IMBA/SORBA Middle Tennessee

New Chapter Website

2010-02-08T22:06:00.000-08:00

IMPORTANT!!! THIS BLOG IS NO LONGER BEING UPDATED. PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE....
http://sorbamidtn.org/

Make sure you check out the new IMBA-SORBA Middle Tennessee website. It has a new look and many new functions to get you the information you need to ride, build or share our trails.
http://www.sorbamidtn.org/

Very Special Thanks to Jeffrey and Nathan!

Trail Solutions: IMBA's Guide to Building Sweet Singletrack

2009-12-21T19:55:00.000-08:00

Spotlight Sample Page: In-slope Turns

Trail Solutions is IMBA's premier trailbuilding resource. This 272-page book combines cutting-edge trail design and construction techniques with proven fundamentals in a colorful, easy-to-read format.

Jones Mill Trail Work Day - Dec 5th

2009-11-28T15:36:00.000-08:00

".....Trail Work Great Remedy For Holiday Belt Buster Bingeing!", says Dr. Pulaski.

Join IMBA/SORBA as we work with State Park Ranger Matthew Blakney to add new trail at Long Hunter State Park / Jones Mill MTB Trail.

- Saturday Dec. 5th 10:00am

- Meet at Jones Mill Trail Head

(we will hike in from remote trail entrance)

- Bring; Eye Protection, Trail Snacks, Hydration,

Work Gloves, Sturdy Shoes,

Dress in layers appropriate for December Weather.

RSVP and more info? Email: trails@sorbamidtn.org

2009-11-16T06:26:00.000-08:00

Howdy Folks!

The leaves are falling, the trail is ready and the date is set. Now all we need is you. On May 15, 2010 the 4th Annual running of Dirt, Sweat & Gears will commence. This year promises to be quite interesting for two reasons. Firstly, were running the course bass ackwards! That's right. Backwards it is. If you've never ridden the course in this direction you're in for a treat. You'll still curse 911, but you'll love the flow of the new direction. And secondly, speaking of flow, we've added NEW SINGLETRACK! (bye-bye Two Sister's). This new section is brought to you by your local SORBA Mid-TN chapter. You're gonna dig this!

Last but not least, we'd like to say thanks to all of you who braved the DSG '09 mudfest. Sign up for DSG 2010 between now and December 15th and receive a special "rain check" discount for the 2010 Bassackwards running of DSG. Remember, guaranteed schwag is for the first 400 that sign up. So log on, sign up and save your spot.

What are you waiting for slacker? Go to Bike Reg now.

General Membership Meeting: Tues. Nov. 10th at REI

2009-11-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Sorba Middle Tennessee will be conducting a general membership meeting next Tuesday, November 10th from 6-8pm at REI in Brentwood. After the meeting we will be heading over to Cross Corner for those interested in some food and drinks.

This meeting will be highlighted by the affirmation of our new board of directors for the rest of this year and 2010. Your new Sorba board will include the following people:

President: Carolyn Heichel
VP: Scott Gentile
Secretary: Greg Lawrence
Communications: Rick Kimmel
Membership: Scott Walvoord
Trails East: Darryl Glascock
Trails West: Jeff Scott
Advocacy: Jose Alea
Patrol Coordinator: Daniel Spann

Since this is a general meeting anyone is invited to attend. This includes members and non-members, so please come out and join us for updates on what's going on with Sorba in Middle Tennessee and some fun food and drinks afterwards.

Thanks,

Kelly

New Nominations

2009-10-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately for the club, Bob Slayden had to pull out of the running for president. But never fear as new volunteers are always ready to step up and lead.

As of today, the new nominations are:

Carolyn Heichel as president

Scott Gentile as vice president

Thanks to both of you for volunteering. Anyone else who would like to run for office please let me know by Sunday, Oct 18th.

Thanks,

Kelly

Sorba Middle Tennessee Elections

2009-10-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, it's that time of year again where we are conduting our annual Sorba Board Elections. The plan is as follows:

Nominations begin today through Oct. 18th. Any member of Sorba is eligible to run for any office available. If you are interested in a position and want to run for it please email Kelly at president@sorbamidtn.org and I will add your name to the list at the bottom of this post. Once all the nominations are taken I will post up and email a list of candidate's to the members for a vote.

The vote will actually take place between Oct. 19th and November 6th. A members vote will need to be submitted to me via email also at president@sorbamidtn.org. The new board members will be announced on November 7th, 2009.

We will then be having a "General Membership" meeting on November 10, 2009 from 6-8pm at REI in Brentwood. Anyone is encouraged to attend whether a member or not. This is one of 4 meetings a year we open up to everyone to come and let us know what your thinking. At that meeting, the new board will be sworn into place and begin their leadership of the club through 2010.

The following positions are available and these are the people who are nominated so far. If anyone would like to run for any of these positions please email me and we will add your name to the list.

President: Bob Slayden
Vice President: Carolyn Heichel
Secretary: Greg Lawrence
Communications: Rick Kimmel
Membership: Scott Walvoord
Trails (East): Darryl Glascock
Trails (West): Jeff Scott
Advocacy: Jose Alea
Patrol Coordinator: Daniel Spann

Thanks to all who have volunteered to run for a position as the club will not function without those who are willing to step up and lead. Also, a big thanks to those who served last year and will continue to be a part of the club in the future.

Kelly Benward
President
Sorba Middle Tennessee

DSG Trail Work Party!

2009-10-05T07:35:00.000-07:00

Let’s get ready for Dirt, Sweat & Gears 2010! We are heading back to Cotton Mill / DSG for a couple of days of trail recovery. The rain and rutting from the spring race created the need for a trail face lift. The plan is for a few of us to run the machine for heavy work on Friday and for a swarm of volunteers (YOU) to dial in the trail with the finish work on Saturday and Sunday October 24tn & 25th.

Camping on site will make for a fun evening with BBQ and socializing. We hope to have time for a group ride for those that volunteer for trail work.

The squirrels at DSG have been so supportive to the IMBA/SORBA mission and WE need YOUR help to get the trail back to race shape before winter.

DSG/Cotton Mill Preserve, Fayetteville, TN (directions to follow)
October 24th & 25th 2009

Saturday
9:00 am trail work meeting
9:15 am individual groups head to separate trails
12:30 pm lunch
1:30 pm afternoon trail session
6:00 pm Dinner,
7:00 pm social and story telling round the fire

Sunday
9:00 am trail work meeting
9:15 am individual groups head to separate trails
12:30 pm lunch
1:30 Group Ride for Trail Volunteers

We will post a link & e-vite later to let us know if you plan to volunteer for the whole weekend or certain work sessions. Check back to this post and link for more information.

Thanks for helping us with this great trail and prepare for Dirt, Sweat & Gears 2010.

NATIONAL PUBLIC LANDS DAY AT SHUTES BRANCH

2009-09-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

Invite From USACE. We will be out with tools and Ranger Amy will supply the tasks and refreshments.....We Need You to Bring the Elbow Grease!

more info at http://shutesbranchmtb.blogspot.com/

Dear Friends of Shutes Branch:

It is time once again for the annual National Public Lands Day on Old Hickory Lake. The staff at Old Hickory invites you to join us on Saturday, September 26, 2009 to help improve, restore and clean-up public lands. National Public Lands Day is a great opportunity to become involved in your community. This year National Public Lands Day will highlight the connection public lands have with water.

We are looking for volunteers to help with butterfly habitat and bird house construction, tree replacement, invasive plant species removal, shoreline clean-up and especially bicycle trail work on the Shutes Branch Bike Trail. All activities will begin at 9:00 A.M. We will provide refreshments for participants to show our appreciation for their volunteer work at Shutes Branch Shelter at 12noon.

If you are interested in working on any of these projects or would like additional information, please give us a call at (615) 822-4846 or (615)847-2395. I (Park Ranger Amy Cline) am the point of contact. Pre-registration is appreciated.

