Singletrack Mind
 
A Mountain Bike Advocacy and Trail Development Initiative of SORBA- Chattanooga
  • Mountain biking makes exercise fun, promotes awareness and appreciation for natural resources, and is a low-impact, low- cost way to utilize public lands
  • Chattanooga needs A LOT MORE quality singletrack!
    • “Quality singletrack” refers to natural surface trail, wide enough accommodate a person walking or riding a bike, carefully constructed to minimize environmental degradation and to be appropriate for different skill levels: casual, novice, enthusiast, and expert.
    • Chattanooga has lots of outdoor assets, but shamefully little singletrack: There is less that 10 miles of singletrack trail in Chattanooga open to mountain bikes!
    • Many Chattanoogans are active mountain bikers, and many more would be if there were adequate opportunities to ride
    • Our goal is 100 miles of quality singletrack within 10 miles of metro Chattanooga by 2010 (“100 in 10 by 10”)
    • This goal can be met with very little public investment. SORBA-Chattanooga members are eager to build and maintain trails: We just need access!
  • 100 miles of singletrack would attract valuable visitors and skilled professionals to the Chattanooga area: It’s good for economic development
  • SORBA-Chattanooga is working to open land for singletrack, educate stakeholders about singletrack and mountain biking, and to build and maintain trails. Specific activities include:
    • Meeting with public and quasi-public land owners and managers in discussion about mountain biking, and to begin planning singletrack, including the City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Lula Lake Land Trust, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee River Gorge Trust, Tennessee State Parks, and Tennessee Valley Authority
    • Organizing mountain bikers to provide financial, political, and volunteer support for singletrack, working primarily through area bicycle shops, and establishing a network of mountain bike advocates to act as liaisons with each stakeholder, for each site being considered for singletrack
    • Conducting regular trail-work programs and organizing mountain bike rides for all skill levels
    • Applying to the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program of the National Parks Service
    • Hosting a “Singletrack Summit,” with the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA), in Chattanooga on November 12, 2004, followed by an IMBA Trail School and an IMBA Epic Ride on November 13 and 14
    • SORBA-Chattanooga will, as appropriate and needed, seeking funding from various public and private entities, supplementing support from members and mountain bike enthusiasts
For more information, visit www.sorbachattanooga.org, e-mail advocacy@sorbachattanooga.org , or call Greg Laudeman, Advocacy Coordinator, at 423-267-1046.
SORBA-Chattanooga is a chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA), a 501c(3) organization headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. SORBA has been actively involved in developing extensive mountain bike trails throughout Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama, including in the Ocoee district of the Cherokee National Forest. Visit SORBA online at www.sorba.org.
The International Mountain Bike Association is online at www.imba.com.
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