A little late for that now. 3 more marriages this year. Emtb’ing is like an escape now. Keep coming back to recharge though.
Unauthorised trail building. What's your view?
- Thread starter Mike D.
- Start date
"You still haven't said what in particular it is you're complaining about."
Ah... you haven't actually found what it is you're complaining about yet either.
Good luck with your quest.
Ah... you haven't actually found what it is you're complaining about yet either.
Good luck with your quest.
Rusty rides where Rusty wants.
You want to see my "authorization?"
Here's your authorization.
You want to see my "authorization?"
Here's your authorization.
A lot of sanctioned trails started off being scratched out by 'KIDS' later being adopted by the feds who then take machinery and hone them into a trail park where people travel miles to pay to ride them.
Take my local goto place, Hamsterley.
I've been riding there 35 years or so when no one gave a shit, now it's congested most weekends and costs £6 a day to park
Take my local goto place, Hamsterley.
I've been riding there 35 years or so when no one gave a shit, now it's congested most weekends and costs £6 a day to park
Hopefully the trails get developed before the feds react to what is happening. The feds don’t have the money anyways (or not that much for this Park.
The main access roads and skidder trails were developed many years ago (This Mountian) by logging. Environmental considerations were much different back then. The result is generous access to many areas of this mountain and some bad drainage results. This eco system has suffered in certain areas.
I think that most users are sensitive to these issues now. No one wants to deliberately cause damage but rather a responsible balance of eco-control and recreation. Sometimes that needs to be regulated. I may not like that but I understand that I’m not the only one who uses this mountain.
(Here is my lame attempt at tooting or a self-pat on the back).
Drainage. Some of the creek-crossings are terrible. Past logging practices have re-diverted or plugged up the creeks, which has caused further erosion problems. I can’t fix it all…but I can deal with some areas that are really bad. I’ve built a number of bridges over these creeks and re-diverted them so there is less erosion. In the winter some of these creeks are impassable and the erosion can be quite bad. Most of the areas I ride too seldom see a bike. Every hiker, runner or explorer appreciates the effort.
The only grief I have received has been from a couple of MTB trail builders. And only because I’ve found their “secret trail”. These guys are good builders and the features they construct are impressive. But most of these new trails are double-black. Maybe once they leave I can add some go-around’s. Maybe
.
You'll find a similar story with many areas that are now popular for mtb use.
I've been riding inners/Peebles area on and off for 30+ years. Back then all we had was rigid XC mtbs with cantis so we rode big XC loops made up of fireroad and open hillside climbs and a mixture of bridleways, natural walking paths/ROWs, open hillside, deertrack and the odd bit of natural (unbuilt) singletrack. The main sports in the Borders being drinking, shagging and Rugby. The vague route of the original Spooky Woods descent was just a deer track back then. and a few sections of GT black route were basically the same as they are today. A few years later the Borders forests became a lot more popular for mtb and along with the beginnings of Scottish DH racing the first Inners DH tracks were built. Most were built on what was originally Enduro motorcycle uphill climbs (Quarry, tunnel, 39 steps etc.). Same with the Golfie. On a Sunday a handfull of us would head down to Inners and push up to ride or build our DH tracks (usually a bit of both) and we'd be outnumbered massively by off road motorcyclists. The Fire road hair pin half way up the Golfie climb would have aprox 20 vans or cars with trailers parked up to ride their motos. We all got on great back then too. Basically they'd be riding their motorbikes UP what we would be riding our mtbs down so we'd always stop and have a chat about our plans for the day so as to avoid a head on accident. 10 years later Glentress (Helly Hansen) mtb trail centre routes and Inners (RedBull) project downhill were built.
Look at the place now and it's almost unrecognisable as the same places. Hundreds of mtbers every weekend, mtbers vans and campers parked everywhere, cycle widow wives running up the fireroads with their wee ones in buggies. Wanky cyclist coffee shop culture. almost no shagging or drinking going on. it's mental.
It does beg the question, did anyone ever have time to go and meet any women ?
Back then it was often quite difficult to tell which were the women
High Rock Ruti
Active member
High Rock Ruti
I've built several some, overgrown just reopened some from scratch. it's really satisfying when a trail I've opened/created gets a worn path from usage. I made this mistake however. I cut a trail trying ride it over every rock obstacle I could find, the trail is too hard for me to ride, if I'd only try to ride it first I would have made it easier. The conservation lands around Boston are scarred with excavations for filling other sites, I feel no remorse for building EMTB trails, that get used and enjoyed by walkers, cc skiers, snowshoers and bikers.
Warm Regards Ruti
I've built several some, overgrown just reopened some from scratch. it's really satisfying when a trail I've opened/created gets a worn path from usage. I made this mistake however. I cut a trail trying ride it over every rock obstacle I could find, the trail is too hard for me to ride, if I'd only try to ride it first I would have made it easier. The conservation lands around Boston are scarred with excavations for filling other sites, I feel no remorse for building EMTB trails, that get used and enjoyed by walkers, cc skiers, snowshoers and bikers.
Warm Regards Ruti
Is that because the men in Scotland wear skirts also.Back then it was often quite difficult to tell which were the women
Nah. More to do with inbreeding and diet than attire.Is that because the men in Scotland wear skirts also.
Well it can be cold up there, you're not going to breed outside are you.
Bit like Devon and Cornwall then. They were going to make a CSI series down there but then realised they all had the same DNA.
TBF neither does he.
Only went chanterelle picking once. We rode our bikes to an area, stashed our bikes and started picking. We were separated by a small hill but we were within shouting distance of each other.
You ever get that feeling that you’re being watched? It’s a weird feeling. Not only was I being watched …I was being stalked. I stood up I looked around. Nothing but shalale(spelling? Abundant bush about knee high), and some trees. And then I saw a flickering tail. I followed a broken outline to a pair of eyes. About 40’ from me was a cougar. I raised the plastic chanterelle bags above my head and shouted to my friend and warned her to stay away and keep her dog with her. I think my testicles turned to jello but I stood my ground. My feline friend then disappeared into a ravine.
Speaking of jello; Have you ever tried chocolate jello pudding and a pepperoni stick as a spoon?
4 of us were sitting in the crummy waiting for the wind to die down one morning. The trees were really wiggling. Snack time and I forgot my spoon. Half the guys bailed out of the crummy probably because of my new found delicacy.
That'll explain my frustration finger blasting up there, I thought there was balls in the way.Is that because the men in Scotland wear skirts also.
Any hole tho.....
EMTB Forums
Latest articles
-
Introducing the Forestal e-Cygnus - a downcountry and XC emtb
The new Forestal e-Cygnus is a slightly unusual emtb. It comes in two... -
2025 M1 Sporttechnik EN 8.0 review
The M1 EN is one of four M1 models built on the same frame. Well, it’s...