Amy Cline
Park Ranger
USACE, Old Hickory Lake
W: 615.822.4846 or 615.847.2395
C: 615.202.1488

2009-08-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

The fine folks at DSG are planning to come to Nashville and present IMBA/SORBA with the donations that were raised at the race this year for our benefit. This includes the money earned from the MOOTS frame raffle, banner raffle, and pint glass donations. This considerable sum of money will benefit IMBA/SORBA and our local Middle Tennessee chapter. Please come out to the Tap Room on Friday August 28th from 5-7pm and enjoy an awesome brew with the mountain bike community while the "BIG" check is presented.

The address for the tap room is:

Yazoo Brewing Company
1200 Clinton Street #112
Nashville, TN 37203

Hope to see many of you there as it will be a great time as always!

General Membership Meeting August 11th.

2009-08-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks,We are having a Sorba General Membership Meeting and Social next week.

Members and Non Members are welcome. Below are the details.

Please post up and let us know if you plan to attend:

When: Tuesday, August 11th. @ 6:30pmWhere: Scott Smith's Hamilton Creek Brewery2964 Harbor Lights DriveNashville, TNMore info call Darryl at 615-210-7529or email: trails@sorbamidtn.org

Hamilton Creek Enhancement Project

2009-07-13T23:29:00.000-07:00

New Trail Map Draft (details being added)

Well....All the hard work from so many volunteers is beginning to pay off. As IMBA-SORBA has opened an additional mile of trail on the Lake Front Trail below the "Slot" rock garden. This is a corridor that was laid out over two years ago along with changes Hamilton Creek Riders have already enjoyed. Many of the trail changes, re-routes and new lines suggested by Todd Branham of Long Cane Trails had already been driven to new corridor. IMBA-SORBA Trail Stewards completed over 20,000 feet of new trail. This in addition to reclaiming trail sections that did not allow sustainable mountain bike single track. Much of the new trail in 2008 is now the Pinnacle Climb that leads riders from Ned Shelton Trail Head to the top of the Myan Pyramids and one of the gnarliest rock descents in all of Middle TN. Even more new trail and re-routes on the intermediate route allows a more negotiable exit from the "photo op drop".
These trail enhancements and upgrades have kept the trail very technical, but offered sections that flow and offer single track for each type of rider. One of the main priorities in these trail changes was to continue the rider's momentum and offer continuity from one section of trail to the next. In other words we wanted to reduce the occasional "shut down" in trail flow. We have more to accomplish, but the trail indeed offers a much more fluid feel and has eliminated most of the drastic change in pace due to reducing radius or not so fun obstacles in way of transition.

With the re-routes and new trail work concluding this summer, we will have revised kiosk maps and trail signs by September 2009. If you want to help in this project please contact us at Trails@sorbamidtn.org or make a PAYPAL contribution to the "Trail Fund" at http://www.sorbamidtn.org/

If you have not been to Hamilton Creek Mountain Bike Trail this year, you must come out and ride soon.

Old Map...

7th Annual Fat Tire Festival

2009-06-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

The 7th Annual Hamilton Creek Fat Tire Festival is almost here! Saturday June 20th will be a day of group rides, cool games and fun for riders of all skill levels and ages.

All the details at:

http://www.hcfattirefest.net/

Today I spent a few hours at Cumberland Transit bike shop (one of our Festival Sponsors) handing out event flyers and talking about local trials. I met several folks new to mountain biking and even some of our IMBA/SORBA brethren from the Knoxville Chapter BOD. They had traveled over to embrace the love for Montgomery Bell State Park mountain bike trails. They commented about all the new trail signs and the wonderful condition of the trail (Thanks Ranger Eric, Bob Slayden and all the Monkey Bell Volunteers!).

It was great to see new riders making the move to fat tires or mountain bike upgrades. we should see many of them at the festival, some with family in tow. Thanks go out of Mike Modesto for allowing us to set up a table and spread the IMBA/SORBA love for the trail.

For more information about Cumberland Transit please visit:

http://www.cumberlandtransit.com/

One very important note about the Hamilton Creek Fat Tire Festival is this is an important fund raising vehicle for IMBA/SORBA. These proceeds will go directly into your mountain bike trail to enhance the ride experience by adding new trail signs, updating the trail head kiosks and building a skills course at the Ned Shelton Trail Head.

The contract for the Hamilton Creek Trail Project between Long Cane Trails and Metro Parks has now been terminated. This is no suprise as timing and budget constraints did not allow the contract to move forward in the time required. No Worries! So many volunteer hours have kept the progress going for a year and a half. This has shown the most recent success in opening the lake front mile just below the "slot" rock garden.

Great work from a dozen volunteers on National Trails Day Made that happen. Thanks to Merrell Footwear and REI (Another Festival Sponsor) for there time and contribution.

Come See us Saturday at the 7th Annual Hamilton Creek Fat Tire Festival!

Bring your bike, your family and some friends.

Happy Trails,

Darryl

2009-05-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

We have been invited by Metro Parks to help with National Trails Day at Hamilton Creek Mountain Bike Park.

Nashville, Tennessee

Join us June 6th at 9:00 am

Work day to include use of hand tools (rake, shovel, axe, mcloed).

Meet at Lake Side Trail Head Parking lot.

Trail Work Crew Meeting/Tool Check out 9:00 sharp!

Volunteer should bring:

work gloves
sturdy trail shoes/boots
eye protection
hydration
trail snacks /Bag Lunch

Volunteers are welcome to bring their own rakes, shovels pruners/loppers, or landscaping axe (maddock/pulaski).

12:15 pm Bag Lunch

Bike Ride After Trail Work...

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Group Social Mountain Bike Ride

3, 6, & 12 mile rides on Technical Rocky Terrain.

click link for more details:

http://www.americanhiking.org/NTDSearchResultOrganisationDetails.aspx?NTDId=1518

trails@sorbamidtn.org

2009-05-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Just want to give a big thanks to all the NMB Patrollers for assisting with this past weekends Tour de Nash. The folks at Walk/Bike Nashville were extremely surprised and appreciative of each who lended a helping hand.

The following is a letter I sent and a couple of responses from Walk/Bike Nashville. The patrollers unnamed in Mr. Clements letter who provided some quike response First Aid are non other than Bill and Bo Reiger. Great Job Bill and Bo!

My letter:
Tour de Nash Staff:On behalf of the SORBA Middle TN mountain bike patrol, I would like to extend a warm thanks to you for allowing us to participate in this years event. The SORBA Middle TN chapter and NMBP (National Mountain Bike Patrol) share your passion for biking and fitness and were delighted to be able to assist. We look forward to and have high hopes of a future in the greater Nashville area where bikes are a norm and bikers are considered an integral part of the community. The NMBP's members are always eager to help and would be more than willing to assist next year and for further events to come.

