We had a great time at the Annual Meeting last weekend, thanks to everyone who came out, to Ians's Pizza and Metcalfe's Market for the food, to Sunshine Brewing for the beer and pro-level tapping system, and especially to Revolution Cycles for hosting! It was great to see a mix of new and familiar faces. A few of the highlights:
- Em Meier was elected to Vice President of Events, with Bob Hubanks committing to be her right-hand man. Thanks to both of you, and we look forward to some cool happenings in the near future.
- We're still looking for someone to step into the role of President. If you or someone you know is looking for a very rewarding opportunity to give back to the cycling community, reach out to info@madcitydirt.com .
- We're excited to announce that we have earmarked funding to hire a part time employee in 2023. Our operation has grown to the extant that volunteers are struggling to keep up with our obligations and opportunities. We'll have a formal announcement with a job description out in the near future, keep it in mind if you or someone you know has great organizational and communication skills and would like to be a part of moving area mountain biking forward.
- On the trailbuilding front, expect to see continued improvements at CamRock, small expansions at Seminole and Middleton Bike Park, and continued build-out at the Dam Trails, along with the usual maintenance and upgrades.
- The Gneiss rebuild at Blue Mound came in under budget and ahead of schedule. We know they moved your favorite rock, but they put it in an even cooler spot and you are going to be so stoked when you find it! Seriously, we are very pleased with what we have seen and heard. It will likely require some adjustment once it gets ridden in, but should help keep the trails open more and allow more riders to learn to love the Blue Mound experience.
- We're working with GE Healthcare to develop trails on a piece of property they own on the east side of Madison. It's early stages, but it looks very promising, and if things go well, we may be able to start building in 2023.
- Working with Madison Parks, we installed a temporary trail at Sycamore Park this fall, and they are working on an proposal to build permanent trails there; stay tuned for more details on what is planned and how to support it.
- In a development that happened since the meeting, the Request for Proposals to build the Middleton Bike Park Pump track was posted last week; we're getting really close to that becoming a reality.
We're really excited about what we accomplished in 2022, and are looking forward to an even better 2023. See you on the trails!
