GORBA’s history spans 16 years back to our formation in 1992. During this time the club has undergone many changes, including changes to the logo that has identified GORBA.
The original GORBA logo is pictured above. The green trees with the "GORBA" lettering inside (and the small "Guelph Off Road Bicycling Association" tag below) was instantly identifiable and helped form a strong “brand identity”. This logo was created on paper and later digitized for use on the web and printed material. The logo suited its purpose well, but the small print was difficult to reproduce.
In 2002, GORBA celebrated our 10 year anniversary. As part of the celebration, we undertook to modify the GORBA logo. The most noticeable change was the addition of a faded bike wheel in the background. This was added to visually highlight that GORBA is a cycling club since some people thought we were a hiking club. A second tag line "serving the off road cyclist since 1992" was added for the anniversary year. This served as a reminder to our membership, prospective members, and the general public of GORBA's mission and philosophy to help our fellow cyclists and to generate interest to new members.
In late 2007 it was agreed that the GORBA logo needed refreshing to provide a more modern appearance and to make it easier to reproduce on web pages and printed materials. Creating a new brand identity for any organization is difficult. We were looking for a fresh new look, but we also wanted to remain true to our roots and to the identity so carefully crafted since our founding. As a result, the new GORBA logo incorporates our past, and adds some new elements. The green trees, a staple to our identity, have been enlarged, and the "GORBA" lettering has been modified to a more current style. The tire has been re-positioned and plays a more dominate role within the logo, as does the "Guelph Off Road Bicycling Association" tag line. The biggest change is the addition of something that is very important and apparent at Guelph Lake; the actual lake, including a flowing "shoreline".
