Cutting new trail in Minnesota

Minnesota’s largest mountain bike advocacy organization, the Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists (MORC) has partnered with bicycle parts and accessories distributor, Quality Bicycle Products, and Three Rivers Park District, to help create 10-miles of new singletrack mountain bike trails for Minnesota riders.

The existing trail system at Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve, in Scott County, MN, had recently come under review due to issues of erosion and conflicts with protected bird nesting areas. MORC approached the land managers of Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve, Three Rivers Park District, and proposed a new trail system in the undeveloped areas of the park that would provide a sustainable solution to the area’s unique environmental factors. After years of discussions, MORC and Three Rivers Park District reached an agreement in 2004.

“We are pleased to be able to take the negative of an impending trail closure and turn it into a positive with new, sustainable trails being created,” said MORC President Scott Thayer. “The agreement allowed MORC to start from scratch to design the sustainable trails where the best features already exist in the 2,400-acre park,” Thayer continued, “This as an opportunity for MORC to use our experience and knowledge gained from previous projects to create a masterpiece for Twin Cities mountain bikers.”

Included in the agreement was a substantial upfront financial commitment from both Three Rivers Park District and MORC. In order to offset the cost of its commitment, MORC reached out to a long time supporter: Quality Bicycle Products (QBP). Owner and President of QBP, Steve Flagg saw this as a signature opportunity to support mountain biking in Minnesota. Flagg developed an in-house fundraiser where every $1 donated by his employees was matched with a $5 donation from the company. At the end of the 2005 summer-long fundraiser, Flagg and his employees had successfully raised $20,000 for MORC and the Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve project.