IMBA Europe

16/10/2026

A week after our first IMBA Europe Meet-Up in Sebnitz, Germany, we’re still thinking about the conversations, ideas, and takeaways.

Over two days, we explored what it takes to develop a successful mountain bike trail system, using the Borderless Trails project on the German-Czech border as a real-world case study. From planning and design to European funding opportunities, there was plenty to learn from the people who made the project happen.

But one of the biggest takeaways was that building trails is only part of the picture. Strong trail destinations need more than good infrastructure. They need community support, long-term planning, and collaboration between trail associations, land managers, municipalities, and tourism organizations.
These are the people who need to be part of the conversation from the beginning, yet they aren't always in the room.

Through programs like IMBA’s Trail Head and concepts such as Trail Towns, we see an opportunity to help more communities understand what it takes to develop sustainable trail networks, and how mountain biking can bring wider benefits to the places where we ride.

The Meet-Up was IMBA Europe's first test of this approach, and we came away with plenty to reflect on as we look for ways to bring more practical learning opportunities to our network and beyond.

We'd also like to give a big shout out to Bikeplan for helping to organise this event, and showcase what can be achieved through strong collaboration, and the right funding.

Curious about what we learned and where we go from here?

Read our full reflection below. 👇

Bringing people, knowledge and practical examples together to help build better mountain bike trail systems across Europe.

15/10/2026

07/10/2026

The Value of Cycling Beyond Metrics: Thoughts from the Euro Velo Conference.

"In a world obsessed with metrics and measurements, economic impact is key to showing that infrastructure and other cycling initiatives offer a good return on investment.

As a cycling community, we need to get better at identifying and communicating the intangible benefits our activity provides to society, and convince decision-makers in government, tourism, and industry to reevaluate how they prioritize investments in and promotion of cycling" - Hans Stoops

Read the full post below...

One of the world’s premier cycling cities, Utrecht, hosted the 2026 EuroVelo conference last week, ECF’s annual leisure and bicycle tourism gathering. I was there to present key findings from the 2026 IMBA Europe rider survey and to hear from others working to promote sustainable bicycle tourism...

22/09/2026

Great to see so many familiar faces joining the international Trail Building Management Course at Fagskolen Viken in Norway.

The program is designed for professionals and committed volunteers who want to strengthen their competence in trail planning, construction management, and long-term maintenance.

15/09/2026

From projects to practice: building the next generation of trail professionals!

This week in Norway, 35 students from 14 nationalities are coming together at Fagskolen Viken for the new International Trail Building Management Course, developing the skills to plan, build, and manage sustainable trail networks.

And it’s particularly great to see several trail advocates connected to IMBA Europe taking part, including a number of our Take Care of Your Trails award winners, as well as Maurizio Rossi, winner of our Trail Advancement Award, supported by H+I Adventures.

For IMBA Europe, it's been great seeing these different pieces of our work come together in an organic, tangible way - which has always been the goal with our campaigns and projects. We’ve been involved in the DIRTT project since its inception, working with partners across Europe to help professionalize trail building through education, training, and shared knowledge.

DIRTT has helped lay the foundations for new training opportunities like this one to professionalize the sector. At the same time, campaigns such as Take Care of Your Trails recognize and support the people already putting those skills into practice in their communities.

Strong trails need skilled people, and even better, they need a community of people who care about building, maintaining, and advocating for them.

https://www.imba-europe.org/trail-advancement-award/



Photo credit: Magnus Gronberg - DIRTT Consortium

This award is proudly supported by H+I Adventures, an IMBA Europe Trail Advocacy Partner and member of the 1% for the Planet the Planet network. As a 1% for the Planet recipient, IMBA Europe has allocated part of the donation from H+I Adventures towards this award category. The Trail Advancement Awa...

14/09/2026

Forging the path ahead - ROUTES project partners conclude successful project meeting in Sweden!

It's been a busy couple of weeks on the road for our Advocacy Officer Hans Stoops, joining various project meetings and conference. The final stop was the ROUTES project partners meeting in Steninge, Sweden.

The meeting focused on turning the project’s research into practical tools, preparing upcoming pilot areas and exploring how different stakeholders can work together to develop sustainable, high-quality trails. For IMBA Europe, this is another opportunity to bring the mountain biking perspective into the wider conversation around trails, access, outdoor recreation and sustainable tourism.

