Making cycling work through healthy partnerships
by Carl Birkelbach

The following is excerpted from a speech given on January 20 by Carl M. Birkelbach, President of RIDE (Recreation For Individuals Dedicated to The Environment), on the occasion of being presented the Windy City Sports Magazine award and a Certificate of Commendation by Governor Tommy Thompson of the State of Wisconsin. Carl serves on the board of directors of IMBA.

Many of you may wonder what’s the big deal about mountain biking and why Windy City Sports Magazine chose me, a guy who represents mountain biking, as the Sports-person Of The Year? Well, I think it’s because mountain biking is the fastest growing sport in America and because the use of bicycles in natural settings has created a lot of controversy.
Last year more than 11 million mountain bikes were sold in this country, about the same number of automobiles that were sold. Now it’s true, not all people who purchase a mountain bike will ride off-road. But one by one, once they try it, they’re hooked. After all, it’s a highly aerobic exercise, it's non-polluting, quiet and non-jarring. There’s nothing like riding through the woods when those endorphins kick in. Maybe mountain bikes should come with a sticker that says “Warning: Mountain Biking in natural settings can be habit forming.”
Because mountain biking has become so popular it has attracted the attention of other more traditional users. They have not said “welcome to the woods.” In many cases throughout the country mountain biking has been severely restricted, or even banned. If you enter a National Park today, you are told at the gate that you can’t use your mountain bike. Then you stay in a traffic jam for the next two hours.
We think mountain biking is a good thing. It’s good for your health and it is good for the environment. We are getting people away from their TV sets and out into natural settings. In effect we are creating environmentalists. People love to ride their bikes in natural settings. Once they have this positive experience they will want to preserve and protect these natural settings. We are enlisting a whole new generation into the environmental movement. Mountain biking is also good for the economy, as it employs over a million people at bike shops and in manufacturing bikes, parts and accessories. Here in the Midwest we have two major manufacturers: TREK, the largest manufacturer of U.S. quality bikes and Sram Corp., manufacturer of the Grip Shift system which now has some 10% of the market and is growing quickly.

I have a vision of a time when the use of trails can become a means to bring users, environmentalists and governing bodies together in a partnership that will help people to become involved citizens. To advance this vision, I have a message for mountain bike riders, the bicycle industry, environmentalist and land managers.
First, my message to mountain bike riders: Mountain biking in natural settings is not a right, it is a privilege. It is a privilege that must be earned by riding responsibly and by becoming involved. By becoming involved, I think it is important to join a club, or if there isn’t a club, to form one. A community effort in this case in much more effective than an independent effort. A relationship should be built with the club and land managers so that the riders will feel that they are the host, rather than the guests, on the areas they ride. Many land managers will welcome organized volunteers to assist them in trail maintenance, trail building and creating an atmosphere where peer pressure can be used to encourage responsible riding. In some cases, such as we are doing in Wisconsin, bike riders, the bike industry and the government have formed a partnership to raise money for reconditioning the trails for mountain biking. Mountain bikers must help to pay the bill.
My message to the bicycle industry is similar: Get involved and help pay the bill for trail restoration and maintenance. It is irresponsible to think that profits can be made by selling mountain bikes without having some responsibility for how and where they are ridden. Industry should not only support local clubs and land managers but should give generously to finance the efforts of IMBA in their national campaign to encourage responsible riding and resolve conflicts regarding trail usage issues.

My message to the environmentalists is: These are not your trails, nor do these natural settings belong to you. They belong to all of us who care about them. We are of the same family as you. Many of us are members of the Sierra Club, Nature Conservancy and Audobon Society. We can help to enlarge your base as mountain biking is attracting the more highly aerobic generation. We suggest that you bring your radicals who want to severely restrict mountain biking to the center with the majority. We fear that although these radicals are few, they are often the most vocal and can fragment the entire environmental movement. We need each other to help find the proper balance between preservation and recreation.
Lastly, my message to the land managers: Our constituency is huge. As more and more people, including families, use their mountain bikes off-road, we are becoming an important element of the public you are pledged to serve. Before a trail is closed to mountain biking, all the alternatives should be looked at first, including: 1) Trail redevelopment and restoration; 2) Trail signs that list rules, safety and courtesy information; 3) Volunteer programs for restoration, maintenance and fundraising; 4) Speed limits, one-way trails and trail closure on wet days; and 5) Trail patrol programs to promote responsible riding. Trails should not be closed without full consideration of these and other measures.
This is an opportunity for citizens to become involved with government in a partnership between business and users, a partnership that concentrates on solutions rather than the problem. This community effort of involvement and compromise is now working in Wisconsin and it can work here in Cook County. This coalition solution has begun this evening.