Since this donation was recieved SORBA-Chattanooga has been able to utilize the equipment for expansion projects at Booker T. Washington State Park, Enterprise South Nature Park, and also through shared use, the construction and expansion of the trails at White Oak Mountain. In the upcoming months this donation will also allow for expansion of the TVA Raccoon Mountain trail system as well as help to construct the trails that will be established at Stringers Ridge. Without the support of BikeToursDirect.com SORBA-Chattanooga would not have been able to acquire this machine and therefore the above mentioned construction projects would have been significantly slowed.

“As a result of this donation SORBA-Chattanooga is able to cut initial trail cooridors at a considerably higher rate than with traditionally available equipment,” stated Erik Rippon current president of SORBA-Chattanoga “Furthermore, the design of this machine allows for trails to be cut on extremely steep sideslope, making the expansion of the TVA Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage facility and attainable goal in early 2012. Without the support of locally based organizations like BikeToursDirect.com SORBA-Chattanooga would be much further from our goal of 100 miles of sustainable singletrack trail in the greater Chattanooga area. On behalf of all riders in the Southeast SORBA-Chattanooga would like to thank Jim Johnson, owner of BikeToursDirect.com, for his forward thinking as it relates to this contribution.”

For more information on BikeToursDirect.com please check out their website here.

SORBA-Chattanooga is a local 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to mountain bike advocacy, sustainable trail construction, and group rides in and around the Chattanooga community.  The Singletrack Mind Initiative seeks to build or obtain access to 100 miles of singletrack trail within 10 miles of Chattanooga.  More information about the organization can
be found at www.SORBAChattanooga.org.

The Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) and the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), both parent organizations of SORBA-Chattanooga, are also focused on mountain bike advocacy and maintaining trail access, for more information about either of these two organizations please visit www.SORBA.org or www.IMBA.com.

Just a few hours!

http://player.vimeo.com/video/31803768?autoplay=1

THE FOLLOWING CONTEST IS INTENDED FOR THE UNITED STATES ONLY AND SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES. ENTRY IN THIS CONTEST CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF THESE OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES

Sponsor: The Chattanooga Chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association, PO Box 5836, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37406 (“SORBA-Chattanooga”).

No Purchase Necessary to Enter or Win: No purchase is necessary to enter or win. Entrants need not be present to win and need not attend, view or hear any sales presentation to enter or win.

Entry: Entrants may enter the contest by donating $10.00 or more to SORBA-Chattanooga via Paypal or postal service between September 1, 2011 and November 4, 2011, by signing in at a trail workday during the contest period, or by mail submittal to via the method and address listed below. If entry is via Paypal and more than one person shares a Paypal account, the person responsible for paying any service charges associated with the account or the person deemed to be the account holder by Paypal will be deemed the winner in the event that that entry is selected. Only one entry is allowed per person per method of entry for the duration of the contest. Postal entries may be made by printing your name, valid address, valid phone number, valid email address, and date of birth on an 8.5” x 11” piece of paper and mailing that information in an envelope to:

SORBA-Chattanooga
Attn: Lynskey Frame Giveaway
PO Box 5836
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37406

Eligibility: This contest is open only to legal residents of the United States residing in the continental United States and Hawaii. Entrants must be 18 years or older. This contest is void where prohibited by law and is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. By participating, entrants agree to these official rules and agree to accept all decisions of SORBA-Chattanooga with respect to this contest as final.

Contest Period and Drawings: The contest will begin on September 1, 2011 and will end on November 5, 2011. Entries for all prizes must be received by 11:59PM, EST, November 4, 2011. Potential prize winners will be notified by U.S. mail, email, telephone and/or overnight courier within thirty (30) days after the applicable drawing. If a winner is unreachable for five (5) days after being contacted by SORBA-Chattanooga, or if that winner is otherwise unavailable for prize fulfillment, potential winner may be disqualified and an alternative winner may be selected by random drawing among all remaining eligible contestants. SORBA-Chattanooga will select winners by random drawings from entries timely received. All winners will be subject to verification and must meet all eligibility requirements before a prize is awarded.

