BELL BUILT 2014 - Applications Now Being Accepted

Bell Helmets Providing IMBA with $100,000 in Grant Funding to Support Trail Building for Second Straight Year

One of the coolest trail-building grant programs is back and accepting applications. Rally your local crew and let Bell and IMBA bring your vision to life!

Press Release

Scotts Valley, CA, January 17, 2014 – After a successful first year, Bell Helmets and IMBA proudly announce they are back again in 2014, providing trail assistance for mountain bike projects across the USA.  The success in the first year was remarkable — 2013 Bell Built Grant winners all put in a tremendous effort to turn their visions into publicly accessible, legal trails for the entire mountain biking community to enjoy.

Learn about the process and download the application here

Check out the 2013 winners with their new trail videos below and get stoked for 2014.

Pump track/bike park – Eric Routt, County Riders, Steamboat Springs, CO

Flow trail – CJ Scott, Kingdom Trails Association, Burke, VT

Downhill trail – Aaron Rogers, President/Trails Coordinator, Copper Harbor Trails Club, Copper Harbor, MI

“Being chosen out of hundreds of applicants, and to be given the opportunity to build a trail for the mountain bike community in my hometown is an unreal feeling," said Aaron Rogers, President/Trails Coordinator of Copper Harbor Trails Club. “It’s been especially rewarding to see the entire community go into a frenzy of excitement about this trail.  Huge thanks to Bell Helmets and IMBA for providing us the chance to make a difference.”

In 2014, the Bell Built program is looking to build upon its 2013 success, and hopes to receive even more interest from different mountain biking communities.  Like last year, the 2014 program will consist of $100,000 in grants to fund three mountain bike trail projects that create places for a broad spectrum of mountain bikers  — which includes any combination of bike park/pump track, flow trails and/or downhill/gravity trails.

“It’s unbelievable to see how much impact a program like this has throughout a community, and, just as important, mountain biking as a whole,” said Azul Couzens, Bell Helmets Director of Marketing. “Being able to watch riders use these new trails, and to see the positive impacts they have had for local communities, is why we did this. It’s awesome.”

Bell Helmets and IMBA received over a hundred grant submissions last year from IMBA chapters, clubs and land management agencies, and it is expected that the number of applications will increase in 2014.  IMBA Trail Solutions, the international leader in developing singletrack trails, was responsible for the building and designing of all three trail projects and will continue this in 2014 with help from local volunteers.

Learn about the process and download the application here

“The Bell Built program far exceeded our expectations and we’re extremely proud of the initial success in 2013,” said IMBA Executive Director Mike Van Abel.  “This exciting and effective platform is delivering great riding experiences, and it was great to see the enthusiasm the communities had for their trails — the online videos the winners submitted of their respective trails we helped build really show the program’s impact.”

Starting in January and running through the end of February, Bell Helmets and IMBA will begin taking applications for 2014 trails, with finalists named during the first week of March.  Voting will then come in three regional phases, starting in April with the West coast, and ending in May with the East coast, with central voting in between.  From there, all winners will be officially announced in May 2014, with trail design and construction beginning in June.

About Bell

From humble beginnings in the garage of a Southern California speed shop in the 1950’s to the heads of champions in auto, motorcycle and bicycle competitions all over the world, Bell Helmets is synonymous with protection and progression. Part of Easton-Bell Sports and based in Scotts Valley, Calif., Bell Helmets is the world leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of bicycle and motorcycle helmets and accessories. Bell Helmets is online at bellhelmets.com.

About IMBA

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational association whose mission is to create, enhance and preserve great mountain biking experiences. Since 1988, IMBA has been bringing out the best in mountain biking by encouraging low-impact riding, volunteer trailwork participation and cooperation among different trail user groups. IMBA's worldwide network includes 35,000 individual members, more than 750 bicycle clubs, over 200 corporate partners and about 600 retailer shops. Learn more by visiting imba.com or facebook.com/IMBAonFB.