Archive for the ‘Youth’ Category

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Thousand Oaks Needs a Bike Park

Sunday, April 24th, 2011

By Mark Langton

If a demonstrated need in the community is the main criteria for building a bike park (pump track, jumps, skills area), then the City of Thousand Oaks should be at the top of the list. Jumps and mini-pump tracks are all over the place, yet they keep getting bulldozed because the community has not supported the youth who are putting in the effort to do something constructive. THE TIME IS NOW!

Unidentified jumps in Newbury Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is of course my local perspective because I see kids every day on mountain bikes and BMX bikes riding around our neighborhoods, trails, and yes, unauthorized dirt jumps. And I know a lot of parents who’s teenage kids go riding with them. I bet you know people just like that in your neighborhood.

The Socal High School Cycling League built a pump track in Riverside recently with CORBA’s help. The city of Glendale is considering a bike park and pump track in their trails master plan. There are parks and tracks all over the state. IMBA has had success in several cities including New York, Seattle, and Golden, Colorado. We’re not reinventing the wheel. Click here for the the Bring the Riding To the People project.

A bike park can be as simple as a pump track (rollers, bermed turns, table top and gap jumps), but can also include skill test features similar to what might be found on a trail. A supervised environment similar to a skate park, the Conejo Recreation and Park District (CRPD) already has an infrastructure to deal with this kind of  facility. Bike parks encourage volunteerism and stewardship. They provide an area for adult mountain bikers wanting to improve their skills and also help their kids learn, and an athletic/exercise outlet for youth who do not participate in team sports. And they’re just plain fun! Not only that, they do not require the same kind of space, materials, or costs associated with ball fields or other conventional recreational facilities.

Watch a video of the Stowe Bike Park pump track in action.

Representatives from CORBA have discussed the possibility of a bike park with the CRPD. CRPD managers are amenable to the idea, but stress that the only way something can be done is through community support and commitment. This would require attendance at CRPD board meetings by kids as well as parents and other interested parties to provide testimony and petitions, and other community support (such as bike shops, YMCA, teen centers, schools, etc); not to mention supporting testimony from such organizations as CORBA citing the success of tracks and parks in other cities. This process typically takes 3-5 years, so strong parental involvement is key. Again, CRPD is open to the idea and there are several possible locations, we just need community involvement! We could also use people with expertise in landscape architecture.

The author circa 1972.

If you are interested in becoming part of a team to bring a pump track to Thousand Oaks, please get in touch with us at volunteer@corbamtb.com .

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Posted in Advocacy, Conejo Valley, Health, Uncategorized, Youth | 1 Comment »

Bike Park Project Introduced to Glendale Commission

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

Monday afternoon, April 18, 2011 at 2:30pm was the monthly meeting of the City of Glendale, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission. CORBA’s Steve Messer spoke during the Oral Communications period of the meeting. The Commission were introduced by Messer to the Glendale Bike Skills Park project.

The Bike Skills Park wasn’t an agenda item, and oral communications are limited to five minutes for each speaker. After Messer made his quick presentation several questions were asked by the commissioners. They were surprised that there isn’t any other bike park in Southern California. They were also surprised that there are four High School teams using Glendale trails for training.

More questions followed about the land requirement and how this proposal dovetails with the Safe and Healthy Streets Plan, which was to go before City Council the following day, Tuesday, April 19 (see below).  The Safe and Healthy Streets Plan has been developed by Colin Bogart of the L.A. County Bicycle Coalition in partnership with the City of Glendale, under a grant from the County of Los Angeles. It includes a recommendation for a Bike Skills Park in its educational section.

Even though this was not an agenda item, Jess Duran, Director of the City’s Community Services and Parks Department made the recommendation “for the department to do a quick feasibility analysis, to put a group together including Colin Bogart and see what the feasibility might be.”  He also added, “I can tell you that now is not a good time to be requesting new projects given the challenges of the budget and the staff resources, but we could do a quick feasibility analysis. I’d also like to get some background from staff to what extent we’ve evaluated this type of project before.”

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Posted in Advocacy, High School League, Verdugo Mountains, Youth | Comments Closed

Hikers, Bikers and Equestrians Share Trails

Monday, April 11th, 2011

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Today, Sunday April 10, about one hundred trail users descended upon Sunol Regional Wilderness Park in the Bay Area’s East Bay Regional Parks district. But this was no ordinary group of trail users. Among the multi-use advocates were about 40 mountain bikers, 30 hikers and 30 equestrians, all riding together as a diverse group.

