Trail Heroes campaign to support 4 local trail crews

The Trail Heroes fundraising campaign was launched to support a number of local trail crews that joined IMBA’s Take Care or Your Trails Weekend. In total, the TCoYTW campaign mobilized 114 groups from 12 European countries to work on their local trails. More than 1640 volunteers were registered, a growth of +35% compared to the 1st European edition of TCoYTW in 2017.First of all, we want to thank all volunteers for their unbridled efforts. Local engagement of the mountain bike community is essential for the future of our sport and trail associations and trail crews are a key ingredient to work on something that’s difficult to define but super important; mountain bike culture.With great support of Specialized Bicycles and SRAM that pushed the Trail Heroes campaign and provided two awesome prizes, we’re glad to announce that four local volunteer groups will receive a supporting grant of €500,- and a Builder’s Shape Tool provided by Velosolutions Germany/Austria. Worth mentioning is that the staff of Specialized France hosted their own TCoYTW trail maintenance session this year, thumbs up![[{“fid”:”1133″,”view_mode”:”media_responsive”,”fields”:{“format”:”media_responsive”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false},”link_text”:null,”type”:”media”,”field_deltas”:{“9”:{“format”:”media_responsive”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false}},”attributes”:{“height”:453,”width”:680,”class”:”media-element file-media-responsive”,”data-delta”:”9″}}]]All people that made a donation of €10 or more made a chance on winning a Specialized Enduro S-works frame or SRAM GX Eagel groupset. Individual winners of the raffle were announced  at the 3rd round of the Enduro World Series in France.Featured trail groups & projects The following groups will receive a Trail Heroes supporting grantBikeBerninaTweed Valley Trails AssociationValceresio BikeASD Maglia NeraBikeBernina ASDBikeBernina’s  goal is to promote and encourage the use of the trails with mountain bikes and to increase the travel between the towns with environmentally friendly means of transport. To achieve their goals, the group works together with e.g. the national Alpine Association, several municipalities in the Sondrio mountain area, the Forest Fire Service and Department of civil protection.  Besides restoring old trails and creating new connection routes between the different towns in the the vally, BikeBernina is currently cooperating with primary schools in the ‘la magia della bicicletta’project which stands for the magic of the bike. This project involves 125 children from 3 to 5 years old attending 5 different primary schools. The children learn how to ride and later to enjoy the trails in the valley.  The Trail Heroes grant will help BikeBernina to continue its mission of building and restoring trails and to develop and increase the mountain bike school and its promotional activities. [[{“fid”:”1129″,”view_mode”:”media_responsive”,”fields”:{“format”:”media_responsive”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false},”link_text”:null,”type”:”media”,”field_deltas”:{“5”:{“format”:”media_responsive”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false}},”attributes”:{“height”:510,”width”:680,”class”:”media-element file-media-responsive”,”data-delta”:”5″}}]]Tweed Valley Trails AssociationThe Tweed Valley Trails Association is a registered Scottish Charity set up by local mountain biking enthusiasts to help sustain and manage the trail network across the whole of the Tweed Valley Forest Park. From the original idea born out of a pub meeting in 2015 to reaching official charity status in late 2017 a core of keen locals have come together with the intention to build upon and improve what is already a nationally if not world renowned MTB venue, inspired by other international trail groups we are the first of our kind in the UK.  The hand crafted trails in the Tweed Valley are no secret and have hosted multiple local, national and international races and combined with the already established 7 stanes network provide something for every skill level, style and taste of mountain biker. We want to see this network survive and bring benefits to local riders, business, community groups and visitors alike. The TVTA’s purpose is to maintain and improve the mountain bike trail network in the Tweed Valley.The group aims to enhance the experience of mountain bikers in the valley and visiting the area by making the trails safe and sustainable into the future. We plan to do this by having safe, marked and maintained bike trails, across the the valley. The Trail Heroes grant will help train more people in trail inspection and maintenance and access more materials that would enable more people to get involved in dig days.