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Answers To Your
Frequently Asked Questions
(this
is a work in progress) 
What
is OMBA?
OMBA is the Ocala
Mountain Bike Association. Formed by the group that built the
first trails at Santos.
The club was created by request of the state of Florida’s Office of Greenways and Trails,
to have a single point of contact for trail related issues. OMBA is a
not-for-profit corporation that is responsible for building and maintaining
all trails within the Santos
trail system. Some of the founding fathers are:
Mike McClane, Vic Heart, Bill Castongue, Dale Gikiere, Mike Schields, Todd Frobish, Bill Seitz, Mark Williams, Gary Floda, Abraham Lincoln & Chris Borzych. There
they are to the right>>>
Who
owns the land that Santos
trails are located on?
The land is owned by the
state of Florida.
Santos trails are located within the Cross Florida Greenways property,
which is managed by Florida’s
Office of Greenways and Trails.
Who
built and maintains the trails?
Volunteers built and
maintain all of the Santos
trails. We get OMBA members and non-members: club membership
isn’t a requirement for helping with trailwork. But believe me, the
greater our paid membership, the better we are represented at user group
meetings, the more events we have, and the more supplies and amenities we can
have on our trail system, so, hit that membership link and join us.
How
many miles of trails are there?
With the addition of
about 15 miles of new trails, west of the I-75 Landbridge, there now are
about 50 miles of mountain bike trails that originate at the Santos trailhead, and spread
westward. Here's a link for our Maps, and another for
info on the new
trails.
Is
camping allowed at the Santos
trailhead? What are the hours there?
Until the campsites have
been put in, camping is prohibited. There are plans for campsites
at the trailhead, but that is currently being held up due to permitting
problems. Currently the park is supposed to close at dusk but the gates
do remain open. Once the campsites go in, the gates will be closed at
dusk.
NOTE to nightriders: there have been complaints by property
owners adjacent to the greenways, about rider’s bright lights and their loud
voices late at night. Please respect the rights of others, and keep
your voices down, if it’s very late.
What are the colored posts for?
The different colored fiberglass posts were put in
by OMBA to indicate the different levels of riding difficulties found on
trails:
Yellow:
Easy trails.
Very few, if any, obstacles – with flat, smooth riding.
Blue:
Intermediate. Some rocks and roots, with some elevation changes.
Red:
Technical. For experienced riders only. Lots of rocks, roots,
very challenging lines and a variety of elevation changes.
Are different users groups, i.e.
equestrians, hikers and cyclists, allowed on each other’s trails?
Absolutely not. There are strict rules
governing riding on each other’s trails. It’s the Office of Greenways
and Trails intention to keep the outdoor experience along the
greenways as peaceful and devoid of conflict as possible.
Mountain bike trails are marked with OMBA’s yellow, blue or red fiberglass
trail markers. Florida Trails hiking trails
have the FT signs, and they usually use blue or white paint on trees to mark
their trails. Equestrians usually use white or blue diamond shaped markers
attached to trees. NOTE: there is a $100 fine for any user-type
traveling on another user-type trail. This is especially important for
cyclists and equestrians, with the obvious possibility for conflict as a
result of horse hove damage to the trail surface.
Where do all those logs and branches come
from that litter the trails, and what can be done about it?
Scientific
studies have shown that all mountain bike trail systems are inhabited by
little green Gnomes. These creatures have a wicked sense of humor, and
fin d
pleasure in placi ng
these branches along the trails, while hiding in the underbrush, waiting to
observe the surprise and dismay of the fast approaching riders. They
are reportedly a very dark green color, and only stand several feet tall – so
they’re hard to spot. What can we do about these nuisances?
When you come upon a log or branch on the trail, rest assured that the Gnomes
are watching in the bushes nearby – pick up the log and heave it at those Gnome b@astards!
Studies have shown that they hate that. So, throw a branch off
the trail, and chase off another Gnome! Click on either of the 2 photos
for a full sized image and you'll see, we're really not kidding. Gnomes
are slow thinking but very complex - it is said that it can take them up to a
year to complete a sentence, but they can cause a trail accident in the wink
of an eye.
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