Next Round of Q&A with Dave and Ted
IMBA and STC Leaders on Biden, Bonking, and More
The depth of knowledge presented below is obvious and enlightening. Add to it the candid storytelling and you have a great read. HUGE thanks to Dave and Ted for participating in this series. The next round will be in September.
Dave’s responses in-full/no edits:
1. A year and a half into the Covid pandemic, what have we learned as mountain bikers about our sport/form of recreation that maybe we didn’t realize pre-pandemic?
I'm not sure we didn't realize it but the importance of great trails for mountain biking was underscored big time. Since people could go outside but were asked to stay local, people were forced to reckon with the quality and quantity of trails close to where they live. Whether a new pandemic mountain biker or a seasoned veteran, the haves and the have nots become abundantly clear.
At the most basic level, mountain biking only requires two things: great bikes, which the bicycle industry has covered; and great trails, which IMBA, our partner organizations and other stakeholders are working hard to expand. More trails, in more places, for all people.
2. As things open up, any advice to fellow mountain bikers as they/we (perhaps) begin traveling again?
If you feel safe, get out there! Trail development didn't stop during the pandemic. We estimate that around 2,000 miles of new trails were built in 2020. Everyone knows about Arkansas and you cannot go wrong with a trip there, I'll suggest riding Hot Springs. Southwest Utah is fantastic and IMBA Trail Solutions has been building some amazing trails around Cedar City.
The TS team has also been busy building at Standing Boy in Georgia; in Walden's Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee; and at Deep Creek State Park in Maryland. The Iron Range in Minnesota is another location that is building a ton of MTB specific trails. Virtually every part of the country has something to offer and between searching the web and the TrailForks and MTBProject apps, riders should be able to craft a killer itinerary.
3. Changing directions … Generally speaking, what’s IMBA’s viewpoint on the Biden Administration’s public lands policy apparatus and where/how does mountain biking access fit into it?
The transition to the new administration was particularly difficult given the challenges of the pandemic and the impact it has had on the economy. However, we continue to be encouraged that the Biden Administration understands the importance of outdoor recreation as it relates to the issues of health, economy, and climate change.
While still early, overall we have been pleased with the approach to public lands the new administration has taken. Particularly with the nomination and confirmation of Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, not only as the first Native American woman to hold the post, but also for her deep understanding of the land and the value it holds. We envision a time when recreation value is as important, or more important, than logging, mining and oil and gas development on our public lands. We believe the actions of the current administration reflect these positions.
One of the central themes of the new administration has been a need to take action on climate change; an issue the mountain bike community hasn’t engaged on at a national level. Despite this, we have an ongoing dialogue with the new administration as they continue to roll out their 30x30 initiative and are thrilled to see outdoor recreation as a central theme as they address this critical issue.
The two biggest hurdles mountain bikers face are access to public lands and funding for trail projects, and we have seen a host of legislation that would directly address these issues. From investments in urban parks and recreation, to a reboot of the Conservation Corps, to increased funding for the Recreational Trails Program (RTP.) All of these proposals dovetail with the administration's goals on climate, equity, health, and the economy.
The mountain bike community is well-positioned to see an increase in access and funding for trails.
4. Along those lines, but bringing it to a more individual level, some mountain bikers say they simply want to ride their bikes and that they don’t want to get involved in politics. What’s your thought(s) on that kind of thinking?
To each her or his own, of course. I support this, politics is not for everyone. I'll suggest that many out there will agree that mountain biking and trails are fantastic for people and communities and nonpartisan. For some of us, mountain biking and trails provide a refuge from the challenges facing our country right now. Mainstream politics are a bit prickly and I'll generally choose to leave my personal perspective behind while riding. It's a whole lot more fun that way!
5. Moving on … a little lighter side of things: Worst bonk episode—when/where/how/why?
I blew to the moon in the NORBA National Championship Series finals in Michigan in 1993. I was wearing the leader's jersey and just needed a solid finish to win the national title. But I wanted to win the title with Gusto, so I got the hole shot and was riding aggressively at the front. Until I wasn't. The bonk came on about half way through the race and included a black spot in my vision that was about the size of a manhole cover. This black spot was centered directly on what I was looking at and presented a challenge for sure.
This bonk was unique, I'd never bonked in this manner before and haven't since. I was able to hang in there and just barely finish in a position that earned me enough points to stay ahead of John Tomac for the overall series title. But it was a tough day at the office!
6. Favorite, or one of, riding memory/experience?
My first real bikepacking trip, a three day solo last September around Rico, Colorado in the San Juan Mountains. The planning and preparation was engaging, the route and weather were fantastic, and something about pedaling (and pushing!) all day for three days was a truly grand experience. The camping, the meals, filtering water, the whole nine.
