[pct-l] Mountain Bikes and Trail Damage

[Ned Tibbits]

Brick,

I second your feelings! Designating bike days vs. hiker days simply doesn't 
work in reality.

I imagine mountain-biking is quite a rush and a lot of fun, but the mix of 
speed with hard objects and soft soils is only asking for trouble. If, as a 
biker, you can negotiate those roots, boulders, stairs, and narrow turns 
without damaging your surroundings, then that's great, but from what I've 
seen on the TRT, that simple doesn't work, either, in reality!

Soft soil is deeply gouged by skidding or sliding tires, especially on the 
soft, forested turns which become 4 to 6 feet wide, banked, and difficult 
for hikers to move through.

The prospect of a fall I would think is huge, also. I've watched how the 
bikers get around on rocky switchbacks and it is impressive that they even 
can, but one spill at any speed means a major injury and a possible flight 
out (not to mention the painful wait time for medical assistance, the SAR 
members who have to mobilize out of their lives to come to your aid, and the 
cost of the Air Ambulance).

For a backpacker on a trail shared by horses and bikes, it is the speed of 
the bikes that makes the hiking experience risky, not fun, and certainly not 
as relaxing as it would be if they were not there. Yes, you often can hear 
them coming toward you and can get out of the way (since it is obvious that 
they can't slow much less stop very quickly; nor do they want to, really), 
but I rarely hear them coming up from behind me.

I always get that irritated, "On your left" retort as I am abruptly jolted 
out of my relaxed wilderness thoughts to realize that they are back there. 
It is the hiker who can simply move aside and is expected to do so because 
bikers lose momentum in having to slow down for hikers and get upset 
otherwise. Speed and mountain appreciation do not mix. Sure, they do it for 
the challenge and the thrill and that is all fine. The mix of 
casually-moving-along hiker or horse and a hundred or more pounds of flying 
Juggernaut is not beneficial to either one on the same trail!



Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education
www.mountaineducation.org
-----Original Message----- 
From: Brick Robbins
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2012 11:46 AM
To: Derek Fohs
Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Mountain Bikes and Trail Damage

On Tue, Oct 9, 2012 at 11:33 AM, Derek Fohs <derekfohs at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> The Tahoe Rim Train Association has worked some compromises (alternating 
> days, one-way direction, only certain sections) It's a good website 
> http://www.tahoerimtrail.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=140&Itemid=157 
> I'm an avid mountain biker and prefer to ride where there are no hikers, 
> horses, motos, or anyone else that matter.

The TRT "compromise" doesn't work.

On the TRT Tahoe Meadows to Tunnel Creek, section, on a "No Mountain
Bike day," I passes 50+ Mountain Bikes. I challenged many of them
about riding on a closed day, and except for ONE, I got replies of the
flavor "F*ck you, will ride where and when we want." I think there was
MORE hostility because of this "compromise."

I talked to the director the TRT about it, and got an unsatisfactory
answer. I will not be giving them any money.
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