Very first trail ride...

[spokewench]

I just meant the difference between the built trails with the nice cleared track, rocks placed for stream crossings and so forth and the overgrown doubletrack fire road I was on Saturday where there was a good amount of eroded channels that had cut into the track and fallen logs that had obviously been there for for some time. Of course the fire trail isn't an official mountain bike trail, but it was still fun to ride! We knew how far we were allowed to ride it before it connected to a horse trail and of course that isn't allowed. Sorry for any confusion, was just trying to distinguish the two kinds of trail.

Oh, I think I got you. I just thought they might groom trails in the midwest where you are, kind of like they do snow ski trails. We don't have a lot of easy, well maintained trails here; as it is always rocky and always eroded - even if you work on a trail, it can be a mess just a few weeks later.

[Catrin]

We have a great mountain bike association where volunteers work to build and maintain trails of all difficulty levels. I am a newbie but already know how lucky we are to have such an organization as HMBA. So much work is done at the volunteer level to support regional mountain biking, if it weren't for the efforts of HMBA members we wouldn't have the wonderful trails that we have at Brown County State Park and the others. As soon as I get over these unexpected dog-induced medical bills I will certainly become a member and help as I can.

[Irulan]

Oh, I think I got you. I just thought they might groom trails in the midwest where you are, kind of like they do snow ski trails. We don't have a lot of easy, well maintained trails here; as it is always rocky and always eroded - even if you work on a trail, it can be a mess just a few weeks later.

Thanks for inquiring, Spokewench, I was wondering about "groomed" trails to. I think Catrin just needs to learn the lingo. Groomed mtb trails might scare me as in "why would you do that?" Now, you can have buff trails and manicured trails, but never groomed.

Buff : really smooth and fast, no technical features to speak of.
Manicured: leaves and sticks and loose rocks cleaned off, bushes trimmed back

[Catrin]

Thanks for inquiring, Spokewench, I was wondering about "groomed" trails to. I think Catrin just needs to learn the lingo. Groomed mtb trails might scare me as in "why would you do that?" Now, you can have buff trails and manicured trails, but never groomed.

Buff : really smooth and fast, no technical features to speak of.
Manicured: leaves and sticks and loose rocks cleaned off, bushes trimmed back

I figured I had the lingo wrong, but was trying to come up with something that distinguished the two - thanks for the terminology