Prizes and Odds of Winning: One (1) Grand Prize Winner will receive a Lynskey Performance Cycles Pro29 VF 29er frame, Approximate Retail Value of $2595.00 USD. The odds of winning will depend upon the total number of eligible entrants. ALL PRIZES ARE AWARDED ON AN “AS IS” BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLIDNG, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY.

General Considerations: Prizes will be shipped to winners at the address provided at time of entry. No substitutions, cash equivalents, or transfers of the prizes are permitted. Prizes will be shipped to winners by SORBA-Chattanooga at no cost. Winners are responsible for the payment of all applicable federal, state and local taxes.

Limitation of Liability: Neither SORBA-Chattanooga nor any of its affiliates is responsible for printing or typographical errors in any contest-related materials; for stolen, lost, late, misdirected, damaged, incomplete, or illegible entries; or for transactions that are processed late or incorrectly or are lost due to computer or electronic malfunction. SORBA-Chattanooga reserves the right to cancel or modify the contest if fraud or technical failures compromise the integrity of the contest, as determined by SORBA-Chattanooga in its sole discretion. By entering, participants release and hold harmless SORBA-Chattanooga and its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents from any and all liability for any injuries, loss or damage of any kind to persons, including death, or property damage resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, misuse or use of any prize, participation in this promotion, or while traveling to, preparing for, or participating in any prize-related activity.

Use of Information: Except where prohibited by law, entry constitutes permission to SORBA-Chattanooga and its affiliates to use each winners name, city and state of residence, likenesses, and any statements made by winner regarding the contest and the prizes, for publicity purposes (including, without limitation, use on the web site of SORBA-Chattanooga and/or its affiliates) without any compensation and for purposes of complying with all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.

Official Contest Rules: For a copy of the Official Contest Rules, print this web page or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: SORBA-Chattanooga., Attn: Lynskey Frame Giveaway, PO Box 3846, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37406. Requests received after the end of the contest will not be honored.

Winners List: A list of verified prize winners may be obtained after November 31, 2011 and before January 1, 2012 by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: SORBA-Chattanooga, Attn: Lynskey Frame Giveaway Results Request, PO Box 3846, Chattanooga, TN, 37406.

What’s better than beers and mountain biking? Beers, entertainment and your favorite mountain bikers all under one roof for the same cause—to support SORBA-Chattanooga’s Raccoon Mountain trail system.

When: Saturday, Nov. 5, 6-10 p.m.
Where: Outdoor Chattanooga, 200 River Street, Coolidge Park
What: Wings n’ brews, non-alcoholic beverages

Tickets are $30 in advance, $40 at the door. Stay tuned for more event information!

Lynskey Performance

For any donation of $10 or more all donors will recieve a free SORBA-Chattanooga Trail Sponsor bumper sticker (pictured above).

EVEN BETTER, all donors between now and November 4th, 2011 are automatically going to be entered into a contest to win a LYNSKEY PERFORMANCE Pro29VF titanium frame (details below).

Show your support for SORBA-Chattanooga and the local Chattanooga are trail systems with by getting your bumper sticker now! You can get yours free with each $10 donation through the PayPal link below. You can also get one of these sweet stickers by mail, just send a check and self-addressed envelope to the address below:

ENTRIES INTO THE FRAME GIVEAWAY HAVE NOW SUSPENDED, GOOD LUCK TO ALL THOSE REGISTERED!!!!!

SORBA-Chattanooga
P.O. Box 5836
Chattanooga, TN
37406

2011 Pro29VF from Lynskey Performance-actual finish will be matte

Volunteer by emailing bod@sorbachattanooga.org

Please help SORBA-Chattanooga continue our mission of maintaining and improving access to local area trail systems. Many people have asked how they can get involved and help, well, below is a list of known needs within the current organization. If you think you can assist with one our needs,  just let us know, we’ll provide you the support necessary to make your contribution impactful in the community. Please remember that this is a 100% volunteer supported organization and we need support from community members like you to keep progressing our mission, so please take a look at the list below and let us know how you want to get involved! We can’t wait to hear from YOU soon. Don’t see what you want to help with below? No problem, just let us know what skill you think you can contribute and we’ll find a way to utilize your efforts.

