Front Lines with the Golden Cycling Club

What is the most important, even integral part of mountain biking? It's not the latest technological advances or wheel size, and it's not the next globally broadcasted event or the most recent envelope pushing tricks, it's simply trails. And although 29ers and Rampage have pushed our sport forward, that's not what has allowed it to survive. That integral part of mountain biking we always seem to forget, the trail itself, survives because of the difficult work of trail associations all over the world. Trail associations are on the front lines not only with shovels but raising funds, awareness and sifting through the bureaucracy of our modern legal climate. The first installment of Front Lines is about Golden, BC and their hardworking Golden Cycling Club.

Golden is nestled in the Canadian Rockies and sits on the edge of the British Columbia and Alberta border. With three main riding areas, the riding in Golden is certainly diverse. Mount 7 offers steep DH trails, while Moonrakers & CBT provides riders with a well rounded XC and All-Mountain experience.

The Golden Cycling Club started in 2002 with signage of the Mount 7 network, the development of a black and white map and the relocation of Dead Dog. They manage over 112km of Columbia Valley single-track and have over 200 paying members. Fast forward 12 years and the GCC has continued to expand and maintain their networks.

2013 saw over 12,000 riders on the CBT Mainline. Connecting the town of Golden with the Moonraker trails, it's one of the most ridden trails in Golden. With a minimal grade this trail climbs as well as it descends and makes for the perfect warmup.

This past year has seen a number of projects, new entrance to Canyon Creek, bridges on CBT and Cedar Camp and the completion of LSD.

Further adding to the diversity of Mountain Biking in Golden, the Kicking Horse Bike Park is a 20 minute drive from the city centre. Offering 26km of trail with a total vertical of 1000m it's another gem for locals and visitors alike.

With the BC Enduro Series, the Kicking Horse Cup, the Western Open BC Provincials, and the Single Track Six, Golden is defining itself as a summer destination for mountain bikers. What does the future have in store? Club President, Chad Gennings says: