Cambr Spring 2021 Newsletter
CAMBr News – Spring 2021Spring is a week away and daylight savings has sprung. The days will continue to get longer, and we look forward to all the additional riding this will bring! I know that everyone, including myself, is itching to get out on the singletrack, but please be patient. Check the trail indicator at www.cambr.org before heading out to the trails. A tremendous amount of damage can be done to the trails and surrounding vegetation if they are ridden when muddy. At this time of year, you could be prepping your base with some long slow rides. If the singletrack is wet, try heading out on a paved trail to train and put in some extra miles.
One important key to trail maintenance is ensuring that water sheds off the trail. This avoids damage to the surrounding vegetation and helps the trails dry quicker, allowing for more riding during the season. CAMBr volunteers will start trail maintenance as soon as possible under the guidance of the land managers. Trail workdays will be listed on the CAMBr Calendar.
There is a lot of work that goes into maintaining and keeping trails in good condition. Chicago trails have a tremendous amount of traffic per mile compared to other trail systems and a clay-based soil that maintains moisture if saturated. Small issues with trails can become large problems very quickly. This creates poor riding conditions and may raise questions from land managers. Our trail crews do a fantastic job addressing issues. Please help them keep our trails more rideable during the season by checking the trail status indicator before heading out to ride at www.cambr.org.
2021 CAMBr Spring Raffle
One of the primary fund-raising activities for CAMBr is the Spring and Summer raffles. This spring we are raffling a Pivot Trail 429 (Courtesy of Main Street Bicycles), a Giant Trance X29 3 (Courtesy of Main Street Bicycles), and a RaceFace Aeffect R Dropper Post (Courtesy of Village CycleSport). There will be a cash alternative should the bike not be available at the time of the draw. Tickets can be purchased at https://cambr.rallyup.com/spring2021. The money raised goes directly towards maintaining and building new trails for the community to ride. Your participation is appreciated as it helps us maintain our trail systems and build new trails.
ORGANIZATION UPDATE
There are a few new individuals volunteering in CAMBr leadership positions beginning this year and we are all looking forward to maintaining and developing new trail systems throughout the Chicagoland area. We have met as a team and discussed many great ideas. We discussed making some technology updates so that CAMBr can better reach the local mountain biking community. The CAMBr website, over time, should become an asset that will include benefits for our members and provide a home to the mountain biking community. Our leadership team will be creating a comprehensive marketing strategy which will include goals and benchmarks for success that the organization will strive for, and be accountable to.
The CAMBr Core (main board)[GU2] will focus on building the strategic direction for the organization, developing new trail systems, grant management, fund raising, providing guidance to the regions, technical infrastructure, membership, and marketing. Board members overseeing the CAMBr Regions will focus on maintaining and developing existing trail systems, working with the land managers, coordinating volunteers, events, and raising funds for their trail systems.
COVID UPDATE & PALOS MELTDOWN
2020 was a tough year for our community. As you know, most of our events were cancelled due to COVID. As more of the population gets vaccinated, we hope to get our community going again by starting group rides and having organized events. CAMBr will do so responsibly and within guidelines. We are working on putting a consolidated calendar together which will have all future workdays and events located in one easy to find place.
Since 2006, the Palos Meltdown has been a gathering of the local mountain bike community and we were looking forward to this year’s event. Unfortunately, the Palos Meltdown will not take place in 2021. There were multiple factors involved: from the uncertainty of COVID, the question of mass gatherings being allowed, to not being able to reserve the parking lots ahead of time. After discussions with the Race Committee, Forest Preserve District of Cook County, and the CAMBr Board, the decision was made to postpone the event for a second year in a row. The 2022 Palos Meltdown will be held on August 6-7, 2022.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
CAMBr is actively discussing and planning additional trail systems across the Chicagoland area. We aim to provide multiple riding options within a reasonable distance from your home. Acquiring new trail systems requires delicate negotiations with land managers and the perception of the mountain biking community plays a large role that influence decisions. Please help us help you. Our land managers monitor social media, check Strava to see where you are riding, and check the conditions of our trails. Let us show them just how incredible the mountain biking community in the Chicagoland area truly is and how much we care for, and appreciate, the trail systems we ride.
Ride on.
Mike