Again,
Sincere thanks
Tim Dennis
SORBA Middle TN
National Mountain Bike Patrol
Chapter Coordinator

Responses:
"Wow Tim! That's awfully kind of you to thank us, considering the big thanks goes out to you all. We would never be able to have a successful event without you all willing to give up their entire day, spending it in the rain, riding slow! Everyone knew the importance of what we were there to do, and everyone seemed to have smiles on their faces! I witnessed everyone's professionalism, sometimes in person, and sometimes over the cell phone! Everyone did their part - we had a great crew. We'll be back on course in 2010, hopefully with great weather, hopefully with a willing crew to step up and make it happen again.NMB'ers impressed me with their response to the rider that hurt her knee on the Richland bridge. Another NMB'er stayed at the bridge until we could enhance our system to warn riders. Jenni and Marj, constantly working with flat tires, sidewall blowouts, hunting ways to get riders back on course. LaRae & Co. kept Shelby Bottoms regulated. It was quite a picture seeing Bob Murphy, his wife and the four boy scouts on Belmont in a torrential downpour.If anyone has constructive suggestions, comments, feedback, ways to improve navigation, safety, etc., please email me directly. We're trying to capture "lessons learned" to recycle them into the plan next year.Lastly, not to jinx us for next year, we had to take no one to the hospital this year. No ambulance rides. We are so thankful, as the odds were good given the conditions.THANK YOU ALL!Pat Clements"

"Let me second Pat thanks to the NMB bike patrol and everyone who SAGged or swept and I'm especially thank Pat and Shana for being willing to take on the responsibilites for Route and Safety with such short notice. I am so impressed that they and Claire were able to recruit such great and dedicated volunteers for what I hope will go down as the worst weather we ever have for the Tour de Nash. You were awesome and I hope that you are proud of the great job you did to make sure everyone returned safely.I would love to include something in one of Walk/bike Nashville's newsletter about the history of the NMB bike patrol, how you operate, how people become a member of the patrol, etc.., etc... It's such an awesome thing that I bet not so many people in the bike community know about and they would really appreciate knowing about the things you do. Sean Davies"

Lock 4 Kiosk Re-Work

2009-04-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

Sometime between 2PM Saturday and 3:45PM today the kiosk area has been cleared of all the privet and scrub, really opening it up nicely. Much of the trail has been weed-wacked and cleaned up as well. It's really riding nicely out there. West side is still soupy with the seepage, but until the rain comes tonight/tomorrow the East trail is in great shape.

Nashville Scavenger Hunt 2009

2009-04-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

Johnny Crow, Eastside's Art Bell, and Ron (promoters of all things cycling and good times) put on another great Nashville cycling event. The second running of the Nashville Scavenger Hunt added a poker run and more sites. 115 (last count I heard) cyclists - ranging from families to cruisers to fixie riders to mountain bikers and every which way in between - showed up at Beyond the Edge (who's always been a great cycling supporter) for a perfect day of fun pedaling around Nashville.

Special thanks to Matthew and Ride for Reading for allowing the the propaganda placement at their booth. Take a moment to click over and check out Ride for Reading and give them a helping hand if you are able, either donation of funds or books. It's a great cause.

Little E and his Dad ready to roll out on the hunt.

Bike parking at Beyond The Edge

Riders getting ready to roll out for the start of the hunt

Nashville Roller Grrls cheering the returning hunters

Johnny, Ron, and Dan really put together a great event with fun for all. Thanks to all the sponsors (like Swiftwick, EastSide Cycles, Harpeth Bicycles, Yazoo Brew, and many others) for helping the guys put together such a spectacular good time with FREE admission for all participants. The weather couldn't have been better and it was incredible seeing 115 cyclists riding around down town and the East side.

Welcome New Members!

2009-04-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

Thank you for joining up with IMBA/SORBA Ruthie and Steve. It was fun working on the trail and getting to chat with you two Saturday. Between emails, phone calls, and map studying I've been thinking more and more about your little neck of the woods. I agree Cookeville needs something closer. We also need to get a chapter meeting to happen out there to get the amazing Smith County Mafia involved and operating more on a SORBA level (tools, workdays, more members, etc...). There is also a plethora of State Parks and rangers to begin opening dialogs about mountain bike access and new trail developments.

My April and May are chock full of engagements and responsibilities, but I'm really looking to get out that way in June to start the ball rolling. The first weekend in June is the Disc Burner 12 hour over at Panther Creek State Park. I'm hoping to make use of that travel to encompass stops all along that stretch of land East of Nashville to shake hands and sit down with land managers and trail users to see where the common ground lies and try to get the groups talking and more involved.

Having engaged, active, and concerned trail stewards, such as you and Ruthie, makes that task seem less daunting and more rewarding. Thanks again for stepping up to the plate.

Long live long rides!

SORBA/DSG Work Day #2

2009-04-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

Great weather finally bestowed itself upon us for long enough to complete the workday. A large number of riders were out pre-riding the course from all parts of the state and the Southeast. Lots of riders out from the Dalton, GA area pre-riding. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the course.

Enough workers showed up for 2 crews to head out and prune face slappers, clear fallen trees, cut back encroaching plants, and smooth out some trail than needed some love. A third crew led by the infamous Pump Track Jim ( or is it skid steerer Jim now?) made a pump track, dirt jumps, and start ramp miraculously appear from a mound of dirt. Thanks to all who made it out and volunteered their time on Saturday.

Hope to see everyone out there May 9th. Don't forget to donate for a Moots ticket or two (and tell your friends), remember all the proceeds go to help SORBA.

SORBA General Membership Meeting

2009-04-16T17:03:00.000-07:00

Last night marked the first of this years open SORBA General Membership meetings. Some of the desired goals of such meetings are to allow members to engage themselves into the organization more, to allow for questions, concerns, thoughts, issues, etc.. to be brought to the attention of the board (and members), and to allow for members to be brought up to speed on current, pending, and future projects. This blog is also an avenue to achieve those goals for those who can't make the meetings but are interested in what went on.

Around 17 people (including B.O.D.) met in REI's incredible new media room. Big thanks out to Bill and all at REI for there continued support throughout the years and for the use of their new space. It is the ideal location for such a meeting: plenty of parking, plenty of seating, and media capabilities.

The agenda was kept short in an attempt to allow business to be conducted within the 3 hour time limit, as well as to help keep the meeting on task. The agenda primarily covered the next 2 months calendar of events. Starting with the DSG workday this weekend up thru the Hamilton Creek Festival on June 20th.

Hamilton Creek Festival

Before I get into the rundown of the notes I took from the meeting, I want to jump to the Hamilton Creek Festival June 20th. We need help with the skills course. If you have previous experience with building such items, please contact us either through the email links on the sorbamidtn site or leave your contact info in the comments of this post. If you work in construction or have scrap wood, pallets, access to wood, please let us know. Initially we were going to have a SORBA group night ride at Hamilton Creek the 22nd of May, but due to that being a holiday weekend, we're discussing moving it to the night before the Hamilton Creek Festival. The ride will happen after the skills course is set up.

Another idea kicking around is designing and building the skills course off-site before the event, then just trailering it in and setting it up with minimal construction work needed the night before. This will allow for the work to be spread out over a longer period of time and also hopefully allow for less stress and work required the night before the festival.

A lot of people are working hard to put on another great festival for all of us to enjoy. If you are able to lend a hand, please do so. It's up to all of us to make this event great. If you can't volunteer to help at least tell your friends and neighbors and try to get them to come check out the festival and the mountain biking lifestyle.

Metro Parks also waived the fees for us to put on this event. All proceeds are going back to Hamilton Creek to finish projects and enhance the trails via kiosks and trail signage. For this we are extremely grateful to Metro Parks. This is big and demonstrates the work of the volunteers out at Hamilton Creek over the past years is being appreciated and now reciprocated. Good things.

Other events covered during the meeting:

Nashville Scavenger Hunt 4/26

SORBA will have a table for disseminating information, question answering, and membership applications at the Nashville Scavenger Hunt. It takes place on the East Side starting and ending at Beyond the Edge. The event is free, fun, and offers a unique bike centric Nashville experience. Grab some friends, make a team, sign up, and have fun.

Dirt Sweat & Gears 5/8-5/10

SORBA and IMBA will have tents and representatives on site for the weekend. Lots of things to do and see during the event besides the cross country race. Come join in the fun.

Tour de Nash Booth 5/16

The National Mountain Bike Patrol members will be out patrolling the course for the Tour de Nash helping out when and where they can. SORBA will also have an aid station at the pedestrian bridge. Come out and join in the event or help out at the aid station. This ride highlights the bike ways, bike lanes, and greenways of Nashville in several varying length routes to get you around the city. While your there, tell people about the Hamilton Creek Festival and encourage them to come out and support us.

