| | | Fall is the perfect season to hit the trails, and gives ideal conditions for trailbuilding and maintenance. |
|
| Summer Highlights: Summer Social |
|
| Normally, each summer we scramble to put together a trail day. Sprockids might need drainage work, or B&K might need dirt work, but with bone dry soil digging and packing dirt is fruitless. Raking is always good…but not for a 3 hour long event! And it’s HOT- who volunteers for manual labour in 28 degree weather? So, this year we changed it up. We turned our summer trail day into a Group Ride + Social. And it was a hit! Between a chiller group shuttle and an advanced group ride we really made the most of this summer day. Big thank you to Matt for grilling up some delicious sausages in the park for the after party. |
|
|
|
|
| | | We’ve had such fun connecting with riders this summer. Thank you to everybody who joined our group rides and socials this summer. With waning daylight and unpredictable rains, we’ve decided to put group rides on pause. There are a couple more group rides on the Event Calendar before we wrap up! We hope you’ve learned some new trails and met some riding buddies keep up with over the fall and winter.
The CMBTA supported Cider Riders ride series based out of West Sechelt grew to a group of consistently over 20 riders this summer, with two skill groups each week. Big thanks to Elphi Cycles and Brickers Cider for supporting the ride as well as a special shout out to the volunteers who stepped up to lead groups! Cider Riders is over for this year and will be up and running again next May. |
|
| | | | Board Renewal - New Directors Wanted During our Annual General Meeting in December, CMBTA Directors get elected. Many of these seats don’t change as longterm volunteers step up again and again to keep this organization moving forwards. With a maximum of 12 directors and only 10 filled seats in 2026, we have empty seats in 2027 available for committed volunteers. Becoming a Director of the CMBTA means committing yourself to one full year of volunteering in the biking community. It’s a rewarding role for a motivated individual who’s up for both boots-on-the-ground trail work and behind-the-scenes administrative work. As a Director you’ll attend board meetings to understand organization goals and make decisions for the future, plan and execute crucial trail maintenance days, communicate with builders, sponsors, donors and local businesses, host group rides, fundraise for future projects, work to further trail sanctioning on the Sunshine Coast, organize and participate in trail stewardship initiatives, and much more. Does this sound up your alley? If you think you would be a good fit, or have skills you would like to share with us, please get in contact. |
|
| Want to become more involved with the CMBTA? Get in touch about volunteering for a group ride! Come out to a trail maintenance day! Ways you can help look after our trail network and rider community: Clear fallen debris off of trails you are using Stay off the trails when they’re muddy to prevent deep ruts from forming Follow trail etiquette, and be respectful of fellow riders
Big thank you to all of our volunteers! Our trail networks span far and wide, and our community is growing. |
|
| | | | |
| New shirts are in stock! We’ve got adults heather-red, purple, grey, and green, and kids sizes in red and green. Want one? Send us an email to info@cmbta.ca with your order and we’ll hook you up! Etransfer or cash payment, and we’ll coordinate pickup at Elphicycles. |
|
| | | September 27, Gibsons/Langdale |
|
|
|
|
On Saturday, September 27, more than 40 volunteers showed up to give the Langdale Lunge some fall love. Mountain bikers, trail runners and hikers worked side by side from the top of the Lunge down to Langdale Creek and back up the other side, and then along the main route down to the ferry terminal. The to-do list: clearing drainage, brushing back the corridor, general cleanup, and moving dirt to rebuild tread along the main line. With a crew that size, we got through all of it, and the trails are looking better than ever. The drainage work came at just the right time. Clear ditches and working drainage now mean less erosion and fewer puddles once the fall rains settle in. This network gets used by all kinds of trail users, and it was great to see runners, hikers and riders all pitching in on the trails they share.
Rakes Down, World Cup On
The trail day landed on the same weekend as the first ever Whistler World Cup Downhill, so once the tools were put away we headed to Tapworks Brewing for a watch party. The whole room was pulling for our own Gracey Hemstreet, and she did not disappoint. Racing on home dirt, she clawed back time through the bottom of the track and finished second, just a third of a second off the win. It was a nail-biter of a run and a proud moment for Canadian mountain biking. Plenty of cheering, plenty of catching up, and a great way to cap off a day of hard work.
Thank You, Tapworks A huge thank you to our long-time sponsor Tapworks Brewing, who not only sponsored the trail day but also put out appies and a free drink for everyone who came out to dig and rake. Tapworks has backed the CMBTA for years, and that support makes days like this possible. Next time you're in, let them know you appreciate it.
Huge thank you to our sponsors and to all the volunteers who show up and get their hands dirty!
Check out our events calendar for upcoming trail days. |
|
| | | New Signboard in Sprockids 
Since the Sprockids Climb Trail was completed in 2024, users have preferred the lower parking lot for better access. Unfortunately trail signage and park rules weren’t visible at this access - until now! This summer the CMBTA team erected a sign kiosk showcasing an up-to-date trail map, an overview of park rules and etiquette, and a community bulletin board. On your next hike or ride in Sprockids, check out the kiosk. Please leave any helpful notes on the bulletin board: this is a great space to tell other users if you came across a wasps nest or downed tree, lost or found an item, or have a cool riding/recreation event upcoming! |
|
| | Communal Rakes
Inspired by QRCA’s Project Leaf Rake, we have added two Communal Rakes to Sprockids Park. Community participation is a huge and we are grateful for everyone who volunteers time to look after our trails. The Communal Rake is our way to invite users of Sprockids Park to take part in stewardship. The idea is simple: if you come across the rake and have some time to spare, rake a small section of trail, then leave the Communal Rake off to the side of the trail where it is visible.
Tips for Raking like a Pro: aim to clear debris such as small pebbles and pinecones without scarring the earth beneath on berms, rake from the inner/lower edge, up and over the outter/upper edge to preserve the shape of the berm rake debris completely off to the side of the trail keep drainage trenches clear of debris
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Rock and Roots Summer Camp |
|
|
Schoolz Out is one of the quieter trails at Sprockids, and this summer it became a classroom. Campers who signed up for Rock and Roots' optional trail building program spent their afternoons there with Rock and Roots coach and builder Peter Brampton and local builder Rob Warren, learning to read a trail, understand why it rides the way it does, and then change it. They came away with some finished features, some smoothing work on the tread, and a series of graduated drops built into a section that had gone unridden. The graduated drops are just an example of the idea here, which is the same feature at several levels of difficulty, so a rider working up their nerve and a rider ready to push can session the same spot and each find a line that suits them. Kids spent time in the outdoors digging, building, and learning about how mountain bike trails are conceived and built and riders who have moved the dirt themselves come back reading terrain earlier and picking better lines. This is the beginning rather than the end. Rock and Roots and the CMBTA will keep working on Schoolz Out as a youth-led trail aimed at riders new to mountain biking, a place to learn hard skills in a controlled setting before meeting them somewhere less forgiving. Thanks to Peter and Rob, and to every camper who spent an afternoon making it happen. |
|
| | | |
|
|
|
|
| Membership Transparency Thank you for your support! Your support through being an annual member is what allows us to do what we do. The more members we have, the bigger our voice! If your membership has lapsed, or you’re not a member yet, we hope you will consider being a part of the CMBTA. If you’re not sure if you’re a member, or you have trouble with the signup process, reach out and we’ll help you get set up. Membership numbers give us a bigger voice when it comes to trail advocacy and liaising with local government and industry. Membership dues are our main source of income which in turn gets used to support local trail builders, purchase tools and materials, and support CMBTA events. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
