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| IMBA Resources: Success Stories: DORBA Proves Urban Trail Access Works |
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Mountain bikers are notorious for their lack of skill - and even disdain - for ball sports. Mention to a mountain bike advocate that you're watching a mainstream-sporting event on the boob tube, and you're likely to get a scornful "HRMFFF!" as a response.
Strange then that one of the best IMBA clubs in the country hails from a ball sport capital of the world: Dallas. Yup, Big-D, the home of "America's Team" the Dallas Cowboys, perennial superstar hockey team the Dallas Stars and the revitalized Texas Rangers is also home to one of the most ball-sports challenged conglomerates around, the Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association.
Maybe it's an act of rebellion from big-haired, pom-pom wielding cheerleaders, but whatever the reason, the Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association, or DORBA as they are more commonly known, is one of the best and biggest clubs in the world.
Everything in Texas is big, and DORBA is no exception. According to club president Cindy Bradley, DORBA is the "largest metroplex mountain bike club in the U.S." DORBA, which was founded in 1988, has 780 paid annual members.
What's the key to their sizeable membership base? DORBA relies on three main tools: word of mouth, bike shop promotion and a regular ride schedule.
"We host group rides every Wednesday night, including "no-drop" rides," said Bradley. "The no-drop rides are key to getting new folks involved. They diminish the dividing line between new people and existing folks."
The group also provides regular beginner clinics. "If your club can host beginner clinics it makes you much more approachable," said Bradley.
"We find clubs that focus strictly on advocacy or trailwork have trouble maintaining members," said IMBA advocacy manager Dan Vardamis. "DORBA has done an excellent job balancing fun activities with the more nitty-gritty work. The one unifying bond we all have is that we like to mountain bike, and it's crucial that clubs don't forget this when planning activities."
Of course, having one of the largest clubs in the country pays definite dividends for Dallas-area mountain bikers: lots of trails to ride. The club is steward to 18 trails, or more than 150 miles of singletrack, all of which is open to cyclists. During the past 16 years, DORBA has built and maintained hundreds of miles of trail. DORBA gives back in a big way - members of the club complete 5,400 hours of volunteer trailwork annually.
DORBA's success is particularly unique because it's taken place in an urban area - zones where access is usually contentious and limited. Yet DORBA has built a very solid relationship with major land agencies in the area, including the Army Corps of Engineers and state parks, thanks to their awesome trailwork.
"We get requests all the time from land managers and private land owners who want our help building and maintaining trail," said Bradley "We're seen as a group that gives back to the community. We've become a valuable resource."
"DORBA is a great example of a club that has taken the time to build relationships with land managers," said Vardamis. "This has definitely helped them circumvent typical urban access issues."
DORBA has a new focus and challenge today. Heavy rains decimated one of the most popular Dallas riding areas, Cedar Hill State Park, in July. "The summer of 2004 was the 500 year flood," said Bradley. "The trails got totally trashed. All the club's focus is now on repairing the damage."
This massive repair effort takes volunteers. DORBA is always looking for more people to get involved. To find out when the next DORBA meeting or ride is visit www.dorba.org
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