[pct-l] bikes on the PCT

[bluetrail at aol.com]

I just re-joined pct-l because my long-term significant other is planning his second PCT thru next year (depending on snow pack).  

I live in Florida and am an active member of the FTA.  It's interesting to me that the FT is facing some of the same mountain biking pressures that the PCT is facing.  The US Forest Service is our Federal partner and the current guy in charge is pressing for more biking use.  

Going through my very urban/suburban county, a portion of the FT uses a paved rails-to-trails route  developed by the county.  Bikers, roller bladers, strollers, etc. are all allowed.  Likewise, I don't think there's much objection to bikes where the trail uses a gravel/paved road on top of the dike around Lake Okeechobee.  

However, there's a LOT of objection to mountain bikes on most of the rest of the trail.  Florida's predominant soil is barely packed sand with varying degrees of incorporated organic material.  It's soft and easily moved by bikes.  Frequent  use by bikes often results in the trail turning into ankle deep loose sand.  It's a slog--tough, miserable hiking.  

For the record, 99% of the (unapproved) bikers I've encountered on the trail simply buzz by me, close enough for me to feel the breeze they create.  Sometimes I hear them coming and get off the trail, but once in a while I don't hear them until they're literally feet away.  It's scary to think that if I took a misstep into their path, I'd be hit.  

Joan
bluetrail at aol.com



-----Original Message-----
From: abiegen <abiegen at cox.net>
To: pct-l <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Thu, Oct 11, 2012 10:32 am
Subject: Re: [pct-l] bikes on the PCT


Friends,
First I will say that I won a mountain bike and I don't see a problem with 
ountain bikes being on designated trails. I will also say that I am firm in 
elieving that the PCT is not an appropriate trail for mountain biking for a 
umber of reasons.
Here is a link to a website that was put together in Santa Barbara to help 
eople understand the mountain bike attempts to take over the trails in our 
ront country. It has a lot of information about the culture, the damage that 
ountain bikes do to the trail and the techniques that mountain bikers use in 
heir selfish take over.
www.safetrails.net
Use the menu banner at the top of the first part to navigate to more 
nformation.
Of special interest is the page on Your Rights. It contains the details of a 
egal called Marin vs. Babbit. Mountain bikers will tell you that Congress 
ntended for mountain bikes to be allowed in Wilderness areas. This case proved 
hat they don't have rights to every trail. It established that open trails for 
ountain bikes are a privilege that can be withheld or revoked at any time. 
I would suggest that we set up a petition on http://www.ipetitions.com/ to 
ather all the signatures of PCT trail users and trail lovers to:
1. Support the PCTA in its mission statement to preserve the trail for hikers 
nd equestrian users. 
. Urge the land managers to respect the historic usage of the PCT by hikers and 
questrian users.
. Urge that the trail not be opened to mechanical devices, whether motor driven 
r human propelled.
If you would like to be on a committee to help draft the petition of have any 
ther focal points you feel should be added, please let me know.

ho these people are:
Mountain bikers try to pretend that they are just local guys and gals trying to 
ave fun and enjoy nature. The truth is that the issue of trail usage is one 
hat is a major source of conflict around the world. The mountain bikers are 
ell organized and are trained in how to get what they want. The training and 
ools come from a group called IMBA, the International Mountain Bike 
ssociation. 
IMBA is a corporate entity set up as an educational organization and as such are 
ax free. In fact, they spend most of their time lobbying and should have their 
ax status investigated and revoked. IMBA is funded partially by its members but 
ost of the money and drive comes from mountain bike manufacturers. The truth is 
hat mountain bike production is in a decline and the industry is doing 
verything they can to prop themselves up. This includes pushing their way into 
he Olympics and getting access to more and more exciting trails. The goal is to 
et access to every trail. 
They will not settle for a few of their own MB designated trails; they want 
hose and all the ones that hikers and equestrians currently use. The 
rganization is so tight that you will see the same arguments, the same flawed 
scientific" studies which were designed and run by mountain bikers, etc. used 
ver and over again here in the west, in the east, in Australia, in New Zealand. 
hey will produce petitions and get letters from all around the world to support 
pening small local trails that most of the petitioners and letter writers will 
ever see. They will always introduce themselves as "I am a hiker, backpacker, 
questrian, trail worker and a mountain biker and I believe that all trail users 
an get along." Many of them don't want to get along, they want you off the 
rail. Their aggressive behavior is not punished by the larger mountain biking 
roup because the larger group knows that that aggression with force more users 
ff the trail allowing the remaining mountain bik
ers to go as fast and as carelessly as they want. It works in their favor.

