November Bike Auctions will Benefit IMBA’s Core Programming
Throughout the month of November, Niner Bikes, Kona Bicycles and The Pro’s Closet are collaborating to support The International Mountain Bicycling Association’s (IMBA) vision that everyone has access to great trails. The Pro’s Closet is hosting auctions for another spectacular set of Niner’s custom-painted IMBA bikes in the RIP 9 RDO model, as well as auctioning off a Team Replica Kona Operator CR. All auction proceeds will directly benefit IMBA programming.
“We love to see mountain bike trails be as common as ballfields. That’s a very tall goal but it would be great if most communities had trails right in their backyards,” said IMBA Executive Director Dave Wiens. “We’re grateful for the support of Niner, Kona and The Pro’s Closet to help further our work of bringing more trails close to home in communities across the country.”
Auction proceeds will benefit IMBA’s core programming, including Trail Labs and Trail Accelerator grants. Both programs accelerate the pace of trail building, first by educating community stakeholders on trail planning and creation, then by giving communities an initial boost to get great trail projects started. To date, Trail Labs have worked with 162 representatives from 35 states and seven countries, and more than 50 communities have applied for a Trail Accelerator grant. The next Trail Lab will be held in April 2020 and the latest round of Trail Accelerator grant recipients will be announced in January 2020.
“Since I began this company more than a decade ago, Niner has been a staunch supporter of IMBA,” said Chris Sugai, founder and president of Niner Bikes. “From ‘Day 1,’ our mission has been to make riding on dirt better, period. One of the ways we do that is by advocating for places to ride. We’re committed to dirt, in every sense of the phrase.”
This latest edition in a longstanding tradition of one-of-a-kind Niner RIP 9 RDO frames were designed by Niner Senior Graphic Designer Nate Adams and painted by Spectrum Paint and Powder Works. They come assembled with parts donated by IMBA supporters including SRAM, FSA, Maxxis and Ergon. Three frames are available for bidding in The Pro’s Closet eBay store, one each in small, medium and large. Bidding runs November 11–17. Read more about the custom IMBA Niners on the Niner blog.
“IMBA and Kona were both founded in 1988, and have always been closely aligned in our collective goals for mountain biking. We both want to make our sport accessible for everyone by working with land managers, and encourage it to grow by working with regional groups to build positive change at the local level. Dave Wiens and the IMBA team deserve the support of the bicycle industry and mountain bikers everywhere. United, we are making our sport stronger,” said Jacob Heilbron, owner of Kona Bicycles.
The Kona Operator CR was designed with input from Kona athlete Connor Fearon to become the ultimate downhill racehorse. The size large Team Replica Kona Operator CR available for auction comes complete with a carbon frame, RockShox suspension, a full SRAM X01 drivetrain, SRAM Code RSC brakes, a Deity cockpit and 29” carbon We Are One wheels laced to Chris King hubs. Read more about the Team Replica Kona Operator CR on the Kona blog. Bidding for the Kona Operator CR opens November 17 and will run through November 24.
The bike auctions are being hosted by The Pro’s Closet. While The Pro’s Closet is no longer focusing on the eBay store model, they graciously offered to help Niner, Kona and IMBA broadcast the story and host the auction. See The Pro’s Closet blog for more information.
IMBA thanks Niner Bikes, Kona Bicycles and The Pro’s Closet for their creative support to get more riders stoked on bikes and on trails, while helping grow the quantity and quality of mountain bike trail communities. If the bike auction offerings aren’t quite right for you, please consider donating directly to IMBA. You can also contact IMBA about other ways to partner on creating, enhancing and protecting great places to ride mountain bikes.
The auction for the Kona Operator runs November 17 through 24.
