What is SORBA?

SORBA (Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association) is a member-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, officially chartered organization devoted to promoting land access, trail preservation, and new trail development in order to enhance mountain bike touring, racing, fun, and fellowship for all mountain bicyclists in the southeastern United States. We publish our bi-monthly newsletter, the "Fat Tire Times," to keep members informed of important issues, organized rides, work parties, races, socials, festivals, and other events. We hold our well regarded Helen Fat Tire Festival in the spring, the Nimblewill Mountain Bike Festival in the summer, and Tumbling Creek Mountain Bike Rumble in the fall, to raise awareness of land access and trail maintenance, to ride, to race, and to just have fun.

The Athens chapter of SORBA exists in order to specifically serve the needs of SORBA members in the Athens Area. This is not limited to just the city of Athens, but includes the surrounding areas and counties.


What do we do?

SORBA Athens serves as the official voice of mountain biking in the Athens area. We act as liason to local government and private landowners in order to preserve access to trails in the area, as well as encouraging the development of more trails. We currently act as the offical stewards to two trails, Oconee Heritage Park and Hawkes Creek Farm; both are maintained by volunteers from SORBA Athens on a regular basis, with an emphasis on environmentally friendly, sustainable trail design practices. We believe that this spirit of cooperation and responsiblity will ensure that we always have a place to ride our bikes.

In addition, we strive to promote the sport of mountain biking in the Athens Area by providing a social network of riders and like-minded people. Monthly meetings, special events, group rides, and other activities provide a setting where those seeking to learn more about mountain biking or improve their skills or fitness can find a welcoming and friendly environment.

To join SORBA Athens, or to volunteer to help us on the trails, please send us an email at sorba.athens@sorba.org. We'd love to hear from you!



2007 Chapter Officers & Contact Information

Officer Name	Title	Email Address
Brian Matthews	Chapter President	bsmath at hotmail.com
Drew Genteman	Vice President	notahammer at yahoo.com
Jeff Winter-Shirey	Treasurer	jshirey at esd.uga.edu
Charlie Maffitt	Webmaster	charlie at boxerworks.com
Patrick Phelps	Ride Coordinator	kwazypat at yahoo.com