British Columbia mountain bikers met in Squamish (BC) May 12-13 to attend the inaugural British Columbia Mountain Bike Access Summit. The summit was presented by Cycling BC, Shimano Canada, and the International Mountain Bicycling Association. There were also social events and lots of riding. This summit was part of IMBA’s ongoing efforts to promote mountain biking in Canada.
Participants shared strategies for how to start and manage mountain biking clubs, communicate with the media, and collaborate with land managers to improve trail access. This summit will encourage the creation of new clubs and the development new trails throughout the province. The BC Ministry of Forests and BC Parks land managers presented. The Greater Vancouver Regional District government officials attended the event to learn about ways to improve recreational opportunities in their communities.
More than 20 clubs were represented at the summit, including the Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association and Tricities Off-Road Cycling Coalition.
In just one day, I learned more on land access issues than any of the other events I was involved in. Richard Belson, a Canadian bicycle distributor and leading dealer Norco Bikes said that the event was a huge success.
The conference was hosted and supported by the Squamish Off-Road Cycling Association, Norco Bikes and the Test of Metal mountain biking race.
Contact Judd de Vall (IMBAs international coordinator) for more information.
