Firstly you are all amazing and my gratitude runs very deep. Over the last three years iBikeRide has given us some of the most special memories, rides and friendships.

Without it I personally know I would have learned far less. For this I am so grateful. At times it has driven me and all of us i think nuts and at others it has been my salvation. I think in equal measure It us time to celebrate what we have achieved and to move on to new adventures. It's sad and it always hurts to say goodbye.

iBikeRide transcended being a website and came to mean so much more, like an ideal to folk. It's ethos of sharing mountain bike skills and experiences was core as well as its principle of welcoming new riders with friendly words of encouragement where ever we went. It played a role and we did some real good but it has run its course, done its job and has come to a natural end. We have to face reality. We have seen the numbers drop, activity move to other sites and today only a handful of loyal members regularly using the site. A small community knowledge base website takes much work to run and a big one an enormous amount and I think this effort should now move its attention elsewhere where it can encourage with the same ethos more new folk to mountain bike.

The future of iBikeRide is I propose to end and then re-emerge merged with the Trax off road cycling club. There is a natural synergy I believe.

To tell you a bit about The Trax. Over the last 18 months my focus has increasingly shifted (but taking the iBikeRide ethos with me) into founding and setting up the amazing  team for The Trax off road cycling club. This is a club dedicated to developing community run mountain bike facilities and infrastructure (bike parks) in urban settings and getting city based riders out riding across the trails around London and the surrounds. We have kicked off in Tottenham. This year we have grown in membership, committee and volunteers. We have won 100's of thousands of pounds in funding and have planning permission and local support to build a bike park which starts shortly. The first of its type.... We will bring mountain biking to a new generation of young and old riders who may never have discovered it and who knows it may become a blueprint for many more city based community clubs.

For this we should all be proud. I say "we" because without iBikeRide this project would never have started, been endorsed and given the mantle to deliver. I propose we merge where there is a new section on The Trax called iBikeRide Tips. The iBikeRide section will cover the knowledge we have all amassed and shared over the years. The site iBikeRide will lose all it's community features including chat and shared knowledge base and cease to be an active community on the existing website domain.

I will take this proposal to the Trax committee and if they are supportive I propose we merge iBikeRide into The Trax offering the knowledge base under the banner of iBikeRide as a section (if any of you rather your posts aren't migrated just let me know). I would also recommend you come and register at the Trax as profiles will very shortly be suspended in iBikeRide. Here if agreed by The Trax you will be able to post under the new banner of The Trax as iBikeRiders. The Trax is a club that meets and rides it is affilaited to both the CTC and British Cycling. We need folk like you to join us for an even more important reason. We at The Trax lack experienced riders to ride with us, we lack ride leaders and we lack coaches. You have that experience that is lacked at a local urban level where mountain biking is new. I invite with you to ride with us and grow with us.  In this way iBikers could be the backbone of what we lack in terms of trail knowledge and experienced riders. It is serious offer it is not just a gesture. I see clear synergy of both these worlds. You have an amazing amount to offer new riders.

If the committee at the Trax reject the offer then I am open to us merge with other folk out there and if not succesful then to close the doors completely.

I may potentially in the long run use the old site in the future as a basis for my own blog and for any future biking services I offer out into the biking world. We shall see that would be a new and its own adventure

I have eternal gratitude for what you all gave and what we have achieved together. It's been an amazing adventure. I want to thank you all for sharing it with me.

Goodbye iBikeRide as she is today from us all.

Life is an adventure or nothing at all

stumpy_dan.