CYCLING NOTEBOOK

There's quite a Case to be made for cycling advocate

By STEVE SIEVERT
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

Christina Case makes it a point not to be late for meetings anymore. Her last late arrival resulted in her serving a four-year-long presidency of Houston's most controversial recreational organization.

Case, a transplanted Houstonian from Kansas City, reacted at being voted president of the Greater Houston Off-Road Biking Association (GHORBA) with a combination of astonishment and enthusiasm. However, instead of being overwhelmed by the challenge, she embraced the opportunity as a vote of confidence from her cycling peers and struck a deal of her own.

"I didn't think they [members of the board] were serious, but after I stopped laughing, I told them I would accept, if they promised to help me become a better mountain biker," she remembers fondly.

It turned out to be a successful partnership for all involved.

Those negotiations were more than four years ago, as GHORBA, which grew out of the merger of the Houston Area Mountain Bike Riders Association and the Memorial Park Mountain Bike Association, was facing its most contentious issue -- use of the fragile Memorial Park trail system.

The trails at the crown jewel of Houston's parks system had long been the source of friction between mountain bikers and park conservationists. The twisting, dirt-packed trails on the south side of the park offered Houston's only true off-road biking experience within city limits.

The closure of the trails by the Houston Parks Department provided the catalyst for Case, now 32, to become fully engaged in the city's mountain-biking community.

"I attended a meeting with the Parks Department in 1998 in which about 400 mountain bikers showed up to voice concerns about the closure," she said. "I've always felt strongly about wanting to help the little guy stand up to the big guy."

The Memorial Park trails controversy provided a textbook case of David versus Goliath. It was the bureaucratic behemoth of the nation's fourth-largest city government against what amounted to a small fraction of Houston's cycling community.

Under Case's tireless and patient leadership, finger-pointing and accusations in this bitter debate slowly gave way to constructive dialogue. She enlisted the help of the International Mountain Bicycling Association to provide an objective third-party opinion about the state of the trails. Case also relied on her own expertise as an engineer specializing in environmental-impact issues to bring unique insight to the table.

Once the trails were reopened, GHORBA also organized trail-maintenance gatherings, in which members volunteered their time to directly assist with upkeep in the most delicate parts of the Memorial Park trail system.

"Memorial Park has always been a key focus of the organization, but I didn't want that to be all we did for the mountain-biking community," Case said.

GHORBA expanded its reach and began building and maintaining trails at Huntsville State Park, Jack Brooks Park and Stephen F. Austin State Park. A children's program was established to introduce inner-city kids to mountain biking and bike safety. The group also hosted a mountain-biking festival and recently staged its first race.

As GHORBA's impact grew during Case's presidency, so too did its membership. The fledgling organization had only 30 dues-paying members in 1998. Today, that has grown to 150, with an e-mail distribution list that keeps more than 600 area mountain bikers informed of the latest news and events.

"Looking back, I guess that's what I'm most proud of -- the total impact of the group and the growth of the organization," Case said. "There are so many more people who have gotten involved and taken on many roles I used to handle. It's great to see the organization grow."

Case continues to sit on the GHORBA board, heading up fund-raising. She also finds enough time away from her full-time job at Enbridge Energy to serve on the boards of BikeHouston and the Texas Bicycle Coalition.

With so much time and energy devoted to cycling advocacy, sometimes Case finds it difficult to squeeze in her own cycling. However, the board members she hatched a deal with back in 1998 have held up their end of the bargain.

"I recently moved up to sport class [from beginner] in mountain biking, so I'm heading in the right direction," she said.

Case's interest in cycling doesn't stop on the trails. She is as well-rounded a cyclist as you'll find, doing a fair amount of road riding with the group from West End Bicycles and dabbling in cyclocross.

"I love the sport and especially the Houston cycling community," Case said. "It's like a big family with everyone offering each other so much support."

Case is clearly thankful for all of those in the cycling community who have had a profound impact on her life. It's that support and camaraderie that provide her with an enduring source of motivation.

With all that she has accomplished for the Houston cycling community, we should be thankful in return.