I made the long journey down to Grand Rapids, last Thursday, to partake in the activities of the Midwest Mountain Bike Summit. After nine and a half hours on the road, I arrived at the Comfort Suites Inn where dinner was being served.
We enjoyed a pig roast served by a local caterer. Thursday night was social hour(s) spent imbibing beer provided by Founders Brewing Company, in Grand Rapids, a sponsor of the Summit and supporter of many activities of the Western Chapter of the Michigan Mountain Biking Association.
Friday brought classroom presentations regarding mountain biking advocacy. The presentation I attended was about the economics of cycling. The speaker raised many interesting points about the benefits of cycling within a community, the effects it has on increasing the local population and acquiring new talent for employers, and the desirability of trails near homes.
I also attended a presentation regarding grant acquisitions. One of the points most stressed upon by the speaker was to choose a foundation that provided grants closer to the value of the project for which you are applying. The gateway trail presentation was given by Ryan Shutz of the International Mountain Biking Association. He presented the new idea of trails produced in small areas in urban settings. Small parks may have pump tracks or tight, twisty trails combined with other playground equipment or family recreational opportunities. These parks allows people a simple introduction to mountain biking in a safe environment close to home. Another excellent example is a super-tight, twisty section of singletrack located under Interstate 5, the I-5 Colonnade, in Seattle, Washington.
Collins Bishop of the IMBA Trail Care Crew.
I spent my afternoon repeating the IMBA Trail School presentation that I participated in, last summer (Please Apply, Again!). They provide a lot of great information, and I knew I wouldn’t retain a lot of it after one trail school experience. The second presentation filled in the holes created by forgetfulness. It was well worth the second sitting. It was enjoyable, and I was able to use the information by discussing the different concepts with other people. It was an excellent reinforcement opportunity. 
I really wanted to ride, Saturday night, but didn’t really have the gumption after a full day of sitting in conference rooms. I headed to dinner with some MMBA friends, Nick, Marty, Brad, Jon, and Mike. Believe me when I say they are all characters and our dinnertime conversation was most likely less than acceptable by most standards. 
Top: Marty Shue learning to use the inclinometer as Kelly Bishop looks on. Bottom: The trail school participants practicing their trail layout skills at the Cannonsburg State Game Area.
Saturday brought the opportunity to use some Friday’s lessons in the outdoor setting at the Cannonsburg Ski Area. I attended only one session: the IMBA school trail layout. After that, I rode the Cannonsburg Ski Area mountain bike trail with Nick, Marty, Brad, and Mike. It was a great trail. It started with a lot of [painful] climbing. After that, it was mostly fast and flowy. I certainly did not expect a trail like that in western Lower Michigan. I was impressed.
Nick, Marty, and I then joined a group ride at the Luton mountain bike trails not far from Cannonsburg. Luton is a gateway trail in itself. The Western Chapter has been working with the local government to allow access to that land. It is a relationship that is developing slowly, but some excellent mountain biking now exists, there. I personally feel that Luton trumped Cannonsburg Ski Area. Both are nice, but Luton was much faster, quite flowy, and offered plenty of opportunities to practice tighter turns with lots of speed.
Top: Marty Shue showing how it’s done at the Cannonsburg Ski Area. Bottom: A little fun on the group ride at Luton.
After a full day of playing in the woods, I headed to Founder’s tasting room to meet up with my friends, Sam and Aaron, of Copper Harbor. We watched the Red Wings win their game. Unfortunately, the Founder’s experience was not for me. Apparently, it is an immensely popular place where conversation is not easily heard. It is packed and loud. To Founder’s credit, the food was excellent, although the hoppy beer isn’t quite my style. After the game, I returned to my campsite and went to sleep.
Sunday, I woke up, packed, and headed to my parents’ house. There was a 40-mile ride scheduled, that day, but I didn’t have it in me. I was tired of living out of an over-packed vehicle. The excitement of the weekend didn’t end there, though. We were surprised to learn that a little fawn had taken residence in the tall grass alongside my parents’ yard.
It turned out to be an excellent weekend. I am looking forward to next year’s Midwest Mountain Bike Summit.
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