Trail EAffect

By Josh BlumSports Health & Fitness Wilderness

Trail EAffect episodes

June 14, 2022Gary Sjoquist Mountain Bike Hall of Fame Inductee and Super Advocate for Mountain Biking (#74)
Trail EAffect Episode 74 with Gary Sjoquist Mountain Bike Advocate and Hall of Fame Member
The Gary Sjoquist Back Story on how he found mountain biking
Becoming and Advocate in Mountain Biking and Cycling in General
IMBA State Rep in the early 90’s
Contracting with the MN DNR for a bicycle conference
Could see that access might become an issue across different public agencies
Became a voice for Mountain Biking / published a newsletter called off-road rider
Cuyuna evolving into the state of MN first recreation meeting in ’93 and traveling there in ‘95
Got local leaders attend meetings about mountain biking to educate land managers
North Central Mountain Bike Resource Group evolved into MORC
IMBA Trail Care Crew first showed up in 1996
Director of Dakota County Asked “What do Mountain Bikers Want at Lebanon Hills?”
Getting the right people and provide the right resources for them
Encountering resistance to Mountain Biking in the 90’s
Gary – A Prisoner of Logic
Mountain Bikers do care about our natural resources
Stewardship has been critical for Mountain Bikers
Famous Failure…
Hosting a Mountain Bike Advocacy Meeting at the race venue after a Mountain Bike Race and only 2 people showed up…
Racers and Advocacy or lack of
The WORS Model VS the MNMTB Model
MNMTB as a Non-Profit, 2021 MNMTB gave back almost $52,000 to clubs that hosted race events
Working with IMBA Early On
Gary is a unique advocate as he’s an advocate for both road and mountain bike access
IMBA Provided a lot of resources to local clubs
Directional Trails and the important role they play in trail systems
Sight Lines not as necessary
Legacy of separate Trails in MN
Improves conflict management
Reduces the need for Maintenance on the trails
Riding the wrong way on trails is just misguided
Directional Trails can handle a lot more users
Quality Bike Products (QBP) Bringing Gary on staff as an advocate at QBP
Lots of Freedom to work in the advocacy world
Helped Start Bikes Belong, which became People for Bikes
Additional Resources by befriending a member of congress
Traveling to Washington DC lobby for funding to build the first 23 miles at Cuyuna as a pilot project
Launching the MN Highschool League with the help of QBP
Needing to make sure that Cuyuna was built to the highest standard
Creating perimeters where the trail building company at Cuyuna had to demonstrate their qualifications as a quality trail building company to bid on the project
Was there anyone else in a Role like Gary’s Role for any other companies?
Being inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 2012
Advice Gary has for communities in terms of facing resistance and changing the narrative
Gary Being Thankful for “Being For Something” instead of against something, and something as bikes!
How NICA and Highschool Mountain Bike Racing / has changed the future of Mountain Biking in a positive way
The Economic Impact the NICA Races have brought to communities in MN
What Gary Looks for in a Mountain Bike Community
A well thought out trail network
Signage that makes sense
Infrastructure around the trail network
Who’s the Club taking care of the trails
Accommodations for Mountain Bikers
Closing Comments from Gary Sjoquist
Links:
Minnesota Cycling Association: https://minnesotacycling.org/
Quality Bicycle Products: https://www.qbp.com/
IMBA: https://www.imba.com/
People For Bikes: https://www.peopleforbikes.org/
Cuyuna: https://www.cuyuna.com/
Lebanon Hills: https://www.co.dakota.mn.us/parks/parksTrails/LebanonHills
Redhead Bike Park: https://www.mndiscoverycenter.com/visit/redhead-mountain-bike-park/
Biketown: https://freehubmag.com/biketown

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

Trail EAffect Show Support:
Giants Ridge: https://www.giantsridge.com/
Ride the Range: https://www.ridetherange.com/
Evolution Trail Services: www.evotrails.com
Contact Josh at [email protected]
Support Trail EAffect through donations at: https://www.patreon.com/traileaffect
You can also reach out and donate via PayPal or other means if you feel so inclined to do so.
1 hr 9 min
June 09, 2022The Range Report Volume Two Featuring Redhead Bike Park and Giants Ridge Bike Park
The Range Report Volume Two Featuring Redhead Bike Park and Giants Ridge

