Professional Builder Profile Interview: Mark McClure of Trail Tools
The more Trail Builder Mag grows, the more we connect with a growing number of people. From professional trail builders to backyard diggers to nonprofit organization leaders to government officials to volunteer trail builders and more. This trail-building community is truly global. It’s growing. I’m excited that many of you are finding this platform. Even more so, I’m excited and grateful to connect with you.
Since this is your platform, I love the opportunity to help you tell your stories. You’re all up to fantastic work all over the world. It’s not only a lot of fun to feature and showcase you, but it continues to help foster community as you connect with each other.
I’ve been sitting on this interview since last May. We had such a tremendous outpouring of responses about this interview series. There’s enough content to do one of these at least once a week. However, I decided to spread it out as we grow other online content. The following interview features Mark McClure of Trail Tools. Enjoy!
Sean: What are you currently doing?
Mark: Right now, I am currently struggling for enough hours in the day!
I teach a part-time education course, "Mountain Bike Trail Design, Planning and Construction," on behalf of Fagskolen i Viken (a Norwegian technical college), which is open to students across the globe. In our current class, we have 24 students from 13 different countries represented. The level 5 EQF course teaches crew leadership, job site management, and a whole host of knowledge and practical skills to assist trail builders in starting and running their own companies. I also have an exclusive agreement with IMBA Europe to deliver the TBS (Trail Building Schools) program across the continent; so far this year (2023), we worked in Spain, Portugal, and Sweden, teaching around 100 trail builders essential trail-building skills during our weekend courses.
In addition to the education work, I am also developing my own bike park here in Agueda in central Portugal. We have a lease on 255 acres of land with a 350m elevation drop. We will develop an accommodation, F&B, and retail and rental offer over the next 12 months to provide one of Europe's newest winter riding destinations. In addition to all that, I also undertake design and consultancy work on behalf of a range of international clients.
Sean: What prompted you to take the plunge in launching out and starting your own trail building company?
Mark: It's been a while since I started my own company (2007); my motivations at the time were to save and develop the trails in my hometown of Oldham in the UK. I started out illegally building trails before the threat of demolition made me up my game! Since then, my motivations have shifted slightly; I want more people to have the opportunity to develop trails, to travel the world, and to create awesome experiences for mountain bikers and clients alike.
Sean: What's been the craziest story or a-ha moment so far?
Mark: 15 years and 25 countries later, it is hard to pick out just one crazy story; there are so many of them––from discovering new places untouched by trail development to many Red Bull Rampages and everything in between. My biggest aha moment to date was distilling all the sustainable trail-building techniques into my new favourite phrase; "Rider in, Water out."
Sean: What was the biggest obstacle you faced when starting?
Mark: My biggest obstacle when starting out back in 2007 was money; I had none! I spent my last $50 to register my business and started from there, borrowing tools and equipment and trying to grow something from nothing. In addition to financing the work, the lack of understanding from land managers back then about what mountain bike trails were and how to develop them for their communities was certainly a barrier (fight!). However, this has changed a lot over the years with better understanding from our clients about what they want/need or aspire to.
Sean: What is one thing you wish you knew when you started?
Mark: My biggest struggle when starting out was my own naivety in running a business. I didn't know about the legal requirements, insurance, permissions, and tax returns, and how to plan a project budget so it's actually representative of the real costs. I also didn't know that this could become a lifetime career; I don't have a trail-building season anymore; it's a full-time vocation. Finally, I wish I had known that this was a job I could get paid to do earlier in my life. Sure, university was a great experience, but I could have saved a bunch of years by jumping in earlier.
Sean: What advice would you give to someone thinking of venturing out to start their own trail building company?
Mark: Do you want to do physically demanding work in a range of weather conditions, sometimes taking on difficult or dangerous tasks in order to finish the job on time and on budget? If the answer is yes, start to consider trail building as a career. Do you love mountain biking and trail building? Passion and commitment are essential to being a good trail builder. It is really hard work to start and grow a business, and it will take up a lot of your time. Can you deal with being away from family and friends? It's great to travel the world and build trails, but having an understanding support network to back you up in the hard times and share the joy of the good times with is essential.
Take some education; there are some really good courses out there now and more on their way; trail building is definitely becoming more professional; learn from your peers and other experts to gain knowledge and skills. Don't rush; your time will come. It took me some years to get established, but those years of hardship (occasional poverty!) and lots of hard work paid off in the end. Stay committed to your values and your cause. Don't be arrogant; the best trail builders in the world are always learning new techniques and practices to help them stay on top of the game; you can never know enough!
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That concludes our interview. If you have a story to tell, click the button below and drop me an email.
Interview by: Sean Benesh Photos: Supplied by Mark McClure
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean Benesh
Sean is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Trail Builder Mag. He is also the Communications Director for the Northwest Trail Alliance in Portland, Oregon. While in grad school, he worked as a mountain biking guide in Southern Arizona. Sean also spends time in the classroom as a digital media instructor at Warner Pacific University.
