Shape Your World

Rolling through the forest, tires gripping effortlessly as they round another sculpted corner, it can be easy to get lost in the natural experience of mountain biking. Yet, trails are rarely formed naturally. Every foot, every inch of the trail has been painstakingly crafted by shovels, rakes, and pulaskis. The men and women who dedicate their time to these labours are the unsung heroes of the sport.

Today Shimano announced the expansion of its longstanding commitment to global mountain bike advocacy by growing its support for the International Mountain Bike Association’s (IMBA) efforts. In addition to its ongoing partnership and working relationship with IMBA, Shimano will become the Founding Sponsor of IMBA’s Dig In program through a multi-year donation to fund the creation of new mountain bike trail projects.

“Shimano understands that we all must play a part in contributing to the future of the sport of mountain biking and for decades we’ve created partnerships and efforts to make a difference globally,” said Nolan Moser, Vice President, Bicycle Division from Shimano North American Bicycle, Inc. “We’re excited to grow our support for IMBA at the ground level with the Dig In program as it will support local trail projects being planned or currently underway in a variety of locations serving a diverse group of riders.”

“Our Dig In Campaign will be a fresh take on IMBA’s traditional ways of providing funds. Bridging the gap between national and local fundraising efforts will put more trails in more places, more quickly, to grow the number of mountain bike trail communities. When everyone has access to great trails, people, communities and economies benefit,” said Dave Wiens, IMBA Executive Director.

The inaugural round of Dig In projects will launch on July 1st, 2020 and run year-round. Projects will be refreshed quarterly. IMBA Local Partner organizations will be able to submit project applications beginning May 1st. Funds may be used to support trail construction, trail access efforts, trail assessment, trail plan creation or trail maintenance. To stay in touch on Dig In and support projects near you, visit imba.com/digin