Redhead Bike Park in Chisholm, MN
Opening with Jordan Metsa
Where Redhead Bike Park is
Purpose Built Mountain Bike Trails
Rock Solid Trail Contractors
Scott Linnenburger of Kay-Linn Enterprises
Events
2nd Annual Renegade Trail Run 25k & 5k Trail Run
MN Cycling Association H.S. State Championships for 2022
Ride a Trolley Train Around the Bike Park
The Chisholm Experience
Lodging
Camping
Dining
Mesabi Paved Trail
Water Experiences available at Redhead Bike Park
Closing Comments by Jordan
Giants Ridge in Biwabik, MN
New Opening Date for Giants Ridge Bike Park Friday June 10th, 2022
The Burnt Onion Restaurant
XC Trails are riding really well and in prime condition
Events
Little Giants Skills Camp for Kids
All other camps are open for registration as well
Everyone is excited to see the Mountain Bike Family back at Giants Ridge
Links:
Redhead Bike Park: https://www.mndiscoverycenter.com/visit/redhead-mountain-bike-park/
Minnesota Discovery Center: https://www.mndiscoverycenter.com/
Reclaimed, Movie about Redhead Bike Park: https://youtu.be/Qpscdce31YM
Giants Ridge: www.giantsridge.com
Ride the Range: www.ridetherange.com
Renegade Trail Run at Redhead: https://give.unitedwaynemn.org/event/renegade-trail-run-25k-5k/e405899
Biketown by Freehub Magazine: https://freehubmag.com/biketown

The Range Report has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

The Range Report Support:
Giants Ridge: https://www.giantsridge.com/
Ride the Range: https://www.ridetherange.com/
Evolution Trail Services: www.evotrails.com
Contact Josh at [email protected]
21 min
June 07, 2022Terry Coddington NICA League Director for Arkansas Highschool Mountain Biking (#73)
Trail EAffect Episode 73 with Terry Coddington
The Terry Coddington Back Story
Leadership that he learned while in the U.S. Navy including working with the Blue Angels
Bike & Pedestrian Coordinator for Conway, AR
Cycle-logical Coaching
Skills Coaching
Confidence = Speed
Transition into NICA League Director for the State of Arkansas
Started as Team Director and Head Coach in Conway Arkansas
Grew the Conway Team to the largest in the state
What NICA does for communities
NICA Stories as a Coach
The Our Ride Program
All Kids Bike
Terry getting back into Cycling to lose weight
NICA GRiT Program
Terry’s Thoughts on what Trails do for Communities
What Terry looks for in other communities in terms of trails and what communities offer
Feeling Safe, especially with family or young children
Connectivity via bikes vs vehicles
Famous Failure
Asphalt Sprint Car Racing Incident
Having Situational Awareness
Bonus Questions
Josh Shively Asks what music / songs get stuck in Terry’s head during long rides or races
Top Gun…?
Jeff Gannon of Affordable Trail Solutions asks: Why is Terry So Fast and will he slow down?
Racing the Leadville 100 with Pneumonia (and finishing at 9:00 Hours)
Jeff Also asks: What’s Terry’s thoughts on the current trail building boom
Trail Maintenance keeping up with the building
My Bonus Question: Terry’s Thoughts on the Pay to Play Model and Bike Parks
Closing Comments by Terry
Links:
Cycle-Logical Coaching LLC: https://www.facebook.com/cyclelogicalcoaching/
NICA Arkansas: https://www.arkansasmtb.org/
Outride Bike Program: https://outridebike.org/
All Kids Bike: https://allkidsbike.org/
NICA GRiT: https://www.nationalmtb.org/grit/

