SWIMBA takes mountain bike education ultra seriously because there’s a lot at stake, including future access to our favorite trails.
Back in the day when mountain biking was in its infancy, scores of trails were closed to mountain biking in metro areas like the San Francisco Bay area, Seattle and Portland because some bikers had bad manners. In the Boise area, SWIMBA has been very proactive about educating mountain bikers about being courteous to hikers, runners, horseback riders and other trail users, and only one trail — the Hulls Gulch Interpretive Trail — has been closed to mountain biking in more than 25 years.
Proper trail etiquette is something that all mountain bikers should take a moment to learn. You’ll notice color signs in the Boise Foothills talking about Keeping Singletrack Single, Staying off Muddy Trails and Yield to Uphill traffic. These are all huge issues in the foothills. Do your part and we’ll have a long future.
SWIMBA Bike School reinforces tips about trail etiquette and responsible riding, and it also provides instruction on how to mountain bike for kids of all ages as well as the basics of bike maintenance. The bike school is run in conjunction with Boise Parks & Recreation.
