"Science proves MtnBiking more harmful then hiking."
 

http://www.culturechange.org/mountai...ng_impacts.htm
I'm sure this very same article has already been posted and discussed here, and, again.... I'll get my ass chewed off for not researching past posts, But I did!! And couldnt find anything "much" on "The Impact Mtn Biking Has On The Environment.
But this article made me feel kinda guilty while reading it. Granted I haven't finished it yet but I'm afraid our Mtn Biking in the hills days are limited. Good thing my family owns 25 acres of Montana wilderness. (Sorry, hiking not allowed.) What irks me though is that they, them, the ones who want to rid the hills of mtn biking accuse me, and the rest of us that we arn't envronmentalist but just use the wilderness for a playground. Thats not true, right? We all love the environment, I think.

There are more studies saying the opposite to. In reality every time we encroach on the environment we cause damage.

My mountains aren't going to be limited. The trails are built correctly and re-enforced. Things will remain here for quite some time. Poor trail building is the biggest bane of the mountain biker.

Having done both, I agree with the article.
But let's get down to business here. A well maintained trail
won't turn into a small disaster. This is all about caring for what you use. Whether you hike or bike, if the trails you use are not maintained, they will degrade dramatically.

I'd take the article with a grain of salt. The article is written by Vandeman afterall, if he had it his way, life in general would be pushed all the way back to the Amoebic Era.

Jeez, that debat still around? Save the planet moron, kill yourself.

Looks like hes been given'er for a while. Checkout the kook in may 1998 ;)

http://www.lart.com/auk/whiners.html

He's just another self-righteous nutjob looking for something to complain about. So what if mountain biking causes a little erosion, so do his precious bears he mentions in the first sentence. Heck, they even eat his precious plants and animals. Besides, that little bit of erosion is nothing compared to an 8-lane highway. Conservation is a good cause, but you can only take it so far. While any trail user should take care not to abuse it so it remains available for others, a little wear and tear is to be expected.

At first I figured this was another hiker who had a bad encounter with a rude mountain biker, but reading his article, it sounds to me like he'll take the same stance against anyone who doesn't share his environmental views.


Wow. Deep insight on that one doc.

I don't see how our tires "cut" into the ground; no more than horseshoes to say the least. And we all know how we all love to bomb down a hill and drift around corners, and spin out the rear wheel on purpose while climbing. :rolleyes:

It's all a bunch of hooey.

http://www.planetquake.com/polycount...olin_clive.jpg

That Dude looks like Hitler after a shave....

They say the same thing about all hunters, all campers, all rafters/kayakers, all anyone that does anything outside... We all know that there are "bad apples" that do stupid things and give everyone else a bad name, but really, the people that write these articles or complaining, in my experience, don't even utilize the outdoors much. They sit in their houses, or office in some giant skyscraper and ***** about us having fun oustise.
Obviously people with those sentiments are extreme and cannot be helped to anywhere near this side of logic or sanity, but where do they think that there houses and skyscrapers come from? I assure everyone here that they don't grow like mushrooms or something. Where every house and office building sits, used to be where Bambi , streams ran clear, and all of that. So, I for one will stop doing everything I do that is "destroying, irreprably harming, etc..." the environment, [I]when[/I, we can burn down the cities, let nature do 'er thing, and then ride there. :eek:
Oh yeah, as a scientist, I hate it when dumba$$es use "science" to back up their, otherwise unprovable claim, when in fact, no SCIENCE was actually used. People are always telling me, "well science shows..." and I just respond "really, show me..." they can't because there is no scientific data to show for such absurd accusations. <step off of soapbox>
:beer: cheers.

The guy is definately a nut, I used to read Culture Change when I was researching transportation alternatives. However, after they posted this drivel I never went back.

Related to erosion though, one thing that realllly bugs me is people who drag their back wheels on descents. "Skid in your shorts, not on the trail" to borrow a line from Kona.

Unfortunately, much of the public cannot play by the rules. I see many areas around me destroyed by late nite partiers. Trash and broken glass everywhere.

Humans, are animals. And like all animals we belong outside. The only reason there is an inside is because at one point we needed a break from the ouside. Then we spent so much time inside that going outside seemed wrong.
Our ancesters shaped everything around them because as a species that is what we do.
The idea that riding through the woods on bikes is doing any measurably comparable damage to this planet is beyond logical reasoning. We have crossed this planed with concrete roads, but a dirt path 2 feet wide is somehow going to topple mother nature?

Not wanting blow my own trumpet, but I have an Honours Degree in Environmental Science (as well as a Masters in computing :D ) - part of the course looked at things like errosion and mans inpact on the soils. MTBs' do damage the lanscape, just as every other user does. Bikes are no more worse than hikers.

The ramblers association here in the UK has a motto "Leave only footprints", yet its those thousands of foot steps that do much of the damage. If you really want to save the country side, ban the hikers, but of course most hikers are generally middle-class white folk (here in the UK) who are more likely to be able to aply political pressure. I've had more than one argument out on a trail with some middleage know-it-all, only to bring them down to size with the facts.

Its an argument that'll go on and on - at least here in the UK the National Parks Authority and the Forestry commision are working to protect the country side with out limiting peoples acess - whether they be on foot or bike, but then the advantage we have is the "Right to Roam" legislation that protects the many paths and tracks - my Island, which is 7 miles by 13 has over 300 miles of public paths and tracks. Where as I'm half quessing that in the US most land is privatly owned and acess limited?

Well you guys made some excellent points so I'm not gonna worry about it. What I need to worry about is all the great bike and hiking trails that are dissappearing in my area and being replaced with multi-million dollar homes and golf courses.

Bingo! What's-his-nuts would probably argue that's okay...as long as you're not mountain biking.:rolleyes:

He lost any respect from me the second I read that he'd never ridden a MTB. I'll tell ya what, why don't you bring your dumb ass out to the local horse trail and see how lightly they tread? Oh, and don't forget the deer, turkey, buzzards, raccoons, opossums, foxes, etc, etc....

where are all them tree huggers when they want to take that "wilderness area" and turn it into a neighborhood or mall? Ill tell ya where . with their real estate agent trying to get first dibs on the best lots, or at the car dealer buying a new peice of construction equipment sized SUV to drive to the new mall, thats where. most and I say most mountain bikers spend at least 1/4 of their free time working on trails and not just riding them or being involved in some form or fashion in trail advocacy

I don't know if you guys know the history behind this article, but Mike Vandeman was (maybe still is) a regular at the alt.mountain-bike newsgroup. He harrasses all the off-roaders there, and is a plain nuissance to the community there.

He's got a personal mission to get all bikes off trails, and won't let up till he wins. His research is obviously biased.

He only lasted an hour here.

While I agree with the general quote, this guy is an asshat.

Some of his articles are so skewed it's like reading trail propaganda.

One word: dumbf***. That guy needs to get a life instead of whining.