ere is an email that I originally sent only to Brick. Since I see other brave 
ouls being open, I am now copying it to the whole list. I want you to know what 
hese people are capable of and what can happen on "shared" trails. In Santa 
arbara the shared trails have driven 99% of the equestrian trail users off the 
rail and have caused a large number of hikers to only use the one trail where 
ountain bikes are not allowed.
Hi Brick, 

 respect your opinion and of course this is your list. However I feel I have to 
make a few comments even though personally it would probably be better that I 
on't. 

his Zeb is of course a troll. He is spouting all the standard lines that the 
ard core mountain bikers spout, most of it not true. No, Congress was very 
pecific that bikes are mechanical devises and that they don't belong in the 
ilderness. There was a case called Marin vs. Babbet that proved this.
TBers often misrepresent this. 

there are a few bad apples" - of course that is true, but my unfortunate 
xperience has been that MTBers have more than their fair share and have a mob 
entality of protecting those that are abusive. They will never turn one of 
heir own in. Contrast that with our recent discussions on fires on the PCT and 
hru-hikers attitudes toward anyone who would start one. 

y experiences with Mountain bikers - 2012 section hike on the PCT near 
rightwood - while trying to get my umbrella adjusted a mountain biker comes 
creaming around a blind curve and almost hits me. He apologizes but as I hike 
p the switchback I over hear him talking to three of his MTBer friends that 
his is his 7th trip down this mountain and on one occasion he made it all the 
ay down without having to stop or slow down. On the PCT. 

008 - hiking out of Lake Morena with Piper, a local mountain biker has built a 
amp right on the PCT. They dug a big hole and piled the dirt up on the other 
ide to make a jump. I walked back and reported it to the rangers at the lake. 
t first one of them was sarcastic, "Oh yeah, we'll go get our guns and go after 
'em." When I mention that I am on the board of the local Sierra Club and a PCTA 
ember and that I just thought they might want to know, they took it more 
eriously. 

e've had numerous problems here in Santa Barbara with MTBers. Two hikers were 
it and slightly injured. Two mountain bikers killed themselves. A horse was 
illed and the woman and daughter that were riding it were thrown, though 
uckily not hurt. Each incident led to concerns about safety on the trails. 
he local MTB organization and bikers knew who caused the death of the horse 
ut refused to tell police or the owner. Two mountain bikers working a trail 
llegally
tarted a fire that destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of forest. The 
ocal
ountain bikers knew who they were and obstructed the investigation. The police 
ere eventually able to figure out who they were. The pleaded to a minor charge
nd got off with very light fines'
Two commissions were formed, one of which I sat on for three years, the other 
till 
imps along. The MTBers have successfully changed the focus from safety to trail 
maintenance and building. This has been going on for over ten years now and the 
rails are no safer.

he first woman who was injured spoke out about what happened and called for 
afety on the trails. For this she received threats of injury and death from 
TBers around the world. This night have been ignored but the MTBers published 
er address on a couple of their blogs. We were able to track down some of the 
hreats. Some people were stupid enough to send them from their work address; a 
roup of young riders from Canada sent their threats from their school email 
ddresses. When the school was notified, they were all forced to write apologies 
and were punished. 

'm sad to see this discussion come to the PCT-L. It doesn't belong here and 
oesn't add to what we do. I will believe that the Forest Service is 
econsidering their policy (which is law, no just policy) when I hear it from 
hem. The MTBers  are like water to a boat. They will find any little crack to 
et in and are relentless. As one of the posters said, they will ride the PCT 
nyway even if it is illegal. They will lie and tell you that they already have 
ermission or that permission is very close. 

 have about a hundred photos of the trail damage that they do. I have reams of 
ages of how they work around the world. There is a document called the Minority 
Report which very effectively addresses every one of their claims. But I won't 
ost that here. I won't respond directly to them here. I only request that you 
lock the trolls that will distract this list from what we do best. 

 also won't post this to the list because I already know that threats and 
ntimidation will follow once the trolls post my email address to their blogs. 
een there, seen that. This email is only for you 
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