Category Archives: Membership drive

Last week of IMBA/CROCT spring 2016 membership drive

IMBA 2016 spring membership drive

If you’re not already a member of CROCT/IMBA, or if your membership is due to expire soon, now’s a good time to join/renew. IMBA’s latest email says:

More than 7,400 people have already joined or renewed their IMBA memberships during the spring “Ride and Support Local” membership drive. With great rewards on the line, including a Jet 9 RDO bike by Niner, the time to refresh your relationship with the local IMBA chapter that builds your nearby trail is now. Other May rewards include a Kuat Sherpa 2.0 rack, Five-Ten shoes, a trip to the IMBA World Summit and a race entry to the Carson City Off-Road in Nevada from Epic Rides.

Even if you don’t win, you’ll feel good about supporting CROCT and joining more than five dozen other CROCT members in Rice County.

We need your volunteer help as trail workers but just as important, we need the financial support that your membership provides. We need to buy trail building tools, rent machinery, buy the materials for trail head kiosks & other signage, print brochures and posters, pay for liability insurance, and more.

See the details here and select CROCT from the dropdown. Do it by May 31 and you’ll have a chance at winning one of those prizes.

We’d appreciate it and the kids will, too!

CROCT trail segment at Caron Park 4

kids riding trail reroute 2

CROCT spring membership drive results: not half bad

CROCT IMBA Logo

As I mentioned briefly a week ago, our 2015 CROCT spring membership drive was very successful. We more than tripled our membership and they’re still coming in.  We’re just a couple shy of 70, making us one of the larger IMBA chapters in Minnesota.

Several members joined or renewed at the $100 level. One new member joined at the $500 level. And one of our Founding Supporters donated $250 that was matched by his employer. We used $450 of that combo donation to buy the six $75 raffle tickets at the three Rice County bike shops. That really helped our membership drive in the final week.

So on behalf of the CROCT board, we thank you.

Now get out there and ride!

 

Photo album: National Trails Day & CROCT membership raffle at Caron Park

CROCT National Trails Day 2015 - Caron Park

Over three dozen trail workers (including 15+ kids) showed up at Rice County’s Caron Park on Saturday (National Trails Day) to work on the first segment of a CROCT mountain bike trail there. The weather was gorgeous and the bugs were non-existent. Under the direction of trail steward and CROCT board prez Marty Larson, the crew worked from 9 am to noon.

The results? Amazing!

CROCT loop 1 Caron Park CROCT loop 1 Caron Park CROCT loop 1 Caron Park

We don’t yet know the mileage on the new intermediate-level segment that we’re currently calling Loop 1, but it’s significant and it’s going to be a blast to ride. (If you stay connected via the CROCT Facebook page, Twitter feed, email newsletter, or Google Group discussion list we’ll alert you when the trail officially is open to ride.)

We broke for lunch and beverages at noon. Milltown Cycles in Faribault donated and served the hot dogs, brats and pop. Bauers Southside Liquor in Faribault donated and served a great selection of beer:

CROCT membership picnic 2015 - Caron Park CROCT membership picnic 2015 - Caron Park CROCT membership picnic 2015 - Caron Park

After lunch, we raffled off some swag donated by Milltown Cycles to CROCT members in attendance. John Ebling and Kevin Keane won helmets and Jeff Kreis won a jersey. Four others got 3-packs of cycling socks:

John Ebling - CROCT membership raffle 2015 - Caron Park Jeff Kreis - CROCT membership raffle 2015 - Caron Park Kevin Keane - CROCT membership raffle 2015 - Caron Park

As part of our spring membership drive, all 65+ CROCT members were eligible for the six $75 gift certificates from the three Rice County bike shops: FIT To Be TRI’d, Mike’s Bikes, and Milltown Cycles.

Trail Steward & CROCT President Marty Larson - CROCT membership raffle 2015 - Caron Park

The winners:

  • Jeffery Gunn, Karl Frischkorn ($75 gift certificates from Mike’s Bikes)
  • David Wolf, Sue Benson ($75 gift certificates from Fit To Be Tri’d)
  • Bill Nelson, Jerry Bilek ($75 gift certificates from Milltown Cycles)

It was especially fitting that Sue Benson was a winner and present with her granddaughter. Her family on her father’s side owned the land that became Caron Park.

Sue Benson - CROCT membership raffle 2015 - Caron Park

The album of 40+ photos:  Continue reading Photo album: National Trails Day & CROCT membership raffle at Caron Park

June 6 at Caron Park: trail work and raffle and food, oh my!

CROCT membership drive poster spring 2015Our 2015 spring membership drive has been very successful. We now have over 65 members, making us one of the larger IMBA chapters in Minnesota.

Whether or not you’re a member, join us on Saturday, June 6 at Rice County’s Caron Park (map available on that page) for some trail work, food, beverages, and some celebrating.

Here’s the FAQ:

WHAT SHOULD I BRING FOR TRAIL WORK?

The last batch of rain will see the mosquito menace finally hatch so bring bug spray. Wear sturdy boots or shoes. Pants are sure nice to have. Work gloves are really worth it. We have a small selection of tools available, but will certainly need more. If you have loppers, a good hoe, or a nice rake, bring them. And bring some water. We’ll have a container full of water too, but it never hurts to bring a bottle to bring into the woods with you.

HOW DOES THE TRAIL WORK, UM, WORK?

