Peter Heumann: SBMBC Guest Speaker September 1999

Peter Heumann talked about the advocacy aspect of mountain biking through Concerned Off-Road Bicyclist Association (CORBA) organization. One of the reasons that he became one of, and still is an active member of, the CORBA Steering Committee members was that his bike would had become an obsolete toy collecting dust if he did not get involved. He became an advocate with the desire to keep the dialogue going in order to have the trails open to mountain bikers. Peter and Jim Hausenauer, among others, attended Sierra Club meetings in an effort to represent the interests of mountain bikers and painting a positive image of the sport since his audience thought differently of the sport. Peter Heumann, Jim Hausenauer, Kurt Loheit, Mark Langton, and others would attend many meetings with agencies and other groups to make sure that the needs of mountain cyclists were represented. They also worked with the City of Los Angeles Parks and Recreations for four and half years to get the trails open to bikers by changing the city's ordinance about trails. This process is still ongoing. Just last March, Peter attended all three public hearing meetings put together by the City of Los Angeles' Department of Parks and Recreations to get input about opening the trails to bikers. To his dismay, at one meeting in Griffith Park, there were only three other mountain bikers, (one of them was none other than Jim Hasenauer who got booed off the stage!!!), facing more than 200 angry equestrians threatening violence against the cyclists, needless to say that the atmosphere was not friendly.

Over the years, the advocacy strategy to keep and get the trails open to bikers has been simple, focused on being positive, and always taking the high road. This has required total dedication and believing that the end result would be successful. We, in the steering committee, needed to take the initiative to present this sport to others who did not have a full understanding of it. Attending many city and state agencies and other meetings that dealt with trails and land management to make sure that our voice is heard and to be considered as a partner on the trails. Now as then, our task is to educate, share information, and establish relationships with land managers and conservation groups have won many fights and battles.

Most important of all, according to Peter, we need to get involved with the CORBA Steering Committee, which we can consider as the second and equal tier of the training ground to become a representative of the mountain biking community (the other training tier is on the trails.) This committee can always use our help by being active and getting involved in order to bring new ideas and fresh energy to the organization. CORBA's survival depends on new and continued participation all of us in the organization. Furthermore, in November of this year, 1999, the Steering Committee will have a special portion committed to involving new members who want to become active. It is time for us to carry some of the responsibilities so others can ride their bikes too.

There is still a lot that needs to be done, be a part of it. Mountain biking is not just about riding a bike. Get involved in some way to give something back to your sport, be it advocacy, trail building and maintenance, Trips 4 Kids, or on a volunteer patrol.