IMBA Launching New Campaign, Hosting Rides and Parties at Outerbike Bentonville
The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) is partnering with Outerbike to celebrate its “Dirty 30” anniversary, October 26-28, 2018, in Bentonville, AR. The combined event pairs the country’s premier consumer bike demo and expo with the only national organization dedicated to creating, enhancing and protecting great places to ride. In complement to the daytime Outerbike mountain bike demos, IMBA staff will host guided rides, theme parties, an advocate award ceremony and, on Saturday night, will officially launch IMBA’s guiding vision for its next several years of programming.
The event will celebrate three decades of mountain bike advocacy, education, trail creation and the people who have helped make great rides happen. IMBA will also present on its initiatives to provide more places to ride close to where people live, work and play. Come find out how IMBA will create and catalyze more great mountain biking communities nationwide.
IMBA events include daily rides for all levels of mountain bikers on the Slaughter Pen trails, with routes specially curated by local riders. Options include a women’s ride led by IMBA’s female staff on Friday and a general guided ride on Saturday led by the IMBA team and board members.
Friday night, IMBA, Redbull and Pivot Cycles are teaming up to host a special event—if Outerbike attendees can find it. Curious? Super sleuths should pack their best high tops and jean jackets. Saturday night is the main IMBA Dirty 30 event, where mountain bikers will raise a glass to 30 years of advocacy and honor some of the nation’s top mountain bike champions—as nominated by their peers—and look to a bright future for more access and more progression by investing in more trails close to home. Mountain bikers in Bentonville and around the country can participate in a digital silent auction hosted on Handbid to support more trails close to home, with experience packages including a guided trip along Utah’s White Rim Trail and a weekend trip to Virginia’s Blue Ridge Ride Center.
Registration is available via Outerbike’s website and all ticket price levels include IMBA’s Dirty 30 Saturday night party, although space is limited. The Friday night event does not require Outerbike registration. Complete details can be found here: https://www.imba.com/event/imbas-dirty-30-celebration
Why Northwest Arkansas? Bentonville, a Silver-Level IMBA Ride Center™ (one of 30 in the U.S.), is the perfect place to kick off IMBA’s vision for the future as it represents what can be accomplished when people work together to create accessible and interconnected trail systems within communities. Bentonville is not just a quaint Ozark Mountain town packed with excellent restaurants, art museums and kid-friendly activities, but is a place that has embraced bicycle riding as a lifestyle and an identity—a choice that has brought significant economic benefits. The greater Bentonville and Fayetteville areas have more than 167 miles of trails open to mountain biking.
