View Poll Results: Interested in helping?
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20.00%
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Help, Impending doom to my tuesday night rides.
05-17-03, 09:14 AM
#1
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Help, Impending doom to my tuesday night rides.
I was saddened this past week, reading a sign posted in Toronto's Don Valley, where I mostly ride.
It was a notice about pending closing trails to Mountain Biking in the Don, as it was negatively impacting a hardwood forest.
I fully understand that these green spaces in the midst of a city of 2.5 million need some preservation, but what use is it have green spaces if they cannot be appreciated.
It's maddening for those of us who do try to exercise good trail etiquette, as in not ridding after rains, and try very hard to avoid over breaking on downhills.
I'm not entirely convinced that the Mountain bikers are the true culprits in this case, as I've noticed that on the trails there is increasing amounts of dumping going on.
Generally, there is a norm that Mountain Bikers do not carry large bags of garbage in their camelbak to dump on the trail.
In the 3 years that I have been riding the Don, I cannot say Ive noticed an appreciable amount of erosion that can be attributed to mountain bikers, the only real damage if it can be called that is there have been a few stunts built in the past two years. do these constitute damage to the forest?
I must say, that if we are forced out of the Don, there will be an offset in the damage done to the environment.
I can ride to the trails, I don't drive my car, this reduces pollution, if we cant ride in the Don, we will be driving someplace else. What good is this?
For those of you who have managed to stop trails from being closed, what advice do you have?
As users of these areas, we should pitch in in the clean up, and make sure we get good press for it too! We need some good PR!!
As for fellow users of these lands, is anyone else concerned, and willing to offer some sweat equity to help save our riding. I'm not in a position to organize anything but would be willing to put my back into some work if necessary, and Ill spring for some large garbage bags so we can get some of this cleaned up.
It was a notice about pending closing trails to Mountain Biking in the Don, as it was negatively impacting a hardwood forest.
I fully understand that these green spaces in the midst of a city of 2.5 million need some preservation, but what use is it have green spaces if they cannot be appreciated.
It's maddening for those of us who do try to exercise good trail etiquette, as in not ridding after rains, and try very hard to avoid over breaking on downhills.
I'm not entirely convinced that the Mountain bikers are the true culprits in this case, as I've noticed that on the trails there is increasing amounts of dumping going on.
Generally, there is a norm that Mountain Bikers do not carry large bags of garbage in their camelbak to dump on the trail.
In the 3 years that I have been riding the Don, I cannot say Ive noticed an appreciable amount of erosion that can be attributed to mountain bikers, the only real damage if it can be called that is there have been a few stunts built in the past two years. do these constitute damage to the forest?
I must say, that if we are forced out of the Don, there will be an offset in the damage done to the environment.
I can ride to the trails, I don't drive my car, this reduces pollution, if we cant ride in the Don, we will be driving someplace else. What good is this?
For those of you who have managed to stop trails from being closed, what advice do you have?
As users of these areas, we should pitch in in the clean up, and make sure we get good press for it too! We need some good PR!!
As for fellow users of these lands, is anyone else concerned, and willing to offer some sweat equity to help save our riding. I'm not in a position to organize anything but would be willing to put my back into some work if necessary, and Ill spring for some large garbage bags so we can get some of this cleaned up.
05-18-03, 12:48 AM
#2
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Contact your local IMBA representative.
They afford a wealth of information and tips on what to do to get involved and reverse the process.
L8R
They afford a wealth of information and tips on what to do to get involved and reverse the process.
L8R
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"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, "WOW, What a Ride!" - unknown
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"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, "WOW, What a Ride!" - unknown
"Your Bike Sucks" - Sky Yaeger
05-19-03, 07:13 AM
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yes, i second the IMBA suggestion. they have been really good at working to help keep trails open. you also might look for a local MTB trail group and work with them or get them connected to IMBA.
this winter we had a simliar issue here in Munich. basically, a bunch of "North Shore" ramps and bridges were built last summer/fall without permission and some kid wiped-out huge and the ambulance came and notified the police about "unsafe consitions" or something... and because no one wants to be legally responsible for potential liability, 2.5km of singletrack is now closed on our local area.
my cycling club (www.m97.de where i am a guide and lead a weekly ride on these trails) met with the local forest folks as well as the regional authorities about the issue --- and they have assured us they plan on closing no more trails, but they have to take some action in response to what happened (they cut down all the stuff of course). but i think it was very helpful to meet with them and let them know we are there and care and are responsible --- they were also surprized to find out we prefer riding tight singletrail to the large gravel paths - they thought we just liked to go as fast as possible, particularly on wide gravel descents (not - boring!)... and most uder-conflicts occur on the gravel paths where speeds are higher and walkers walk side-by-side...
hopefully this means many of our singletrails in the future will remain open (there is some stupid law about all trails less than 2 meters wide (6.6ft) are illegal for bikes, but basically this is an old law back before mountain bikes that meant that all trails at least 2m wide would be properly _maintained_ for cycling, but occaisonally it is interpreted the other way - uh!)
good luck! i think it is important to protect our public lands and prevent overuse, but as a rule mountain bikers are responsible for far less damage than others attribute to us... and promoting responsilbe riding is preferably to bans (where some people will ride anyway, but probably the less concerned)
this winter we had a simliar issue here in Munich. basically, a bunch of "North Shore" ramps and bridges were built last summer/fall without permission and some kid wiped-out huge and the ambulance came and notified the police about "unsafe consitions" or something... and because no one wants to be legally responsible for potential liability, 2.5km of singletrack is now closed on our local area.
my cycling club (www.m97.de where i am a guide and lead a weekly ride on these trails) met with the local forest folks as well as the regional authorities about the issue --- and they have assured us they plan on closing no more trails, but they have to take some action in response to what happened (they cut down all the stuff of course). but i think it was very helpful to meet with them and let them know we are there and care and are responsible --- they were also surprized to find out we prefer riding tight singletrail to the large gravel paths - they thought we just liked to go as fast as possible, particularly on wide gravel descents (not - boring!)... and most uder-conflicts occur on the gravel paths where speeds are higher and walkers walk side-by-side...
hopefully this means many of our singletrails in the future will remain open (there is some stupid law about all trails less than 2 meters wide (6.6ft) are illegal for bikes, but basically this is an old law back before mountain bikes that meant that all trails at least 2m wide would be properly _maintained_ for cycling, but occaisonally it is interpreted the other way - uh!)
good luck! i think it is important to protect our public lands and prevent overuse, but as a rule mountain bikers are responsible for far less damage than others attribute to us... and promoting responsilbe riding is preferably to bans (where some people will ride anyway, but probably the less concerned)
