Phillip Barron
The Herald Sun
March 23rd, 2006
DURHAM — Many mountain bikers love their sport so much they look for ways to give something back.
Week after week, some volunteers dig in the dirt; they build the trails we all love to ride. Sweet singletrack doesn’t grow like kudzu, after all.
Some volunteer to attend meetings and hash out memoranda of understanding with land owners and property managers. Without these tireless lobbyists, we’d have no place to build trails.
Some organize beginner workshops to bring new riders into the fold. Some host races.
And skilled Triangle mountain bikers with an interest in helping other riders one-on-one just gained another way to give something back to their sport.
The Triangle Off-Road Cyclists (TORC) has the newest chapter of the Mountain Bike Patrol.
The Mountain Bike Patrol is a collective of volunteers focusing on education, safety, and peer assistance. Soon, you’ll see members patrolling local trails in their green and yellow jerseys. Proficient in first-aid for both people and bikes, patrol members are trained both to respond to emergencies and just to represent the sport in a positive light.
The International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) supports more than 60 volunteer patrol groups in the U.S. and around the world. TORC’s is one of the newest.
Daniel Elzey, IMBA’s southeast regional Patrol coordinator, says “I see the Bike Patrol as probably one of the greatest assets to advocacy work. Patrol members are out on the trails providing a presence for the local club/organization, they are primarily out there to help new bikers find their way around, to provide advice and experienced insight, as well as emergency medical care if needed.”
“I like helping people, and I love the mountain bike community,” says Spencer Horn of Garner. “Now having completed the training, I’m very excited to get started.”
Mark Smith, who’s heading up TORC’s new Mountain Bike Patrol chapter, envisions Patrol members working closely with land managers to be the “eyes and ears on local trails when park managers are unable to observe” the trails in their area.
Local response has been positive. Drew Cade, Park Manager at Lake Crabtree County Park, is excited about working with the Mountain Bike Patrol. He thinks having volunteers on the 5+ miles of trails will be a big help.
You’ll see the yellow-and-green-clad ambassadors of the sport out on local trails sometime this spring, says Smith. And when you do see them, whether there’s an emergency or not stop and say hello. The Patrol is out there for you.
If you ask Patrol members about the rules of a particular trail, about the reasons to wear helmets, or about trail riding etiquette in general, they’ll be happy to talk. But don’t expect them correct anyone’s behavior or kick anyone off trail. The Mountain Bike Patrol leaves law enforcement to the local park managers.
If you’re a skilled mountain biker with an interest in helping others, think about joining TORC’s chapter of the Mountain Bike Patrol.
What do patrol members get in return for their service? Elzey sums it up saying “I think being active in the Bike Patrol instills a sense of stewardship of the land and the trail in much the same way that building and maintaining a trail does. Besides, there’s nothing more rewarding than spreading the love of the bicycle.”
See TORC’s website for contact information.
http://www.torc-nc.org