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

Trail EAffect Show Support:
Giants Ridge: https://www.giantsridge.com/
Ride the Range: https://www.ridetherange.com/
Evolution Trail Services: www.evotrails.com
Contact Josh at [email protected]
Support Trail EAffect through donations at: https://www.patreon.com/traileaffect
You can also reach out and donate via PayPal or other means if you feel so inclined to do so.
1 hr 3 min
May 31, 2022Adam A. Adams Host of the Podcast on Podcasting and a Newer Mountain Biker (#72)
Trail EAffect Episode 72 with Adam A. Adams of the Podcast on Podcasting
The Adam A. Adams Back Story
When Adam got into mountain biking, he’s gone all in
What has Adam hooked on Mountain Biking
What keeps Adam coming back to mountain biking
What Adam got for a mountain bike to get into mountain biking (in 2020)
What Adam looks for in terms of a trail experience
Adam really wants more trails in more communities
Because of Trails…
Best shape of his life
Better dad
More happiness
Better Sleep
Business is thriving more than ever
What Adam looks for in Trail Communities
Famous Failure (There’s a great lesson and story here)
Bonus Content
Why Adam got into podcasting
2020 and how that effected Adam in his other venture with Real Estate
The Value Adam sees with Podcasting
Check out Podcast on Podcasting episode 231, as referenced in this episode regarding podcast sponsorship
What the CPM Model is
Where the CPM Model isn’t good
Going deeper on the Podcasting Model
What Companies and Sponsors can get out of Podcasts, supporting Podcasts
Closing Comments by Adam A. Adams

Links:
Grow Your Show: https://growyourshow.com/
Podcast on Podcasting: https://podcast.growyourshow.com/
Podcast on Podcasting Episode 231 Podcast Sponsorship: https://podcast.growyourshow.com/ep231-uncovering-the-secret-to-easily-obtain-a-podcast-sponsor-netta-gorman/

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

Trail EAffect Show Support:
Giants Ridge: https://www.giantsridge.com/
Ride the Range: https://www.ridetherange.com/
Evolution Trail Services: www.evotrails.com
Contact Josh at [email protected]
1 hr 12 min
May 26, 2022The Range Report Volume One with Giants Ridge Resort and Cuyuna Trails
The Range Report Volume One featuring Giants Ridge Resort and Cuyuna Trails

Giants Ridge
Opening Date for Giants Ridge June 3rd, 2022
Rock Solid Trail Contracting on site providing support for trail repairs
Registration Opening for The Grind XC Mountain Bike Race
About the Grind XC Adventure Ride / Race
Short Grind 19 miles
Long Grind 36 miles
Redhead MNMTB Race Series report from the previous weekend
Redhead Trail Conditions
Tioga Trails June 4th Planned Opening of the Pathfinder Playground
Cuyuna Trails
Aaron Hautala Update on Trails and Trail Conditions
Sagamore Unit Construction Update and Opening information
Construction Provided by Rock Solid Trail Contracting
The Directional Trail Experience and Advantage at Cuyuna Trails
How to find out where to stay and eat when visiting Cuyuna Trails
Off Road Triathlon (Paddle, Pedal, Run)
June 12th of 2022 – Sign Up Today
Proceeds benefit the local elementary school PTA
The Summer Weather Advantage in Northern MN
With super clear freshwater lakes
Closing Comments
Volunteers and Community Support Thank You!
Links:
Giants Ridge: www.giantsridge.com
Ride the Range: www.ridetherange.com
Cuyuna Trails: www.cuyuna.com

The Range Report has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

The Range Report Support:
Giants Ridge: https://www.giantsridge.com/
Ride the Range: https://www.ridetherange.com/
Evolution Trail Services: www.evotrails.com
Contact Josh at [email protected]
27 min
May 24, 2022Dustin Schiltz and drtpdlrs Youth Mountain Bike Program (#71)
Trail EAffect Episode 71 Dustin Schiltz and drtpdlrs
The Dustin Schiltz Back Story
How a mountain bike coaching certification for his professional life lead Dustin into a totally different direction in life
How the genesis of drt pdlrs came to be
Loppet Foundation
Minnesota as a leader in Mountain Biking
Dustin and Enduro Racing / why he likes it
Giants Ridge as a venue
The Journey of Starting drt pdlrs
Where drt pdlrs is going in 2022
All-inclusive adventures
Making it easy to get kids to more riding destinations
Wilderness First Responder Certification
Shortage of Wilderness First Responders Instructors
Coaching Certifications, what the BICP and PMBIA is and the differences between those certifications.
PMBIA
BICP
The importance of skills and coaching even as adults
Famous Failure
Mountain Bike Communities according to Dustin
Copper Harbor, MI
Closing Comments by Dustin
#Futureshred
Links:
drt pdlrs: https://www.drtpdlrs.com/
Loppet Foundation: https://www.loppet.org/
Bicycle Instructor Certification Program: https://icp.bike/
Professional Mountain Bike Instructors Association: https://www.facebook.com/pmbiassociation/
https://pmbia.org/
This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

