Mountain Biking - This town is becoming a nightmare to ride in.

Can't ride in the skatepark got ticketed for that today. Even though I wasn't at the skatepark at all was up in the parking lot of the school doing more of a street style of riding. Continued to ride there was threatened to be arrested the next time I was caught. Nothing has been stated on a sign in the school lot saying no bikes, and being that I was the only person there, they claimed I could have injured some one; who myself? It did ruin a good ride before that which was full of shuttle runs again.

Why can't you ride in the skatepark? It's better than grinding up handrails, planters and fountains isn't it :rolleyes: ?

As much as you get hurt you should get a ticket for riding.

Can't ride in the park that was originally built for general use because the Mayor decided it wouldn't be safe for his son who is a skateboarder to have bmx bikes or mtb's there, no planters here the rails here are not ideal for grinding and the only fountain in town is too small to do anything with. The only thing that the town has is stuff to launch off of. The only thing I will ride in town now are the trails and the place I do my runs at. At the same time though I am going to look for new places to ride.

Hrm. I say that maybe you should scan the place before you ride, as you get to the destination. Look around for patrol cars. Complain. Ask the police. Get a bill or something equivilant to a get-out-of-trouble-free card if you can. Toronto is a very populated city and I've never been told to stop riding even at 40kmph in a cluttered schoolyard.

I've NEVER been yelled at or talked to by police. They've seen my riding around here. Never said anything to me. Heck i've waved at them and they've waved back...I wonder why they were being such dicks to you.

I really have no idea on why I get harassed by this one. The others have always been kind to me.

Were you by chance wearing an anti-donut t-shirt?
lol, j/k.
The cops here don't really care about people riding bikes, then again, there are very few people riding bikes around here...

Kona, they shouldn't get mad at us. Maybe they should help find a place to build some nice dirt jumps or something. To keep us off the streets. After all thats what they did for the skateboarders. We gotta get some nice singletrack and drit jumps in here next summer.

I am always surprised by stories like this. It is illegal here but cops just tell you to move along.

I really want to make some nice DJ in Henniker next summer. Kona, you up for it? Maybe early spring. Any ideas as to where or how to get permission?

You shoulda bent over, and told em to kiss your hairy white ass...


That's ****in ******** to give you a ticket for that. Sounds like that donut-sucker was on a rampage.

You shoulda bent over, and told em to kiss your hairy white ass...


That's ****in ******** to give you a ticket for that. Sounds like that donut-sucker was on a rampage.

:p

Funny thing is this is a college town. You think the police would have more things to worry about besides people ride bikes, for f*ck sake.

I always give the same excuse...."sorry, I just moved here, and didnt know" "dont do it next time". Usually as long as my bike isnt on the paved part of the park, they dont care.....thats what the cop said to me. Dont know why they cared when you were by the school....

Can't ride in the park that was originally built for general use because the Mayor decided it wouldn't be safe for his son who is a skateboarder to have bmx bikes or mtb's there, no planters here the rails here are not ideal for grinding and the only fountain in town is too small to do anything with. The only thing that the town has is stuff to launch off of. The only thing I will ride in town now are the trails and the place I do my runs at. At the same time though I am going to look for new places to ride.

There are fewer things more true in communities than the old saying that 'the squeeky wheel gets the grease'. Organize with fellow riders and come up with an effective plan to take to your city commission. Get the local newspaper to do a story on what you are trying to accomplish. Go to your city and park commission meetings and speak about your concerns in a respectful, positive manner. Take as many people as you can to the meetings to show support (but don't bring along anyone who is going to sit in the back of the room and make dumb comments or clown around; that will work against you).

Write a letter to the editor of your newspaper expressing your concerns and offering a solution. Part of your plan has to be how the community will benefit from your proposal and what you are willing to give back. Then, you have to follow through. Get your LBS involved. If they are wise, they know that 'trails means sales'.

In my town the paved path that was built specifically as a bike path is in constant threat of being closed down to riders because the joggers, walkers and roller bladers complain that people ride bikes on it (Duh!). Even the signs marking the path show a person on a bike!

One of our best sets of mtb hills and single-track is starting to have troubles because endurance runners who like to run the trails say the bikes are making their runs dangerous. They'd be running across bare grassy hillsides (actually, they wouldn't be running there at all) if it wasn't for the trails built by the mtn bikers!

It's never enough to just complain that things aren't fair, even if they aren't. There is a lot of power in getting your group together for a common cause based on organized, focused, positive effort.

Good luck! :beer: