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CORBA’s 25th anniversary jerseys are now available at the CORBA store!
Celebrating 25 years of CORBA’s mountain biking and trails advocacy,
these attractive forest green and gold jerseys are availble in BMX and
club cut. Also, the 25-year anniversary socks have arrived. To round out
your wardrobe of support for CORBA, we still have some 25-year T-shirts
available. So go to the online CORBA store, order some new duds and show your friends you care about the future of mountain biking!
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New on the CORBA Website
A Message from CORBA’s President By Mark Langton Are You Part of the Problem? CORBA has spent 25 years fostering a positive image for mountain bikers based on the fact that the vast majority of mountain bikers are responsible, and that irresponsible actions are few and far between. Yet in just the last year it seems that irresponsibility has increased, and 25 years of goodwill and effort are about to be torpedoed by disrespectful, selfish individuals who only care about going fast. In the last week the NPS has issued a press release stating that the increase in unsafe riding will be met with citations, and the Gas Company has closed Sullivan Canyon to all users because of incidents involving mountain bikers. The problem with this situation is that the people riding irresponsibly know that it’s wrong, but they do it anyway. They are jeopardizing bicycle access to the trails, not to mention the safety of all trail users. I know that just saying it here won’t solve the problem, but my hope is that a few of the people who are riding irresponsibly do the right thing, and maybe spread the word. If you want to ride fast, go do it in a race or at a place where it’s set up for it, like Mammoth Mountain. Enjoy our local shared use trails in a way that is pleasant for everyone. Otherwise the actions of a few will mess it up for the majority of people who do ride responsibly. We’ve been getting a lot of interest in our Ride And Mingle. There has also been some confusion as to where to to ride in from and where to meet. First, there are several locations you can ride to The Hub from, such as Trippet Ranch in Topanga State Park; Caballero Canyon (Reseda Blvd.) or at the top of Reseda Blvd.; Westridge Fireroad from Brentwood (please note that Sullivan Canyon is closed to the public until the end of December, see details). There are already a couple of groups leaving from a couple of different locations posted on our Meetup event, but the idea here is not to meet at one location, it is to ride in from several locations and meet inside Topanga State Park at The Hub. Stay tuned for more information, and see below for location and map info. In celebration of CORBA’s 25th Anniversary, on November 17 we will Ride up to The Hub in Topanga State Park and Mingle for a photo opportunity to show land managers and the trail user community that mountain bikers can and do coexist on the trails. We are hoping for 250 (or more) riders. Save the date and spread the word! We’ll converge at The Hub (you have to ride in, what a concept!) 10am and around 10:30 we’ll take the group shot. We’ll then hand out cash prizes, with the top cash amount being $1,000 and lesser amounts of $500 (2) and $100 (5). We’ll also be having a 50/50 drawing, so bring $20 in cash and put it into the pot, with the lucky winner getting half of whatever is collected and the other half going to CORBA. How do you get to (as in RIDE TO) The Hub? There are several trail head locations you can start from. Reseda Blvd., Trippet Ranch, Mulholland Drive (dirt) from the east (Encino) or west (Woodland Hills), Will Rogers State Historic Park, Westridge Fireroad, and San Vicente Mountain Park (Nike Site), to name a few. Check this map with all the trails and trailheads. The Hub is marked with a blue dot and the letter "z." Even easier, download this map. The Hub and the major trailheads are circled. Print it and bring it with you so you don't get lost! Now you can show your support by signing up for the Ride and Mingle event on CORBA's Meetup group! The benefits of using Meetup are described elsewhere in this newsletter. Trail Closures to Bikes Averted, for Now The below press release was issued today by the National Park Service (NPS) in conjunction with CORBA. CORBA has learned that NPS administrators were ready and willing to temporarily close trails in reaction to the issues of increased complaints and collisions listed in the press release. However, due to the trust and reputation that has been fostered and maintained through CORBA’s advocacy efforts with NPS, trail closures were not implemented at this time. Let’s show that we are a responsible user group by slowing down and showing courtesy to our fellow trail users. It’s simple: Slow down, solve the problem. View the press release with full details... CORBA Using Meetup.com for Managing Events CORBA has started using the facilities of Meetup.com to manage and publicize our events. You can get to our Meetup group at http://www.meetup.com/CORBAmtb/. We plan to use this Meetup group for events like recreational rides, trailwork days and fundraisers. Currently we are not planning to use it for the monthly free basic skills clinic. The first Meetup has already been added for the Ride and Mingle event on November 17th at Topanga State Park. Group members (people who have joined CORBA’s Meetup group) will enjoy these capabilities: Of course this is all free! In order to join our Meetup group, go to http://www.meetup.com/CORBAmtb/ and click on the “Join Us” button. Fill out the requested information (it’s very short) and click on the “Submit” button at the bottom. If you are already a Meetup member for another group, make sure you’re logged in first so Meetup knows who you are. Once you’ve joined us on Meetup, you won’t miss hearing about any of our fantastic activities! CORBA’s trail crew was recently awarded a grant from REI for the restoration of the Strawberry Peak trail. Strawberry Peak Trail was severely damaged in the Station Fire of 2009, and remains closed to all users. Most of the trail was devastated by winter rains in the two winters after the great fire had decimated the vegetation. Above average rainfall and heavy storms sent debris flows across the trails. Wooden retaining walls that supported the trail were burned away and need to be replaced. The REI grant will be matched with funds from the National Forest Foundation, as much of the trail lies in the Big Tujunga drainage, a designated NFF Treasured Landscape. View our blog article for the full story... 25-Year Jerseys: Now in Stock at the CORBA Store!