Trail EAffect Show Support:
Giants Ridge: https://www.giantsridge.com/
Ride the Range: https://www.ridetherange.com/
Evolution Trail Services: www.evotrails.com
Contact Josh at [email protected]
1 hr 10 min
May 17, 2022James Flatten The Original Flow Farmer (#70)
Trail EAffect Episode 70 James Flatten the Original Flow Farmer
The James Flatten Story
The Story behind the Original Flow Farmer
Starting up Flow Farmer LLC.
How James & I met by chance
What goes into the trail building process for James
Building Free Lunch in Grand Junction / Starting working for Singletrack Trails
The first Downhill Trail on BLM Land
Working with the Bureau of Land Management
When Free Lunch was Built in Grand Junction
Trail Building in Salida and other iconic locations
The Dude Abides
Hooligan
Clients asking for more optional lines with trail construction
El Duderino
Trail Building in Iowa
Building the Palisade Plunge Trail – Massive Endeavor!
Bike Parks
Building at Powderhorn Bike Park
Purgatory Bike Park
James on the Separation of Trails at Bike Parks for a more family friendly experience #MachStupid
Trends that James has seen with Bike Parks and in the Bike Park industry
What James looks for in a Mountain Bike Community
James and The Flow Farmer LLC Trail Building Company
Where James would like to see Trail Building go as an industry
The hunger for world class riders getting tested on legal world class trails
The Trail that James is building right now in Bentonville in the Handcut Hollow Zone
More Trails Close to Home
Closing Comments by James
Links:
Palisade Plunge: https://www.copmoba.org/palisade-plunge/
The Original Flow Farmer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/originalflowfarmer/
Powderhorn Resort and Bike Park: https://www.powderhorn.com/explore-summer/about/powderhorn-in-summer.html
Purgatory Bike Park: https://www.purgatory.ski/activities/mtn-bike-uplift/

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

Trail EAffect Show Support:
Evolution Trail Services: www.evotrails.com
Contact Josh at [email protected]
1 hr
May 10, 2022Benji Neff of Giants Ridge Bike Park and Resort Biwabik, MN (#69)
Trail EAffect Episode 69 Benji Neff and Giants Ridge Bike Park and Resort
Benji Neff Backstory and entry into his role as Director of Mountain Sports at Giants Ridge Resort
The Role as Director of Mountain Sports – Winter and Summer
Why Giants Ridge got into Mountain Biking / Lift Access Mountain Biking
The Giants Ridge Advantage for size and topography
Giants Ridge Amenities
Lodging
Dining
Climbing Wall
Golf Courses
Bike Rental
Mountain Sports Academy (Women’s & Kids Camps)
Kids Camps
Building out Giants Ridge Bike Park and XC Trails
Dept of Iron Range Resources
How Iron Mining Tax Dollars helped redevelop the region and trails
Creating Bid Specs for the Building Process
How three separate Mountain Bike Trail Building Project collaborated and got the funding together to build out “Ride the Range”
The unique approach to hiring multiple builders for the region working together
Trail Building competition breeds competition among the builders which results in a higher quality build
How Giants Ridge Opened the Bike Park in 2020 during the start of the Pandemic
Staff at Giants Ridge for the Bike Park
Trail Maintenance Staff
Other Operations Staff
Bike Patrol
Future Plans for Giants Ridge Mountain Bike Trails
How Alternate Lines help build progression for riders to improve skills
Ride the Range and what that is
Redhead Trails
Tioga Trails
Cuyuna Trails
Zooming out a little for even more mountain bike trails in Northern MN
Benji’s Take on Trail Communities
Words of Wisdom by Benji
Closing
Links:
Giants Ridge Resort: https://www.giantsridge.com/
Ride the Range: https://www.ridetherange.com/
Redhead Bike Park: https://www.goredhead.com/
Reclaimed the Movie about Redhead: https://youtu.be/Qpscdce31YM
Tioga Trails: https://tiogarecreation.com/
Cuyuna Trails: https://www.cuyuna.com/

