Minnesota OffRoad Cyclists

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Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists

• Gary Sjoquist

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Who is Sjoquist?

• Director of Advocacy, Quality Bicycle Products
• Director of Government Relations, Bikes Belong
• Treasurer, BikesPAC
• Co-Founder of Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists
• Mountain bike racer and trails advocate past 15
  years

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MORCs Evolution

• Started in early 90s with mtb problems
• Focus in mid-90s working with city, county, and
  state agencies
  
• Turning points for MORCs growth
• 1999 MORC re-established
• 2001 MORC partnership with 24 Hours of Afton
• 2002 MORC partnership with Eriks Spring Cup
• 2003/4 MORCs work at Lebanon Hills begins to
  pay benefits
  
• 2005 MORC leverages federal funding for high
  profile project in Northern Minnesota

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Highlights of 2005

• New president Scott Thayer provides spark
• Philip Keyes provided inspiration and guidance
• MORC able to land a seat on MRTUA (Rec. Trails
  Program committee)
  
• MORC broke through with Three Rivers Park
  District project for new single track trail
  
• Congressman Oberstar provides funding for Cayuna
  Range project in SAFETEA-LU
  
• MORC partnership with IMBA to secure part-time
  Director position

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Things MORC Has Learned

• 1. A signature trail can be heavily leveraged
• 2. Agency contacts are invaluable
• 3. Recreation Trails Program opportunity
• 4. Events have anchored growth
• 5. Like trails, non-profit organizations require
  maintenance

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1. The Value of a Signature Trail

• Lebanon Hills the gift that keeps giving
• Trail Building Schools provided education
• Master planning process gave opportunity
• What do mtbers want at Lebanon?
• Lebanon became a model
• Partnership with MORCs voluntary workers
• Proper design and maintenance techniques
• Heavily used, yet maintenance costs decreased
• Always busy, not crowded, technically challenging
  but also really fun to ride
  
• Best practices for other land managers

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2. Contacts With Agency Folks Invaluable

• Early pattern of working with city, county, and
  state organizations
  
• Success with trail building and conflict
  resolution meant establishing trust
  
• MORC the answer to keeping mtb trails open during
  decreasing budgets
  
• Agency folks good PR tools
• Nearly lost this trust, but rebuilt and enhanced
  it

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3. Benefit of Rec. Trails Program

• MRTUA is MN Rec. Trail Program
• Minnesota Recreational Trail Users Assn.
• 4 motorized/5 non-motorized user groups
• MORC gained seat at decision table
• Process took 5 years
• MORCs reputation pivotal to gaining MRTUA seat
• MORC in position to steer mtb development in
  Minnesota

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4. Events Have Anchored Growth

• 24 Hours of Afton/Eriks Spring Cup perfect
  revenue generators
  
• Weekend timeframe limits commitment
• Annual take substantial and consistent
• MORC visibility to large captive user group
• Great partners provide different audiences
• Use of events for revenue require caution
• Burnout often a result
• Limited liability a key
• Balance investment with return

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5. Beyond MTB, MORC is a Non-Profit

• Non-profit management a key component for
  sustainability and growth
  
• Strategic planning
• Financial management
• Board development
• Diversity of funding
• You need people as interested in helping build
  non-profit as interested in building trails
  
• Attend a Non Profit Management course if possible