Category: Uncategorized

Nov 09 2011 November 9, 2011 November 11, 2011 by Austin Fenwick

Jake and Jenny want to meet you, come out to the Trail Care Crew Visit!

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*For those of you going, “Where are the Brunswick Brawl Results already?!?!” they are up and ready to be downloaded for your viewing pleasure. You can download them here:Brunswick Brawl Results PDF  Photos are up now to! They are available here: Brunswick Brawl Photos*

 Cape Fear SORBA let me introduce you to Jake and Jenny. Say hi everyone.

Jake and Jenny work for IMBA. They get to travel all over the country as a part of the IMBA Trail Care Crew program. They get to build trail with clubs just like ours all over the country…

like this…

And this…

And yea this to…

You know you want some of this…

And now, from Nov 11th to 13th, they are coming to the Cape Fear region to help us build trail to! Now of course that’s not all they really do. They also  teach us how to build trail better and more efficently. They help us learn how to make trails last for a very long time. That’s called being sustainable, and we all want our trails to be sustainable! Jake and Jenny really want you to come out and meet them. We even have a schedule of events for their visit so you can know where and when to meet them. Check it out!

Friday November 11th: Better Living Through Trails Presentation

Leland Senior Center (1490 Village Road Northeast, Leland, NC ) 6:00pm to 7:15pm

This presentation explores the positive relationships between communities and their trail systems. Trails as community assets can improve quality of life and livability in a community for both the biking and non-biking members, and can attract significant tourism dollars in addition in increasing overall quality of life. With statistics and case studies, participants will learn how to turn a quality community trail system into a destination trail system, and learn how to effectively market a trail system.

Saturday November 12th: IMBA Trail Building School

9am-noon: Trail building classroom session. Leland Senior Center (required to work that afternoon)

Lunch provided: Good, old-fashioned Carolina BBQ

1pm-5pm: Trail Building Field Session. Brunswick Nature Park MTB Trails.

Come join Cape Fear SORBA and the Trail Care Crew for a day of trail building school! IMBA’s Trail Building School teaches IMBA’s philosophies and trains local volunteers and land managers on how to build and maintain sustainable singletrack. The school involves three hours in the classroom followed by about four hours in the field doing hands-on trail work and field instruction. If you want to be a part of future trail building sessions this is for you! Please do not plan to attend the trail work if you can’t make it to the morning class. Please bring water, a hat, closed-toe shoes and wear pants.

Sunday November 13th: Group Ride and Club Social

Brunswick Nature Park MTB Trails: Ride 9am and Social aprox 10am.

Come enjoy the fruits of our labor and take a ride at the Brunswick Nature Park with other CFSORBA members and the Trail Care Crew! Hang around after for a club social and discuss the clubs future plans.

So in conclusion, Jake and Jenny really want to meet you. And lets face it, you really want to meet them to. I mean who wouldn’t want to meet two trail building guru’s who get to travel around in such a sweet IMBA Subaru? So pick an event…or attend all three, whatever sounds good to you! You can register for the event(s) here: TCC Registration Page.

Jake and Jenny will be waiting…


Nov 04 2011 November 4, 2011 November 4, 2011 by Austin Fenwick

Open Letter Concerning the Blue Clay Bike Park

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Dear members and friends of Cape Fear SORBA,

Recently at the Blue Clay Bike Park there have been several unapproved obstacles popping up on and around the trail. These have been the cause of much concern and debate amongst certain club members and we, the Cape Fear SORBA board, felt that it was time to clarify our stance on not only this situation but the rules that this park must run by.

As many of you may know this park began as something of an unapproved park that graduated to the status of county Park over time. During that time several wooden obstacles of differing shapes and sizes had been built there. Sadly, in the not to distant past, there was an accident involving one of those obstacles that has been the center of a lawsuit that the county has had to deal with. Since that time the county has declared that there will be no unapproved obstacles of any kind built at Blue Clay. This was done both out of a concern for safety as well as for liability reasons. Cape Fear SORBA has since developed a solid working relationship with New Hanover County on the maintenance of the park.

Currently no obstacles can be built out there without first being approved by New Hanover County. Because of this the county has asked us to remove any unapproved trail features as soon as they are discovered. We do this not only to maintain safety but also to retain our access to this park and honor the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that we agreed to with the county. The MOU is a legal responsibility that the club must uphold. If people continue to build so called “rogue” obstacles on the trail it is very possible for everyone to lose access to this park ENTIRELY. None of us want this to happen.

That is not to say it is impossible to add technical trail features at Blue Clay. The club has recently proposed, had approved, and built a BMX style jump as a part of the Pump Track. The key here is that obstacles must be proposed and built to IMBA/SORBA guidelines and approved by the County. However, it CAN be done if we follow the proper guidelines.

So please, if you see anyone doing any building of any structure or obstacle that seems suspicious please email info@capefearsorba.com as soon as possible to notify us of the issue. We do not want the actions of a few causing the loss of a park to everyone else.

However, for those of you that wish to see obstacles on the trail, there is hope. Part of the plans for the advanced loops at the Brunswick Nature Park calls for wooden structures, log piles, and other trail features that we could not build at Blue Clay. We are going to begin building the next section of trail starting on Saturday, December 3rd. If you wish to see that section built fast then come out and help us make it a reality. The more hands we have, the quicker the trail will be built. We also encourage you to come out to the Trail Building School with the IMBA Trail Care Crew being held on Nov 12th to learn how to build long lasting sustainable trail.

Thank you Cape Fear SORBA and remember: Speak, Build, Respect, Ride.

Greg Brinson, President Cape Fear SORBA

Austin Fenwick, Vice-President Cape Fear SORBA

Jay Pearce, Secretary Cape Fear SORBA

Bryan Weinkle, Treasurer Cape Fear SORBA


Oct 26 2011 October 26, 2011 October 26, 2011 by Austin Fenwick

Event Reminder: Halloween Group Ride!!! Moved to 5pm!

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Hey everyone, just a quick reminder that this weekend we have a Halloween group ride at Blue Clay! This is Armando Sanchez’s senior project so you BETTER show up for the ride! Come in costume and have a chance to win a gift certificate to Two Wheeler Dealer! Candy will be there as well for all to enjoy (no hording the candy!). We have moved the ride to 5pm so we have plenty of light. Its going to be slightly chilly so make sure you dress warm enough! Of course helmets are a requirement! Hope to see you there!

Come out for the Halloween Ride!


Oct 24 2011 October 24, 2011 October 24, 2011 by Austin Fenwick

Bike for Tots Event

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Just a quick event heads up for everyone. Our friends at ECVelo are putting on an awesome event as they do every year. The details are below.
6th Annual BIKE for TOTS – MTB Race, Road Ride & Trail Run
The 2011 edition of Bike for Tots is scheduled for November 20th.  As in past years it will consist of 3 separate events. A Cross-Country MTB Race, Road Ride and Trail Run starting and ending at the same location (the Bike Post Trails, Falkland NC). The entry fee is an unwrapped toy with value greater than $15 ($20 cash without a toy).  This is meant to be a fun event to help make Christmas a little more special for some local children while getting those of the athletic persuasion outside for healthy competition.  In the end we all win!
Full event details and schedule available here: http://www.ecvelo.org/bft