Beyond the Ride: Wisconsin-based podcast host, Josh Blum, on trails, community, and why infighting bad for mountain biking.

Editor’s Note:

Beyond the Ride is our love letter to the people who make mountain biking better. This isn’t a series reserved for sponsored athletes or the folks in power at bike brands (although we’re excited to cover those too). Instead, it’s an open invitation: Do you know someone who’s working to make mountain biking better? Nominate them here. We want to highlight the local ripper, the policy wonk who works with land agencies, the mechanic who saved your race, and the organizer who put it on. This is for the advocates, the storytellers, the builders, and the coaches.

When Matthew Kellogg nominated Josh Blum for a feature in our Beyond the Ride series, he called Josh "a consistent voice for advocates in the trail space." Reading his answers below, it's impossible not to agree with Matthew, and vehemently.

Name, age, current place of residence?

Josh Blum, 46, La Crosse, WI.

What do you do (specifically related to mountain biking)?

I am the host of the Trail EAffect Podcast . The purpose of the Trail EAffect podcast is to explore the Effects / Affects that Trails have on communities. The way this is accomplished is by having conversations with the people who make trails reality, and sharing these conversations with all of the listeners. Guests include everyone from local advocates and leaders to professional trail builders.

This is a side project for me, which started as a strong curiosity around how communities are getting trails built. Every community and guest accomplish things in slightly different ways as they all face unique issues and challenges. It is important to note, that there isn’t one way to go about all of this, which is why it’s important to cover various communities and personalities. I figured if these conversations could be recorded and shared it might inspire others to move forward with helping to create more trails, and higher quality trail experiences in their communities. Four years later, and the conversation is still going, I couldn’t have imagined that would be real. Full time, I to work for Rock Solid Trail Contracting as a Trail Planner and Designer, this is a relatively newer role for me.

What’s been the bike-related highlight of your year?

Attending the 2024 Professional Trail Builders Association Conference in Georgia this past March. I’ve attended other PTBA conferences, but this most recent one was the best to date (IMO). There was a ton of positive energy around Trails and Trail Building. The Key Note Speaker at this conference was Glen Jacobs of WorldTrail based out of Australia. Glen’s keynote really set the tone for the rest of the conference, and everyone that I had interactions with was super positive about where the trail building community is heading. Overall, Trail Building is a pretty young industry from a professional perspective and the growing pains associated with that are real, but there are many great things happening.

If you could leave any impact on mountain biking, what would you like to be remembered for?

Trails – the commitment to promoting and advancing advocacy (for mountain biking) and community building through trails.

What, outside of mountain biking, makes you excited?

Wood Fired Pizza, Motocross / Supercross, and spending time with my daughters and girlfriend.

What are your goals for the next year? (They can be anything from race results, to injury recovery, to just trying to ride your bike more.)

To continue the conversation around the importance of Trail Planning and Design at the start of trail projects. There are times where this step has been shortcut or skipped all together as people just want to start digging, which I completely understand. When you have good planning and design up front a lot of great things can happen, from approvals to funding, and ultimately creating projects that really deliver on providing a great experience for the users. I mean, could you imagine if your favorite bike manufacturer just started building bikes or components without a plan or design to start with?

To provide more coverage for gravity bike parks – They serve as a great resource, and alternative for trail access. We are a half century or more behind Alpine Ski / Snowboard areas and resorts. Getting behind this movement can play a critical role for access to certain trail styles you may not be able to find on public lands. Furthermore, gravity bike parks are popping up in some pretty unique and unsuspecting locations these days, and that really intrigues me.

Selfishly, I want to ride my mountain bike in more places to gain a better understanding around trails and trail communities. There are so many incredible trail systems and trail communities around the world and to be able to experience more of this first hand is the ultimate goal.

What’s the most exciting trend in mountain biking you’re seeing right now (and how can we help it)?

Is this where I am supposed to talk about high pivot suspension design? (Kidding)

I have been seeing a trend towards more awareness around trails, how they come to be, and some funding towards this from the bike industry. This is greatly appreciated, even now when we have seen the downturn of sales over the past year. I don’t believe that trail advocacy and funding is the full responsibility is of the mountain bike industry, but I do believe that the mountain bike industry can and should have a proactive stance on continuing to talk about trails and the importance of great trail experiences. Who doesn’t like a good trail story?

Bonus Trend: more trails close to home – so more people can ride to ride and make mountain biking more of a daily activity instead of a weekend affair or activity that is only reserved for vacations. And more kids on bikes (did I get all the important tag lines in yet?)…

What’s the worst trend you’re seeing right now (and how would you fix it)?

The public infighting around trails that happens online via Instagram and other forms of social media. If there is one comment, I’ve heard from public officials that resonates with me, it’s that there is too much infighting between mountain bikers. This infighting doesn’t us help gain access.

How would I fix it? Encourage people to get involved with the conversation in person, and understand that not every trail being built is built for the purpose of being their favorite trail. Or just stop dropping negative comments online. If you don’t agree with something, that’s fine, there’s a ton of stuff that we all might not agree with, but when you really break all of this down, we all can agree that mountain biking is pretty rad, trails are pretty rad, and that offering more diverse trail experiences will cater to getting more people mountain biking and enjoying the activity we all are here for. With all of that you might just get your next favorite trail…

Oh, and bluetooth speakers in public on trails (or wherever). Please Just Don’t Do It.

What’s your trail of choice right now (and why)?

My default answer for years has been the Red Trail in Copper Harbor, Michigan, but really, there are a lot of trails that qualify as a favorite in Copper Harbor, Michigan. The reason I like the Red Trail though is because it’s technical and old (1930’s CCC era old). But don’t get me wrong, I really like a well-built flow trail also…

What other question do you wish we’d asked?

You never asked about my cat.

Any sponsors, friends, or family you’d like to thank?

Friends and Family – my daughters and my girlfriend as they provide a ton of support to me.

Smith’s Bike Shop in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I know it’s probably cliché to name a bike shop, but Smith’s helps me stay up to date with the latest in bike technology (I really like new bikes), and Smith’s is a huge supporter of the local trails in my community.

Ben Welnak of Mountain Bike Radio, if it wasn’t for Ben, I wouldn’t have had a platform to start Trail EAffect on.

Matthew Kellogg, the Executive Director of AMBC Knoxville. Matthew and his community are a great example of how a local organization can function really well and create a diverse and robust mountain bike community and ultimately excellent trail community in an urban environment.

Andll of the past and future guests on Trail EAffect, without the guests the Trail EAffect Podcast wouldn’t exist, so for all of those who have been or will be a guest on the Trail EAffect Podcast – thank you!