IMBA Europe

⚒️ 🚵 One step closer to advancing the trail building sector, as 16 trail building leaders and advocates from across Europe participated in a dynamic mix of classroom instruction and hands-on trail work during the DIRTT Train the Trainer event. Read more below: 👇 https://lnkd.in/dUj4Y-er #IMBAEurope #MountainBiking #advocacy

🚨 🗓️ Mark Your Calendars for 2025 – The IMBA Europe Summit is Returning to Spain! 🚨 🗓️ ✨ We’re thrilled to announce that the 2025 IMBA Europe Summit is heading to MTB Kingdoms Spain, one of Europe’s most exciting mountain biking destinations! From September 16–18, the picturesque town of Boltaña will host this landmark event, surrounded by stunning trails, rich cultural heritage, and a deep commitment to sustainable trail development and regional growth. 📈 🚵♀️ This summit is more than an event—it’s a celebration of mountain biking culture, bringing together passionate riders, advocates, and industry leaders from across Europe to exchange ideas, collaborate, and shape the future of our sport. 🙌 📢 As Jorge Ruiz de Eguilaz from MTB Kingdoms Spain shares:   Bringing the IMBA Europe Summit back to Spain 10 years later is both an honour and a responsibility. We’re excited to showcase our strengths, address challenges, and learn from the best in the mountain biking community. Stay tuned for more updates in January. Read more below: 👇 https://lnkd.in/dprtQsSV #IMBAEurope #MountainBiking #advocacy

Right trail in the right place! The recent European Trail Building sector survey reveals that 80% of European trail builders have worked on flow trails in the past two years, highlighting their popularity in attracting new mountain bikers. However, relying solely on flow trails risks disengaging riders as they progress. Mountain biking thrives on diversity, and one trail type doesn’t suit everyone. DIRTT emphasizes sustainability through its “right trail in the right place” approach. This means creating trails that balance environmental care, social value, and long-term economic viability. By tailoring trails to specific environments and community needs, trail building fosters harmony between riders and nature. To meet the diverse needs of the trail community, DIRTT has introduced four trail-building levels: Rake-and-Ride, Hand Built, Machine Built, and Engineered. These levels provide a shared framework for understanding and planning trails, encouraging thoughtful decisions that support sustainable and inclusive mountain biking experiences. Read the full article and videos explaining the build levels on the IMBA Europe webpage. 📹: @cutmedia Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland Tom Cole 📸: Paul Arthur Lockhart 🎨 Jim Clarkson The videos were created by Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland with funding from the UK Government's Community Renewal Fund. —————— DIRTT-partners: IMBA Europe, Município de Águeda, Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland, Opplysningskontoret for Terrengsykling, Edinburgh Napier University, Bikeplan, trail.foundation, DGI, @Trailtools.eu, Agrupamento de Escolas de Águeda Sul (AEAS) and project coordinator Fagskolen i Viken https://lnkd.in/drdb_z6z

🚵♂️ How Mountain Biking Can Benefit from Supporting the PATH COP29 Petition 🚵♂️ 🗣 Mountain biking isn't just a sport—it has the potential to be a key part of the active transport ecosystem that promotes health, sustainability, and environmental stewardship. By signing the PATH (The Partnership for Active Travel and Health) #COP29 petition, mountain bike organisations can help push for stronger policies that support safer, more accessible cycling infrastructure, encourage active transportation options, and connect people with nature through mountain biking infrastructure.🏘 🌲 🌍 More than 280 NGOs, including IMBA Europe, have signed the PATH coalition, which urges national governments to prioritise sustainable modes of transport as part of their climate commitments. 📢 If you are working for an NGO and haven’t signed on for the PATH coalition, we encourage you to take a few minutes out of your day to support this important initiative. Add your logo and help amplify the message here below: 👇 https://lnkd.in/dRgH2KRp #IMBAEurope #MountainBiking #advocacy

