Swamp club demographics

[Guest]

...loading shoutbox...

[noble]

Yes I was wearing a helmet my caring friend. But I hit EVERYTHING but my head!

[Gregg]

I can identify with that.

[RiskEverything]

I'm another one of the younger crowd, and can tell you that a lot of the people (my age and younger) that I've taken MTBing really enjoyed it. Only the distance and the cost of bikes kept them from getting into the sport.

Alafia and Boyette (the more entertaining trails that we ride), aren't really close to "civilization". Most of the youth don't even know these places exist. What we need is a way to get the message out that there are quality, challenging bike trails around for them to play on. Newspaper and local magazine articles would be a good start. The Tampa Bay Times might publish something for us if we do the actual writing of the article in a format that would help someone new to the sport. Where to rent a bike, what gear to bring, where to go biking, what to expect, etc. We could also shamelessly plug SWAMP throughout the article.

Hmmm... I think I might do just that and see how it works. Is there any possible chance that we would could convice the rangers at Alafia to accept "free admission" coupons that could be cut out of the article? Extra incentive for the people to go there and a way for us to determine how many people this brought in. Of course, we could have an expiration date on them just a few months after publication....

[noble]

you have to pay to go there??

[Gregg]

Yeah, it is park admission. It does NOT go to Swamp. You can pay it with the change in your cup holder of the magic bus. You do have a magic bus right?

[BillT]

It is the same admission that you have to pay for any state park and it is quite a bargain at $3 - $4.

[Ken]

That's what I was getting at in my earlier post RiskEverything, we need to get the younger one's involved however we do it. Being surrounded by young kids at baseball (5-18 yr. olds), I have a chance to give kids an oppurtunity to experience the sport. I'm going to try to take a ride group twice a season, spring and Fall, to either Alafia, Boyette,or Wlderness trails depending on skills level and age. Many have decent bikes already but like you said, need the way or info on how to get there. Instead of or in addition to the annual team picnic, we could to that as a team party.

[Jersh]

INewspaper and local magazine articles would be a good start. The Tampa Bay Times might publish something for us if we do the actual writing of the article in a format that would help someone new to the sport. Where to rent a bike, what gear to bring, where to go biking, what to expect, etc. We could also shamelessly plug SWAMP throughout the article.

There was a nice article about SWAMP in one of the local papers a few months ago (I don't remember if it was the Trib or St. Pete Times).  Regardless, they interviewed Marty and I think the reporter tried to ride along on one of the Tuesday evening rides at Flatwoods (it was before it switched to night rides so I guess it's been more than a few months).

[noble]

$3-4--my foot! That is 4 items on the dollar menu!  I will stick to Croom and Santos--if it's free, it's for me.

[RiskEverything]

I think you'd be bored at Alafia anyway- no real dirtjumps

[SouthernAvalanche]

For your cut off age.  I still have two years.  (33)     Like some of you already talked about many of the younger people like the x-games or they have no desire to enjoy the outdoors.  Well its kind of hard when all you do is talk on the cell phone than text.  Its to hard to pedal and text at the same time.(lol) 

Well I am glad to move to Florida the weather is nice all year.  Being from Maryland there are plenty of nice trails to ride.  Ski resorts open their doors in the summer to you.  Now back to Florida.  When we moved here other than the hills near Dade City and driving down 75 near ocala I thought nobody MTN bike rode down here. Not to bash but I have a rode bike but it gets boring riding it.  I love getting dirty, jumping the bike etc etc like most of you guys and girls like to do. Well we first rented an apartment in Palm Harbor.  I storied my mountain bike(Kona)for almost 2 years.  Than we bought a home in Wesley Chapel.  We rode our road bikes several times at Flatwoods of course on the boring pave surface.  I seen people ride MtN bikes on the pave trails.  Than I seen an older guy riding his rode bike with a gator on a mountain bike I ask him he mention he was in Swamp blah blah blah.  I went home looked it up and was amazed there are nice trails in Florida. 

I put my bike together after I bought my wife a Mtn Bike.  Went to Morris bridge and bumped into more of you.  I am not good with names.  It was raining that day.  NOW

Now about building bigger burns and say tree rides and small jumps using gods own wood(meaning trees that have fallen) would not have an impact on the land and actually decay and become dirt again.  I am not saying build like Evel Canvil style jumps, or burns that are 1,000 feet high.  I know some trails have this which makes them fun to ride.

[RiskEverything]

Avalance, while there are not any "real" jumps at Alafia, Noble has made some nice ones (judging solely by the pictures) at Croom. There are also some nice jump at Santos. Real dirt-jumps, not just jumps on a trail.

We'll be riding Alafia tomorrow (Sunday) morning.

[Ken]

I'll be there.

[noble]

[quote author=RiskEverything--Noble has made some nice ones (judging solely by the pictures) at Croom. There are also some nice jump at Santos. Real dirt-jumps, not just jumps on a trail."








Yeah he's right, technically dirt jumps on a trail are made with fake dirt so they are not real.

[RiskEverything]

I discovered a "secret" jump at Alafia today The first whoop on Bridges, just the left of the uphill V there is a little ridge about 8" wide. It goes maybe 1/3 of the way up. I nailed that with some good speed and launched the rest of the way (and then some) to the top of the hill. Awesome to find a new way to ride and old trail.