The next phase will test the tools in different European environments, with lessons feeding into a practical ROUTES toolkit.

What is ROUTES?

ROUTES (Routes to Outdoor Tourism, Understanding and European Sustainability) brings together organizations across Europe to explore how trails and outdoor recreation can support sustainable tourism and stronger cooperation between local and regional stakeholders.

Read the full recap from ERA

ROUTES Erasmus+ partners met in Sweden to advance sustainable trail management, practical tools and European pilot areas led by ERA.

08/09/2026

Euro'Meet 2026 - the largest European conference dedicated to outdoor sports and outdoor recreation

The Euro’Meet conference kicks off today, and the IMBA Europe team looks forward to meaningful conversations about how we can make the outdoors more accessible for all through a sustainable approach. This year, IMBA Europe will support former IMBA Europe President Thomas Larsen Smidt in a workshop that dives deeper into developing the Trails Policy Paper and why it matters for our sector.

What is the Trails Policy Paper?

The European Trails Policy Paper calls for the recognition of trails as essential public infrastructure and provides practical recommendations for decision-makers at European, national, regional, and local levels.

For the mountain biking community, the paper also highlights the importance of coordinated trail planning, management, and standards that help create sustainable, high-quality trail experiences while protecting the environments they pass through.

IMBA Europe is proud to support the launch of the European Trails Policy Paper – Trails as Strategic European Infrastructure, a landmark document calling for greater recognition of trails as essential infrastructure that delivers environmental, social and economic benefits across Europe.

03/09/2026

What does it actually take to create a thriving community trail system?

That’s the question we’ll explore at the IMBA Europe Meet-Up, inspired by the IMBA US Trail Head workshop approach!

Building trails is only one part of the picture. A successful trail system starts with a strong community and brings together people, places, planning, funding, and long-term stewardship.

Across four hands-on workshops, we’ll explore the journey from community to getting that trail system in place:

*Workshop 1: Community Engagement & Funding
What does the local MTB community look like? Who needs to be involved? And how do you build the support, partnerships, and funding needed to turn an idea into reality?

*Workshop 2- Access, Assessment & Inventory
Before you start drawing trails on a map, you need to understand the landscape. What land is available? Who owns and manages it? What trails and resources already exist? And what opportunities and constraints do you need to consider?

*Workshop 3- Planning & Design
How do you turn all that knowledge into a trail system that works for riders, the community and the landscape? We’ll look at planning, design and creating trails with a long-term vision in mind.

*Workshop 4- Construction & Trail Stewardship
Getting the trails built is just the beginning. How do you build sustainably, organize maintenance, and create the structures and people needed to look after the trails for years to come?

And then we’ll take the learning outside with a field trip to Borderless Trails, plus plenty of time to connect and exchange ideas with people from across the MTB sector.

So, whether you’re planning your next project, or you're a complete beginner thinking “how do we get started with mountain biking?” - this Meet-Up is designed to help you take the next step.

📍 Sebnitz, Germany
📅 8–10 October 2026

https://www.imba-europe.org/imba-europe-meetup/

28/08/2026

The places we ride are worth protecting - an Advocacy in the spotlight piece by Hans Stoops.

This summer, Europe has experienced record heat, devastating wildfires and increasingly extreme weather. For mountain bikers, the impacts are becoming impossible to ignore. Our trails, forests and mountains are already being affected by a changing climate.

At the Protect Our Winters Sweden Summit, Hans Stoops (Advocacy officer) explored what our community can do to help protect the natural places we depend on. Because while our individual choices matter, meaningful climate action will require collective action and a stronger voice from all of us who value the outdoors.

In our latest article, we look at why mountain bikers should be part of that conversation - and why protecting our trails means looking far beyond the trails themselves.

The summer of 2026 has been a difficult one for many, as wildfires rage across Europe and record heatwaves plague huge swaths of the continent.

24/08/2026

The IMBA Europe Meet-Up is not only for those already working in MTB - it’s also for places taking their first steps and looking to understand how mountain biking can support outdoor recreation, tourism, community development, and sustainable growth.

Connect with experienced professionals, learn from destinations that have already started their journey, discover best practices, and get inspired to create great mountain bike experiences in your own region.

Whether you’re building trails, managing a destination, or simply asking “where do we start?”, this meet-up is for you.

Tickets now on sale via the link below.

https://open.mtbutd.com/event/-OwXdWW48zUnU0nPeowx