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Monday, 12 November 2007 |
SORBA FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is SORBA?
SORBA stands for Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association. It was formed in 1988 as a result of the closure of all trails at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park to off-road cycling. In 1989, SORBA was incorporated in the state of Georgia as a non-profit organization with the mission to "preserve, protect and educate." Since then, SORBA`s primary focus has been advocacy; usually land access issues, but also sponsoring rides and festivals, and supporting off-road cycling in the North Georgia area through trail acquisition and maintenance.
When/Where does SORBA meet?
Each Chapter has monthly or quarterly member meetings. Chapter board meetings are scheduled as needed and are open to the membership.
How do I join?
You can fill out the online form via the Join IMBA-SORBA page. There is a nomimal fee associated with membership that is used to help defray the costs of the organization. A printable form is also available on our web site at:
Join IMBA-SORBA Page
What trails are there to ride on?There are many trails throughout the Southeast. For more information, vist the Trails page.
What about organized rides?SORBA sponsors weekly organized rides open to members and non-members. The best way to find out about the rides is to read the FAT TIRE TIMES, check the Event Calendar on the website, or attend the SORBA meetings.
What skill level do I need to be?
The organized rides are broken down into 3 categories. Beginner rides are normally between 5 and 10 miles with a casual pace. They are suitable for novice riders. Intermediate rides are normally between 10 and 20 miles (1.5-2 hours) and can include some difficult hills. Some rides have technical sections. Advanced rides are normally between 15 and 30 miles and will include steep long climbs. Some rides can include extremely technical sections. When in doubt, check with your ride leader.
Do I need a helmet?
In a word, YES! Not only are they required, they are a very good idea. All helmets must be ANSI/Snell approved and every rider MUST wear one.
Is there anything else I should bring?
Although not so critical for beginner rides, you should also bring food and water to last the length of the trip. Although there may be water located alongside some trails, the water should not be considered drinkable without filtering. You should carry tools to fix minor problems and flat tires. Contact your ride leader if in doubt about preparation.
I have heard that sometimes we meet horses on the trails?
Yes, this is true. In some areas of the Olympic trail the bicycle trails cross the horse trails. In all cases, THE HORSES HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY. The best way to handle this is to follow these steps:
a) Slow your bike to a stop, do NOT skid to a stop unless absolutely necessary as this can spook the horse, not to mention the rider.
b) GET OFF THE BIKE. Horses cannot figure out that what they are seeing; a person on a bike or some weird animal (OK - some might argue there`s no difference!).
c) If the rider does not see you, announce yourself. Again do so in a manner that won`t spook the horse. This involves speaking in a quite tone of voice and not shouting. Even if the rider does see you it is nice to greet them. This goes a long way to fostering harmony between horse and bicycle riders.
SORBA follows the guidelines set out by IMBA, the International Mountain Bike Association, when riding. They are as follows:
- Ride On Open Trails Only.
- Leave No Trace.
- Control Your Bicycle!
- Always Yield Trail.
- Never Scare Animals.
- Plan Ahead.
What is this I hear about trail maintenance?One of the most important activities of SORBA, if not THE most important, is keeping the trails in good shape so we will have a place to ride. Most of SORBA`s trail maintenance efforts focus on several districts of the US Forest Service in the north Georgia mountains. Due to budget constraints, the Forest Service cannot hire enough people to work on trails, and is starting to rely on volunteers to fill the gap. For example, the Cohutta District has only 3 employees to cover over 90 miles of trails in the Cohutta Wilderness, along with over 80 miles of trails in the Wildlife Management Area.
This problem has actually created a unique opportunity for mountain bikers to improve the trail access situation and give something back to the land. In exchange for trail access, mountain bikers can perform volunteer trail maintenance and alleviate the Forest Service`s shortage of workers. Typical duties include constructing and cleaning erosion control structures, clearing brush and blowdowns, and even constructing new trails. No special skills or training are required to volunteer since there will be Forest Service trained leaders or personnel to assist volunteers with the projects. Any tools needed will be supplied by SORBA or the US Forest Service. Although the number of volunteers at our trail work sessions has gradually increased over the years, this figure is still a small fraction of the number of mountain bike riders who use these trails.
We desperately need your help and participation in order to keep existingtrails maintained properly and to open new trails. If every trail user could volunteer for just one day or two days out of the year, our shortage of workers would be eliminated, and there would be more trails open for everyone`s enjoyment. So PLEASE VOLUNTEER, we NEED YOU!!!
Why do trail maintenance?
There are many areas that have closed trail access to mountain bikers (like the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park) and many more are considering it. By doing trail maintenance you are showing that you do care about the land and how it gets used. Most areas will take that into consideration when determining if they should close the area to mountain bikes.
This is also a good way to get to meet other people that share your mountain biking interest and to get a feel for the trail. And since some of the time there is a ride after the trail maintenance, you can ride with the people you just met.
What are some upcoming trail maintenance dates?
The best way to get this information is to attend the SORBA meetings. Barring that, you can get the information from the Fat Tire Times and Southeast Singletrack eNews.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 28 October 2009 )
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