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. 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! Report on the Twenty-second Annual COSCA Trail Work Day on October 20th. The 22nd COSCA Trail Work Day had one of the largest turnouts in history this past Saturday with 160 volunteers helping build nearly a mile of new trail in the Western Plateau area to the west of Wildwood Park. An entirely new section of trail was installed which re-routed the existing trail away from an unstable stream-side exposure. The staging location was new this year, with volunteers meeting at the new Santa Rosa Park facility off Sant Rosa Road in Santa Rosa Valley. The Western Plateau area of the Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency will be getting many more miles of trails installed within the next several years. Thanks to the many mountain bikers and CORBA members who came out to lend a hand! View our photo gallery of the event... Report on Strawberry Peak Trail with the IMBA Trail Care Crew on October 20th. Together with the Mount Wilson Bicycling Association, CORBA hosted the IMBA Trail Care Crew for a visit to the Angeles National Forest. Jesse and Lori, natives of Missouri, are six months into their two-year tour as the IMBA Trail Care crew. Their visit started with a Thursday Night ride on the most recently re-opened singletrack trail in the San Gabriels, the Rim of the Valley Trail on Mount Lukens. Friday started with a tour of the Strawberry Peak Trail to map out a reroute, followed by a presentation to land managers in the afternoon. A dozen people representing various agencies took part in a three-hour session on sustainable trail design, demographics of the mountain biking community, and the socio-economic benefits to adding trails to the recreational opportunities available to the general public. Saturday started with a trailwork workshop for about 30 volunteers; after a great lunch supplied by CORBA, the class re-convened at Redbox in the Angeles National Forest to work on the trails. On Sunday, the Trail Care Crew took part in a large group ride up in the high country around Chilao and Mount Hillyer with about 30 people in tow. You can read the full version of this highly condensed account on our IMBA Trail Care Crew blog article... To see all trailwork dates, including those of other groups, visit the CORBA trailwork calendar. Join our mailing list to get updates on trailwork
opportunities! Girlz Gone Riding Event Was Fabulous, Dawlings! On Sunday, October 28th, GGR (Girlz Gone Riding), had it’s annual big event at Malibu Creek State Park with 100 girlz attending! GGR is a group of mountain bike girlz of all skill levels from beginner to Pro. The annual GGR event was a very special day for women only and our mountain bikes! A day of learning new skills, networking, support, guest speakers, demo’ing bikes, learning new trails, finding new women to ride with, and getting some AWESOME swag and raffle goodies! We had 5 levels of cross country rides, mini skills clinics, raffles, auctions, a swap meet, demo bikes, free tech support to adjust your bike, fabulous swag and MUCH more! View our blog from a full report of the GGR event...
Sullivan Canyon Closed to Public Until End of December The Southern California Gas Company recently closed Sullivan Canyon to the public during construction, 6:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Saturday (see below for the press release). According to Public Affairs Manager Krista Phipps, the area was not closed as a direct result of a serious mountain biking accident in the canyon, but in response to several factors. “I was told by the Project Manager that [the incident which caused injury to the mountain biker] did not occur at the construction site. However, it was serious and required the person to be airlifted out of the canyon. Overall, there have been a series of close calls in and around the construction site and we just do not want to risk injury to the public or our employees,” said Phipps. Please note that Sullivan Canyon is NOT public property. It is owned and operated by the Southern California Gas Company which maintains it as open to the public unless work to the gas line is necessary. The Gas Co. can rescind permission to access Sullivan Canyon at any time. In this case, many users will be effected, not just mountain bikers. This surely will come down to a blame game with mountain bikers bearing the brunt of criticism, and to a large degree rightly so. All we can ask is that you ride safely for the conditions, and remember that your actions represent the entire mountain bike community. See our blog article on the Sullivan closure for more details, and a copy of the press release... Free Mountain Biking 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 Meetup, Twitter and Facebook
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. 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!) Please do not reply to this email as the corbanews mailbox is not monitored by people. To contact CORBA, email to info@corbamtb.com or visit our 'Contact Us' page for other addresses. |
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Upcoming
and Recent Trailwork
Saturday November
3 is the next skills clinic.
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