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In this issue...
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It
was a standing-room only crowd at the March 2 meeting
at Malibu Creek State Park on the opening of the Yearling
and Lookout Trails to mountain biking. See story.
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Proper Trail Etiquette
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A Message from CORBA’s President
By Mark Langton
Many thanks to all the concerned mountain bikers who came out
to the State Parks meeting at Malibu Creek State Park to hear about
the Change in Trail Use proposal for Yearling and Lookout Trails in Malibu
Creek State Park. It was great to see so many new faces, as
well as some old ones, all in one place. Believe it or not, it was
also great to see the solid turnout by hikers and equestrians. It
shows that we have a vital, passionate trail user community.
During the meeting, we delivered the results of our online petition
to State Parks officials. Thanks to the 550 people who signed
it!
The question came up a couple of times on Wednesday night
as to why there is such animosity by hikers and equestrians toward
off-road cyclists. We’d be just plain ignorant if we didn’t point
out there are still many rude and aggressive mountain bikers who
see no reason to announce their presence well in advance and slow
down for other users. But then again, there are some people who
simply do not agree that bicycles have a place on trails, and no
matter how conciliatory the cyclists, opponents to bicycles will
have a negative attitude toward cyclists. So I can understand why
some cyclists might feel frustrated and have the feeling that no
matter what they do, things will never change. But they are changing,
slowly but surely. Last night’s turnout is evidence. I’d guess that
of the 125 or so in the audience, half were cyclists, and a number
of them youngsters. State Park officials take notice of this, and
just the mere presence of cyclists tells them that we are passionate
about being able to ride the trails, and willing to work within
the process. At the risk of sounding cliché, my heart swelled
with pride at the number of cyclists in the room. It renewed my
faith that what we’re doing is the right thing. And that in numbers
we have strength. Thank you again for validating CORBA’s mission
and goals!
Glendale Bike Skills Park – Show Your Support!
Glendale needs a Bike Skills Park. Southern California needs a Bike Skills
Park. Sign our
petition and let the City of Glendale know!
Bike Skills Parks are a dedicated area for bicycles and include features like
a pump track, progressive tabletop jumps, balance training features, XC short
tracks, and much more. They can include dirt features, man-made (cut) wooden
features, natural wooden features, and rock features. They are becoming more and
more popular as people realize the skill-building fun and health-promoting
exercise they provide.
A great example is the Woodward West Bike Park in Fresno. The City of Fresno, local
mountain bike advocacy groups and the community came together to make this park
a reality. We would like to see that model emulated here in Glendale. In 2007 and 2008, the CORBA trail crew assisted the City of Glendale in
developing their Trails Master Plan. In that plan are several desired new trail
corridors in the Verdugos, San Rafael Hills and the foothills of Mt. Lukens. The
biggest and most significant addition to the Trails Master Plan is a Bike Skills
Park. Read the full
story on Glendale's Bike Skills Park on our blog...
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Craig
Sap, Acting District Supt.
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“Change in Trail Use” Meeting Sees Big Turnout
On Wednesday night, the Angeles District of the California Department of Parks
and Recreation (CDPR) hosted a public meeting regarding a recently submitted
Change in Trail Use proposal for Lookout and Yearling Trails in Malibu Creek State Park. Approximately 125 people packed the
Administration Center’s conference room, where Angeles District Acting
Superintendent Craig Sap and CDPR Roads and Trails Operations Manager Karl
Knapp explained the process and answered questions about it.
After the discussion by Sap and Knapp, attendees were asked to gather at
tables to ask questions and submit written comments to agency representatives.
During this part of the meeting, CORBA hand-delivered the results of our online
petition with 550 signatures to State Parks officials.
A more detailed account (with photos) of the meeting can be found here (the comments and opinions are solely those of the
author, Michael McClure). Read the full
story about Wednesday's public meeting on our blog...
New CORBA Jerseys Still Available
Don't forget to check out our CORBA store
to see our
latest additions. These attractive and comfortable jerseys come in two styles,
club cut (men's and women's) and freeride (baggy, 3/4 sleeve). Free shipping on
all orders has been extended! And don't overlook our new
T-shirts, either!
 Upcoming
and Recent Trailwork
For many years, most trailwork has been done by volunteers because of budget
cutbacks at our parks systems. So come out and help CORBA and
other volunteers keep our trails in top riding shape! You can learn
more about what to expect and what you'll need to bring with you
on our Trailwork
web page. Keep in mind that CORBA now provides prizes and lunch
after the event for volunteers who register
in advance! And by registering in advance, you'll help us prepare
by knowing how many volunteers to expect. If you come out to two
or more trailwork days in a year, we'll give you a cool long-sleeved
CORBA trail crew shirt - be sure to ask for yours!
Ongoing: Los
Robles Trail West
CORBA's adopted
trail is severely rutted after years of winter storms with no
maintenance. Unfortunately, we don't have the resources to restore
the trail to it's original state, but we are working to repair the
drainage to keep the ruts from getting worse. We've been working
our way up the trail a few hundred yards at a time, one morning
a week. If you would like to help us out, please get in touch with
us at trailwork@corbamtb.com. Thanks!
February 19th: Sheep
Corral Trail in Cheeseboro Canyon
Unfortunately we had to cancel this work day because of rainy
weather in the days leading up to it. The trails would have been
too muddy.
March 26: Conejo Open Space Annual Spring
Trailwork Day
Come out and join CORBA, the Santa Monica Trails Council and
other COSCA volunteers for the Annual COSCA Spring Trailwork Day.
