San Diego Mountain Biking Association Trail News

A conversation about how California needs and deserves more and better trails!  Meet Michael Anzalone, Executive Director of the California Mountain Biking Coalition.  As a member organization, SDMBA is proud to part of the growing number of voices speaking up for trails in Sacramento and beyond.  Learn about the work of CAMTB throughout the state and why it matters to SDMBA!      Resources: California Mountain Biking Coalition website Become a member of SDMBA today!  Visit SDMBA.com  Only $39 for basic annual Membership!  Sign up for the SDMBA newsletter “Trail news” 

Listen in to hear how the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy (SDRVC), led by Executive Director Cheryl Goddard, stewards the San Dieguito River Valley watershed. SDRVC works to preserve, protect and share the natural and cultural resources of the San Dieguito River Valley (Lake Hodges area and beyond).  Their restoration work is invaluable to the area and by engaging people through educational and recreational opportunities they are creating more stewards for this amazing area.     Resources:   San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy website   Trail Information   Interactive Map Become a member of SDMBA today!  Visit SDMBA.com  Only $39 for basic annual Membership!  Sign up for the SDMBA newsletter “Trail news”

Tune in for a chat with the man who makes mountain bike racing so awesome in San Diego County - Victor Sheldon.  The master mind behind all the Quick N' Dirty events always has something up his sleeve!  Learn about why and how he manages the madness and brings so much community to our mountain biking lives!    Resources:   Quick N' Dirty Website with race and event schedule  Become a member of SDMBA today!  Visit SDMBA.com  Only $39 for basic annual Membership!  Sign up for the SDMBA newsletter “Trail news”    

Tune in for a chat about the long dreamed of San Diego River Trail  -  a trans county route following the watershed of the San Diego River. Lizzy Bendrick, Trails Program Manager with the County of San Diego, will share recent efforts to make the dream a reality.  This effort would create a continuous trail along the San Diego River, from the headwaters near Julian to Ocean Beach, to provide residents and visitors with an opportunity to explore and appreciate this unique resource.   Resources:    County of San Diego information regarding the San Diego River Trail   SD River Trail information from the San Diego River Park Foundation   County of San Diego Community Trails Master Plan (Section 10) Regional Trails Plan with Regional Trail Map (2005)    Questions for Lizzie:  trails@sdcounty.ca.gov Become a member of SDMBA today!  Visit SDMBA.com  Only $39 for basic annual Membership!  Sign up for the SDMBA newsletter “Trail news” 

Listen to our chat about Girlz Gone Riding! For more than a decade, Wendy Engleberg has been at the helm of the movement with a mission of getting more women mountain bikes in a supportive and super fun way.  It started as a women's mountain biking group in Los Angeles and now boasts 8 chapters around the southwest. Learn about how you can get involved   How to get involved  #1. Check out the GGR Website http://www.girlzgoneriding.com/ #2. Find your chapter and then look them up on Facebook and ask to join the private group #3. Get ready to make new friends and ride!    GGR Chapters -  Los Angeles San Diego Inland Empire Orange County Big Bear Mojave Desert Central California Kern Couty   Other resources: Girlz Gone Riding Celebrates its 10th Anniversay with a Decade of Milestones  Feb. 2022 Girlz Gone Riding: Group Gets more Women Mountain Biking Together Singletracks Podcast Dec. 2019   Become a member of SDMBA today!  Visit SDMBA.com  Only $39 for basic annual Membership!  Sign up for the SDMBA newsletter “Trail news” 

We always love to talk trails and we really like talking trails with one of our favorite rangers!  City of San Diego Ranger Melanie Fontana who works mainly at Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve.     Melanie is great at being out in the community arranging volunteer work and more! Always there with a smile to make sure visitors have a great experience!  Want to volunteer with Ranger Melanie?  MFontana@sandiego.gov    Become a member of SDMBA today!  Visit SDMBA.com  Only $39 for basic annual Membership!  Sign up for the SDMBA newsletter “Trail news”     Resources: City of San Diego Open Spaces   City of San Diego Penasquitos Canyon Preserve   City of San Diego Penasquitos Trail Map   Friends of Los Penasquitos Canyon    Trail Etiquette Tips  

Listen in as Susie Murphy, Executive Director of SDMBA, chats with Joshua Bonnici. Josh is a fixture of the San Diego cycling scene as a rider, racer, sponsor and advocate.     For his day job, he is the founder of the Bonnici Law Group, a cycling-focused personal injury law firm in San Diego. When he isn't working or volunteering as a board member with SDMBA, he can be found doing laps around the San Diego Velodrome, sending his gravel-bike on local singletrack, or guiding new friends through the best parts of Mount Laguna and Noble Canyon.    Become a member of SDMBA today!  Visit SDMBA.com  Sign up for the SDMBA newsletter “Trail news”     Resources: Bonnici Law Group   A Lawyer Who Rides   BLG Community Support   Bicycle Law articles   