MidTN/Chattanooga SORBA Group Ride at Sewanee 5/30

Several of us board members are out of town this weekend, others are uncertain about their availability. If you are interested in joining up for this group ride on a premiere area trail, please let us know. We're looking for a few folks to spearhead the Nashville area riders. Essentially a ride leader is needed. If you can help us out, let us know. Otherwise we might need to reschedule this event for later in the year.

National Trails Day Work Day at Hamilton Creek 6/6

This is an opportunity to get the trail in shape for the upcoming Festival. SORBA, the Fellowship of the Creek, and the American Hiking Society will be working together to spend some time repairing and working on our beloved rock.

Other items discussed were:

An appeal to members to help out at Shutes Branch work days. It's a new trail being built in Mt Juliet and they can use all the help they can get. Please keep an eye on their posted work days and lend a hand when you can. The more workers, the sooner the trail gets opened and we have access to more miles of single track.
The Franklin Springs property in Williamson County is still on the radar. Not much will happen trail building wise until after T-DOT is done with the 840 corridor, but there is an opportunity there and more acres is even a possibility.
A cyclocross race is being planned for the Franklin Springs property to help get the ball rolling with getting mountain biking's foot in the door.
A landfill site in Williamson county is being investigated for a potential trail opportunity. Think Chickasaw trace.
The Longhunter extension is about to start off. Another 2.5 miles of trail will be added. At the meeting we were still awaiting word, today I was told it will happen in May. Stay tuned.
Member and Montgomery Bell caretaker and wickedly cool sign maker Bob "Kindacreaky" Sladen has offered to head up a committee to begin re-investigating the possibility of gaining mountain bike trails along portions of the Natchez Trace. Tax maps and homework still needs to be done, but it's worth the effort with the new Forest Service changes and laws coming down the pike.

SORBA member, REI employee Rick "Jam Danver" Kimmel has been working on some video footage to help promote SORBA, NMB, and the local trails and riders. A promotional/educational piece illustrating trail reclamation, repair, stewardship, families enjoying the trail, and such is being discussed to be made to show at events and used for community meetings (such as the one for the potential Joelton area mtb trail). This is a great opportunity for us to easily illustrate what mountain biking is and the passion of the people behind it for the trails and maintaining the trails. Rick showed a short film he made of Lock 4 and I've never seen Lock 4 look so amazing. Good job Rick. Thanks for coming out.

That's about all I have scrawled down. Those of you present, please feel free to add or touch on anything I've missed.

Those who couldn't make it, please try to join us at the next one. The more people we have involved and engaged, the more we can accomplish. Besides we try to keep the meetings short and moving so we can congregate and talk bikes somewhere afterwards. It's as much fellowship as it is stewardship.

Long live long rides.

2nd Cotton Mill/DSG Workday: April 18th/19th

2009-04-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

Okay folks,
The second SORBA Middle Tennessee Cotton Mill/DSG workday is fast approaching......

It will be held from Saturday April 18th to Sunday April 19th.
We will be starting on Saturday morning at Cotton Mill in Fayetteville, TN at 9am.
It will be an overnighter again with trail work, and an opportunity to pre-ride the DSG course.

We are also told that the Pump Track is in place and needs to be ridden in....so if you wanna try something new this should be tons of fun.

For those who missed the last one in February I would tell you that a good time was had by all....just ask Poppy, Officer Mike, and Jeffy!!!

Please post up and let us know how many people are planning to attend, which day your attending, and if you plan on camping that night!

Also, if you need to meet up and follow me down there on Saturday morning let me know and we can arrange a place close to Franklin to set up a caravan early that morning.

These workdays are to support the DSG team and their terrific race they put on for all of us and the support they show SORBA through the generous Moots frame raffle!

Come on and help out......I promise it will be the best work weekend of the year!!!

Thanks,

Kelly

IMBA Trail Care Crew - SUCCESS!

2009-04-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

What an incredible weekend! Kelly & Collins of the IMBA Trail Care Crew came to visit IMBA/SORBA Middle TN for a April 4th Lock 4 Mountain Bike Park Trail Work Shop. This was a hybrid Training as we focused on reclaiming closed trail, moderate but sustainable re-routes, drainage correction and even some design/layout. This will help our chapter develop more crew leaders and trail stewards to hold the necessary high standards for our growing sport.

I heard so many complements about our volunteers. Great attitudes, love for the trail and sharing trail stories is always a great combination. That added to IMBA leadership and training has given us another great result.

We were also blessed to have Sam Poyner, one of the Lock 4 original trail builders on hand to offer his expertise and elbow grease.

Thanks again to Kelly & Collins (THEY ROCK) and all the local VOLUNTEERS that contributed over 60 hours of trail work at Lock 4. If you see these folks on the trail, shake their hand and invite them for a ride! If you want to be a part of our MISSION, please contact us: Trails@sorbamidtn.org.

Safety Talk & Introductions:

Exit View of ReRoute:

Entrance view of ReRoute:

A FULL SLIDESHOW OF ALL THE WEEKEND PHOTOS CAN BE BY VIEWED AT:

TCC PICASA SLIDESHOW

The video below is a glimpse of some of the training covered by the TCC and Chapter Crew Leaders.

Group Ride changed to Monty Bell

2009-04-04T17:32:00.001-07:00

Due to the wet conditions at Lock 4, the group ride for Sunday 4/5 has been changed to Montogomery Bell at 2pm. We will post updates if it rains it out for some reason.

Thanks,

Kelly

Group Ride 4/5, Lock 4 @ 2pm

2009-03-26T18:29:00.001-07:00

Hey Folks,Sorba is hosting a Social Group Ride for everyone on Sunday, April 5th at Lock 4 in Gallatin. The start time is 2pm and we plan to have some burgers available for everyone at 4pm.Attached is a flyer for the event. We would love to have a large turnout and hope some of you will bring a friend to meet some of us. Sign-up's for IMBA/SORBA will also be available for those who might like to join.Post up if you plan to attend so we can try to have the right amount of food and drinks!Weather cancellations will be posted on this thread and emailed to members.

Thanks, Kelly

General Meeting: April 15th, 6pm @ REI

2009-03-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

Sorba Members,

The Sorba board will be hosting a general meeting on Wednesday, April 15th. The meeting will start at 6pm and will be held at REI in Brentwood.

General Meetings are a chance for any member of Sorba or person with an interest in Sorba to attend and see what's happening with our club. If you have something you would like to be discussed during the meeting please submit it via email to me at president@sorbamidtn.org and we will try to include it on the meeting agenda. This needs to be done at least 3 days prior to the meeting date.

The board is planning to hold a couple of these general meetings during the year so that everyone has an opportunity to be heard. Please feel free to come to the meeting and if you can, let us know that you plan to attend so we can make sure we have enough chairs to seat everyone.

For those interested, we will probably go somewhere after the meeting for food and drinks.

Thanks,

Kelly Benward
President
Sorba Middle Tennessee

Saint Patty visits SORBA

2009-03-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Our second MidTN Board of Directors meeting fell on Saint Patty's Day. Scott and Amy Walvoord were gracious enough to open their home to us for the meeting and provided us with grilled burgers and traditional holiday beverages.

I was eagerly anticipating this meeting as I had learned a few weeks back that Lisa King of Metro Parks would be joining us and had some updates on projects for us. Since 90% of this year's board is relatively new to the process, it was great to have someone from Metro Parks where we could ask questions in an informal and relaxed environment and learn a thing or two about how the big wheel of Nashville works.

The meeting agenda was rather large, but we managed to get everything on it addressed within about 3 hours time. Items such as the SORBA Events Calendar and who can take responsibility for which item. Discussing how to try to meet the needs of the community while not over extending ourselves. This ranges from working with new trail construction, existing trail maintenance, completing/moving forward with existing projects, putting on festivals, community outreach, membership growth, etc...

