"Blackblade" wrote in message ...
[...]

These are not YOUR trails Ed. They are historic rights of way open to all non-motorised traffic and they were instituted for travel.

They are indeed MY trails. Trails were there originally for travel on horseback and it was never imagined that they would some day be infected by wheeled contrivances. Roads were for that. However, trails were increasingly given over to hikers in recent times for the sole purpose of recreation. Travel has nothing to do with trails today.

The sole purpose of trails today is for the purpose of recreation ... enjoying nature in a leisurely fashion by walking. When you add other usages, you destroy what hikers have been doing for the past several generations.That bikers seem not to be able to understand this single usage is why I call them barbarians. They would destroy what is most precious in a world of dwindling natural beauty. What is most precious? The contemplation of that natural beauty which can only be accomplished by moving slowly (walking) in its midst. It is that contemplation of natural beauty which adds to our humanity and makes us better that we would otherwise be.

The natural world relatively untouched by man is a sort of substitute cathedral for many of us. We hikers regard it as holy and not to be trespassed by the hoi polloi, ever sacrilegious like all the heathen. The time for exploiting nature with our mechanical contrivances for mere amusement is long past. The world is too crowded and the natural places are too few and far between. They must be protected and preserved. Hikers cause the least impact on the few remaining natural places. Other usages only destroy what little beauty is left.

Mountain bikers are barbarians and have no right to be on any trail used by hikers – unless they want to get off their god damn ****ing bikes and walk like everyone else. When they crash and injure themselves, I rejoice! If and when they manage to kill themselves, I say good riddance to bad rubbish! Death to mountain bikers!

“Tread softly! All the earth is holy ground.”
~ Christina Rossetti (Psalm 24),
from "A Later Life: A Double Sonnet of Sonnets"

Mountain bikes have wheels. Wheels are for roads.

Trails are for walking. What’s the matter? Can’t walk?

Ed Dolan the Great
aka
Saint Edward the Great