destroying trails

[trialslord]

I am going to vent here.....sorry,

I went for a hike yesterday to the trails out my back door, and found one of them That I have ridden a thousand times on my gasgas 450 and trails bike completely destroyed. I know everyone is at a different level of riding , but I think if you can't ride up a trail without turning the whole thing into a trench, then stay off! it looks to me like somebody must have spent an hr to get up this trail , being pushed and pulled ect... it is a trail that takes 5 mins to ride up.

one way you can help minimize destroying a trail is to use a trials tire on your enduro bike, yes it works! these tires will hook up way better in most conditions...unless you are a high speed logging road rider that likes to hot dog through corners!...they have more flex than a ordinary tire! they are not as aggressive of tread pattern and are easier on the trail! I highly recommend people to try one if they haven't! or at least ask someone who has...I'm sure you will here really positive feed back.

No I'm not turning into a complete tree hugger but, it's when the public eye see's stuff like this that we all get a bad name. I actualy ran into the old guy that built that trail over 20 yrs ago, he said he couldn't beleive the damage that was done in one day!

Vent over, I hope I don't come across as to much of an a**! I'm sure it was no one from here but just wanted to share my views on the damage that can be done by motorcycles when people don't put in a little effort.

:hb: James

p.s I tried to fix the spelling mistake in the title butnot sure how!...oops

 

[tomcycle]

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I share your frustration on losing a trail you once enjoyed. If it is in fact a person that does not know how to ride, where is he going to learn? Here in BC we have no trail marking system to let novice riders know what they are about to get into. We dont even have any designated Off Road Areas where novice riders can go and learn how to ride their bikes. So they go out in search of a trail and try and learn on their own without thinking through the consequences of their actions. They ride trails that they have no business on, they ride in closed areas, they have not yet learned any riding etiquette.

Its up to us old guys to make sure the new guys know what they are doing. I not sure how to do this but I know just bitching about it will not solve the problem. We must be proactive if we want to keep our favorite trails open and ridable.

For beginers Join a Club and get active

Tom T

 

[trialslord]

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I'm not that old!....and certainly don't know what I'm doing!...but yes I agree, Like everywhere else we have lost tonnes of riding areas on the island, and yes , unfortunetly trail etiquette is something that must be learned through experience.

Maybe we should start a new section on this site on trail etiquette....and do's and don't of riding in a group ect....this could be very informative to newer riders and provide some insight to riders new to group riding on the trail! there are numerous safety issues that could be addressed also.

Just a thought

:hb:

James

 

[SubMann]

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It is not just beginners who mess up the trails. I know a few others who like to pin it and throw a big roost. Why? It is not our property and it pisses people off! I shake my head wondering what they are thinking.

I spent too much time fighting similar battles in the mountain bike community to condone this behaviour. You can ride with minimal impact and show some courtesy to other trail users. It goes a long ways to keeping our riding areas open.

2 cents...

 

[trialslord]

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as a fellow MT biker, the old saying holds true on a motorbike.....Ride don't slide!

 

[robcsmith69]

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trialslord wrote:

I'm not that old!....and certainly don't know what I'm doing!...but yes I agree, Like everywhere else we have lost tonnes of riding areas on the island, and yes , unfortunetly trail etiquette is something that must be learned through experience.

Maybe we should start a new section on this site on trail etiquette....and do's and don't of riding in a group ect....this could be very informative to newer riders and provide some insight to riders new to group riding on the trail! there are numerous safety issues that could be addressed also.

Just a thought

:hb:

James

I don't do much single track riding with my KLR 650, but I would like to see something on trail etiquette. I am new to the sport here, and am willing to ask for some expert advice on proper trail etiquette; then when I do get out there on the trails, like I hope to try some time soon, I will have some idea of the do's and don'ts. We do need to keep the trails alive out there, I don't want to see them disappear due to misuse by other riders.

 

[SubMann]

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When we are riding on private land and in parks I always try to ride how I would expect someone to ride through my back yard.