One thing is certain, if you are out there waiting for 7 people to build your dreams, know it's going to take a lot longer to see those dreams come to fruition. SORBA's strength is in it's members and volunteers, that's how dreams will come true and trails get built. Amazing volunteers/members like Scott Smith, the Walvoords, and their neighbors who donate their time, money and energy maintaining a local trail (Hamilton Creek) for all to enjoy. Volunteers/members like Bob Slayden, Bryan Kimbro, the Sweeney's, and all the others who maintain and better Montgomery Bell. Tommy, Steve, Sean, and others working on Shutes Branch, or Stanley Wills, Scott Grissom, and their Smith County Mafia building trails in and around the Carthage area and maintaining Fall Creek Falls and Defeated Creek. This is the spirit of SORBA. They are the spirit SORBA. That's what all of this is about.

It's not "if you're not with us you're against us", the reality is if you're not working with us you're hurting all of us. So what's with this volunteer praising and join us prose? Well, a few things (noted below - no secrets) came to light in the meeting that really underscored how much we need more of the cycling communities help in order to achieve all the goals, from trail signs and kiosks, to maintenance needs, new trail completions, repairs, etc...

In one way or another we've all been hit by the recent economic downturn. Even if your job and finances haven't, if you're a mountain biker you've been affected. The money for the Long Cane Trails reroute and new sections of Hamilton Creek have been frozen (thing 1 that came to light). All metro money essentially has. Though the money and the machines have been frozen, volunteers have continued to complete what they could of the plan. If we can get volunteers out for trail workdays, the work can get completed (thing 2). By us. Kiosk money frozen? We learned if we raise the funds, the work can continue (thing 3). We can be the change if you're up for the challenge.

March holds a SORBA Hamilton Creek Workday on the 21st. Shutes Branch is having a workday the 28th. Columbia Cycling Club is holding their Annual Chickasaw Trace MTB Race that same weekend. We (the board members) are trying to be at all the events and balance work/life/family at the same time. If you have a free hour or two we'd appreciate all the help we can get at any of the weekend's scheduled events.

April will bring opportunities for your voices to be heard. There are a few public meetings regarding new trail opportunities that we will need your participation if you desire a new trail in Davidson County (date TBD). Our April Board meeting will also be a General Membership Meeting the 15th of April. All are welcome. If you can't make it, we have more scheduled throughout the year and you can always email any of us via the links to the right and we can try to address your questions, comments, or concerns. Another round of Cotton Mill trail work is scheduled for the 18th, and the Nashville Scavenger Hunt takes place the 26th. Don't miss a chance to get out and help make a difference, enjoy riding in the city, dig some dirt, and most importantly, to have fun.

Middle Tennessee Velo Bike Club Donates to SORBA

2009-03-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

We at SORBA Middle Tennessee want to extend our thanks to local bike club, Middle Tennessee Velo for a generous donation of $100 that they just made to our club.

A special thanks to Mike Mead president of MTV for making this happen. Also, thanks to Jeff Scott who is one of our newest SORBA members for taking the time to bring our club to the attention of MTV which resulted in this kind donation.

Middle Tennessee Velo is a road and mountain bike racing club out of Murfreesboro, TN. They are sponsored also by MOAB bike shop. They are an excellent team in the local bike racing scene. They also put on the Monkey Grinder Mountain Bike Race each year at Montogomery Bell State Park. This years race will be held on May 17th. We hope that many in our local Sorba chapter who like to race will plan on attending this event as it is one of the best local races in our area.
Thanks again to Mike, Jeff, and Carolyn for making this donation happen, we intend to put the money to good use in the purchase of tools and supplies to help build and maintain our local trails. For information on Middle Tennessee Velo Racing Team please contact Mike Mead at meadm@realtracs.com

A Visit to Shutes Branch

2009-03-05T13:54:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Kelly and Tommy Hatcher communicating, several of us were able to head out to Shutes Branch and talk to Tommy about the trail and walk a bit of it before he turned us loose to ride and experience what is currently Shutes Branch trail. A bit of it was to try to see what SORBA can bring to the project, such as where we can help out, as well as to learn a bit about the history of the trail project, discuss it's future, it's potential, on going maintenance once the trail is completed, and what can be done to help expedite the completion of the project. Being more of a personal interest in bringing people together for the common goal of adding more trail to the world, I was happy to be invited along.

Shutes Branch has a lot of potential. This potential is very easily seen in and around the trail. Many of the natural features of the property have been worked into the trail beautifully. I'd heard many reports of the trail and expected to not enjoy the beginning stretches of the trail at all. I was quickly proved wrong in my initial misgivings. The trail flows nicely in and around the opening camp areas. Speed is possible as is maintaining momentum through turns as you carve around obstacles and features in the trail.

After a bit, you enter more traditional singletrack with some nice rock features that offer some challenge and some loose line interpretations to allow for creative rock play. Momentum is a bit of a challenge in this area, but as the trail beds in I imagine the lines will allow for a little more speed and flow. This section progresses into a tighter, twistier rock section. It is in this section I would like to see some of the tight turns be opened up a bit to allow momentum to be maintained but more so to allow the rider to look ahead further. It gets a bit too tight and forces one to look down a bit too much that it's difficult to look ahead and anticipate lines and features.

That's not saying it sucks. I'm just saying a few sections could use a little re-work. Now, having said that know that I've not lifted a finger on that trail yet. Seeing the thicket they have had to cut through just to even see the lay of the land, I am impressed with what trail is there. The tweaks I speak of are more finishing chores and are easier to do when there are more than 3-4 people working on the trail. It's also common to flag a line that looks like it'll ride well only to realize once you come in to it with speed, doesn't really flow so well. We ran into a re-route at the Cotton Mill Preserve that was flagged and cut last year that in theory and walk through flowed nicely, only to re-cut and route it this year as it just didn't work out as well as initially thought. This is the organic nature of a trail as it begins to take a life of it's own.

I hope the crew at Shutes Branch are open to constructive criticism and can keep an open mind about differing opinions. They are doing a fantastic job and seem to have a gold mine on their hands with a willing and excited land manager base as well as some good terrain to build on. They've done a great job of using the features that are there to build the beginnings of a solid intermediate level trail.

What happens next? I don't know. We mountain bikers need help to finish the trail and that requires a sacrifice of everyone involved to reach that goal. We all have other responsibilities pulling us in every direction, but if we want trail, we have to sacrifice a little to see it through. Donations to tool funds help by getting more tools in more hands and by making limited volunteer hours more efficient. Showing up for work days, even if it's only for an hour or two, helps just as much, if not more.

Workdays can be made more efficient too by holding a meeting the night before or even just preceding the workday to go over goals for the day. Breaking people into groups led by experience trail workers, demonstrating how tools are used and some safety advice. Keeping expectations realistic and jobs moving so no one is standing around feeling like they are wasting their time. Likewise, having clear concise goals will allow feelings of completion to develop. Project X is done, progress has been made. Now on to Project Y, etc...

Agreeing to disagree will probably help even more. Given a stretch of land 10 of us would flag 10 different routes, none of which would be "wrong". I'm not so big into designing a trail, however I do have a lot of experience riding different trails and if an area seems like it could be better, I'd like to see a group opinion upon whether or not a re-route is needed. Rather than people bicker about trail design, let majority rule, it's only dirt. (Note: I'm not talking about a committee led total trail re-design here, but if X number of people think spot A is a trouble area then getting others insight re: what to do to fix/enhance it. That sort of thing.)

So, in conclusion, I left with more excitement about the potential of Shutes Branch than I initially expected. It exists in an under served area and offers myriad opportunities to add different features and skill levels to the trail. I really hope all of us can come together and get this trail built and the facilities opened up. If given a chance, Shute Branch has the potential to become a solid resource for the mountain biking community.

