About the organizers
IMBA (International Mountain Bicycling Association) is an NGO dedicated to environmental protection and the development of sustainable trails for non-motorized sports, which include MTB in all its disciplines, Climbing, Trail Running, Horseback riding, Trekking and even trails suitable for wheels. He was born in the USA 30 years ago and in Argentina he became official for only 5 years, with representatives in 5 provinces and official headquarters in Córdoba Capital.
The main function of IMBA is to generate access to specific areas to practice these activities through negotiation with owners, park rangers, or land managers. IMBA also promotes the development of sustainable trails, ecologically and economically for users and administrators through the construction of trails with strict design and construction standards, or the recovery of damaged trails through the use of sustainable techniques. Protecting rights as well as promoting sustainable and ecological practices are the main ideals. It is important that the partners of this NGO, are not necessarily race competitors, but fans of the practice itself.
Mendoza does not remain outside and is represented by MTB, a group of cyclists and amateur runners, lovers of sports and nature who share the objective of preserving the environment where they move and develop activities that disseminate the practice in the province, a responsible way.
At the same time there is FACIMO, the Argentine Federation of MTB, responsible for organizing and promoting cycling races throughout the country, so its objective is clearly competitive. In Mendoza, it is represented by the Mendocina Mountain Bike Association, responsible for the creation of the annual calendar of cycling races, at a local level, Mendocino MTB Championship.
Below is a detail of the careers that are carried out in the province, some of which are local in scope and others that, due to fulfilling the necessary requirements of the races organized by FACIMO, are also included in the calendar of national competitions.
About the type of races
It is important to know that most of the competitions that take place in Mendoza are of the rural bike type, a form of cycling that takes place on country roads and that has been gaining a place over the years. Particularly within this modality we find the mountain bike (MTB), mountain biking or all-terrain bicycle (BTT) that takes place in rural areas, but more precisely in the mountains.
The rural bike, originated in Argentina in the year 2000, began to be promoted throughout the interior of Buenos Aires, where geography precisely calls this type of route. But then it was developed throughout the country in provinces, departments and cities.
Unlike what happens with bicycles prepared for mountain biking, for the rural bike it is better to use bicycles of the “mixed” type, hybrids between race or road bicycles and mountain bikes; and in particular it is advisable to save weight to the detriment of suspension systems (without front suspension), brake effectiveness (v-brake before disc), tire width (thinner, less resistance), since these will not be too much useful in flat lands.
Even the other logical step is to adapt the bike so that it has a level of changes (change cassette) more possibilities, because in smooth terrain when more “hard” changes have, the better. That is, to tend more to the changes of road cycling than to the standard changes of BTT.