This was a kick-off event for the 2011 California Trails and Greenways Conference, a California State Parks hosted event bringing land managers, planners, trail advocates and trail users together. The theme of this year’s conference is “Engaging Youth and Diversity.”

Today’s ride was a clear demonstration that multi-use principles can work. Cyclists, Hikers and Equestrians can share trails successfully when there is mutual respect from each group. One of the cyclists, a CORBA friend in a CORBA jersey, even swapped “vehicles” with an equestrian (pictured). Events like this bring the trail user community together and everyone wins.

The day started with a fire-road climb to Camp Ohlene, where lunch was served. For the return trip the trail chosen was a very narrow singletrack with some exposure, that is normally closed to bikes and equestrians. It was about six-miles each way, with 1400′ of elevation change. Even on narrow singletrack trails like this, everyone can peacefully co-exist no matter how they choose to experience our open spaces.

CORBA board members Danusia Bennet-Taber and Steve Messer, and CORBA Advisor and founding Director Jim Hasenauer are among the conference attendees, along with representatives from mountain bike advocacy groups from as far away as San Diego and Arcata. It’s a great opportunity to network with trail advocates and land managers and learn from each other, working towards our common goals.

Over the coming days there will be multiple presentaitons on best-practices for trail design, trail maintenance and management. Among the presenters are CORBA founder Kurt Loheit, a nationally-recognized trailbuilding guru, Nat and Rachel Lopes of Hilride, representatives from California State Parks, California Department of Transportation, the Alliance for Biking and Walking, and numerous land managers, trailbuilding experts, advocates and volunteer program coordinators from around the state.

The conference gets underway on Monday, April 11 with a series of day-long concurrent workshops. Over the following days there are over 80 concurrent sessions covering topics as broad and diverse as California’s trails.

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Posted in Advocacy, California, Youth | 1 Comment »

March CORBA Kids Ride: Single Track, Stairs, and Turkey Vultures

Friday, March 25th, 2011

The CORBA Kids Club had another successful fun ride Sunday March 6 in Malibu Creek State Park. We met in the lower parking lot because the upper lot was full due to the marathon.  We scouted  around the upper lot looking for additional participants, and by 9:30 we began our ride.

We started with a mini skills clinic, reviewing the importance of speed control, body positioning, and trail etiquette. The adults demonstrated descending the stairs, and those kids who were comfortable doing so also gave it a try. A few of them wanted to do it again and again.

We then descended down the small dirt path leading to the pavement and led the kids up the hill leading to the Grasslands trail. Once we made it up the first big hill (some riding, most walking), we continued riding until we reached Mulholland Highway.  There we waited for the rest of the group to catch up and catch their breath. During one of these break-and-waits, the older kids attempted to climb off-trail, and we pointed out the erosion and how hiking a non-designated area could damage the terrain. We assured them that there would be an opportunity for
a good climb later.

One at a time, we walked the bikes and the kids across Mulholland where we resumed our ride on the North Grasslands Trail. While riding the single track Grasslands Trail, we saw a member of the Equestrian MVP.  The kids knew to go off to the side and let the horse pass, and the rider complimented us on our trail etiquette. We continued past the power station and determined our turn-around point shortly thereafter.

On the way back, We stopped at the trail leading to the water tower, so the kids could hike up to it and enjoy the views. Two adults were with the kids at all times and the other adults watched the bikes. We then rode back to the cars, while some Turkey Vultures hovered overhead. The two vultures actually landed on the grass near the parking lot, and then took off again, so kids and adults got to see their wing span as they took flight.

You can view the photo gallery for this ride.

Our next ride is scheduled for Saturday April 2. Meet at Cheeseboro Canyon in the upper parking lot. Hope to see you there!

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Posted in Environment, Health, Santa Monica Mountains, Take a Kid Mountain Biking, Youth | Comments Closed

Glendale Bike Skills Park – Show Your Support!

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

Glendale needs a Bike Skills Park. Southern California needs a Bike Skills Park. Sign our petition and let the City of Glendale know!

Italian Bike Park showing Wooden and Dirt features

Bike Park showing Wooden and Dirt features (Italy)

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.

In Glendale’s Citywide Trails Master Plan for the San Rafael Hills (available as a PDF here), a bike skills park location is identified as “A” on the San Rafael map. Subsequent to the City’s adoption of the Trails Master Plan, CORBA volunteers worked with the City to identify the most suitable location.

