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

Edward Dolan wrote:

Riding a bike on a mountainous trail is very hard on the body
in various ways, especially older bodies. The reports from the field are just
too numerous and widespread to conclude anything other than that riding your
bike on a trail is dangerous. The main danger is from falls from the front wheel
hitting an object in the pathway and being ejected over the handlebars.
Wheels need fairly smooth pathways whereas walkers don't. Hikers merely step
over objects in the pathway.

Way to avoid the question Ed. Please answer it. Is hiking safe if some people end up dead doing it ?

Hiking is not dangerous at all provided you use your common sense. Biking on trails is dangerous no matter how much common sense you exercise. That is because it is a stupid thing to be doing in the first place.

Too bad we can't raise from the dead all those killed by
mountain biking and ask them if it (being dead) was worth it

Life is for living. I'd far rather have a shorter, but active and full, life than a morose and miserable descent into grumpy old age.

You are quite mistaken about that. Every age has its own rewards, but you have to live long enough to reach old age in order to know that. Grumpiness is extremely enjoyable! Hells Bells, I have been morose and miserable my whole life. We Americans only pursue happiness. We never catch it.

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 biking!

“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