Shimano Announces Land Use Study

Shimano Unveils Results of Mountain Bike Trail Study

SEPTEMBER 28, 2006 -- LAS VEGAS, NV (BRAIN)—Impacts from mountain bikes are similar to or less than impacts of hiking and less than those from equestrian and off-highway vehicles on trails. These are the findings of a new study Shimano American Corp. presented yesterday at Interbike.

In an effort to understand the ecological impacts of mountain bike use on trails, Shimano partnered on a collaborative research project with the Arizona State Office of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Arizona State University (ASU) and Northern Arizona University (NAU).

“The future health of our business is directly related to environmentally sustainable recreational uses of public lands. When we discovered that limited research had been conducted about the ecological impacts of mountain bikes, we felt it was critical to initiate a credible effort to learn more,” said Phil Morlock, director of environmental affairs at Shimano.

The study focused on the ecological significance and physical impacts of mountain bikes across five common ecological regions in the west, covering 31 different trails extending over 185 miles from alpine to desert.

Shimano and the BLM will work with IMBA to share the published study with land managers and policy makers.



*article courtesy of Bicycle Retailer Magazine