Happy Summer to all you trail lovers! This is the first edition to start bringing the trail lovers of the Greenbrier Valley together.
Greenbrier Valley Off-Road Biking Association (GVORBA) was founded in 2023 to advocate for more and better trails in the Greenbrier Valley. Closely aligned with the Greenbrier Valley Youth Mountain Biking Team, The Hellbenders, we’ve made great progress in building a community of bikers.
Our mission is simple but impactful. We strive to create, enhance, and preserve exceptional trail experiences for mountain bikers in the Greenbrier Valley. By doing so, we not only enrich the lives of our community members but also promote active and healthy lifestyles.
For the past few years we have been quietly working and building a solid foundation, but now we are ready to bring more trail lovers into the mix as there is a lot of good stuff happening!
Yes, don’t worry, there will be a chance for you to join in the fun and trail work, but first, let us share few of our successes!
Recent Successes
- In the 2024 federal budget Senator Manchin awarded White Sulphur Springs $2.6 million to build a bike park in White Sulphur Springs. It will be adjacent to Hope Village and Mylan Park, about 1.5 miles down Big Draft Road. GVORBA and the WVU OEDC were leading the charge to bring this project to life! The engineering firm overseeing the construction of this park is CEC, and they have partnered with Nature Trails who originally designed the park back in the early 2020s. The RFQ for construction of the park will be going out in the fall with an anticipated opening in 2027. Check out the project page for more information.
total funds raised
and that’s not including the $2.6 Million for the construction of the bike park!
Community Bike Rides
Of course, we have to talk about opportunities to ride bikes with your friends! We want to share some great opportunities to get together with your community to ride. These below are the Hammer Cycles Shop Rides for the season.
- Women’s Ride: Tuesdays at 6pm, the ladies meet for a singletrack mountain bike ride at Greenbrier State Forest. They meet in the parking lot next to the playground and shelters. Text Sarah at 304-646-5508 to make sure the ride is on and to be added to the WhatsApp group for weekly updates.
- Happy Hour Groad Ride: Every Friday evening we meet at Hammer Cycles (404 Washington St. W., Lewisburg) for a 16-mile gravel (mostly road) ride. This ride is appropriate for road or gravel bikes. We end back at the bike shop for an adult beverage and social. Everyone agrees this is the best way to kick off the weekend! Stop in the shop and ask MAx or Sarah to add you to the list.
- Hammer Cycles frequently hosts other rides, including longer Sunday gravel rides, regional mountain bike ventures, and an invite-only Wednesday night drop ride for experienced mountain bikers. Stop in the bike shop to learn more.
- 4th Annual Cass to Briergarten: Friday, July 3, Mike Tremann hosts the annual Cass to Briergarten ride along the entire length of the Greenbrier River Trail. Shuttles will leave Lewisburg at 6:30, and we will be pedaling by 8:30. If you would like to learn more about this adventure, get in touch with Mike Tremann at 843-737-1199.
Get Involved.
Keep your eyes open! Soon we will start a big fundraising push to make sure we have the funds to maintain the new bike park, and to ensure we are able to support all trail maintenance needs in the valley.
Now that you are ready to join GVORBA and be a part of all the great work that is happening, go here. As we ramp up our fundraising efforts, the donate link will be ready for you!
Want to help, but not quite ready to donate? Make sure you share our socials, comment on them, and give likes, loves and more. Interaction on the socials is needed.
For more information about becoming a Hellbender student athlete or supporter, check out their website and follow their socials here and here.
Follow our socials on the book of faces and Instagram.
Now, make sure you forward this newsletter along to all your trail friends.
Happy trails!