Huge SHOUT OUT to Kendall Toyota of Anchorage for sponsoring this year’s trail work at Mirror Lake! Thanks so much for your investment in our community!

MORE NEW TRAILS ARE ALMOST READY!

We need everyone out to lop roots, haul logs and drag off branches and root balls before we can open!

Waivers are on-line. You only need to sign once for the year.

https://app.waiversign.com/…/6088f0f7ccb8b000196265c6…

WHAT: Volunteer Trail Work.

WHEN: 6:45-8pm Tuesdays Aug 22, 29, Sep 5, 12, 2023.

WHERE: Meet at the first road crossing on CAMP GORSUCH RD in Mirror Lake Park.

Bring gloves and loppers if you have them, but we will provide tools if you need them. Youth are welcome, but will need a parent signature and a responsible adult with them.

We’re looking forward to seeing you all out there!

Registration is open: 7-14-23 Mirror Lake Midsummer Masher – Arctic Bicycle Club

Free youth bike checks Tuesday, June 20th 2023, 7-8:30pm at Mirror Lake Park.

Bring your kids, helmets and bikes! We will have a line of coach volunteers to safety check bikes and helmets, as well as mechanics from the Trek Bicycle Store of Anchorage and Off the Chain Bicycle Collective to make simple adjustments.

Youth participating in CMBR kids are required to have their bikes safety checked before riding with the club. If you are unable to bring your child, their bike and their helmet to this Tuesday’s free safety checks you will need to bring it to a shop for a safety check, this usually runs $50-$100.

Youth from the community are also invited to bring their bikes for a free safety check.

THIS IS NOT A DROP-OFF EVENT. A responsible adult must supervise your child(ren) for the entire evening.

1. CHECK IN: First, check in and pick up your Bike Safety Checklist.
2. SAFETY CHECKS: Next, your youth will work with a volunteer coach to check helmet fit as well as bike size, tires, wheels, brakes, headset, chain, and derailleur/shifting. If they pass all the checks they will receive a safety check medallion for their bike and you’re done!
3. SAFETY ADJUSTMENTS: If your child’s bike needs brake or derailleur adjustments they will proceed to a second station where a volunteer mechanic will assess and adjust their bike so it shifts and brakes properly.
4. BIKE REPAIRS: If your child’s bike needs repairs, and not just adjustments, you will need to bring it to a bike shop before riding with the club. Most shops are booked out one to two weeks for repairs.

We always recommend bringing your youth and their bike to the nonprofit Off the Chain Bicycle Collective. Off the Chain is not a drop-off bike shop, but rather a volunteer run bike collective that will help you and your child to repair their own bike. Off the Chain runs by donation, so this is an affordable option for families that cannot make the Tuesday bike checks.

The Trek Bicycle Store of Anchorage (907-743-6000), is a sponsor of our 2023 CMBR Kids program. They are open 7 days a week, located at 530 East Benson Boulevard, STE 9C Anchorage AK, 99503. A safety check or tune-up at Trek or any other local bike shop will fulfill the CMBR kids safety check requirements.

Bikes that have already had 2023 tune-ups, or were purchased in 2023 do not need an additional safety check.

The 1st Alaska MTB Summit happened in 2017. Alaska Trails brought IMBA and the BLM up to highlight their newest publication, the GQTE. “Guidelines for a Quality Trail Experience.”

It’s been six years since we all got together!

Save the date! Alaska Trails, the BLM, Chugach Mountain Biker Riders, Singletrack Advocates, Arctic MTB, Valley Mountain Bikers and Hikers, Mighty Bikes, Hilltop Ski Area and Bike Park, and other Alaskan MTB clubs are banding together once again for the 2nd Alaska MTB Summit at the Government Peak Chalet in Palmer.

The Alaska Mountain Bike Summit seeks to bring together nonprofits, clubs, and mountain biking advocates from across the state to share information and plan a way to maximize the knowledge and expertise in the state to build, maintain, and ride more mountain biking trails.

At a glance:

• What: Alaska Mountain Bike Summit
• Where: Government Peak Chalet, 10690 North Mountain Trails Drive, Palmer, Alaska
• When: 9am – 4pm Saturday, 14 October and Sunday 15 October
• Why: to build a strong statewide mountain bike coalition
• Cost: (includes meals, facility, swag)

*Scholarships available

*Individuals $85 (includes lunch both days)

*Club table $1000 (up to 5 participants)

More information including registration, agenda, and other pertinent news will be coming soon!

Shoot us a message if you would like to be on the planning committee to put together the agenda and logistics.

Mirror Lake Singletrack Trails are OPEN!

Thanks to the 22 people who showed up last night to get them tuned up for your riding pleasure! Early conditions exist, so pre-ride, re-ride, and free-ride. We will have volunteers out working again today, so be aware. (Donating to CMBR is a great way to say thank you!) Enjoy!

Special shout out to the #AdoboMTB crew for bringing the families to trail work parties!

#MirrorLakeSingletrack #BensBikePlayground #ChugachMTB

To clarify: ALL of the singletrack trails are open. Some of the multiuse trails are still pretty wet. Just turn around and use an alternate path if possible. Load up https://www.trailforks.com/region/mirror-lake-18283/ for a map. There’s almost always 2 or more ways to get to the top!

