Are You a New VMBA Member?

Welcome! From all of us at VMBA, we are excited to have you on board. As a new member, we put together this article to orient you to our organization, the benefits of being a member, and what you can do next as a VMBA Member. Your membership helps our Chapters build and maintain the networks they steward and enables us to continue our work advocating for mountain biking in Vermont. 

Membership Season

The VMBA Membership season runs from April 1 through March 31. During the season, you’ll be able to redeem your Member Benefits at the participating business and downhill mountain bike resorts. New for 2023, you’ll need to download the VMBA Mobile App to have instant access to all the Member Benefits. 

In Your VMBA Packet

Once you receive your VMBA Membership packet in the mail, you’ll find the following:

• List of Member Benefits: These are the great deals and discounts you receive as a VMBA Member. You can access them through our VMBA App and start redeeming them anytime during the membership season.
• Welcome Letter: Our Executive Director, Nick Bennette, shares some highlights from last season and what to expect in the season ahead; make sure to give it a read!
• Events Highlights: On the back of the welcome letter, you’ll find a list of exciting VMBA events happening throughout the summer. Join us for one of our VMBA Days at a downhill resort for group rides, raffles, and more! 
• Orange velcro strip: Proudly display this band somewhere on your bike (the seatpost is a great location) to help identify you as a current VMBA member on the trails. The color changes each year, so it is fun to collect them all!
• VMBA Sticker: The design is unique to each season and can be displayed wherever you choose.
• Chapter Materials: if you joined a Chapter(s), you’ll receive a sweet sticker to show your Chapter support and their own welcome letter if they choose to include one.

What Next?

We have a lot of news and updates to share every month! To stay up to date on significant announcements, we suggest you subscribe to our Newsletter (if you haven’t already) and to your Chapter’s Newsletter, which you can do on their website. Additionally, we encourage you to follow your Chapter and VMBA(@vmba802) on Instagram and Facebook. Many Chapters share trail conditions, events, and more through their channels.

There are many ways to engage with your Chapter(s) as much or as little as you’d like. Chapters typically host kickoff parties at the beginning of the season and hold events such as parties, festivals, and group rides throughout the year. Keep an eye out for these upcoming events on our Events Calendar. 

If you are looking for ways to lend a hand in building and maintaining trails, our Chapters host trail days throughout the summer and can always use volunteer support. Our Reward Volunteers program is a great way to log your volunteer hours and to be entered to win prizes throughout the season. If manual labor is not your thing, Chapters are always looking for new Board Members, and we encourage you to reach out directly to your Chapter if you are interested. 

Now, for the riding. Vermont has many trails suitable for any riding level, and you can use our Plan Your Ride tool to help filter networks by region and riding ability. Trail-specific information may be found on varying platforms. Some Chapters post trail maps and information on their websites, while others use Trailforks or Trail Finder, which you can download on your mobile device. Before hitting the trail, read up on our Rider Responsibility Code to help us continue to have access to all of the places we love to ride.

Most importantly, trails are sensitive to wet conditions (mud season!) and will open/close depending on the weather. Please check the Chapters’ trail conditions before going out on a ride and respect trail closures. Our Trail Conditions page on our website and the mobile app is an excellent resource for each Chapter’s approach to sharing trail updates and closures. And regardless of what you find on the internet, use your judgment when you’re out on the trail – if you’re leaving a noticeable rut, find another trail or ride another day.

Lastly, you can support multiple trail networks by adding more Chapters to your VMBA Membership anytime. 100% of that revenue goes directly to the Chapters you add. Our networks are free to play on, and your membership dollars help keep that rolling. 

We hope you have a great riding experience, and please contact us if you have any questions! Welcome to VMBA!