SORBA Board of Directors Meeting Feb 28th

2009-03-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

Darryl and I loaded up the bikes and camping gear early Friday morning and headed down to South Carolina for the first of the 2 planned Board of Directors meetings this year. IMBA is starting to implement a Regional Level design to try to get other areas of the nation coming together, working together, sharing ideas, resources, etc... They are modeling this off of the SORBA model, so this Board of Directors meeting is really the Southeast's RLC meeting and already ahead of the game. Chapter board members from Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carlina were present.

Being my first ever foray into a business style meeting for SORBA, it was with dragged feet and a feeling of "this is going to be a waste of time" that I agreed to attend. I couldn't have been more wrong in my early assessment. The meeting was kept in order and marching along while still allowing concerns and questions to be heard from the chapters present. The intellectually stimulating discussion was both engaging and educational.

My favorite presentation from the day came from Dave Senecal and Scott Martin from SORBA Paulding. Their presentation was about how to build trail in a weekend using the inspirational and incredible story of Sara Babb Park. Essentially a precursor to IMBA-SORBA's Gateway Trail concept, Sara Babb Park is a city park where they've been able to build three 1-mile loop trails connected by connector trails giving the trail design a shamrock shape around ball fields, soccer fields, and playgrounds. This concept is something I personally would love to see more of in the greater Nashville area. Neighborhood parks including small trails and skills parks for kids and families to enjoy riding as well as dirt paths off of (or paralleling) the greenways, allowing people to enjoy more nature in the city.

Aside from the trails being built, the story of how their community came together to help build the trail was the inspirational part. They had 175 volunteers show up. Volunteers who weren't mountain bikers or cyclists at all, but members of the community working together to build community. Amazing. Many lessons and ideas can be drawn upon from this incredible success story.

A group ride at the famed FATS trail system was planned, but the torrential multi-day rain washed up those plans. While Darryl had to sit through a short executive committee meeting following the board of directors meeting, I took advantage of the break in the weather and suited up to get a spin around the lake on the service roads. On the recommendation and urging by one of the local SORBA chapter members, I ended up riding the Bartram trail that strings 8 miles of trail from the visitor's center to the Petersburg campground where we were staying.

Not wanting to damage trail or ride in mud, I was assured the trail would be great, and amazingly it was. The soil is similar to Sewanee's Perimeter trail: rocky, sandy hardpacked soil. While there were areas of standing water, it was like riding on a rocky creak bed vs plodding through muddy soup. On the trail I met up with 3 other SORBA members and I was lucky enough to enjoy 18 miles of trail before meeting back up with Darryl and starting the long drive home.

We arrived Friday night to cold temps and rain, lots of rain. It rained most of Saturday but cleared off by 2:30 when I was able to sneak out for the ride in shorts and a jersey enjoying 70 degree temps. Just as I finished my ride the rain dumped again and temps dropped to the low 60's. We enjoyed clear weather through Atlanta then were met with rain, then sleet, then snow in Tennessee, the temperature dropping from 45 on the Southeast side of Monteagle to 30 degrees on the Northwest side. Pretty typical weather for a SORBA BOD meeting, or so I'm told.

IMBA Trail Care Crew to visit April 4/5, 2009

2009-02-27T09:37:00.000-08:00

Exciting news! The IMBA trail care crew will be in town to visit SORBA Mid. TN on the weekend of April 4/5. We are hoping to set up some instruction on trail building and maintenance out at one of our local trails. This will also include some practical work on the trails and we plan to combine this with a "bring a buddy" group ride also. Stay tuned to the blog as we will have more information soon about this exciting opportunity.........Squish

Cotton Mill/DSG Workday.....Pictures

2009-02-23T12:20:00.001-08:00

We had a great weekend working on the trail down at Cotton Mill this weekend to prepare the course for Dirt, Sweat, and Gears on May 9th. We added some new trail, re-routed some others, and did some general trail maintenance. Thanks to Clay for the BBQ, Pizza, Breakfast, and the use of the barn for those who participated. Thanks to Thad and Yazoo for the cold brews. Everyone had a great time working and riding. Hope to see everyone out at the next workday on April 18th. Here are a few pictures that I took:

Photos & synopsis from Thad:

Clay and SORBA (MidTn) hosted back to back workdays this past Saturday and Sunday at the Cotton Mill Preserve (home of DSG). Saturday a crew of 20-ish showed up and were divided into groups and sent out to the areas on the trail needing work. Some trimmed privet, some cleared the trail tread of the heavy leaf coverage, and others got to cut new sections of trail. We were able to get a surprising amount of work completed within about 4.5 hours. Then Clay had some local barbecue brought in for lunch while the crew members rested and exchanged stories. Afterwards some of the crew headed home, a few (including Clay) headed back into the woods to finish off a new trail section, while the remainder of us suited up and enjoyed a backwards loop of the DSG course before the temps dropped and the rain moved in.

Sunday was a smaller group in size, but we still managed to complete myriad projects, including building a bridge over a ravine on a newly constructed trail, re-routing a power line descent, cutting out dead fall, clearing stubs, and cutting back more privet. Another loop of the trails post work was enjoyed by a few, followed up with pizza, gyros, and stage 8 of the Tour of California at Raphael's.

Thanks to Clay, Darryl, Kelly, and everyone else who showed up and helped out.

Paul Bunyan? John Henry? Nope, just two-hand hammerer Clay

The canine crew working on the Lucy's Loop re-route.

Darryl and Hunter survey the lean of the bridge before planking begins.

SORBA MidTn President Kelly giving a helping foot.

OldGreg thinks pointing is working.

OldGreg, master of the drill

SORBA MidTN Secretary Tryon, Monster, and others working on the new downhill

If you couldn't make this weekend's festivities, fear not, the fun doesn't stop there. Come out to the Yazoo Tap Room this Thursday:

DSG at Tap Room 2/26

Ti One On happy hour at the Yazoo Tap Room on Thursday February 26 from 6-8. Come hang out with your old friends, meet a few new ones and enjoy a cold Yazoo - The first one is on DSG! This will be your chance to make your donations to SORBA/IMBA and get a crack at taking home a real Ti beauty. You can also register for DSG if you already haven't. We'll have random drawings for cool schwag and darn tootin' good time.

2009-02-12T20:48:00.000-08:00

NATIONAL MOUNTAIN BIKE PATROL TRAINING/CERTIFICATION

When: Saturday March 7th 8:00am until 6:00 pm
Where: Two Rivers Mansion (Metro Parks), McGavock Pike, Nashville, TN
Register? Email patrol@sorbamidtn.org for details & Questionaire.

Join IMBA-SORBA Middle TN for FREE NMBP Patroller or Ambassador Training. NMBP Provides great support for YOUR trails and Public Lands. Visit www.imba.com/nmbp for more program information or email patrol@sorbamidtn.org to sign up for March 7th, 2009 NMBP Training and Certification. Training includes Red Cross 1st Aid/CPR Certification ($80 Value) at now cost to IMBA-SORBA Members!!! Not a IMBA-SORBA Member? Contact us for a Package just right for your Volunteer Spirit!

*Lunch will be provided by IMBA-SORBA Middle TN.
**A limited number of jerseys will be available on day of training.

Sorba Board Meeting Notes: February

2009-02-11T18:00:00.000-08:00

Information from Sorba Board Meeting (February 10, 2009)

5 of 7 members present and guest Jose Alea. Tim Dennis and Darryl Glascock were not present.

Approval was granted for money to be used by Bob Slayden in the construction of trail signage at Montgomery Bell Park.

All board members are now signed up with the new blogsite and have the ability to post new items.

Tryon will familiarize himself with the deadlines for Fat Tire Times articles. He will be writing and submitting these when needed and may call on other board members for ideas and input. Members are encouraged to send any information to Tryon to be included in these articles.

Darryl is working on new T-shirts for members and prospective new members. He was not available to show us what he has come up with. The female board members wanted to make sure some women’s sizes were available and liked the design of the shirts that were brown with pink writing done in the past.