When riding through trashed logging areas it is harder to keep it sane. But trashing it further wont help it recover any faster. It is common sense, but a lot of people don't seem to have much.

There's 2 more cents...

 

[J-ROCK]

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Nothing is forever.. enjoy the moment.
We've seen tons of trails closed, logged, locked out and change over the decades of wheelin', riding etc.. it's our land but it's all of our land, not everyone rides, drives, walks or hikes the same way hence things change.
Rather then police peoples habits, turn political or worse judgmental just enjoy the moment do what you feel is right and enjoy your time.

I'm sure the hiker that walks the trail thinks any level of riding is bad, the gentler rider thinks the aggressive ride is bad, the aggressive rider thinks the other two are pussies and at the end of the day nothing changes but the trail.

:Stir

 

[trialslord]

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I'm the pussy who is an aggressive rider

 

[Aflica]

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well , ive been watching this thread now since it started , and i agree with James (Trialslord) that the trails need to be taken care of. He is right about the trials tire as i have been running one for almost 3 years now and they are amazing AND trail friendly as a bonus. Almost all of the people i ride with now are running them for the fact that its almost cheating , the traction is unreal and YES they do make DOT Trials tires, its the MITAS ET-01 and almost every dealer has them or can get them for about $100 bucks. just another opinion ...........

Steve

 

[joker650]

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ARe u shur it's DOT?

It doesn't mention the DOT rating.

Too bad it's only available in a 4.00 in 18"

 

[Aflica]

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I have one in my garage right now...and it has DOT right on it

 

[Ntl#1x4]

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I ride and patrol many of the same trails that James is talking about. I hate to single out any one discipline of motorized machines, but the damm quads are destroying most of the trails we ride behind our houses here. What used to be nice single track trails, have been made into chewed up 6ft wide messes.

 

[tomcycle]

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J-ROCK wrote:

Nothing is forever.. enjoy the moment.

Rather then police peoples habits, turn political or worse judgmental just enjoy the moment do what you feel is right and enjoy your time.


:Stir

There must be something in that island water?:Stir


This is the attitude that has created the problems we have now. It is my opinion that we (all) have to take responsibility for our actions. Unfortunately not everyone's "do what you feel is right"understands what their responsibility is, so we have to come up with some rules (yuck political and judgemental )

If we dont get together and take care and protect what we have. we will have nothing in the future, no more "enjoy the moment":hr:

Please don't tell me that you think it is your right to ride anywhere on public land

Tom

 

[trialslord]

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I agree with Steve,

quads, and the type of rider it attracts (in general) are the main ones who completely ruin everything!...BIG FAT drunk redneck that just doesn't care about the trails at all. that and those new 4x4 quads can go anywhere, so they just follow the steep single track trails and completely destroy them:mad3:I saw 2 guys up on the ridge behind my house doing exactly what I am talking about.....burnouts on the beautiful mossy ridge, drunk and throwing beer cans where ever. When I confronted them, they just mumbled something and took off. I went back up after with a trash can and picked up about 12 or so cans.

 

[J-ROCK]

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Well all I can say is good luck with that.
The days of crown land are all but over, the powers that be have or are in the process of privatizing all lands, this means that no matter where you ride you are on private, not public property. So with that we are all breaking the "rules" and riding in areas we are not welcome.
At best the only impact a group can have is try to lead by example and enjoy the riding time you have while you have it. The idea that one groups impact on local areas is worse then others is a debate/war that will never be won. Everyones idea of usage is so totally different and non tolerant of the other and singling out one group of land users as the culprits just further seperates all of us.
We've been going through this for decades with the offroad groups locally.
My point is that everyone has a different view of what is fun, you can disagree all you want but at the end of the day it doesn't change a thing.
Like I said before, the tree hugger group doesn't think any motorized vehicle is acceptable, the mountain bikers don't like the dirt bikers, the dirt bikers don't like the quad riders, the quad riders don't like the offroaders and so on and so forth, each of them has there views all of them different and of them using the same land...
If you think you can change it all the power to you, but if you know your doing what you feel is right and enjoy your time out there at the end of the day you'll have more fun and more time riding then trying to control something is not yours to control.

