No riding on wet trails. Huh?
 

Seems like I always read something about damaging the trail if you ride them when wet. How do you damage a trail? Ruts? Is errosion the concern? Man, where I ride, If I waited untill it was completely dry I'd only be able to ride about 2 months out of the year. It's just accepted that you ride through ruts and mud in some areas. It's not seen as damage, just spring riding and a blast.

AFAIK, it's totally fine to ride on wet firetrail; they get re-surfaced anyway after the wet season.

both hikers and bikers can do serious damage to wet trails...usually not a big deal on the flats, but bikers can do permanent damage on the climbs, hikers when walking down a hill...all you need is a small disturbance in the soill then rain and wind over a couple of years will do the rest...We've had some serious cases of erosion in some of conservation areas which caused some trails to be closed to bikes and hikes

I liveon the west coast. If I waited for it to dry up I would never ride. Trails here are built correctly, re-enforced and put together so riding in the rain causes as little damage as possible. With the builders and advocates being so active here, damage is usually dealt with quickly.

The trails over by maury point were extremely muddy from a month of rain. We did dig into the mud a bit on our bikes, not that it made anything worse. Best ride I've ever had. Mud riding is amazing.

To many bikers want paved trails in my mind. YOUR riding off road people.

Now riding on super muddy trails just sucks no matter what, no fun in it at all and I don't do it.

Party pooper. Forget that you're 60 and have some fun.:o

Bingo, U said it. The trails have to be built right and maintained.
Here in N Texas they close the trails when wet. The trails are not built for wet and get torn up very quick when ridden in the damp. plus, it's not much fun to slog through clay anyway...

I think the soil has a lot to do with it, too. When I lived in WA, we rode all winter and the trails were fine. They were built well, but the soil allowed this, too and come summer and dry weather, the trails looked exactly like they did the previous year and the year before that.

When I lived in TX, I got out on a trail just a tiny bit early and realized I shouldn't have been there. I turned around and headed out. By the time I got back to the trail head, my bike weighed about twice it's normal weight from the red clay caked onto the bike. And I'm sure that tire track was there all summer.

Other than some low dips and valley's, the trails I ride seem to drain quite well, not to mention the area does not have a ton of big hills, so I never really see errosion problems. The trails all seem to stay in great condition. If there is a section that has dried up with ruts, I don't really see the issue of just riding them. I think it just sharpens skills if anything. But I repeat "sections". It's not like a whole ride is a continuous rutted up trail. But in agreement with skiahh, soil would make a difference.

That does suck. I haven't been out in a while due to all the rain as of late.... Still, I like the trails and don't want to damage them.