With City Parks staff, we identified what we believe is an ideal location for a Bike Skills Park project. There is access from existing park facilities, and it could easily be tied in to the trail network of Cherry Canyon and the San Rafael Hills.  There are no nearby neighbors to disturb, and the location is surrounded by open space to the east and the 2 freeway on the western side. The land itself consists of debris fill from the construction of the 2 freeway.

Glendale will be revising its Bicycle Master Plan in 2011, and we want to see the Bike Skills Park included in that plan. As of this writing the public hearing dates for Glendale’s Bike Plan have not yet been set. When those hearings are held, we want to show how much demand and community support exists for a Bike Skills Park.

To demonstrate that need, we are gathering signatures on a petition. You can read and sign our petition online on iPetitions.com. If you prefer, you can print out a PDF version of our Petition and gather signatures from your friends, family and neighbors. If you choose the printed petition, please snail mail, email or fax the petition sheets back to us as they are filled.

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Posted in Bike Skills Park, High School League, Verdugo Mountains, Youth | 3 Comments »

Next CORBA Kids Ride Sunday March 6

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

Thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of CORBA members Larry and Kat Ross, Dave Grant, Dave Lamon, and their respective children, CORBA is pleased to announce monthly Kids Club fun rides. Held at various locations around the Santa Monica Mountains, these kid-friendly organized rides are intended to build confidence, promote health and wellness, share knowledge of trails and riding techniques, teach respect for each other and the environment, and inspire the next generation of mountain bikers and CORBA volunteers! Children of all ages and abilities may attend (parent or guardian must be present and sign a waiver), and trailers/trail-a-bikes are welcome.

Have questions?  Please email us at corbakids@corbamtb.com.

Next ride is this Sunday, March 6th at Malibu Creek State Park. Click here for details and to register.

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Posted in Santa Monica Mountains, Youth | Comments Closed

Inaugural Kids Club Ride was Feb 5 Along Dirt Mulholland

Friday, February 11th, 2011

By Katherine Ross

For the first ever CORBA Kids Club ride, the group met at the Nike Tower. Ride Leader Larry Ross checked bikes and reviewed and demonstrated how to cross ruts rather than go into them. The kids practiced on a small rut inside the first gate. Larry also described the upcoming terrain, stressing the need to control speed on the big downhills. Larry, with son Elliot behind him on a tow-a-bike, agreed to be the leader and set the pace. Dave Lamon agreed to be the sweeper. He stayed with the two youngest riders — his daughter Julia, and new riders Dave Frymer, and his son Yarden.
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We stopped at the gated entrance to Sullivan Fire Road, and the bigger kids hiked up a small hill and enjoyed the surroundings while waiting for the smaller ones to catch up. Kat pointed out California Bush Poppy and Canyon Sunflowers, and the varieties of sage. We stayed in touch via Walkie Talkie, and the big kids cheered the little ones in as they came to the break spot. The bigger kids showed the smaller kids their hiking spot.
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When everybody was ready, we continued the ride, with Kat riding ahead to stop and take pictures.
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When we got to the the top of Reseda (The Topanga State Park Mulholland Drive sign). We took a snack and water break before leading the kids down the steep dirt hill one-at-a-time. The bigger kids continued the ride down the pavement to Larry and Kat’s with Larry and Dave Grant. Dave Lamon and Kat stayed with the younger kids until Larry picked them up in his Van. Larry shuttled Kat and Dave up to the Tower to get the cars. Dave Lamon and Dave Grant rode back to get their cars. Snacks and refreshments were enjoyed by all!

View the photo gallery of our first ride!

Posted in Santa Monica Mountains, Youth | Comments Closed

CORBA Announces Kids Club Rides

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011

Thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of CORBA members Larry and Kat Ross and their sons Josiah and Elliot, CORBA is pleased to announce monthly Kids Club fun rides. Held at various locations around the Santa Monica Mountains, these kid-friendly organized rides are intended to build confidence, promote health and wellness, share knowledge of trails and riding techniques, teach respect for each other and the environment, and inspire the next generation of mountain bikers and CORBA volunteers! Children of all ages and abilities may attend (parent or guardian must be present and sign a waiver), and trailers/trail-a-bikes are welcome.

Click on CORBA’s calendar for upcoming dates, which include February 5 at San Vicente Mountain Park (Nike Tower) in Encino, March 5 at Malibu Creek State Park in Calabasas, and April 2 at Cheeseboro Canyon Park in Agoura Hills. For info contact kidsclub@corbamtb.com.

