"Mountain biking is no more damaging than other forms of recreation, including hiking."

"SMS" wrote in message
...

[newsgroups restored]

Chris Foster wrote:
SMS wrote in news:447df1d2$0$96953
:

http://www.americantrails.org/resour...ngImpacts.html

WOW Nice article. Pretty much contradicts what MV has been saying.


All on these peer reviewed articles diwsagree with you Mike, while you
have been wasting your time arguing here with us, real people are doing
real

Well, I hike a helluva lot more than I mountain bike, and I've got to tell
you that despite the fact that mountain biking is no worse than hiking in
terms of trail erosion and effect on wildlife, it really isn't pleasant to
have to be constantly on the alert for bicycles.

The last phrase of the sentence above says it all. Something that mountain
bikers will never understand.

However I accept that trail use should not be limited to hikers.

Here is where SMS goes off the rails. Hiking trails are for hikers -
period!

I'd
like to see something similar to what is done on some lakes and reservoirs
with regard to powered versus non-powered water-craft. They only allow
powered water-craft on alternate weekends. Maybe it's impractical for
trail use, I don't know. Maybe bicycles-only on odd-weekend days, hikers
only on even-weekend days, hikers and bicyclists during the week, and
equestrians every February 30th.

DUH!

Nope, the above would never work in a million years. Try to get real why
don't you?

I think that it's very telling that MV has never been able to post a
reference that contradicts any of the articles regarding trail impact.
While he obviously doesn't like the articles from IMBA, there are plenty
of others that are not from an organization that has a self-interest
angle, such as the one posted above. I think the reason he posts
content-free posts so often, is that he hopes that he can make up for the
lack of evidence with the sheer volume of his posts.

Vandeman is heavily into the impact on trails (erosion,etc.) from mountain
biking. I think he is probably the expert on that subject. I am not that
concerned with that particular aspect of it. I am concerned about mountain
bikers being on the trails without any right to be there.

Frankly, hiking trails are for hikers only regardless of other factors. It
has become a philosophical issue with me. But can I win this battle.
Probably not, which is why Vandeman is so valuable. He takes the mountain
bikers on on their own turf. I am so far above the fray that I can only
converse with other philosophers. I do not think SMS is a philosopher.

I will side with Vandeman no matter how many so-called studies show contrary
results to his. Why? Because Vandeman is on the side of Angels and slobs
like SMS are on the side of the Devil.

By the way, I take great pride in my many posts to the various newsgroups
being almost entirely content free. That is for lesser minds, not for Great
Ones like Myself.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota