Trail work, advocacy, access?

[Irulan]

anyone here have an interest in this stuff? I'm pretty lucky in that there is not a lot of user conflict in my area, and not any real access issues either. But it's not so for mountain bikers in many areas.

I try to keep informed and to ride in a "sustainable" manner... ride in a manner that does not promote erosion or trail damage; waiting for trails to dry out, not sanitizing or altering, not going around obstacles ( walk it if you can't ride) and so on. I do my best to be respectful of other users (hikers and horses) and to present a positive image of mountain bikers. Just joined IMBA this year.

The IMBA trail care crew came through here a few years ago and we rebuilt and 200 foot section of trail. It was a lot of fun, people from all sorts of clubs showed up.
Anyone?

Irulan

[Adventure Girl]

Originally posted by Irulan
ride in a "sustainable" manner... ride in a manner that does not promote erosion or trail damage; waiting for trails to dry out, not sanitizing or altering, not going around obstacles ( walk it if you can't ride) and so on.

My philosophy is to leave it (IT meaning the trail or the earth) better than when I got here. I carry a little zip-lock with me and pick up GU wrappers and trash along the trail when I can. After I did a 24-hours of Adrenalin race last year, I rode the course the following weekend and cleaned up dead tubes, water bottles and other trash.

Originally posted by Irulan The IMBA trail care crew came through here a few years ago and we rebuilt and 200 foot section of trail. It was a lot of fun, people from all sorts of clubs showed up.

Trail work days are HARD WORK... lots of blisters. But it's a rewarding feeling that I'm giving back to something that gives me so much pleasure. Penny, isn't that 200 foot section of that trail special to you now?

[pedalfaster]

I agree, there is nothing quite like riding a trail that you build and/or maintain.

IMBA does good work. I moved from an area that was *very* active with trail issues, to an area where almost no one builds trails or does trail work. Guess that's why I'm more of a roadie now

[han-grrl]

Hi There

I am really interested in trail issues over here since there is a real problem between users. Hikers and riders in the summer (although it is more of a hiker's perception of riders really), and the use of the trails for xc skiing in the winter. the land owners (ie the government) really tailor the trails for the winter sport and really haven't shown any commitment to work with mtb. IMBA came last year, and showed all the great work they can do. Hopefully it opened some peoples eyes a bit

I have had to take a step back from all the politics as i found it very frustrating. Rider complaining and not putting they money where their mouth is to do the trail work, and just watching the National Capital Commission make promises they dont keep (those are the land owners for the Gatineau Park here, a federally run corporation).

Have a great day!
Hannah

[Irulan]

yes, it can really be a loaded issue. In the realm of user conflict, all it takes is one negative encounter to create a permanent bad impression.

The hard part is educating riders who don't care about good bike behavior, whether they aren't yielding, frightening or startling people or horses, leaving trash around or just riding in a manner that's destructive: it doesn't have be that way.

Sometimes it's just ignorance too... like skidding, some folks think it's cool or just how you ride, but there are plenty of ways to avoid skidding, which just tears up trails and creates washboards.

Or permanent damage, it's really sad what's happening to the desert around Moab from all the use.

(granted these articles are a bit of a rant, but if you can filter the rant there's some good information)

http://www.dreamride.com/24hrrace2.html

http://www.canyoncountryzephyr.com/d...04/24-hour.htm

Hope this doens't sound like too much of a rant. Most of the trail I ride are old horse packer and dirt bike trails up in the mountains.

Irulan

[kpc]

I am in Maryland and we have a beautiful park next door in Fair Hill. So far everyone shares well and that means hikers, bikers and HORSES. There are signs all over telling who has right of way (bikes yield to everyone)and people are pleasant enough. The local bike shop and a bike club do a lot of trail maintenance, so that helps bike tolerance. But the horses are everywhere, looking nervous and pooping. I could do without them, their little hoofmarks are in the middle of every torn up stream bed. Of course tire marks are there too. But I am happy that the horses have a nice place to walk around in. I just don't understand them.
And into the mix go bow hunters in specific areas during hunting season and for five days a year gun hunters too. Everone stays out of the woods on those days, it's well advertised.
The Delaware park near us has a good idea. People who do trail repair get to use the park for several night rides, when the park is shut.
I pick up trash (there is very little) and pay my yearly user fee of $75.
Hopefully it will stay open forever!

[Irulan]

yeah horses... I used to ride and am on the fence about whether they are smart or dense. I always dismount and stand off to the side as they are so unpredictable. A little good will goes a long way.

