Frequently Asked Questions about Mountain Biking

Mike Vandeman wrote in
:

On 09 Apr 2007 16:13:34 GMT, Chris wrote:

Mike Vandeman wrote in
m:

On 05 Apr 2007 12:57:39 GMT, Chris wrote:

Mike Vandeman wrote in
m:

On 3 Apr 2007 12:17:44 -0700, "Jimbo"
wrote:

Geesh - a little one-sided don't you think - I'm sure you'll have
great success convincing people of your way - unless of course you
get a bunch of idiots on your side - any intelligent person can
see through and realize that all the negs can be reversed -
dumbass!

Typical mountain biker. NOT ONE specific, because then you could
easily be refuted.


Mike, here is the situation as I see it.

1) I ride a mountain bike for fun and exercise, I ride a road
bike for fun and exercise, and I ride my commuter bike for
transportation and exercise. All these activities are safe

A lie.

Please be more specific, What is a lie??

"All these activities are safe."

Shades of grey. Are you suggesting that if an activity is deemed
'unsafe' by the great Mike Vandeman, we should all stop?



and legal.

Totally irrelevant

The fact that I ride a road bike in not irrelevent to me. Can you
please be more specific?? What is irrelevent??



Response??


2) I ride my mountain bike where it is safe and legal (for
example Left Hand Canyon, Hall Ranch); I do not ride it where it is
prohibited (for example Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP)).

3) I am a hiker and a backpacker. I pack in RMNP several times
a year. I have never seen a mountain biker in RMNP. I do see huge
ruts where the hiking trails are. I also see where 'social trails'
are forming where hikers are avoiding the ruts.

Irrelevant.

Hikers are forming the socail trails. What is irrelevant about that??



Hikers are causing the damage. Shouldn't you be attempting (yet
failing) to curb thier passion also??


4) I have hiked and ridden my mountain bike on mixed use trails
(hikers, people riding mountain bikes and equestrians) and have
never seen an issue/altercation/problem between groups. I have
actually seen the opposite, where one group helped the other with
directions and/or helpful information.

In places where there a lot of mountain bikers, the hikers and
equestrians who don't like it are forced to abandon the trails.
Hence, you don't see them. Not that you would report it honestly, if
you did see a problem.

I was hiking at the time. The horses bother me MUCH more than the
mountain biker. When I am packing thru an area and you come up on a
bunch of equestrians who are absolutely destroying the trail because
it is wet, it is difficult to keep your cool. And horses are so
amazingly stupid; you have no idea what they will do next


5) I have never accidentally killed an animal while riding my
mountain bike.

You have no way of knowing.

I have a very good idea what I am rolling over. and I repeat: I have
never accidentally killed an animal while riding my mountain bike

I have witnessed mule deer watch me as I ride by. They
hardly even stopped eating while we rode by.

Mule deer are notorious for not caring. Irrelevant. Elk and bighorn
sheep, on the other hand, run away. If you knew the research, you
would know that.

Are you talking about the Elk in RMNP that the toutist hand feed??
They are the ones that ruin away. LOL Stop reading white papers and
so called research, and go look for your self like we all do every day


6) Do you honestly think you have convinced even one person who
rides a mountain bike to quit?

Of course not. Mountain bikers have no interest in the truth. And if
they did change their habits, they wouldn't have the guts to admit
it. Their friends would klil them.

I am only interested in the truth, the real truth, not some very
narrow version that you percieve as the truth. LOL My friend would
kill me ?? LOL That is too funny


If not, you are wasting your time.

To sum it up, every argument you have to stop riding a mountain bike
is false, it is completely legal (In most places) and you are
powerless to stop it. Stop wasting you time and go work on
something you can have a real impact on.


Chris

Considering how many trails are off-limits to bikes, I have already
had an impact.

You are taking full responsibility for getting those trails closed??
Mountain biking in RMNP has been closed for over 15 years, do assume
credit for that??


Response ??


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