Episode #12 - Conversation with Ranger David Hekel   Working and cooperating with our local land managers to make trails better is a big part of what SDMBA does.  Listen in on a conversation between Susie Murphy, SDMBA Executive Director and David Hekel, Senior Ranger of the San Dieguito River Park.  Ranger Dave is a wealth of knowledge of the San Dieguito watershed, as well as being an experienced mountain biker, trail builder and wildlife photographer.     Become a member of SDMBA today!  Visit SDMBA.com    Resources: San Dieguito River Park website:  http://www.sdrp.org/wordpress/   Volunteer Contact: Senior Interpretive Ranger Leana Bulay  leana@sdrp.org Trail Maintenance - Second Sunday of each month Habitat Restoration - Third Saturday of each month Dust Devils -  Tuesday Volunteer Group    San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy: https://sdrvc.org/ East to West of the Coast to Crest

Adventure awaits those who take on the bikepacking challenge of the Stagecoach 400. From mountains, to urban streets, to the coast, to the foothills and the desert - this route has it all! Learn more about this epic route from event organizer, Meg Knobel. Hear about the history and present status of this event as well as some tips and tricks in case you ever want to attempt this adventure yourself.     Resources:   Stagecoach 400 Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/710242629008593   https://bikepacking.com/routes/stagecoach-400-bikepacking-route/   https://socalenduro.wordpress.com/stagecoach-400/   Julian Bikepack Challenge   IG: @stagecoach400   Support mountain biking in San Diego! Join the San Diego Mountain Biking Association TODAY! https://www.memberleap.com/members/memberinfo/alt_entry1.php?org_id=SDMB  

Be inspired to hear all that is going on to get more kids on bikes with the SoCal League in San Diego County from Program Coordinator, Nikki Peterson. The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) and High School MTB racing has been growing by leaps and bounds and is gearing up for the upcoming 2022 race season.  Hear more about how to get involved and learn why Nikki Peterson is a powerhouse in our Southern California MTB community!     SoCal League   National Interscholastic Cycling Association   Teen Trail Corps   California Mountain Biking Coalition   Support mountain biking in San Diego! Become a member of the San Diego Mountain Biking Association: https://www.memberleap.com/members/memberinfo/alt_entry1.php?org_id=SDMB  

Episode #9 Sagebrush Safari   Take a step back in time as we learn about the origins of the Sagebrush Safari Race which began in 1988 at Lake Morena. Listen in as SDMBA executive director, Susie Murphy, chats with Keith and Kirk Bennett who were the promoters of the event for years, building it into a Southern California classic!  The event was resurrected in 2018 by Quick N Dirty Racing's Victor Sheldon.    Episode resources:   Sagebrush Safari - Quick N Dirty MTB Racing  November 20-21, 2021 March 26-27, 2022 https://quickndirtymtb.com/race-info/sagebrush-safari/   TrailForks - Sagebrush Safari 2020 XC Route 26.9 miles/3600 elevation gain https://www.trailforks.com/route/sagebrush-safari-xc-2020/   To support the San Diego Mountain Bike Association, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO JOIN!     

Susie Murphy, Executive Director of SDMBA and board president, Matt Bartel,t roll into this episode “with bells on.”  Listen to how the long running SDMBA Bike Bell Program is getting a reboot as pandemic restrictions begin to ease.  Find out where the new bell stations have been installed so you can get your bell on!    Learn how having a simple bell on your bike, along with a cheerful hello as you slowly roll by other trail users, goes a long way to help everyone get along on our popular trails!     Resources:    Trail Bell Program   Timber Bells - Local sponsor that makes one of the best trail bells around!    Trail Etiquette Information Help keep mountain biking fun and accessible in San Diego County, FOLLOW THIS LINK to join the San Diego Mountain Bike Association  

Take a trip back in time to the early days of the San Diego Mountain Biking Association with Greg Lambert, the founder of SDMBA and Executive Director, Susie Murphy.  Find out why SDMBA was even formed way back in 1994. Learn why it was important then and why it is still important today.   Learn more about the San Diego Mountain Bike Association: https://sdmba.com   Do YOUR part to keep mountain biking safe in San Diego county! Follow THIS LINK to become a member of the San Diego Mountain Bike Association