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

Trail EAffect Show Support:
Evolution Trail Services: www.evotrails.com
Contact Josh at [email protected]
1 hr
May 03, 2022Jeff Gannon of Affordable Trail Solutions (#68)
Trail EAffect Episode 68 Jeff Gannon of Affordable Trail Solutions
Jeff Gannon Back Story
Building in Arkansas
Seeps
Access and Planning as the way forward for accelerating building
Benefits seen in NW Arkansas Trails
Arkansas State Parks / and the State of Arkansas embracing mountain biking
Starting Affordable Trail Solutions Trail Building Company
Working with the Nature Conservancy for Trail Building
Trends in Trail Building according to Jeff
Trail Maintenance
Limited Volunteers for Maintenance
More Trails Close to Home
A discussion about a Trail Maintenance Fund and / or other ways to supplement Trail Maintenance
Trail Adoption Program
What’s going on with ATS in 2022
ATS and Drones / YouTube
Training Volunteers for Trail Maintenance
What makes a great trail community according to Jeff
Removing Ball Fields and Replacing them with Bicycle Playgrounds
Rail Yard
Bringing Affordable Trails to Smaller Communities
Pumptracks should be Asphalt / Hard Surfaced to elevate maintenance
Pickleball Courts
Closing Comments
Bonus Content
Patreon VS Industry Funding / Sponsorship and Trail EAffect
Value of the Trail EAffect Podcast
The Purpose of the Trail EAffect Podcast
Funding for Trail Planning / Design, Advocacy and Maintenance
Companies that give back to Trails
Confusion around one Major Company giving back to trails, listen to find out…
Robot Shifting and Bluetooth Dropper Posts
Links:
Affordable Trail Solutions: https://www.affordabletrails.com/
Affordable Trail Solutions YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXciToHUC2znPlnC5rB_a4A/featured
Affordable Trail Solutions Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Affordable-Trail-Solutions-717382101949793/
Affordable Trail Solutions on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/affordabletrailsolutions/?hl=en
Bluffton Preserve on Trailforks: https://www.trailforks.com/region/bluffton-preserve-46745/
Rattlesnake Ridge on Trailforks: https://www.trailforks.com/region/rattlesnake-ridge-29847/

Professional Trail Builders Association: https://www.trailbuilders.org/

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

Trail EAffect Show Support:
Evolution Trail Services: www.evotrails.com
Contact Josh at [email protected]
Support Trail EAffect through donations at: https://www.patreon.com/traileaffect
You can also reach out and donate via PayPal or other means if you feel so inclined to do so.
1 hr 12 min
April 26, 2022Erin Rushing of Trailblazers in Bentonville, AR (#67)
Trail EAffect Episode 67 Erin Rushing of Trailblazers
Erin Rushing Back Story
The early years of trails and greenways in NW Arkansas
Razorback Greenway
The Transformation of Trailblazers
Unique common areas in Bella Vista that allowed for trail building and access
Greenway Extensions into Bella Vista
How Trailblazers develops trails
Building the Back 40 Trail System in Bella Vista, AR
Diversity of Trail Experiences within the Back 40 with different builders
40 miles of trail built in 9 months
The Ledges
Lessons learned through building out trails in NW Arkansas
More Green level trails needed
Tuning up the existing system and making trails better in 2022
Bicycle Playgrounds for kids in parks
Famous Failure and what was learned
Experimenting with trail surfaces
Quick to react
Building smaller systems – Larger / 10 to 12 miles to make a worthwhile trail system
More Neighborhood connections in 2022
What makes a great trail community according to Erin
E Bikes in NW Arkansas
Little Sugar as an E bike trail system
Commuting to work via trails by E bike
Closing Comments
Links:
Trailblazers: https://www.nwatrailblazers.com/
We Are ETHIC: https://weareethic.org/
OZ Trails: https://www.oztrails.com/
Professional Trail Builders Association: https://www.trailbuilders.org/

This Podcast has been edited and produced by Evolution Trail Services

Trail EAffect Show Support:
Smith’s Bike Shop: https://smithsbikes.com/
Evolution Trail Services: www.evotrails.com
Contact Josh at [email protected]
Support Trail EAffect through donations at: https://www.patreon.com/traileaffect
You can also reach out and donate via PayPal or other means if you feel so inclined to do so.
26 min

About Trail EAffect

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Trail EAffect is a show that dives into the stories behind trails, the communities that embrace trails, and the people who rely on trails as a way of life by interviewing the personalities involved…