Thad and Darryl will be attending the Sorba Main meeting in Georgia on Feb. 28th.

Land Between the Lakes Damage from the ice storm. The board is in agreement to offer what assistance we can to get the trails re-opened. Thad volunteered to contact Steve at WoodnWave and see what needed to be done. Then he and Darryl will coordinate Sorba’s relief efforts.

Shutes Branch Trail was discussed and the board agreed to assist the Friends of Shutes Branch group by loaning the trailer when available and announcing their workdays to our local Sorba membership.

Cotton Mill Workday on Feb 21,22 is still a go, with most board members being in attendance. Additional posters will be distributed to Gran Fondo by Carolyn and Moab by Tryon. The rest of the shops in town should have one as Kelly has already delivered them.

NMB Patrol training was somewhat explained but without Darryl or Tim in attendance we are still under the assumption it was to be held on Mar. 7/8.

We will set up tents to recruit members and answer questions at: Chickasaw race, DSG Race, Tour de Nash, and the Nashville Scavenger Hunt. Amy Walvoord will coordinate this for us.

A Vote was taken that we will not hold the XC Race at Hamilton Creek on 6/21. Carolyn will contact TBRA to take it off of their schedule.
Instead we will concentrate on the Festival on 6/20 at Hamilton Creek and try to add more events which may include some time trails and DH races along with other traditional things we have done in the past. Carolyn, Amy, and Jose will head up the effort to put on a great festival.
We will also make an effort to replace the XC race with another festival in the fall. Thad is checking on venues to do this and we hope to possibly include camping in the activities.

Also voted to set up a donation effort for Warner Parks in there quest to purchase additional property in the hope that a donation from SORBA would assist us in building relationships for future mountain biking in the park. Carolyn will get with Darryl to set this up.

Joelton trail going well at this point. We are waiting on a community meeting to take place before the okay is given to build trail.

Voted to have 4 of the meeting this year to be open to general membership and interested parties. These meetings will take place in January, April, August, and November and will be posted on the blog site and NMB.

Tryon was voted as the chairman of the Gravity committee.

DSG update: Ergons for first SORBA members to sign up!!

2009-02-10T14:59:00.001-08:00

All,Thanks to all that have signed up and or made a donation to SORBA / IMBA. We are working hard to get this event rolling and have made some good progress on the schwag front. A few highlights:
Misfit Psycles is bringing a taste of The Great White North to the land of Jack and Sweet Lucy. Expect some serious laughs and a chance at a sweet Misfit Dissent Frame for one lucky racer. Check 'em out at: http://www.misfitpsycles.com/
Team Ergon is back with grips for those who jump aboard early. That's right free GP1's for the first 20 SORBA / IMBA Members who sign up for DSG. We've also got an additional 10 grips for those who renew or join SORBA at the big pow wow...oh, and Ergon is throwing a SORBA only raffle for a BD2 pack! http://www.ergon-bike.com/us/index.html
MMMM...Socks. Not just any sock mind you. Swiftwick Socks. The best socks you've ever worn and a TN manufactured product headquartered in Nashvegas is bringing a pair for all racers. Look for more news and some additions to the party to come from Swiftwick. http://www.swiftwick.com/08/
NMB...yep National Mountain Bike.com The site we are currently enjoying is bringing the love to DSG. Mr. Reedly himself has stepped up to sponsor the daytime Fast Lap competition! Being a fast fella himself, Reed is throwing $125 at the fastest male competitor and $125 at the fastest female competitor to smoke up the course at DSG. Thanks Reed!
Now I don't want to get too carried away here, but newly crowned DSG hombre and Director of Race Day Entertainment Tryon F. is working on a couple additions to spice things up at the venue. Rumor is that we are likely to see a PTJ designed pump track before race day. You can also expect a skills course for all you crazy freeridin' nuts out there. Details to follow.
In other venue news, Clay has just completed the new DSG central command center. We've got new digs onsite with the new barn that will be HQ for the event. I've personally seen this thing and believe me it is plush.
Moots is bringing the toys! Not only is Moots offering up that magnificent frame, but they will also be on hand the entire weekend with a stable of Ti bikes for demos on Friday and on race day. Feel free to plan on trying one out. It can be for a partial lap, or even an full lap. Either way, you can rest your own steed and getcha some Ti racing in on a Moot's Demo! http://www.moots.com/ We're just getting started. I'll post more as the news arrives, but you can expect a more great stuff from more of our great partners. The best news of all: This whole party and fat tired love fest is all to benefit SORBA / IMBA. Thanks,Grant

Board Only Meeting, Tuesday Feb. 10th

2009-01-22T20:56:00.001-08:00

We will be having a board only meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 10th. Board members should have received an email with information about the meeting. Please let me know if you cannot attend.
This meeting is to allow the new board to get itself organized for 2009. We will have additonal "Open" meetings as the year progresses for all members to have the opportunity to attend and be heard. These will be posted on the blog and calendar when they are set up. If anyone has anything that needs to be discussed at one of our meetings please feel free to contact me at: president@sorbamidtn.org anytime. Thanks, Kelly

Cotton Mill Workday set for Feb. 21st/22nd

2009-01-19T15:52:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,

The date for the first Cotton Mill (DSG) workday is set for Saturday, Feb. 21st. We will plan to start work at 9am. I will also post a meeting time that morning somewhere in Franklin for those who need to follow us down to Fayetteville.
Clay has offered to furnish some BBQ and Beer for those who attend the workday. We will also be allowed to ride the trail that day if the weather allows.
Lastly, if the weather is condusive to camping, Clay will fire up the bonfire and some of us will be camping there that night and work again the following day.
I will put a post on the NMB message board that anyone can sign up to let us know you plan to attend and if you are interested in camping or not.
You can also email me directly at president@sorbamidtn.org if you would like to respond that way.
Thanks so much and hope to have a great turnout to support the DSG crew who does so much to support us.
Squish

2009-01-17T09:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the bad link, try this one.

http://www.imba.com/nmbp/index.html

2009-01-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow bikers:

I would like to congratulate the newly elected SORBA staff. I look forward to a great year of mountain biking with you, the membership and all other bikers who love our sport. Thank you all for your confidence in me in my new position as well.

Also, I would like to thank the outgoing SORBA board for their hard work and efforts in the past year. Much has been done and secured for future efforts. THANK YOU!

Now, National Mountain Bike Patrol, what is it and how do I find out about it? Check out this link on the IMBA site to learn more about it (http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj101/tva448/bikepatrol.jpg). Darryl Glascock has done a lot of hard work in getting this started in our area. As you may have noticed, the date for the training has changed several times, that has been as much of my fault as it has in getting a venue for which would be adequate for space and conducive for a bunch of mountain bikers wanting to ride their bikes.

I am going to be out of town for about a month, therefore as of now, and this may change, lets cross our fingers, the tentative date for the training will be the weekend of March 7th. Like Darryl has described in the past, it will consist of me conducting CPR/AED/First Aid certification for part of a day, then maybe riding some. Then the second day, Joe Cross who is an IMBA NMBP instructor will be conducting the additional training for Patrol, as well as for the Ambassader program, then ride our bikes some more (because that's what we really want to do).

I think it will be a fun weekend for all and you can get some good training as well. I will try to keep everyone informed about further information.

If anyone is interested or has questions feel free to contact me.

Sorba benefits from DSG and MOOTS

2009-01-15T18:14:00.000-08:00

Check out what Grant Castle let us know at the last Sorba Meeting. He confirmed it today on the NMB message board. Exciting stuff.....