My only problem with hikers is off leash dogs running up to my bike or not getting out of the way....

Irulan

[Adventure Girl]

Originally posted by Irulan
My only problem with hikers is off leash dogs running up to my bike or not getting out of the way....

OOOOhhh those dogs off leash Those owners make me so mad! I love dogs. I really do. But hikers with unleashed dogs are really inconsiderate! Alot of times I can see the hikers and dogs farrrrr away. I see them. They have to be able to see me. The polite thing for them to do is to call their dog and leash him or at least hold his collar as we pass. I never know if the dog is going to snap at me or chase me or get caught under my wheel. It's very frustrating!

And as far as horses go, unfortunately there are some cyclists who do not yield to the horses and give us a bad reputation. When I encounter horses, I ask the rider what he wants me to do. Some ask me to dismount, others tell me to just ride by slowly. But because of the bad reputation "we" have, some horsemen are less than cordial... even when I throw in a healthy helping of "good morning's" and "thank you's"

[Irulan]

grr, and you just know that if you didn't make a point of avoideing the dog, and hit it, ( will it or won't it get out of the way) you'd be at fault. I'm a dog mom too, mine is such a doof and thinks the whole world is his friend that I would never hike him off leash in an area that is used by others. Not everyone want's an idiot golden retreiver killing them with love.

really what I do is say something like "rider up PLEASE hold your dog!!" and hope for the best.

I.

[Adventure Girl]

Originally posted by Irulan
Not everyone want's an idiot golden retreiver killing them with love.

[Irulan]

back on topic here... I am wishing there was a trails group around here. There are a bunch of semi organinzed group rides, but no trail interest per se. I compensate by trying to be aware of local general access issues and put a bit of energy into that via letter writing, and then also just by supporting IMBA and all that goes with that state of mind.

The issues around here are mainly that there isn't a real move to preserve the open space, for anyone. The local gov't and the developers work hand in hand to buitl mini ranchettes, and subdivide where ever they can.

Boise ID is an good example of an open space mentality. They have done a really good job of linking the ridge lines and building trails, instead of letting the developers have at it with gated commnunites and 10000' houses like they do around here.


irulan

[han-grrl]

What bugs me is the INSISTENCE that mtb does all the damage. research has shown hiking vs biking neither one does more damage than the other. however it is sooo easy to say mtb is responsible when that is the primary activity of an area. well duh! if there were more hikers, than hiking would cause more damage. Not to mention i know riders that will gently ride though a puddle on the trail, where the hikers walk around it, widening the trail.

Irulan, i do agree with you, there are several mtb who take cheater lines through areas, and skid an destroy the trail on their own. will they ever learn?

[Irulan]

having been a backpacker for years, don't even get me started on horse trail damage.

What troubles me is that certain parts of moutain biking CAN damage trails, and this is where it's up to us to be good riding citizens.

Some of the biggest "mistakes" that mountain bikers make are cutting corners, skidding or riding brakes too hard, creating "barney" trails - making a new line around an obstacle instead of walking, riding when conditions are such that you damage the trail ( heavy mud, wet) or riders creating fall line, erosion prone trails where it's inappropriate.

Yes, I suppose I am somewhat of a XC purist I guess. I'm not a perfect rider, but I try to be aware.

What is kind of fun is to go some of the areas where the dirt bikes ( motorcycles) have been making trails for years, fall line, crazy stuff, and put on some armor and just have a fun day, knowing that you don't have to worry about anything, the trails have been that way for years.

Sanitizing ( cleaning up/simplifying of obstacles) really torques me off, whether it's done by other riders, or more so if it's done by hikers.
here's a sad tale of trail sanitizating:
http://www.petefagerlin.com/skyline1.htm

I'll putmy soap box away now.

Irulan

[SnowMouse]

Being both a hiker and a biker, I'll say this cautiously. And remember things in Oz are a bit different. hikers generally do the damage. Alot do not practice minumulistic camping. They leave behind rubbish, bath/wash dishes in streams, feed animals etc. and so on, which overall does more damage than bikers leaving tyre marks. Bikers cover terrain in one day what hikers take 2-5 days on.

In our National parks we have very strict rules. No dogs and cats, but fortunately (mostly) no horses Horsey people have no argument that their activity does not damage the land. No native Australian animals are hard hoofed, and you can see the way landscapes are damaged by cows and horses, as the land prior to 200 years ago, supported no hard hoofed beasts.