We’ll most likely be breaking down into teams to work on specific sections. Marty Larson, trail steward, will delegate and provide instruction on what needs to be done.

WHAT TIME DOES TRAIL WORK START AND END?

We’re starting at 9am. We’ll break at noon for lunch and the membership raffle. And we’ll continue working into the afternoon if enough people are willing and able.

WHAT IF I CAN’T GET THERE AT 9 AM?

Come anytime before noon! Wander down the main trail into the woods towards the creek at the bottom and you’ll find us eventually. Or text me, Griff Wigley, at 507-319-5541. (Cell phone coverage is spotty.)

CAN I BRING KIDS, FRIENDS, NON-MOUNTAIN BIKERS?

You bet. There will be plenty of kids out and about in the woods, exploring the stream, with some learning to help build trail. If you’ve got friends who are  interested (they don’t NEED to ride a bike to attend, they just need to enjoy trails!) bring them along.

DO I NEED TO RSVP?

No, but if you have a Facebook account, we’d appreciate a confirmation on this event page so we have a rough idea of how many are attending and can order the right amount of food and beverages.

CAN I BRING MY DOG?

Please don’t. Dogs need to be leashed and they’ll hamper your ability to do trail work. And it can be a little dangerous for them to be around people swinging sharp tools.

SHOULD I BRING MY MOUNTAIN BIKE?

Sure! We can’t guarantee it but we’re hoping to have enough trail work done to get some riding in.

CAN I STILL JOIN AND QUALIFY FOR THE CROCT RAFFLE?

Yes. Anyone who’s an active IMBA/CROCT member by the time we hold the raffle at noon qualifies. Visit the IMBA/join webpage. Individual memberships start at just $30 ($20 for youth under 23). Family memberships start at $50 and entitle all family members in a household to membership benefits.

To join or renew your membership now click HERE:

Do it by noon on June 6 and you just might win one of the local CROCT gift certificates worth $75.

Thanks for your support. Hope to see you there?

Membership drive ends May 31. Raffle/party/trail work day is June 6 at Caron Park

Our Cannon River Offroad Cycling & Trails (CROCT) 2015 spring membership drive is coming to a close.

And we’re sweetening the deal for you to join.

Here’s our new poster, followed by an FAQ:

CROCT membership drive poster spring 2015

WHAT’S THE CROCT DEAL?

If you become a CROCT/IMBA member by the end of May (or renew), you will automatically be entered into a CROCT raffle to win one of 6 gift certificates worth $75 from one of three Rice County bike shops:

FIT To Be TRI’d, Mike’s Bikes, and Milltown Cycles.

That’s right, we have a total of $450 worth of gift certificates to give away. There will be a drawing for some additional prizes, too, courtesy of the bike shops.

WHEN AND WHERE IS THE CROCT RAFFLE?

We’ll have the raffle drawing at Rice County’s Caron Park on Saturday, June 6. It’s National Trails Day so we’ll also do some trail work there starting at 9 am.

mtb trail work

We’ll then serve up lunch & beverages at noon, following by the drawing.

DO I NEED TO BE PRESENT TO WIN THE CROCT RAFFLE?

No.

ANY OTHER PRIZES/INCENTIVES?

Yes! Everyone in the USA who signs up or renews by May 31 is entered to win a Specialized Enduro Comp 650B or a catered mountain bike trip with Western Spirit Cycling:

IMBA prizes membership drive May 2015

Details on the IMBA/join webpage.

HOW DOES CROCT BENEFIT WHEN I JOIN IMBA?

By joining or renewing your membership with CROCT/IMBA you will be helping to create and preserve mountain biking trails both worldwide and locally right here in Rice County, MN. CROCT volunteers have built a very popular mtb trail at Sechler Park in Northfield, MN.

kids riding trail reroute 2

We’ll be expanding it in 2015. And we’re approved to begin working on new trails in Rice County’s Caron Park this year.

We’ll need your volunteer help as trailworkers but just as important, we need the financial support that your membership provides. We need to buy trailbuilding tools, rent machinery, buy the materials for trailhead kiosks, print brochures and posters, pay for liability insurance, and more.

Individual memberships start at just $30 ($20 for youth under 23). Family memberships start at $50 and entitle all family members in a household to membership benefits.

To join or renew your membership now click HERE:

Do it by May 31st and you just might win one of the local CROCT gift certificates worth $75 or one of the national IMBA prizes.

Thanks for your support!

Become a CROCT/IMBA member (or renew) by March 31st. You could win big.

IMBA has launched a big spring membership drive and CROCT is participating.

As an incentive to join or renew by the end of March, IMBA will enter you in a drawing for two big prizes: a Scott Genius mountain bike, or a VIP mountain bike trip to the Burning Can Festival at the Oskar Blues REEB Ranch in Brevard, NC.

IMBA March membership drive promotion

The CROCT Board is scheming to sweeten the pot with more prizes from local bike retailers. Become eligible to win these by joining or renewing anytime between March 1 and the end of May.

When you become a member of CROCT (or renew your membership), you support the work we do for mountain biking locally here in Rice County. You’ll simultaneously become a member of IMBA and support the work they do for mountain biking across North America. All CROCT members receive IMBA membership benefits.

Individual memberships start at just $30 ($20 for youth under 23). Family memberships start at $50 and entitle all family members in a household to membership benefits.

Click here to join or renew!