[[{“fid”:”1130″,”view_mode”:”media_responsive”,”fields”:{“format”:”media_responsive”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false},”link_text”:null,”type”:”media”,”field_deltas”:{“6”:{“format”:”media_responsive”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false}},”attributes”:{“height”:314,”width”:500,”class”:”media-element file-media-responsive”,”data-delta”:”6″}}]]Valceresio Bike A.S.D.The Valceresio Bike association was founded in 2012 and has worked in close partnership with the local municipality and mountain community from then on. Mountain biking in the ‘valley of the cherry trees’ is an active tool in the revaluation of the area that has otherwise been handed over to itself. The Valceresio valley stretches between Varese and Lake Lugano.Part of the objectives of this trail association is to work on greater awareness of the region where they live and sharing values such as teamwork and friendship while building and maintaining trails and engaging the next generation by promoting a cycling school for children.The Trail Heroes grant will enable the group to upgrade there trail tools and improve trail signage along the paths. Valceresio Bike is also planning a sort of trail building school for people that just love to be in nature and have no experience with mountain biking. This way, a more diverse group of people will get familiar with the principle of give back to trails broader group becomes familiar with the principle of give back to trails.[[{“fid”:”1131″,”view_mode”:”media_responsive”,”fields”:{“format”:”media_responsive”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false},”link_text”:null,”type”:”media”,”field_deltas”:{“7”:{“format”:”media_responsive”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false}},”attributes”:{“height”:510,”width”:680,”class”:”media-element file-media-responsive”,”data-delta”:”7″}}]]ASD Maglia NeraASD Maglia Nera was among the first associations in their regional area to understood the importance of the culture of maintenance and sharing of the path, intended as a resource for the development of the local community and not as a pure playground. The ‘black jersey’ group started to reach out to the local municipalities to improve information and communication with other users and to maintain the paths and trails they usually ride. Right now, the association counts around 60 members, joined IMBA Italia and is also responsible for the Matadown, a gravity orientated event in the border region of Italy, Slovenia and Austria.The Trail Heroes grant will help the group to make the 12.5 km long path named CAI 749 or Matajur more sustainable. This applies in particular to a number of steeper segments.The Matajur trail has been mentioned as one of Trailguide’s favorite singletracks for 2018 and can be found at the border of Slovenia and Italy.[[{“fid”:”1132″,”view_mode”:”media_responsive”,”fields”:{“format”:”media_responsive”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false},”link_text”:null,”type”:”media”,”field_deltas”:{“8”:{“format”:”media_responsive”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false}},”attributes”:{“height”:453,”width”:680,”class”:”media-element file-media-responsive”,”data-delta”:”8″}}]]Individual winners Trail Heroes raffleAll people that made a donation of €10,- or more during the campaing periode were eligilbe for the Trail Heroes raffle ánd supported the above mentioned trail projects. The lucky winners are:Specialized Epic S-works frame: Livio Lacitignola (CH) SRAM GX Eagle group set: Vincent Lastennet (FR)Take Care of Your Trails 2019The concept of IMBA Europe’s Take Care of Your Trails campaign will slightly change for 2019. Participating groups are helped with a bit more flexibility in terms of when they could plan their trail work events. Instead of focussing on one or two particular weekends, the 2019 campaign will be spread over a full month. Start and end date are not determined yet but will be announced through IMBA Europe’s communication channels anytime soon.  IMBA Europe thanks SRAM, Specialized, Enduro World Series, Velosolutions Germany/Austria, WTB Europe and Primal Europe for supporting the Take Care of Your Trails campaign  [[{“fid”:”125″,”view_mode”:”media_responsive”,”fields”:{“format”:”media_responsive”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false},”link_text”:null,”type”:”media”,”field_deltas”:{“3”:{“format”:”media_responsive”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false}},”attributes”:{“height”:47,”width”:130,”class”:”media-element file-media-responsive”,”data-delta”:”3″}}]][[{“fid”:”143″,”view_mode”:”media_responsive”,”fields”:{“format”:”media_responsive”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false},”link_text”:null,”type”:”media”,”field_deltas”:{“4”:{“format”:”media_responsive”,”alignment”:””,”field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]”:false,”field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]”:false}},”attributes”:{“height”:47,”width”:154,”class”:”media-element file-media-responsive”,”data-delta”:”4″}}]]