Recurring Volunteer Needs:

Ride Leaders: Volunteers needed for all ride levels, locations, and dates. Leading group rides is all about what works for the ride leader.  If you can lead a ride once, or one-hundred times, let us know, we’d love to get it on our calendar if you don’t mind other riders joining you.

Trail Work Crew: Anyone can come out a trail work day and learn more about trail construction and maintenance methods. Typical volunteer days last about four hours, include a free lunch, and are usually followed by a group ride. Volunteers are asked to dress appropriately for the weather conditions, wear closed toe shoes and gloves, and bring plenty of water for the day’s activities.

Specialized Volunteer Needs:

Time Trial Coordinators: Attend each event and coordinate day of event activities, SORBA board can coordinate with sponsors and secure all necessary approvals for events. Locations:
Raccoon, ESNP, 5-points?

Fundraising Committee: Assist with execution of SORBA’s annual fundraiser, specific event focus is on Raccoon Mountain.  Team needs: Planning Committee, Marketing, Day of Event Volunteers, Sponsorship Coordinators, Grant Identification, Partnership Identification

Website Maintenance-Assistance needed with website updating and regular maintenance. Assistance with getting pre-compiled content updated to the site and in a clean format.

Graphic Design Coordinator-Help to identify graphic design solutions for marketing and other needs

Social Activity Coordinators:  Preferred candidates will be able to plan and attend a quarterly social event. Events must approved by the BOD and include cycling, other than that anything goes!

Grant Writing: Assistance with obtaining funding for trail construction and improvement projects. SORBA BOD can provide all required information, assistance with composition of grant and bureaucracy associated with process

Map production: Assistance with updating maps of all local trails  and creating new files that are in easy to interpret formats

Bike Shop Liaisons: Help to distribute marketing and trail status information to local shops

Advocacy-Long term assistance is needed to bring future trail projects to fruition. Ideally volunteers will sign on to support a key project and attempt to see project from fruition to completion. No experience is necessary, all required support can be provided, flexibility as to meeting times and location is typically required.

Professional Volunteer Opportunities:

Law Assistance: Review of applicable chapter documents

Accountant: Work with treasurer to develop understanding required to secede current board member

Board Member Opportunities

Please let us know if you would be interested in serving on the SORBA-Chattanooga board in the upcoming years. Potential board members will be educated on specific board member duties and
responsibilities to allow them time to learn a role and better prepare themselves to secede current members.

Bill Rogers completing hand work on the Electric Avenue Trail on Raccoon Mountain

Long time cycling advocate Bill Rogers of Chattanooga passed away on May 27, 2011.

Bill was mountain biking with long-time friend Danny Nanney at Oak Mountain State Park outside Birmingham, Alabama when he suffered a heart attack. He was 60.

Bill was instrumental in getting the Cherokee National Forest’s trails opened to mountain biking. He worked with park staff to allow trail maintenance and construction there. Bill did trail layout and headed up construction of one of Chilhowee Mountain’s most technical bike trails, known informally as “Bill Rogers Parkway” by members of the mountain biking community.

Bill also headed up organizing the regions first mountain bike festival at Chilhowee Mountain, with all proceeds going to fund the purchase of new signs to better mark the system’s trail.

Bill also designed and led construction of the Electric Avenue Trail on Raccoon Mountain. More recently, Bill helped construct the trails at Enterprise South Nature Park, leading many trail work days to help complete the hand work.

Bill is survived by his wife, Deborah Rogers; his sons, Lamar, John, and Craig Rogers; step-daughter, Kristin Siharath; brothers, Ronnie, Terry, and John Rogers; sisters, Gail Wallace and Sandra Reeves; and nine grandchildren.

Bill Rogers was a member of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association’s Chattanooga Chapter and the Chattanooga Bicycle Club and operated the former East Ridge BMX track for several years.

Visit www.heritagefh.com to view guestbook and share words of comfort to the family.

