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The Joys & Pleasures of Cycling on Trails
On Tue, 4 Feb 2014 19:27:10 -0600, "EdwardDolan"
wrote: More bad news from the trenches, something that blackblade, Phil W Lee and John B will not enjoy reading. It of course only confirms what I have been saying from day one, namely, that cycling on trails is a conflict with other trail users. Only the self-serving terminally stupid would claim otherwise. http://www.denverpost.com/lipsher/ci...#ixzz2sE2qwT62 Lipsher: Conflicts grow over biking in the mountains By Steve Lipsher Posted: 02/02/2014 05:00:00 PM MST Land managers in Colorado have been unable to keep up with the evolving uses and demands like biking of mountain trails, writes Steve Lipsher. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post) Mountain bikers philosophically have been more aligned with hikers, cross-country skiers and other "quiet use" types than with snowmobilers, dirt bikers and ATV riders. But increasingly, the two-wheeled folks are becoming embroiled in conflicts with other trail users, and bikers now are finding themselves on the other side of the philosophical divide and risking alienating traditional allies. From a long, unflattering history of creating illegal, unsustainable trails to a new trend * winter "fat" bikes that compete with skiers and snowshoers on snow-covered trails * biking now represents an intrusive activity that affects others in the woods. Go to any online outdoor forum these days, and you'll see lots of chatter about the compatibility of bikes and other activities, ranging from allowing bikes on trails in national parks to whether battery-assisted bikes belong, well, anywhere. (In Boulder, two distinct camps have formed over allowing the new breed of electric moped to share the paved bike paths.) And the fiercest debate today is over whether the new breed of winter bikes * which rely on bulbous, low-pressure tires to float over the snow * belong on the trails. The fear is they will gouge out ruts in soft snow, making the skiing treacherous. On MTBR, a popular mountain-biking chat site, writers discussed whether fat bikes should be allowed on specifically groomed cross-country ski trails, which already prohibit hikers for the sake of keeping the track smooth. "I tried to ride on a groomed trail once in Wyoming," wrote one biker. "It was on public open space land, and the trail was probably 40 inches wide. I actually thought I was going to be lynched. I got on my bike in the parking lot and was surrounded by a bunch of XC skiers. They were actually shouting two inches from my face." "Skiers are a testy, testy bunch. Avoid them at all costs," wrote another. But even in sticking to multi-use trails on public lands that officially are open to all users, "fat bikers" are encountering hostility from unsuspecting snowshoers and skiers, similar to the complaints that hikers have expressed in the summer when bikers swarm past on their favorite treks. Communities, public-lands agencies and user groups now are grappling with how to keep peace among the different interests. In Aspen, fat bikes for the first time this winter are being allowed on Pitkin County open space groomed by the Aspen Snowmass Nordic Council as a trial run. Two years ago, Idaho started hosting a "fat bike summit" that brings land managers and bikers together to discuss ways of alleviating conflicts. And the International Mountain Biking Association is imploring its members to be sure that fat bikes are permitted on the lands where they want to ride. Because the number of fat bikes is doubling every year, doing nothing is no longer an option, and some regulation is needed. The problem is that land managers have been unable to keep up with the evolving uses and demands. The U.S. Forest Service was slow to recognize the explosion of summertime mountain biking in the 1980s, and the ensuing user conflicts and braids of illegal, poorly designed user-created trails created a management nightmare. Similarly, ATVs have intruded into untrammeled places, forever altering their character. Many of those routes have grown so popular that forest managers begrudgingly have been forced to include them in their updated trail networks. Another issue is that bikers, as well as many other groups, always are looking to expand their territory, threatening to change the nature of ... well, nature. This time, it's fat bikes. Next, powered bikes. Before that, mountain boards. Every new fad and craze competes for more space, resources, management on the trail, and each creates its own bitter divisions on who belongs. Since it seems I am now the only one on this newsgroup posting any content, I will treat with appropriate scorn any responders who do not also post some content. Name calling does not work with me as I just love to name call myself. It is part of being a Great Saint. Mountain bikes have wheels. Wheels are for roads. Trails are for walking. Whats the matter? Cant walk? Ed Dolan the Great aka Saint Edward the Great Good old Dobbin Dolan. He farts a bit as he wanders down the furrow. Just turn your head and ignore it. -- Cheers, John B. |
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