Even the disappointment of getting a random cell signal and finding out that the Avs had lost game 7 to the Dallas Stars became part of the experience. It was an absolute hoot. The very best part for me was riding my fully loaded trail bike, the Canyon Neuron, on trails. The dynamics of riding a heavy, fully loaded mountain bike on trails is so interesting and cool. I’m hooked and want to get back out there this summer.
7. Preferred post-ride grub after a day in the saddle?
I’ll make this specific and connect it to the bikepacking trip I just talked about. I finished it totally worked, a full day in the saddle, but stoked, and rolled into the Enterprise Bar and Grill in Rico with a serious hunger. An ice cold Mexican Logger from Ska Brewing in Durango and Bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers to start, transitioned to the Mineshaft Burger with the works and fries. That was a special meal, I certainly don't eat like this after every ride. But it was awesome!
Ted’s responses in-full/no edits:
1. A year and a half into the Covid pandemic, what have we learned as mountain bikers about our sport/form of recreation that maybe we didn’t realize pre-pandemic?
How vital it’s been to be able to get outdoors and away from lockdowns, masks, and the steady drumbeat of grim news, if only for a few fleeting hours. But also, how crowded our open spaces and public lands could become, all over the western United States. The latter is far beyond what I would ever have imagined. The crowds seem to be dwindling as the pandemic recedes (at this writing).
2. As things open up, any advice to fellow mountain bikers as they/we (perhaps) begin traveling again?
Speaking personally, as it’s not a Sustainable Trails Coalition issue, I encourage everyone to be vaccinated. It’s not just altruistic, but also in one’s own interest. I doubt that we’ll be able to fly to some international destinations without a vaccination card. Crossing the Canadian border could remain difficult for a long time without that card (right now, it’s difficult even with it).
3. Changing directions … Generally speaking, what’s STC’s viewpoint on the Biden Administration’s public lands policy apparatus and where/how does mountain biking access fit into it?
The Wilderness access issue has turned from offense to defense. Soon after the new Congress was seated, a raft of Wilderness bills was introduced, some with dozens of co-sponsors and all of them likely to pass the House of Representatives. One of them, the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA), would create new Wilderness acreage the size of the land area of all of Indiana. Unless the Forest Service and other agencies change their no-bicycles-in-Wilderness policies, which they’re not going to do on their own, NREPA alone would mean the loss of many trails in Washington, Idaho, Montana, and perhaps Oregon. STC is working hard to inform lawmakers about the effects on backcountry mountain biking of a half-dozen problematic Wilderness and managing-public-lands-as-Wilderness bills (and more could be on the way).
Some mountain biking advocates believe that the most ambitious bill, NREPA, cannot make it through the Senate. We are asking them not to be so confident about that. Even if NREPA itself doesn’t pass—something mountain bikers shouldn’t be complacent about after what happened with Boulder–White Clouds in Idaho in 2015—the legislation can be split into a dozen different smaller bills that could pass. For example, the Kettle Crest area in eastern Washington would become Wilderness under NREPA and bicycling banned under agency policies. If the Kettle Crest proposal becomes its own bill, it’s possible that enough Senate votes would emerge to pass it. Senators of both parties might be indifferent to mountain bikers’ trail losses in eastern Washington if they represent faraway states. It would be an easy way for them to burnish their environmental credentials and maybe earn kudos from the League of Conservation Voters.
4. Along those lines, but bringing it to a more individual level, some mountain bikers say they simply want to ride their bikes and that they don’t want to get involved in politics. What’s your thought(s) on that kind of thinking?
The libertarian in me says that if people are uninterested in politics, that may be the fault of our troubled political system rather than, as is often argued, some sort of personal failing on their part.
On the other hand, there’s the old cliché: “You may not be interested in politics, but politics is interested in you.” In other words, mountain bikers have plenty of politically active enemies who would be delighted if mountain biking could legally take place only on dirt roads. People ignore that reality at their peril.
5. Moving on … a little lighter side of things: Worst bonk episode—when/where/how/why?
Henry Willard Coe State Park, Gilroy, California, some years ago. My riding partner and I rode 40 hilly miles in the baking heat. I ran out of water 10 miles before our exit. I was so desperately dehydrated that when we reached a gas station I ran in to its convenience store and started gulping down a bottle of Gatorade before even making it to the cash register to pay for it. I felt seriously ill.
6. Favorite, or one of, riding memory/experience?
There have been far too many, but racing at Sea Otter and in the Shasta-Lemurian race in far northern California, discovering the Robertson Pasture Trail west of Monticello, Utah, everything at Crested Butte, Colorado, and everything at too-little-known Rossland, British Columbia.
7. Preferred post-ride grub after a day in the saddle?
If available nearby, a Costco hot dog.