Visit our new Kids Club page!

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Posted in CORBA News, Health, Rides and Events, Santa Monica Mountains, Take a Kid Mountain Biking, Youth | Comments Closed

So-Cal High School Cycling League Fundraiser at Paramount Ranch on Feb 19

Friday, January 7th, 2011

From Matt Gunnell, Executive Director, SoCal High School Cycling League

The SoCal High School Cycling League has its first ever fundraising ride on Saturday February 19th at the historic Paramount Ranch which is part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Agoura Hills.

Registration is now open at the event website! You can get more information and then register online, or you can find the website linked from the SoCal League website by looking under the “Events” tab.

To register we are asking adults to commit to raising a minimum of $125 and youth to raising a minimum of $75. There is no additional registration fee on top of that commitment! You will receive snacks while riding, an event t-shirt, a BBQ supper after the ride, and live music during much of the ride and at the BBQ. You’ll even find Bob Foster (our race EMT) and his crew roaming the event on horseback.

Once you register, you will be emailed a link to your personal pledge page. You can email the link to supporters or post it on facebook. Your supporters will be able to pledge funds for your ride, and be recognized, directly from your page.

The ride is suitable for team riders, parents, coaches, friends, family, and anyone who supports the sustainability of high school cycling in SoCal. Clubs have the opportunity to raise funds for their own clubs without having to put on their own fundraiser. Be sure to tell your supporters to enter the name of your club when registering. All funds raised over the first $25 will be split 50/50 between the League and your club! Ambitious clubs can really help take care of a lot of season expenses.

The ride takes place on a 2.5 mile dirt loop of single and double track. Each loop brings riders back through the main street of an old west town movie set. The goal is not to complete the most laps. The goal is to ride for 3 hours straight (noon to 3:00 pm) while building fitness and connecting with great folks who support the League.

KTLA news recently did a profile piece on Paramount Ranch. Click HERE to watch it.

Posted in Charity, Rides and Events, Santa Monica Mountains, Youth | Comments Closed

MBU Training for 2011 Starts February 5

Friday, December 17th, 2010

From Julian Serles of the Mountain Bike Unit

Calling all mountain bikers age 18 and over! The Mountain Bike Unit (MBU) is currently recruiting for its 2011 New Recruit Training Class. If you enjoy mountain biking and are interested in giving back to the community by volunteering some time to assist our understaffed Park Rangers in patrolling the parks, then the MBU may be just what you are looking for.  The MBU supports and are sponsored by the National Park Service (NPS), California State Parks (CSP), and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA).

Here’s what it’s all about. The MBU assists in providing park visitors with a quality outdoor experience and preserving natural resources while patrolling over 60,000 acres of public parkland in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Beginning in February 2011, training will include visitor contact skills, State and National park radio use, park rules and regulations, first aid and CPR training, and field training exercises.

Patrol areas and opportunities include the following:

-National Park Service parks:  Cheeseboro/Palo Comado, Zuma/Trancas Canyons, Rancho Sierra Vista, and Circle X Ranch
-California State Park locations: Malibu Creek, Will Rogers, Point Mugu, and Topanga
-We also patrol MRCA areas near metropolitan Los Angeles, such as Franklin Canyon and Upper Las Virgines Open Space Preserve
-In addition, we volunteer to patrol and support other events such as the LA and Malibu Marathons, Wheels to the Sea, the Ventura County Fair, and CORBA’s Fat Tire Festival
-The MBU also helps support CORBA’s Youth Adventure Program, which offers disadvantaged youth the opportunity to enjoy the mountain biking experience in our beautiful parks

All MBU patrols require at least two patrollers.  All rides are self scheduled on our website. We ask each of our volunteers for 100 patrol hours annually (roughly two four-hour patrols per month).

Would you like to learn more? We invite you to come to King Gillette Ranch Auditorium at 9:00 am on Saturday, February 05, 2011 for an indoor orientation meeting where we will share with you more details about this wonderful program and what patrolling with the MBU is all about. We encourage you to bring your bike and helmet because we plan to take potential recruits on a ride-along (sorted by ability) after the presentation, weather permitting. Visit the MBU training web page for more details, or to contact the MBU via e-mail (admin@mountainbikeunit.com). To see the MBU in action, view our gallery of MBU photos.

Posted in MBU, Santa Monica Mountains, Youth | Comments Closed

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