| 11/29/2001 | The state famous for its potatoes may need a new slogan. For the second straight year, Idaho received the top grade in the International Mountain Bicycling Association's Mountain Bike Access Report Card, solidifying its status as the best state for mountain biking.
Serpentine trails, expansive public lands and a low population are key components in Idaho's success. Idaho received the top grade in the inaugural 2000 IMBA Report Card, but that didn't make the local cyclists complacent. Riding opportunities improved this year around Boise, Idaho's largest city, as mountain bikers played a central role in creating new urban fringe trails.
South Dakota closely followed Idaho as the best place to ride receiving an A minus. South Dakota boasts super singletrack and uncrowded trails in the Black Hills.
The report card also confirmed that there are states where mountain bike access needs work. Louisiana's Mardi Gras is unmatched, but its mountain bike access is nothing to celebrate. The state has limited trails, lots of swamps and needs a statewide mountain biker organization. These factors shaped Louisiana's D+ grade, the lowest in the report.
The IMBA Report Card is designed to help mountain bike leaders chart their accomplishments and inspire new efforts. Mountain bikers in Ohio, a state that graded poorly last year, got organized and improved relations with land managers to build new trails. This positive momentum boosted Ohio's grade from a D to a C, the biggest improvement of any state.
In 2001, the report card considered other countries for the first time, grading access in four Canadian provinces and the United Kingdom.
Leading the international class was British Columbia with an A minus. Kid's mountain biking programs in the province are more popular than little league baseball.
"Every state, regardless of its natural terrain, is capable of earning an A," said IMBA executive director Tim Blumenthal. "All it takes is enthusiastic volunteer organizations, steady cooperation with land managers and a variety of established trail systems."
Grades are based on many factors: amount of singletrack, effectiveness of local mountain bike groups, land manager relations, an IMBA website survey and feedback from IMBA leaders.
Grades and comments are listed below.
State
Grade
Phat
Flat
Idaho
A
Endless public land and singletrack
Population growth
South Dakota
A-
Black Hills rule
Few maps, more crops than cyclists
Alaska
B+
Improving trails
Swamps and mosquitoes
Arizona
B+
Urban trails, Arizona Trail
Developers versus trails
Arkansas
B+
Womble & Ouachita, solid advocates
Ice storm damage
Florida
B+
Sunshine State has super singletrack
Sprawl, sandy, sea level
Kentucky
B+
KYMBA unifies diverse state
Lack of media relations
Massachusetts
B+
NEMBA: Energetic regional group
Building pavement, not dirt
Michigan
B+
MMBA: Dynamic statewide org.
Turf battles with horses
Nevada
B+
Gambling = money for trails
Lack of riding info
New Mexico
B+
Federal agency & ski area support
Los Alamos fires, Santa Fe tension
North Dakota
B+
Medora becoming MB destination
A long way from anywhere else
Utah
B+
Slickrock and red rock
Lack of MB groups
West Virginia
B+
Not a flat inch in the whole state
Hunters come first
California
B
State park progress; MB leadership
Lots of conflict
Colorado
B
Jeffco trails national model
Crowded roads, crowded trails
Delaware
B
Great trails in a tiny state
Nowhere to add trails
Maine
B
90 percent forested
Few organized trail systems
Maryland
B
MORE: innovative & resilient
Unauthorized trailbuilding near DC
Montana
B
Progressive rec planning near cities
Bikers need to organize, long winter
Nebraska
B
W. Nebraska = untapped singletrack
Not well organized
North Carolina
B
Nantahalla & Pisgah NF awesome
Urban trails still restricted
Oregon
B
Abundant, diverse riding
Portland access remains tricky
Pennsylvania
B
KMBA becoming statewide force
State game land access threatened
Texas
B
Effective multi-level bike advocacy
97% private land
Virginia
B
West VA: mountainous, great trails
Eastern VA: Baseball fields, not trails
Wyoming
B
Wide open for mountain biking
Ranch closes key Laramie connector
Georgia
B-
SORBA has political & financial clout
Where to ride close to Atlanta?
Hawaii
B-
All State parks have MB routes
Restricted trail access near Honolulu
Indiana
B-
DNR opened trails in state forests
Roadies and MBers must cooperate
Missouri
B-
Kansas City and St. Louis have mo'
Access limited in state parks
New Hampshire
B-
Rich trail tradition, White River NF
Long, legal rides are in south
Oklahoma
B-
Oklahoma Earthbike Fellowship rocks
Flat and dusty
South Carolina
B-
State funds full-time MB trail crew
Yet to turn trail plans into reality
Tennessee
B-
Vigilant advocates; lots of trails
Lack of central state organization
Vermont
B-
Wooded, rolling & getting organized
Private land interrupts public trails
Washington
B-
Middle Fork progress
Seattle singletrack access still limited
Wisconsin
B-
WORBA: 12-years of MB leadership
Trails in south crowded
Mississippi
C+
Tri-county MBers make progress
Limited statewide leadership
Alabama
C
BUMP: great organization & website
Mountain bikers lack state presence
Connecticut
C
Better than 2000 grade reflected
Hiking-only trails limit northern riding
Iowa
C
Solid clubs, improving MB leadership
Lack of federal land; agricultural
Minnesota
C
New Twin City trails
Limited parks & trails near cities
New Jersey
C
Good club momentum in S. Jersey
JORBA in transition
New York
C
Adirondack model can be replicated
NYC: too many people, too few trails
Ohio
C
New trails, new clubs, new energy
Cleveland and N.E. still shaky
Rhode Island
C
Singletrack in Arcadia forest
Providence can't provide good riding
Illinois
C-
DNR supports mountain biking
Shawnee Forest shuns bikes
Kansas
C-
Flint Hills & riverside trails
More silos than singletrack
Louisiana
D+
Baton Rouge advocates solid
Limited trails, no leadership
Trend: 
Better 
Worse 
Same
www.imba.org
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