SORBA
Encyclopedia
Mountain bike
A mountain bike or mountain bicycle is a bicycle created for off-road cycling. This activity includes traversing of rocks and washouts, and steep declines,...
trails in the Southeast region
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It also promotes mountain bikers' interests, such as access to trails. SORBA is an IMBA Affiliated Organization
International Mountain Bicycling Association
The International Mountain Bicycling Association is a non-profit educational association whose mission is to create, enhance and preserve trail opportunities for mountain bikers worldwide....
.
SORBA is a member-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, officially chartered organization devoted to promoting land access, trail preservation, and new trail development in order to enhance mountain bike touring, racing, fun, and fellowship for all mountain bicyclists in the southeastern United States. They publish the "Fat Tire Times" to keep members informed of important issues, organized rides, work parties, races, socials, festivals, and other events. They hold mountain bike events to raise awareness of land access and trail maintenance, to ride, to race, and to just have fun. Members are entitled to some great things in SORBA.
Chapters
There are some 25 SORBA chapters in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.Paulding SORBA
Paulding SORBA's mission is to promote mountain biking in and around Paulding County, GeorgiaPaulding County, Georgia
Paulding County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 142,324. The county seat is Dallas....
through land access, trail preservation and new trail development. Paulding SORBA employs IMBA's trailbuilding practices to ensure that trails are sustainable and challenging.
SORBA-Chattanooga
The Chattanooga Chapter of SORBA (SORBA-Chattanooga) serves the interests of off-road cyclists in Chattanooga, Tennessee and the surrounding area of Southeast Tennessee. SORBA-Chattanooga works with land managers and policy makers to develop fair and responsible policies governing the use of public lands. The chapter's members have donated thousands of volunteer hours constructing and maintaining mountain bike accessible trails. In 2005, SORBA-Chattanooga was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the United States Department of AgricultureUnited States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
for its active participation in the volunteer trail maintenance program of the Ocoee/Hiwassee District of the Cherokee National Forest
Cherokee National Forest
The Cherokee National Forest is a large National Forest created on July 19, 1936, by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, operated by the U.S. Forest Service and encompassing some 640,000 acres .-Location:...
. More recently, SORBA-Chattanooga volunteers partnered with the Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
to construct trails on Raccoon Mountain. Over 17 miles (27.4 km) of trail have already been constructed and opened the public in this on-going project. SORBA-Chattanooga volunteers have also completed trail expansion and maintenance projects at Booker T. Washington State Park
Booker T. Washington State Park
Booker T. Washington State Park is a situated on the shores of Chickamauga Lake near Chattanooga, Tennessee.-External links:*...
and Harrison Bays State Park and are currently pursuing additional trail opportunities in Hamilton County
Hamilton County, Tennessee
Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It was named for Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury. The 2005 Census Estimate placed the population at 310,935 . Its county seat is Chattanooga....
and Marion County
Marion County, Tennessee
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 27,776. Its county seat is Jasper.Marion County is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
.
SORBA Woodstock
The Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association, Woodstock, GA Chapter (SORBA-W), was formed in March, 2000, by a group of local mountain bikers. SORBA-W was formed in part due to the closure of trails at Boling Park in Canton, GA to off-road cycling. With the mission to preserve, protect, and educate the community, SORBA-W's primary focus has been advocacy, mountain bike trail development, and trail maintenance in Cherokee County. As an extension of the main SORBA organization, SORBA-W also assists with rides, festivals, and the advancement of off-road cycling throughout the southeastern United States.Currently SORBA Woodstock has relationships with local land managers such as the City of Woodstock
Woodstock, Georgia
Woodstock is a city in Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 23,896 at the 2010 census.Originally a stop on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, Woodstock is now considered part of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
, City of Canton
Canton, Georgia
Canton is a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 22,958.-Geography:Canton is located at ....
, Cherokee Recreation and Parks Authority, Department of Natural Resources, Boy Scouts of America, Cherokee County Water Authority, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Allatoona. These relationships provide mountain bikers with opportunities for trail access while protecting the future of existing trails. SORBA-W's primary role is to organize volunteer workers to perform trail layout, design, construction, and maintenance at Blankets Creek.
The Blankets Creek Mountain Bike Trail System in Cherokee County
Cherokee County, Georgia
As of the census of 2000, there were 141,903 people, 49,495 households, and 39,200 families residing in the county. The population density was 335 people per square mile . There were 51,937 housing units at an average density of 123 per square mile...
on Sixes Road (I-575 exit 11), is composed of five trails: Mosquito Flats (Beginner), Mosquito Bite (Beginner plus), Dwelling Loop (Intermediate), South Loop (Advanced) and Van Michael Trail (Advanced). The Dwelling Loop was opened on June 3rd, 2000. The South Loop and Mosquito Flats were opened in the fall of 2003, The newest trails, Mosquito Bite and Van Michael Trail were opened in June 2008. SORBA-W currently has over 280 acres (1.1 km²) set aside at Blankets Creek for trail development.
RAMBO
The Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association, Roswell/Alpharetta, GA Chapter (RAMBO) maintains trails in the Roswell / Alpharetta, GA area. RAMBO is short for Roswell, Alpharetta Mountain Bike Organization, an association of mountain bikers located in the North Atlanta, and a chapter of IMBA/SORBA (Intl Mountain Bike Association/Southern Off Road Bicycle Association).Our goals are to maintain and improve local MTB trails, while enhancing the experience of all levels of mountain bikers... from beginner to hardcore. We are also active in making riders aware of the issues facing us today.
The Big Creek Trail System in Fulton County
Fulton County, Georgia
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Atlanta, the state capital since 1868 and the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
on Old Alabama Road (400 exit 7), is composed of numerous trails from Beginner (Green) to Advanced (Hurts so Good) and a Free Ride Area. The Big Creek Trail System is run in affiliation with the City of Roswell
Roswell, Georgia
Roswell is a city located in northern Fulton County; it is a suburb of northern Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The 2010 Census population was 88,346. It is the eighth largest city in Georgia...
, who owns the land.
TORC
The Triangle Off-Road Cyclists (TORC) is a volunteer organization dedicated to ensuring the future of mountain biking in the Triangle area of North CarolinaThe Triangle (North Carolina)
The Research Triangle, also known as Raleigh-Durham and commonly referred to as simply "The Triangle", is a region in the Piedmont of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by North Carolina State University, Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and cities of...
through the promotion of responsible riding, establishment and maintenance of mountain biking trails, and preservation of North Carolina's natural resources.