Is it getting to this..?? Trail sabotage?
 

Beacon Hill outside of Spokane, WA. Not my neck of the woods but, is it getting that crazy out there?
Saboteur boobytraps trail....
https://unofficialnetworks.com/2024/...-geased-rocks/

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...89c1c72894.jpg

Not a new thing. I can’t remember the details, but someone strung wire across a trail and injured at least one person.

This has been happening in my immediate area on the mountain bike trails in W. Wash. Someone has dragged logs across the trails, dug out banked turns, created dangerous holes and more on the local trails. The Sheriff Dept was investigating since there was a serious threat to bodily harm. There are wackos everywhere so stay alert.

True dat. There have been nutso MTB haters in Portland and Phoenix also.

I hope they catch that guy in Spokane, that's a pretty crazy note.

This person thinks that no cyclists have hunting/investigation skills or access to cameras.

And unlimited stamina...

Just sayin'

Not uncommon unfortunately. The paved areas where I try* riding on is sabotaged by people that have a hard on for cycling folks... what's even more sad is that authorities that can address this tend to be of the same mindset of the people that don't want cyclists around...

Bad enough that the infrastructure for road riding is poor, but to sabotage it too?

Yep, we get them here in the UK too. Trail sabotage is unfortunately quite common. Usually logs and large branches dragged across trails, but sometimes more serious stuff like wires and nail boards. There have been some very nasty injuries reported.

I remember these things being done on the BMX course we had up near the Brea dam. This was back in the late 70’s, so definitely not something new.

It's not "getting to" it. I can personally say that it goes back at least 50 years!! The worst I saw was when I was mtn bike riding and came around a corner, where there was an area with a rock base. Some a**hole had broken glass all over the place. I and some riding with me cleaned it up (not far from a trail exit where there was a trash can. Bad enough they endangered bike riders, but how about people out with their dogs, or kids. Haven't been trail riding for a while-plan to get some in this fall-but guess it's never going to stop. Some "people", and I use the word loosely!

If that's a designated MTB trail then no problem riding MTB bikes on it. Down here in Southern California I know there are problems with MTBr's using hiking trails that have signs explicitly prohibiting MTB riding. The Pacific Crest Trail is one of those and runs through the San Gabriel Mtns and some stretches of it have had nails, glass, rockpiles put on it, logs dragged across, wires strung across, etc. A while back three of us were hiking on a section of it in the neighboring San Bernardino Mtns, clearly marked with signs stating No MTB's when a few MTBr's came barreling up behind us unleashed a string of profanities at us blocking the trail and not getting out of their way.

I haven't read much about hiker/mtb friction in a number of years. Maybe an influx of e-motorbikes has stirred the pot. I can see that the potential for speed, unskilled riders and trail damage might be a concern.

Hope that someone sets up a trail camera and nails whoever this is.

Not to mention when schools get out, there is always more broken glass on the shoulders of paved roads. Must be nothing better to do than ruin someone else’s day with a double flat.

A popular century ride near here had to be re-routed and ultimately abandoned due in part to local deplorables throwing out roofing nails. Guess they didn't like being inconvenienced one morning a year. Can't figure how they avoided them in their own vehicles or if they even thought that far ahead.

reminded me of a suspicious thumbtack on an unpaved multiuse trail
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...55be03121c.jpg

The 2005 edition of Cycle Oregon featured a big climb up to some scenic point where you could see mountains in WA, including Mt. Saint Helens. It might have been Larchmont or something like that. People familiar with the area were concerned because there has been several past incidents of locals littering the road with tacks. A flat during the descent could get ugly.

That's pretty ****ty. Also seems like it might be something prosecutable as well.

The world has changed. (BITD). I grew up hiking trails never seeing a bike and when bike paths were introduced they were a peacefull alternative to riding in the street.

Now on old train track bike paths I'm often passed by groups of electric fat bikes going at least 50 km/h. Or all sorts of electric vehicles on local city bike paths. I'm not too pleased to encounter a mountain bike while hiking on what is clearly marked as a foot path, even whole families with children on bikes.

I've mellowed out a lot in my later years (thank God) but thirty years ago I could get very angry with bikers as they meant that I had to be constantly looking over my shoulder in apprehension instead of meditating in the quiet of the forest (national park, no bikes alowed). The worst was I didn't feel it was safe to bring my young daughters along with me. I can understand someone going further than an aggressive encounter, but today I just let them pass and pray for them to see the light one day.

What makes a big difference to me is whether or not the trails are being used properly and restrictions followed. Especially on private land where owners are kind enough to let us pass through in the manner they prefer.

So it's been happening for a while, but there was a time...

Had a glass incident on the road I live on a month or so back. The road is popular with cyclists but I don't know if it was aimed at them or if it was just general vandalism. There's a hill for about half a mile then it flattens out for a quarter mile before you hit a 90 degree turn on this small rural road. The fast guys with the carbon wheels are still going at a decent speed when they hit the corner. And right around the corner the road was completely filled with glass.

My wife drove over it in her car and didn't want to repeat that when she came home so she called me to clean it up. At first I thought it might be something that accidentally dropped but on further inspection there was too much glass and it completely covered the road from side to side for 15 or 20 yards. The volume of glass would have required multiple bottles and an accident would have had a more random distribution. Probably took me 20 or 30 minutes to get it swept up. You get most of it up but when you look back at a certain angle in the evening light you can see the glitter of pieces you missed.

off topic but much of this is the fault of irresponsible bike riders.

The equivalent happens to dogs in non off leash areas in the city, usually antifreeze in meat. This type of behaviour is spurred, no doubt, by a dog owner not picking up or letting the dog off leash and angering an unstable person.

I and several friends were up Rock Canyon in Provo Utah and some clown pointed a weapon our direction and pronounced that he was with the sierra club. We disarmed him and continued on our way. This was in 1983 -1984.

Waitaminnit, you grabbed his gun and chucked it, or did you take it with you?

Or do you mean verbally?

There has been a lot of hatred for cyclists for years, and frankly, there are a number of cyclists who perpetuate it. But I believe it has been on the increase. I can't say exactly why, but I do suspect, at least to some degree, that the electric bike thing has contributed to it. Now we're seeing far more people out on bikes than 10 or 20 years ago, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. But it comes down to attitude.

ack in the spring, I was on a training ride, about 45 miles into a 60 mile ride. I was tired but I was on relatively flat ground and pushing along at a pretty good clip. Out of nowhere, this kid (young adult, early 20s) goes blowing by me on an e-bike, no helmet, no gear. Fine, whatever. But just seconds later I see a streetlight ahead of us turn yellow. I know there is no way either of us are making it through that light but dumba$$ keeps on going. Sure enough, the light turns red, he continues as cars begin to enter the intersection. One car had to slam on the brakes and he had to swerve pretty hard to prevent a collision. But he just kept on going. I'm sure the motorist now considers him just another jackass cyclist.

In other words, cyclists are to blame when someone sets a booby trap to injure?

That's a huge steaming pile of bovine excrement! The criminals are the ones at fault. Setting a booby trap to cause injury is a crime, full stop.

Agree but bad apples are the match that lights the fire.