SORBA-MidTn’s Ale for the Trail

If you saw our post about Nantahala Brewing, you know that we love mountain biking.

As much as I love craft beer, my first love is mountain biking. I’ve been hooked on two-wheels since I got my training wheels off at age 4. I lived for BMX racing from 11 to 17 and got my first real mountain bike, a Nishiki Alien, in 1988. Nearly three decades later, I still love riding my Trek Fuel. I bought June her first mountain bike a couple of months after we started dating. She’s still riding with me 21 years later, now on a new Trek Cali SL.

There’s nothing like cruising down a smooth trail, or dancing around rocks and roots on a gnarly technical trail or blasting down the side of a mountain propelled by adrenaline and gravity. There’s something special about motoring along in nature under your own power, silently gliding along the dirt.

When I started, trails were hard to come by, and the sport was new. The International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) formed in 1988 to promote the sport and trail access. In the last 28 years, they opened land to new riding and built trails across the country. Regional organizations like the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) continue the advocacy at the local level. In Middle Tennessee, SORBA MID-TN does amazing trail building and training work. There are IMBA-SORBA chapters throughout the south doing the same thing.

So how does this relate to craft beer? Besides the fact most mountain bikers I know love craft beer, the SORBA Mid-Tn chapter is hosting a beer festival this weekend to raise money to support their efforts. Below is the press release with more details. Check it out. Good times, great beer and a fantastic cause.

Franklin, TN—The Southern Off-Road Bicycling Association (SORBA) has announced its annual Ale for the Trail event at Eastern Flank Battle Park in Franklin, TN on September 10, 2016, from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Ale for the Trail Brewfest will provide beer lovers a taste of some of the best and newest local, national and international brews around with an emphasis on the constantly expanding craft brewery market. Patrons will get to enjoy a variety of brews, live music performances, food truck fare, raffles, and more. SORBA has organized both indoor and outdoor spaces to gather and enjoy festivities and there is ample parking on site. Proceeds from the event will benefit local public land trail projects and youth programs.

This year, SORBA needs the community’s help more than ever to raise funds. Their greatest asset, a Ditch Witch SK500 trail machine w/custom trailer, was stolen and has unfortunately not been recovered. The theft occurred when the lock was cut off the metro gate and both the machine and the trailer were stolen and believed to be hoisted into an even bigger trailer based on drag marks in the field.The machine is a vital piece of trail making equipment, the only other option being manual volunteer hours that would run into the thousands and severely delay the summer’s projects.This is a huge blow to the organization, and without it, their trail capabilities will be significantly slowed.

Every attendee will receive a souvenir tasting glass, access to live music performances and a brigade of food trucks, giveaways, and one chance to win the grand prize drawing. Tickets can be purchased here.

About SORBA:
SORBA funds designing and building of trails with knowledge about trail building standards with properly trained volunteers and trail rebuild days. They sponsor events at local mountain bike trails such as festivals, group rides, beginner clinics, and kid’s rides. They spread the word to promote advocacy for trail riding safety and preserving nature. SORBA also has a website for riders to go for information about riding and local trails and information about clinics to help build skills.