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OFFICIAL OBIT:

William (Bill) W. Rogers Jr., age 60; passed away on Friday, May 27, 2011. He was preceded in death by his parents, William Rogers Sr. and Dorothy Clift; and brother, David Long. He is survived by his wife, Deborah Rogers; sons, Lamar Rogers, John Rogers, Craig Rogers; step-daughter, Kristin Siharath; brothers, Ronnie Rogers, Terry Rogers, John Rogers; sisters, Gail Wallace, Sandra Reeves; and nine grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 12 noon Tuesday at Heritage Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Kevin Wallace officiating. Interment will follow in Hamilton Memorial Gardens. Visit www.heritagefh.com to share words of comfort to the family. Memorials may be made to the local Salvation Army. The family will receive friends 4-8 PM Monday at Heritage Funeral Home, 7454 E. Brainerd Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421.

Visitation:
4:00PM to 8:00PM on Monday, May 30th, 2011 at Heritage Funeral Home & Crematory – Chattanooga (map/driving directions)

Services:
12:00PM at Heritage Funeral Home Chapel – Chattanooga on Tuesday, May 31st, 2011 (map/driving directions)

Cemetery:
Hamilton Memorial Gardens
5401 Highway 153
Hixson, TN (map/driving directions)

Event Details:

9:00am-12:45pm: Hand buidling trail on coal tailings-very cool work!
1:00pm-2:00pm: Hamburger and Hot Dog Cookout
2:00pm-3:30pm: Group Ride on the newly constructed trails at 5-points

All volunteers are asked to bring gloves and water, and make sure to dress appropriately for weather conditions and working outdoors. Closed toe shoes are required for this work. Also, if you have a folding chair please bring that to enjoy the food and relax prior to the group ride.

Any volunteer is permitted to then ride the trail system with the volunteer coordinators to see more of the park property and learn exactly what types of trails are being built on the property.

Please RSVP to president@sorbachattanooga.org if possible so that we can make sure to have enough food for all those that attend. We look forward to seeing you May 21st and can’t wait to ride with everyone on the trail!!

Directions to the 5-Points parking area:

From the intersection of Nickajack Road and Lula Lake Road the parking area is exactly 4 miles south on Lula Lake Road (on the right). For directions from your own house please click on the link below and edit the “from” address for exact google directions.

Or, for GOOGLE directions click here

SORBA Trail Volunteers posing for a picture after the new trailhead sign was introduced at ESNP

The Grand Opening was an hours long event comprised of skills demos, group rides, a raffle and volunteer giveaway. In addition to schwag donated by area bike shops, a Lynskey Ridgeline 29er was raffled off. Zach Gaston had the winning ticket for the bike (THANKS LYNSKEY FOR YOUR SUPPORT!).

The event was attended by SORBA volunteers who have contributed thousands of work hours to build the new trail system, and local bike shops offering demos of their bikes to ride the trails. Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger said a few words before joining SORBA board members in officially opening the trails.

The trail system encompasses ten miles of singletrack with lots of twists and whoops (your wheels will leave the ground many times on these trails at speed!), phase 1 of a pump track with plans for expansion, 300 ft. of wooden skills area in an evolving system which will include dirt jumps, and several logs placed throughout the system. These trails are unique to Chattanooga. They are directional, alternating directions throughout the week. They’re appropriate for many skill levels. Kids and families can be seen doing smaller segments of the trail, but there is enough length and variety to make the trails entertaining for advanced riders as well!

Supporters for the trail system include Volkswagen, Hamilton County Parks and Recreation, The Lyndhurst Foundation, Lynskey Performance Bicycles, Scott’s Bicycle Center, East Ridge Bicycles, Trek Store Chattanooga, Suck Creek Cycles, Owen’s Cyclery and River City Bicycles.

Featured events include demos and swag from Lynskey, Trek, Suck Creek Cycles and Owen Cyclery, family beginner and intermediate led rides, a trials demo by former Cirque de Soleil performer Doug White, demonstrations and lessons at our newly constructed skills park and pump track and…a raffle for all our volunteers over the last 2 years!

Schedule: 

10 am                                    Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

10:45 am                              Intermediate Mountain Bike Ride

11:00 am                              Beginner Mountain Bike Ride

12:00 noon                          Trials Exhibition by Doug White

12:45pm                               Lynskey Frame Giveaway/Volunteer Recognition Ceremony

1:45pm                                 Family Bike Ride