There is something in this island water for sure, whatever it is it's good stuff... :hb:

 

[Sparkle]

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Ntl#1x4 wrote:

I ride and patrol many of the same trails that James is talking about. I hate to single out any one discipline of motorized machines, but the damm quads are destroying most of the trails we ride behind our houses here. What used to be nice single track trails, have been made into chewed up 6ft wide messes.

I agree. I meet a lot more quad riders on the trail than bikes by far, and it's not so much the riders as it is the verydesign of quads.

From what I seemost quads do not have differentials which is fine when they're going straight, but any kind of a corner means one driven wheel or the other has to break traction and scrub, no matter what the speed. When power is applied, a quad tends to try to go straight unless the rider purposely breaks traction.

The natural tendancy is to use this effect to 'gas' the machine around corners and this has become the 'accepted' way of riding a quad. Winding tracks get to look like motocross tracks with big berms and lots of ruts, and climbing steep slopes is usually done in a series of small turns to find traction, with the same result.

Idislike the fact that motorcycles are lumped into the general category of ATV's because they aren't the same thing, and it's too bad that the younger more agressive riders seem to have more access to quads than motorcycles. Motorcyclists should be stressing the fact that motocycles are lighter, more efficient and less intrusive than almost any other motorized off-road vehicle.

Motorycles used to beviewed as normal, plated,low impactand acceptablemethods of transportation, integrated with society and even less harmful to the environment than almost any othermotorized vehicle. We've lost that distinction and we should try to get it back.

Just my opinion.

Sparkle

 

[Floored]

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Pointing the finger at one particular group is not going to help anyone. All groups have a few people within them that behave inappropriatly, while the most do not. If we want to save anything for our kids, we're all going to have to figure out how to put aside our differences and work together to save some land to play on.

Look south and you'll find all kinds of land put aside for OHV use where everyone use it and enjoy it. It's not about the 4x4s wrecking it for the quads, who wreck it for the dirtbikes, who wreck it for the trials bikes, who wreck it for the mountain bikes, who wreck it for the equestrians, who wreck it for the hikers, who wreck it for the little old ladies out for a quite walk!!!!!

Our sports impact the lands we do them on, end of story. Do they destroy the lands? They shouldn't, but they can. The problem is that we don't have any systems in place to deal with offenders. Down south you need a license for the trails boldly displayed. If you get reported, you can get a ticket or face a loss of license. Here we just get to complain about the destruction we see.

Further dividing us will only assure one thing...............and it's not good!

 

[J-ROCK]

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Exactly!
If your being responsible for yourself and leading by example it goes a lot further then finger pointing and the blame game.
The ORV parks in the states are great but the ideal solution is licensing, and zoning.. the areas get regulated, generate revenue and pretty much end the biggest disgrace I see in the backcountry which is dumping of garbage and junk.
trails will still change but could be protected to some degree.
The only downside is with more regulation comes politics and more rules which for me takes away from the freedom and fun that is being out in the backcountry.

And for the record a good roost fest is a ton of fun given the right terrain and riding partners! lol.

 

[trialslord]

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I may have been a little harsh on judging quad users.....I know it's not all, but from what I have seen they have been some of the largest contributers in areas I like to ride. That said, it is more of an issue of land use, like alot of you have mentioned. Slowly we are being forced into smaller and smaller areas to ride and the damage becomes more evident. It is good for everyone to share there views and opinions and maybe get more insight on what can be done about these issues. I am aware of the ongoing efforts of alot of people(some on this site) to keep riding areas open or to try and get all offroad users to come together, so there is strength in numbers when trying to get or keep land access.

everyones idea of fun is different(as someone else said) and it is hard not to judge certain people who are out destroying trails more than others. I personaly enjoy to motorcycle,mountain bike, and hike, I also contribute to damage on the trails. But I also try to make an effort to keep some of the trails i use clean by picking up garbage left by others and by basic trail maintenence.

:hb:

James