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 15, 2009Moots Cycles Announces Two Year Partnership with Dirt Sweat & Gears12-Hour Race Part of USA Cycling’s 2009 Mountain Bike National Ultra-Endurance Schedule Steamboat Springs, CO (January 15, 2009) – Moots Cycles and Dirt, Sweat & Gears announced today Moots’ two year commitment to sponsor the 2009 and 2010 Dirt, Sweat & Gears 12-hour endurance mountain bike race festival in Fayetteville, TN. Moots crew members will travel the 1,402 miles from their high altitude home in Steamboat Springs, CO to oxygen-rich Fayetteville, TN to partake both as partners and racers in one of the Southeast’s fastest-growing mountain bike events. Scheduled for May 9, 2009, the third annual Dirt Sweat & Gears (DSG) race is on USA Cycling’s Mountain Bike National Ultra-Endurance Calendar. Last year’s DSG event drew 300 competitors from 31 states and Canada, including pros Nat Ross, Tinker Juarez, Josh Tostado, Rebecca Rusch and Pua Sawicki.“Moots is psyched to team up with Dirt Sweat & Gears”, said Rob Mitchell, president of Moots Cycles. “Clay and Grant have created a competitive race environment while maintaining a grassroots flavor that allows all participants to be festive in a close, fun and tight-knit atmosphere. It’s an event we feel mirrors a lot of what Moots is about.” Also known as “The Mountain Bike Shindig”, Dirt, Sweat & Gears is a weekend of activities for competitors, support crew, family, friends and fans. Festivities kick off on Friday, May 8 with a bike-lovers film and the not-to-be-missed 20” wheel nighttime time trial on the infield of the DSG racecourse. Following Saturday morning’s Kiwanis Club’s Sunrise Breakfast, the 12-hour endurance race (aka the “Main Event”) begins promptly at 9:00 am with a LeMans start. Racers will battle one another and the clock for the next 12 hours over the 10+-mile fast, yet challenging course, gaining 1,500 ft. of elevation per lap. Pro Men, Women and Single Speed Open classes will complete for an event-high $11,000 cash purse with equal payouts to both Men and Women of $1500, $1000 and $500 for first, second and third place finishes. Amateurs will pedal for more than $15,000 in prizes. Additionally, Moots has donated a mountain bike frame for the DSG raffle grand prize. Each $10.00 donation equals an opportunity to win the Moots frame with proceeds benefiting SORBA to help in their continuing efforts to provide trail accessibility for the Southeast mountain biking community.“Moots’ pledge allows us to enhance the overall event for 2009 and 2010”, said Clay Higgins, DSG event promoter. “We’re excited to have a company with a rich cycling heritage onboard. We look forward to Moots bringing their one-of-a-kind titanium bikes and Rocky Mountain spirit to Fayetteville. I encourage everyone to come for the race and stay for the weekend!” Festivities continue throughout race day with live music, a vendor village, random prize drawings and a kid’s race. A bonfire, BBQ and awards ceremony will immediately follow completion of the race. Camping and RV spots are available with port-o-lets, running water, trash collection and recycling.Dirt, Sweat & Gears is a 12-hour endurance race and weekend festival in Fayetteville, TN. Now in its third year, the 2009 event is scheduled for May 9. DSG hosts 300+ racers from 31+ states. Pro riders compete for an $11,000 cash purse while amateur racers walk away with over $15,000 in prizes including frames and complete bikes. For more information, visit: http://www.dirtsweatandgears.com/.Moots Cycles, based in Steamboat Springs, CO has been a respected leader in the cycling community for over 28 years. The company is known for hand building the finest quality titanium road, mountain, cross and commuter bikes, select parts and components from its facility in the Rocky Mountains. Moots bikes are enjoyed by cycling enthusiasts worldwide for their unsurpassed ride quality, attention to details and superior craftsmanship. Moots frames and parts are available from high-end specialty bike dealers throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. For more information on Moots, visit: http://www.moots.com/. So here's the deal, go to: http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=7162 Donate $10 to support SORBA / IMBA efforts to Build and Maintain our Trails...and get yourself a chance to win a Moots Frame! One chance for every $10 donation. While you are there, you might as well sign up for DSG as well. BTW, You Do NOT need to be present to win! Thanks,Grant.

We at Sorba really appreciate DSG and Moots for this generous contribution to our club and the cycling community here in Middle Tennessee. We are fortunate to have some great people and companies to work with. We will be doing some workdays soon down at Cotton Mill to show our support for the DSG crew who does so much for us..............Squish

Annual Meeting at Woodmont Christian Church

2009-01-14T18:21:00.000-08:00

Well folks, our first meeting of the year for 2009 was held yesterday at Woodmont Christian Church in Green Hills. This is our annual meeting where all members and guests are invited to attend. We had around 30 people show up and the meeting was a constructive way to start 2009.
The main things that occured was a visit from Tom Sauret who is the Executive Director of Sorba Main. Tom gave a slide show presentation on Sorba and IMBA including some history of the organizations and how they have been blended together in the last year for a lasting future partnership.
Darryl Glascock, our president of the past two years presided over the meeting. Thanks to Darryl for two great years of service to the club. You will be missed in the presidental role but we are glad you are staying on the board with us as trails director.
Many items were briefly discussed during the meeting. The notes taken are as follows:

SORBA Meeting Notes 1/13/09
1. Presentation on IMBA/SORBA, (Tom)
a. Questions
2. DS&G Presentation, (Grant)
a. May 9th, 2009
b. Two year partnership with Moots, (CO) – Title Sponsor
c. SORBA is primary charity
d. SORBA membership asked to sell tickets for raffle (real and online)
3. Projects, (Darryl)
a. Kiosk at trailhead is #1 marketing tool
b. Hamilton Creek
i. Update kiosk – Symbols for difficulty level, better maps
ii. Trail signs
iii. Skills course – near trail head
iv. Manmade elements – Freeride/Gravity
c. Lock 4
i. New kiosk
ii. Possibility of skills course – Possibly in field and woods
iii. Updated signage
d. Monty Bell
i. Trail care group, (IMBA/SORBA)
ii. Possible festival
e. Longhunter
i. Figuring out how to add more milage, some flagging already done
f. Gateway trail – Jolton Youth Center, Davidson Co.
i. 5-6 mile trail, beginner oriented
ii. Existing buildings, need to be renovated
iii. Proposed greenway could possibly connect
g. Committees
i. NMBP
1. Tim Dennis offering free training
2. Darryl trying to set up training dates
ii. Group rides
1. Need leaders
iii. Membership
1. Expanding membership
2. Shop memberships
3. Student membership, (better price)
4. Discussion about possibility of free memberships. Scholarship?
h. Possibility of new trail on Nachez Trace, (Bob)
i. Long (approx. 400 mi) corridor, 500-1000 ft. wide
4. National Park, New trail issue
a. Urging to send letters, (through IMBA.com)
b. Would cut out years of red tape
5. Mammoth Cave, (Steve)
a. New Trail?
6. New board positions seconded and approved by vote
7. Group rides
a. Need consistent rides
b. Ride Coordinator – Patrick Flowers
8. Race director
a. Race Director – Jose Alea
9. Discussion about new trail committees
a. Monty Bell Committee
b. Shutes Branch Committee
i. Steve Capps, Tommy Hatcher
c. Longhunter Committee? (If needed)
10. Need responsible party's for each trail
11. T-DOT Trail and Greenway contract
a. GIS and trail maps, (Bob)
12. Meeting adjourned

We also elected the new board members for 2009. They include: Kelly Benward (President), Carolyn Heichel (Vice President), Tryon Fournier (Secretary), Amy & Scott Walvoord (Membership), Darryl Glascock (Trails), Thad Hoffman (Advocacy), and Tim Dennis (Patrol Coordinator). Thanks to all those who stepped up to take on an exciting 2009.

This blog site and the calendar at the right will hopefully be a means to communicate what's going on with our members. Please check back here often as posts will be published when relevant information needs to be distributed and the calendar will be updated as the new board gets things in place for 2009.

Thanks for checking in here and hope to see everyone on a trail in Middle Tennessee soon.....Squish