Trail Love in the South: Partnering with SORBA to Grow Dirt-Driven Communities

At Backslope Tools, we know that strong trails start with strong communities. That’s why we were proud to team up with SORBA — the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association — this May to support their regional member drive. SORBA’s grassroots chapters are the lifeblood of mountain biking in the Southeast, organizing trail days, maintaining miles of singletrack, and creating inclusive spaces for all riders. To add some fuel to their recruiting fire, we partnered with SORBA to award a $500 Backslope Tools package to the chapter that achieved the highest percentage growth in new memberships during the drive. Trail building isn’t just about cutting tread — it’s about growing the crew that makes it happen. And SORBA’s network makes that happen every day.

The results? Incredible. Dozens of chapters rallied, but none grew quite like the Chattahoochee Valley Area SORBA Chapter, which posted a 58% increase in new members over the month! Based out of Columbus, Georgia, CVA SORBA has been grinding steadily on projects like Flat Rock Park, Standing Boy Creek, and the Fall Line Trace. Their surge in members means more people with hands on tools, eyes on maintenance, and hearts in the dirt. It also means more voices advocating for the trails that connect their community. As the winning chapter, CVA SORBA received a custom $500 tool kit packed with our most rugged and versatile gear — designed specifically for the kind of hard-packed, root-crossed terrain they tackle every weekend.

This partnership is just the beginning. Backslope Tools is committed to supporting local trail organizations that are putting in the work to grow both their membership and their mileage. Whether it’s the red clay of Alabama or the loamy ridges of North Carolina, SORBA chapters are building a Southern mountain biking legacy one shovelful at a time. We’re honored to be a small part of that. Stay tuned as we continue to feature our partnerships with nonprofits across the country that are turning passion into progress — and if you're reading this from a chapter that could use better tools, reach out to us to start the conversation. Because when communities grow, trails thrive — and that’s the kind of dirt we want to dig into.