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| Philiosophy |
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| Philiosophy |
Streb Trail Systems LLC, with offices in California, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica was founded by Marla Streb, to utilize her unique strengths and her 15 year experiences as a world-class professional mountain bike racer to assist in the site planning, design and the development of ecologically sustainable, environmentally sensitive, economically operated signature branded mountain bike parks.
Marla Streb is positioned is to become the next 'Jack Nicklaus' for a new generation of green, active lifestyle, sustainable resort development. The typical mountain biker that a Streb signature trail system can attract matches the demographics that your marketing department has already targeted!
Marla's vision is to improve upon current amenity models …by strategically developing trails Latin America where mountain bike riding can be even more successful than at North American ski resorts. STS does with mountain biking what has been done for golfing. Even as far as providing the "clubhouse experience" through its "Singletrack Café".
Bike operations because of relatively lower operating costs offer a better ROI than skiing at North American ski resorts. The number and demographics of mountain bike visitors are comparable to skiers, as is their economic impact. Like golfers and skiers, trail users will buy or rent your real estate products, fill your restaurants and shops, attend special events and help you project your Brand.
Marla has one of the most diverse and extensive backgrounds in the sport of professional cycling. And those wide ranging experiences have informed the way she has developed the STS system of trail design and follow through services.
Marla has never forgot that at a time she herself was a Beginner. In fact she has been a beginner many times over while she climbed her way to the top of various cycling disciplines. That's why she designs her trails for the whole spectrum of likely users, Beginner to Expert mountain bikers, for kids and even for hikers.
Read more about MarlaPhase One of Marla Streb's Singletrack Jungle at the Toro Verde Nature Adventure Park in Orocovis, Puerto Rico opened in May, 2010. The construction of Phase One's ten kilometers of mountain biking trail and three kilometers of hiking trail took about six months to complete. The design and construction of Phase Two, consisting of about ten more kilometers of trail as well as numerous features which are designed to extend the progressive riding experience for all user types from Beginner to Expert, is scheduled to begin in September of 2010. STS will be operating a Singletrack Café providing bike and trail maintenance, sales and rental, riding instruction, event promotions, and food and beverage services. Other Singletrack Projects are in various stages of Master Planning, but have not yet broken ground.
Many ski resorts have summertime mountain bike operations which produce better net ROI than the winter time operations. (link to the Whistler Economic Impact Study).
Cycling is the number two most widely participated sport world-wide. (Soccer is number one) The number of recreational cyclists in the US is higher than golfers, surfers and tennis players combined.
Albeit, this huge demographic slice is swollen with the numbers of children, but drilling down into the numbers reveals that the head of households are well educated, wealthy, and Green. They desire healthy active lifestyles for the whole family. That children also ride bikes is really a force multiplier of these trend lines. Additionally 50% of all cyclists are women, who have huge impact on where the family will vacation or buy a second home.
The type of consumer whom you are appealing to has become quite used to paying a premium for all things "Organic" even in this down market.
Sustainable, natural surface, trails are largely hand built and are very low impact on the environment. The access that the trails provide actually increase environmental awareness making it possible for guests to experience nature first hand rather than through the Discovery Channel or National Geographic magazine.
Golf courses often impose themselves on the landscape with huge earthmoving equipment, large scale grading and tree removal, planting non-native grasses requiring lots of irrigation and fertilizers.
Trail systems are very much the opposite. Beginning with the trail corridors of an SST trail system is a great way to restore pasture land or second growth scrub.
Read more about the ecological benefit of an STS Trail System
Sustainability is not just a feel good concept; it drives an Owner's profitability.
Not only will a sustainably designed and built trail system enjoy low maintenance costs; it appeals to your Project's demographic.
SST philosophy is that a particular site's optimum trail alignment may already be hidden in its contours and natural features. A large part of the Design Process is recognizing and unveiling where the trail should naturally flow striking a balance between which natural features or project elements should be revealed and which should be concealed to the trail users.
A key factor in a trail's sustainability is its slope. Excessive slope for extended distances is an invitation to erosion. As important, however often overlooked, is that excessive slope does not sustain a trail user's interest.
Sustaining the user's interest with a flowy, twisty, turny, organic type of trail can sustain an Owner's bottom line as well.
Many ski resorts have summertime mountain bike operations which produce better net ROI than the winter time operations. (link to the Whistler Economic Impact Study).
However, that these successful trail systems are located at high elevations means that sometimes even in July the snowpack is too deep to open the trails. The STS strategy is to feature mountain biking as the primary amenity, purposefully designed and executed in its own right in order to derive the greatest value from the investment from the trails.
A trail system is a fraction of the cost of a golf course while attracting a demographic which is growing rather than shrinking.
The phasing of trails in concert with your cash flow is a better proposition than gambling on the returns form a golf course.
The Power of the Brand Marla Streb has one of the most recognizable brands in the world of mountain biking assuring your demographic that their trail experience will be world class as well. During her 15 year professional mountain bike career Marla has worked with some of the most iconic brands in and out of the sport:
| Ironhorse | Marin Bicycles | Yeti Cycles | Schwinn |
| Santa Cruz Bicycles | Orbea | Clif Bar | LUNA |
| Shimano | Fox Suspension | Oakley | Red Bull |
| Porsche | M&M Mars | Rock Shox | Jones Soda |
| Chevy Trucks | Palm | Joint Juice | Michelin |
| Easton | Maxxis | Yakima | WTB |
Steb Trail Systems can put together a world-class team of brands to support your trail system. These brand associations are in invaluable way to elevate and align your project major players in the mountain biking world.
Phase One of Marla Streb's Singletrack Jungle at the ToroVerde Nature Adventure Park …10 kilometers of sustainable, flowy and fun mountain bike trail targeted at the Intermediate user level and 3 kilometers of trail for hikers… opened to the general public in May of 2010.
The client, a mid size university in Emmitsburg, Maryland about an hour north of DC close to the Pennsylvania state line, tasked STS with conceptualizing what size and scope trail system might best suit the University’s community. Working within the University’s limited budget and adhering to its Master Plan Guidelines, STS conceptualized a three-phase trail plan, which could be implemented within a 5-year timeline.
Download the Mount St. Mary's Feasibility Study
Link to Baltimore Sun article
