rwanda—The annual “Wooden Bike Classic” is an example of how Project Rwanda is reaching out to the world’s cycling and travel/adventure communities.
• National Pride—Project Rwanda has developed and equipped the Rwandan National Cycling Team. This team is now participating in international cycling events, and one day hopes to represent Africa in the Olympic Games.
• Bike Distribution—Project Rwanda plans to establish bike distribution to needed organizations. Micro-finance mechanisms will subsidize the cost of these bikes, at rates that are fair and reasonable.

In addition to the 50 Mile Ride, there are 25 mile and 5 mile “fun ride” options available. For more information about 50 Mile Ride for Project Rwanda or to register for the event, visit www.50mileride.com.

[Ed notes: The following information is courtesy of IMBA. The original post is available at this link.]

The National Park Service is looking for public input for a proposed trail network at New River Gorge, one of the premier recreational areas in the Mid Atlantic. The proposal includes the construction of two new stacked-looped mountain bike trail systems and the reclassification of certain existing trails to be open to bicycles. This has the potential of creating a network of over 100 miles of trails in the region.

Please take a moment to let the Park Service know that you support mountain biking in the New River Gorge trail proposal.

Don’t delay—the commentary period ends Jan. 15th.

Sample Language for Comments

Dear National Park Service,

I support the construction of a new stacked-loop mountain bike trail system, located in New River Gorge National River.

IMBA’s Trail Solutions has been awarded the contract to design the trail corridor, and their skills will significantly minimize user conflict, reduce speeds and provide adequate sight lines for all user groups. Scientific research funded by the NPS shows the environmental impacts of mountain biking are similar to those of hiking and less than other allowed uses.

IMBA members recognize the backlog of maintenance needs for public trails and donate nearly one million hours of volunteer trail stewardship each year. Mountain bike volunteers are willing to help the agency construct and maintain this trail, bringing a new base of volunteer support to New River Gorge National River.

Thank you for considering my comments as you develop the Environmental Assessment. This trail would be a terrific asset for New River Gorge and the surrounding communities.

Scheduled for March 9-11th in Washington DC, the League of American Bicyclists’ annual National Bike Summit is where advocates, industry executives and education experts gather to speak up for bicycling on Capitol Hill. The League believes in getting more people on bikes more often, for a number of reasons. Whether it’s obesity, health care, climate change, air quality, energy independence, traffic congestion, economic development or quality of life issues—bicycling should be part of the solution.

In 2010, Congress and our Federal agencies will be setting national targets and goals for 2020. They will be writing transportation, climate, health care, natural resources and other critical pieces of legislation that will shape our future. Bicycling needs to be prominently featured in these important pieces of legislation, documents, funding streams and programs.

Ten years ago, the first National Bike Summit brought just over 100 advocates and industry leaders to Washington, D.C. This year organizers hope to see closer to 1,000 participants. Join in and help the League propel a new decade of the bicycle.

Click here for more information on the 2010 National Bike Summit. Online registration is now open. Do it today and you can save $100 or more via early bird prices, which are in effect through Feb. 4th. IMBA is a proud sponsor of the Summit, and IMBA members can save an additional $100 by registering via this special link.