We will be working on the last uncompleted section of the Conejo
Ridge Trail, in Newbury Park. Finishing this segment will
enable us to ride a fun loop along trails in Newbury Park, Dos Vientos,
Rancho Potrero, Rancho Sierra Vista and Deer Ridge (Los Robles Trail
West). Bring your bike and riding gear and we'll ride a 9-mile
loop after lunch!
Following the morning of trail building, workers will be treated
to barbecued hot dogs, hamburgers, vegi-burgers, snacks and drinks
while enjoying the views from the top of the trail just completed.
See
full details and register on the Conejo
Spring Trailwork registration page.
April 23: Backbone Trail
near Latigo Canyon Road
We'll be working to fix up some ruts and doing other treadwork
while the SMMTC will be removing invasive thistles that are overgrowing
the area. See full details and register on the Latigo
Backbone Trailwork registration page.
April 29 - May 1: Annual Santa Monica Mountains
Trails Days
This is a weekend event with CORBA, SMMTC and other trail user
groups with camping at Danielson Ranch in Point Mugu State Park. You can come in Friday night and stay
until Sunday or leave Saturday after trail maintenance. Some people just come in
for Saturday. There will be a barbecue and raffle on Saturday evening. For more
details and to register, visit our Santa
Monica Mountains Trailwork registration page. To see all trailwork dates, including those of other groups,
visit the CORBA
trailwork calendar.
General
News
Los Angeles Bike Plan Passes City Council
Unanimously
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed the Los Angeles Bike
Plan.
Everyone’s goal at the March 1, 2011 Council session was to do whatever
necessary to get the plan passed. Councilman LaBonge needed to give his
equestrian constituents, 30 or so who were in attendance, something they could live with so that the plan could
move forward. The result was an amendment that simply puts in writing what will have to happen anyway before any
changes to bike access to City Parks could be made. It was enough to placate the
equestrian community, and did not really change anything. It was enough of a
deal to get the Plan passed.
Being short on time, public comments were limited to 20 minutes. Mark
Langton, Steve Messer and Jim Shanman all addressed the Council supporting the
plan. Members of the Bicycle Advisory Committee and LACBC also spoke in favor of
the plan. In fact, everyone in the room except the equestrians loved the plan. Some of the equestrians even spoke in support of the Plan,
as long as it included LaBonge’s amendment, though several of them still called
for the removal of all off-road elements.
One of the unfortunate consequences of the equestrian lobby’s usurping of the
whole Bike Plan process is that they had begun to create a division between
road/urban cyclists and mountain bikers. The road cyclists have been angered by
the fact that every public hearing about the Bike Plan has been overrun by
equestrians complaining and lobbying as hard as they can against anything
off-road in the plan. Read the full
article on the LA Bike Plan on our blog...
LA County Draft Trails Manual Public Hearing
Last July, CORBA board members met with LA County Planning and Sapphos
Environmental (the contractor developing the Trails Manual for the County), in a
Mountain Biker only public forum. At that meeting only three CORBA board members
attended, the County representatives, and nobody else. Sapphos considered it
more productive to hold separate meetings with each user group. The Equestrian-only
meeting had many more participants, as did the Hiker-only meeting. Each group gave
their input on what they’d like to see covered in the trails manual, and their
special concerns.
On February 28, 2011, about 50 people gathered in the
beautiful Birch Room at Descanso Gardens in La Canada. We were there to review
and comment upon the most recent draft of the Los Angeles County Trails Manual.
Read the full
article on the LA County Trails Manual on our blog...
New on the CORBA Website
Recreational
Rides
For a list of upcoming recreational rides, please visit the CORBA
Calendar.
CORBA’s Recreational Rides calendar provides a full
monthly schedule of mountain bike rides for all skill levels. Mountain bike
rides are organized by CORBA member clubs and led by experienced and
knowledgeable guides. Recreational rides are a fun and social way to experience
a variety of trails in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, and beyond.
Free Mountain Biking
Skills Clinic
 Saturday March
5th is the next skills clinic.
The CORBA free skills clinic is held on the first Saturday of
every month at Malibu Creek State Park.
Mountain biking is a lot like tennis or skiing. Just a few minor
adjustments in technique can make a huge difference in your
control and proficiency. If you want to get better faster,
you need to know the fundamentals of mountain biking technique.
Whether you're just getting into mountain biking or have been
riding for years, you'll learn some valuable tips from our Introduction
to Mountain Biking skills class that is offered each month.
Check out our Skills Clinic
web page for all the information. After the clinic, see photos
of your new skills on the CORBA web site that you can share
with your family and friends!
 Follow
CORBA on Twitter and Facebook
We have set up accounts with Twitter and Facebook to help keep people informed
of the latest developments in our trail advocacy, recreational rides and trailwork days. Follow
us on Twitter at twitter.com/CORBAmtb
and Facebook at facebook.com/CORBAMTB.
Get Our Blog Articles Delivered to Your
Desktop
Have you ever wished you could get our blog articles without having to check
the CORBA website every day to see if there’s anything new? Well, you can! Even though our blog software won’t send articles by email, you can
still get them delivered to the inbox of most email readers like Microsoft
Outlook. You use the “RSS feed” functionality for this. In fact, you can read
our articles in any software that receives RSS feeds, such as Internet Explorer
and other web browsers. This
blog
article on RSS feeds shows you how.
Support
CORBA
Join or Renew your membership today on our membership
web page. Join Our Team! Do you have any ideas about mountain biking recreation in the
L.A. region? Would you like to apply your skills and manage projects
that contribute to the sport and lifestyle that you love? Is there
an advocate in you? We are recruiting motivated individuals who
work well with others. Send an email to info@corbamtb.com
or come
to a monthly Members Meeting to find out more about what we do and how you
can help. Check the calendar
for the next meeting.
Other simple ways to
support CORBA
(Click on the links above to get more details!)
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