The Center’s Ride With Gratitude campaign has gained momentum this summer, signing up more pledge takers and expanding its reach through additional trail signage with new trail organizations and a new partnership program with retail bike shops.   

The Bike Borderlands initiative, a collaborative of eight independent trail networks facilitated by the Center, created the Ride With Gratitude campaign to instill a strong code of ethics within the mountain biking community. The campaign calls on riders to respect the gift of mountain biking, care for others, protect nature, and hold each other accountable. More than 1,100 people have taken the pledge, and you could be next!

“We are super excited that in addition to our eight Borderlands networks we now have several other regional trail networks from the mid-Atlantic to the Adirondacks and up to the Katahdin region of Maine educating trail users about riding with gratitude,” said Joe Fox, Outdoor Recreation Manager at the Center.  

“We also have been thrilled to further develop our partnerships with our friends at the Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VMBA) and the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA), and to welcome 10 retail shops to promote the campaign,” said Fox.  

By partnering with retail shops and other trail networks, the Ride With Gratitude campaign can reach new riders at the point of purchase with messaging about being a respectful, responsible mountain biker, and then have that messaging reinforced at regional trailheads. “The whole effort is to help riders develop a responsible stewardship ethic and act as strong role models to fellow riders,” said Fox.  

If you know of a retail shop or trail organization that would like to partner with the Ride With Gratitude campaign, please contact jfox@northernforest.org