New Date! Weds June 28th.

Please come join us in celebrating love, diversity and equality and the powerful history of the LGBTQA+ community with a CMBR BBQ and tour around the Mirror Lake Trails to celebrate Pride month! This Pride Ride is designed to be fun and inclusive for cyclists of all stripes.

We will have 2, well marked, self paced, routes set up for your enjoyment and of course Ben’s Playground!

1. Single Rainbow Route: This 1 mile route will take you around a wider, multiuse trail route that is great for beginner bike riders and kids or anyone just after a relaxed roll in the woods.

2. Double Rainbow Route: This 3.5 mile will take you through some of our favorite single track in a route that is great for the more adventurous riders looking to get familiar with the awesome trails around Mirror Lake

Take your time exploring the trails and bike park, enjoy the amazing lake, company and tasty BBQ prepared by CMBR. We will have trail volunteers riding the trails periodically to check in with all the riders and are happy to offer additional route suggestions and information if you are interested in exploring beyond the marked routes.

Bring the kids, the partners and the friends!

This event does not require registration and is a free event aimed to bring awareness and show support to our LGBTQA+ community but CMBR does request you complete a waiver to participate (https://cmbralaska.org/waiver/) and if you are able to, we would love you to become a CMBR member! 

TRAILS ARE ALMOST READY!

WHAT: We need everyone out to clear hazards and fix tread before we can open!

WHEN: Thursday May 25th 6:30-8:30pm.

WHERE: Meet at the main trailhead just off the Glenn Hwy at 6:30pm next to Ben’s Bike Playground.

BRING LEAF BLOWERS IF YOU HAVE THEM!

Waivers are on-line. You only need to sign once for the year.

https://app.waiversign.com/e/6088efcaccb8b000196265a7/doc/6088f0f7ccb8b000196265c6?event=none

We will be opening drains, repairing trail tread, clearing sight lines, lopping hazards and prepping the trails for summer opening.

Bring rakes, flat shovels and loppers if you have them, but we will provide tools if you need them.

Youth are welcome, but will need a parent signature and a responsible adult with them.

We’re looking forward to seeing you all out there!

Remember, Ben’s Bike Playground and Pump Track are already open, so bring your bikes and ENJOY! 

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED FOR 2023.

CMBR Kids Youth MTB Club provides an introduction to basic mountain biking by teaching fundamental bike handling skills, building confidence on singletrack trails, and promoting a healthy lifestyle through mountain biking.

NEW THIS YEAR: CMBR Littles! 5-7 year olds are welcome to ride with us, but meet for a shorter time (7-7:45pm).  Kids will need a bike with hand brakes (no coaster/foot brakes) and must already be able to ride well on pavement and grass. Parents of 5-7 year olds need to remain at the park during the session, and are encouraged to ride with their child(ren).

WHO: Youth ages 5-15 (CMBR Littles ages 5-7)

WHERE: @ the Mirror Lake Singletrack Trails, Chugiak (Mirror Lake exit off the Glenn Hwy)

WHEN: Tuesdays & Thursdays

For 2023 we will meet June 20, (not 22), 27, 29 July (not 4), 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27, August 1, 3.

TIME: 7:00pm – 8:30pm (CMBR Littles 7pm-7:45pm)

COST: $100 CMBR 2023 Family Membership + $50 each child

(Membership is automatically included on registration page)

How do I sign up? 

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED FOR 2023.

Teamsnap is our new registration system this year:

https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/369381

*Please note at the end of registration it is not necessary to Protect Your Investment.  We will of course work with you if you need to cancel your registration.

What is CMBR Kids Youth Mountain Bike Club?

CMBR Kids (Chugach Moutain Bike Riders) is a parent-led mountain bike club serving youths from 5-15 in Chugiak-Eagle River.  The club teaches on the 6 miles of singletrack mountain bike trails at Mirror Lake Park in Chugiak. We do not travel to other locations.

Now in our seventh year, our club typically hosts about 75 youth split into several groups.  We meet at 7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays late June through early August.

For the first 30 minutes or so we work on that evening’s mountain bike skill, and then break into small volunteer-coach-led groups to ride with other youth of a roughly similar skill level.  Within the groups, there will be some faster and some slower youth together: the focus is skills, not speed.  Over a 6-week period we work through a good overview of mountain bike fundamentals.

Our lead coaches are Level 1 certified through the Bike Instructor Certification Program (BICP).

We require all youth bikes to be professionally tuned up and safety checked (we offer this $50 safety check for free on June 20 at 7:00pm) and we require everyone to wear helmets.

Other local youth mountain bike programs include the Valley Mountain Bikers and Hikers’ Sprockidz program in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, and Mighty Bikes in Anchorage.

CMBR is soliciting proposals to build 1. a gravel multiuse loop for hikers, bikers and dog-walkers to use year-round, 2. a connection from the purple trails to the trailhead at the beginning of Raven’s Ridge, and 3. an uptrack for the new jump lines.