🤝 IMBA Europe x SHIMANO 🤝 We are thrilled to announce a three-year partnership with Shimano Europe Group! The collaboration aims to enhance sustainable trail management and further development of the European MTB Sector through advocacy and education. IMBA Europe will leverage its expertise for Shimano’s transformative Trail Born Fund to improve riding options in Europe. Another important pillar of the partnership will be Shimano’s support for the DIRTT.eu Program to ensure that it will be recognized as a European-wide, certified trail builder program. We want to thank Ties van Dijk for his amazing work coordinating Shimano's mountain biking advocacy efforts. For more information, click the link below: https://lnkd.in/dxKB7SFY #IMBAEurope #Shimano #MountainBiking #advocacy

Big day on the digital-hangs aka cycling industry information sharing and expanding connections yesterday (key to getting back to growth & making cycling accessible for all) 💥 Breakfast - Watopia with a few of my friends from my Zwift Racing League days 🙌🏻 Lunch - Cycling Industries Europe Women in Cycling monthly meet 💜 Afternoon tea (!) - SHIFT Active Media’s Media Week - Session 1 with StackAdapt 👌(📸 finally at this point I just get to enjoy the content and learn 🧠) Dinner - Being a guest speaker at the IMBA Europe Women in MTB Networking Meeting 🤝 Feel lucky to be part of so many communities in our industry, all pushing to drive us forward together - we’ve come a long way in just 12 months. Onwards 🚀 2025, let’s grow again.

⏰ Reminder: European Women in Mountain Biking Network Meeting Tonight! ⏰ 😎 We are super stoked to welcome Rachael Burnside from SHIFT Active Media as our guest speaker at our network meeting, who will introduce the Uplift mentoring program, as this meeting will explore the relevance of mentorship in mountain biking, for example, advancing women’s qualifications in guiding and coaching. Rachael will also share insights on transferable skills in the cycling industry that can be equally relevant for seasoned professionals and newcomers, who have just started their journey in the cycling world. Please find the Zoom meeting (20:00 CET) below 👇: https://lnkd.in/dmkmmvzT #IMBAEurope #MountainBiking #advocacy #WomeninSports

💫Join Us for an Inspiring Session with Rachael Burnside from Uplift! ⚡💡 🤗 We’re excited to welcome Rachael Burnside from SHIFT Active Media as our guest speaker at the next meeting of the European Women in Mountain Biking Network. Details about the meeting are below. 👇 Rachael will introduce Uplift, a transformative mentorship program focused on advancing women in the cycling industry by connecting them with experienced mentors. Uplift provides critical guidance and support, empowering women to gain the skills and confidence to progress within the field. This meeting will explore the relevance of mentorship in mountain biking, for example, advancing women’s qualifications in guiding and coaching. Could mentorship be the key to helping more women reach top-level certifications, ultimately positioning them as tutors, trainers, and assessors? Rachael will also share insights on transferable skills in the cycling industry. Whether you’re a newcomer or seeking a career change, you’ll learn about in-demand skills and how to develop them to unlock diverse career paths beyond traditional roles like engineering or brand marketing. 📅 When: 4th of November 20:00 CET 📍 Where: Zoom, sign up to the mailing list for a meeting link below: https://lnkd.in/dt2fvJzP #WomensWednesday #IMBAEurope #MountainBiking #advocacy

🧀 Say cheese! Fantastic to bring our team together for a 3-day long work trip to Valkenburg, discussing work plans for 2025 and beyond (with lots of Vlaai). 🚵♂️ The trip included a visit to the Shimano Europe Group Experience Center too to allow us to geek out about bicycles in person, and then later the lovely weather allowed us to explore the region and put Mark Torsius on a gravel bike for the first time ever! ⚡The whole team feels more energized, and we can’t wait to continue our work with our members and partners in the coming months. Stay up to date with our work by subscribing to our newsletter below: https://lnkd.in/d3nugcw9 #IMBAEurope #MountainBiking #advocacy

🧒 “We strive to ensure that people have great experiences on bicycles. Especially with kids, seeing that they have a great experience bicycle touring can contribute to fostering a life-long love of cycling among the next generation.” 🚴♂️ Listen to our advocacy officer Hans Stoops' interview with Warmshowers.org Foundation, where he talks about how hosting other cyclists contributed to his understanding of the needs of those we work for. #IMBAEurope #advocacy #MountainBiking #cyclingtourism https://lnkd.in/dEGBz84F