Listen in on a conversation with Susie Murphy, SDMBA Executive Director and local legend Bill Porter (AKA Mountain Bike Bill) as he tells the story of how he is back on the bike after the diagnosis of unknown health condition last year when he really thought he was just getting old and slow.  Learn how to plan for a horrible day on the bike and then go out and have a great day on the bike.    Help ensure trail access for ALL San Diego mountain bikers! Join the San Diego Mountain Bike Association: https://www.memberleap.com/members/memberinfo/alt_entry1.php?org_id=SDMB     Resources:    MountainBikeBill.com - a classic resource for San Diego County Trails and beyond   Mountain Bike Bill YouTube   Trail Preparedness with SDMBA   How to Survive Mountain Biking Webinar Part 1 How to Survive Mountain Biking Webinar Part 2  

Del Mar Mesa - Love it or leave it!  Susie Murphy, Executive Director and Matt Bartelt, Board President, tackle Del Mar Mesa -  the two decade old trail advocacy tangle that continues to get people riled up.  Presenting a little history, some current facts on the ground, and how you can help the situation.    Links: City of San Diego Penasquitos Canyon website including current trail map   History of Trail Advocacy at Del Mar Mesa SDMBA.com   City of San Diego Resource Management Plan 2015   A quick google search “Del Mar Mesa Trails” will bring up a variety of articles from the past. Here are a couple of examples.    This one from the San Diego Reader dated December 10, 2008 is particularly interesting Deer Canyon Trails Traffic Jam    Bike Association Tackles Deer Canyon Clean Up  Del Mar Times, April 23, 2009 “A crowd of 92 volunteers--mostly mountain bikers...showed up on Saturday morning to clean up the trash-plagued canyon in the Del Mar Mesa Preserve.”

In this episode, Susie Murphy, Executive Director of SDMBA chats with Jeremy McGhee, a San Diego-based adaptive mountain biker and advocate, all around man of adventure, and soon to be Van-lifer.  Listen in on conversation about the local aMTB scene and what is going on in other regions for this growing segment of the cycling community.  To learn more about Adaptive Mountain Biking: https://theunpavement.org/   Visit one of Jeremy McGhee's YouTube channels to see Adaptive Mountain Biking in action: The UnPavement with Jeremy McGhee: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6-gSh_Lx-Q02Jvm2q5LzWA UnPavement uncut: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdvYmNZdsGO1Vpy6EE8K64Q     Visit the website to learn more about the San Diego Mountain Biking Association: https://sdmba.com   To become a member of the SDMBA: https://www.memberleap.com/members/memberinfo/alt_entry1.php?org_id=SDMB      

Gain a new appreciation for how the trails you love to ride get made on this episode of the San Diego Mountain Bike Association Trail News podcast featuring Executive Director Susie Murphy and board President Matt Bartelt discussing how the Association helped secure, develop and grow the network of trails at Black Mountain. Learn more about the San Diego Mountain Bike Association: https://sdmba.com Help ensure trail access for ALL riders, become a member of the San Diego Mountain Bike Association today: https://www.memberleap.com/members/memberinfo/alt_entry1.php?org_id=SDMB

In this episode, SDMBA Executive Director Susie Murphy and Trails Coordinator Ben Stone, interview staff of the Center for Natural Lands Management.  Markus Spiegelberg, recent past Director of CNLM and Sarah Godfrey, preserve manager of Rancho La Costa Preserve chat about the past, present and future of trails and conservation in the area.     Links: Center for Natural Lands Management Rancho La Costa Preserve SDMBA La Costa Advocacy History  SDMBA La Costa Ride Information La Costa Blog by Rob Wessels   For more information about the San Diego Mountain Bike Association: https://sdmba.com   Help keep trails open! Join the San Diego Mountain Bike Association today: https://www.memberleap.com/members/memberinfo/alt_entry1.php?org_id=SDMB  

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the San Diego Mountain Bike Association Trail News Podcast! The SDMBA is a volunteer-driven, non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining and improving sustainable trail access for mountain biking in San Diego County, California. Formed in 1994, SDMBA is one of the largest regional trail advocacy organizations in the US. On this episode, Susie Murphy, the Executive Director of the SDMBA and Matt Bartelt, the President of the Board of Directors,  provide an overview of the association and the work that it performs to improve and maintain access to an extensive variety of mountain bike trails in San Diego county. Future episodes of the Trail News podcast will feature interviews with top experts from all aspects of mountain biking from riding to maintenance to help you get the most from your rides. In addition, the podcast will keep you updated with information about trail access, trail work and how you can get involved to help create new mountain biking trails in San Diego county.   To learn more about the SDMBA, visit the website: https://sdmba.com   FOLLOW THIS LINK to join the SDMBA and help protect trail access in the region.