Shimano pledges an "unprecedented" $10 million to build MTB trails

Photo: Sterling Lorence, courtesy Shimano

Shimano has just announced its new Trail Born Fund, which is “aimed at helping increase and sustain mountain bike trails and trail access around the world,” according to the brand. The behemoth mountain bike component manufacturer is pledging to donate $10 million USD over the course of the next 10 years to trail projects and trail advocacy organizations.

Without trails, we’d have nowhere to ride our mountain bikes. With no places to mountain bike, the mountain bike industry would crumble, so it’s encouraging to see one of the largest companies in the bike industry pledge such a substantial amount of money to build trails. Shimano claims that this is “an unprecedented level of industry support,” and as far as we can tell, that assertion is accurate.

Shimano has long supported mountain bike trail development as a founder of the IMBA Dig In program. Other notable companies donating to trails include Trek Bikes via the Trek Foundation and Santa Cruz Bikes, which has made substantial donations, such as $500,000 to build trails close to Santa Cruz. Specialized has donated funds to trail builders via their “Soil Searching” program, but their website doesn’t list any updates since 2020. According to their website, SRAM currently invests about $1 million annually in “projects that advocate for public investment in every day, mountain bike, and road cycling” via their SRAM Cycling Fund.

But $10 million? Yes, we can use the term “unprecedented” without irony.

Oahu, Hawaii. Photo: Sterling Lorence, courtesy Shimano

The first trails to be built by the Trail Born Fund

The first trails to be funded by the Shimano Trail Born fund will be located in North America, Europe, and Oceania, but Shimano “will further expand across these regions through 2025. By 2026, Trail Born aims to affect change across the mountain bike riding world, with the addition of Asia, Africa, and Central and South America.”

According to an article on FlowMountainBike.com, one of the first trail systems receiving funds from Shimano’s new program is the Tasmania hot spot of Blue Derby. According to the article, an unspecified dollar amount will cover the cost of construction of a new hand-built trail in the internationally-acclaimed mountain biking destination. This hand-built trail has been rumored since 2022, but it is now one step closer to becoming a reality thanks to Shimano.