Bike Safety: "Never ride a bike when it's wet outside!"

[Frank Krygowski]

justen wrote:

> Frank Krygowski <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>justen wrote:
>>
>>> I think
>>>the warning is trying to say, "Avoid wet trails," in a hip way.
>
>
>>As if that makes any more sense?
>
>
> You need to get off your paved retro couch once in a while.
>
> International Mountain Bike Association, Rules of the Trail,
> Number 2, Leave No Trace:
>
> "Be sensitive to the dirt beneath you. Recognize different types
> of soils and trail construction; practice low-impact cycling. Wet
> and muddy trails are more vulnerable to damage. When the trailbed is
> soft, consider other riding options. This also means staying on
> existing trails and not creating new ones. Don't cut switchbacks.
> Be sure to pack out at least as much as you pack in."
>
> Barracuda is trying to encourage its riders to be responsible
> trail users. As if a large percentage of mountain bikes,
> or SUVs, ever see dirt.

I don't know if it matters to you, but I'm on the board of trustees of a
forest preserve - one which I've purposely kept open to mountain bikes.

It's almost all bottom land. It frequently gets wet. People ride their
mountain bikes there, and - whattya know? - in a few days you can't tell
any difference.

In some places, depending on soil type, vegetation density, contours of
the land, annual rainfall, etc. riding wet trails can perhaps be
detrimental. In other places, it makes absolutely no difference.

I know this by experience. Maybe you need to travel more.

--
--------------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com,
replace with cc.ysu dot edu]

 

[Peter Cole]

"Frank Krygowski" <[email protected]> wrote
>
> In some places, depending on soil type, vegetation density, contours of
> the land, annual rainfall, etc. riding wet trails can perhaps be
> detrimental. In other places, it makes absolutely no difference.

I think this point has also been backed up by a few studies. Of course in
some of the parks around here (MA), people blame all trail erosion on MTB
use. I do trail patrol at one of our larger parks, and I know that some of
the most eroded areas have never seen a mountain bike.

 

[R15757]

Frank K wrote:

<< In some places, depending on soil type, vegetation density, contours of
the land, annual rainfall, etc. riding wet trails can perhaps be
detrimental. In other places, it makes absolutely no difference. >>

It depends a great deal on soil type.
Big problem with mountain bikers on muddy
trails is they tend to go around the mud
bogs and turn the singletrack into road width.
Another point--horses, which are rarely banned
from any trail, and are in fact allowed to walk
in loaded trains on trails in designated wilderness
areas, do far more damage than bikes.
It's stupid to talk about bikes and trail erosion
with all these 1200 pound horses all over the
place.

And one more thing! It's just a trail, dammit.
The trail is not part of the wilderness. The mere
fact of the trail's existence has altered the
wilderness in a very profound way. If you stay
on the trail, I say rip it.

Every old trail dog knows that the rap on
bikes is false. The worst trail erosion comes
from hikers, horses, and motorcycles going
uphill, not mtn. bikers skidding downhill as is
commonly thought. The best way to eliminate
trail erosion is to design trails without steep
sections.

Robert

 

[Bill Baka]

On 13 Nov 2004 09:23:05 GMT, R15757 <[email protected]> wrote:

> Frank K wrote:
>
> << In some places, depending on soil type, vegetation density, contours
> of
> the land, annual rainfall, etc. riding wet trails can perhaps be
> detrimental. In other places, it makes absolutely no difference. >>
>
> It depends a great deal on soil type.
> Big problem with mountain bikers on muddy
> trails is they tend to go around the mud
> bogs and turn the singletrack into road width.
> Another point--horses, which are rarely banned
> from any trail, and are in fact allowed to walk
> in loaded trains on trails in designated wilderness
> areas, do far more damage than bikes.
> It's stupid to talk about bikes and trail erosion
> with all these 1200 pound horses all over the
> place.
>
> And one more thing! It's just a trail, dammit.
> The trail is not part of the wilderness. The mere
> fact of the trail's existence has altered the
> wilderness in a very profound way. If you stay
> on the trail, I say rip it.
>
> Every old trail dog knows that the rap on
> bikes is false. The worst trail erosion comes
> from hikers, horses, and motorcycles going
> uphill, not mtn. bikers skidding downhill as is
> commonly thought. The best way to eliminate
> trail erosion is to design trails without steep
> sections.
>
> Robert

Many of those trails were made hundreds if not thousands
of years ago by the animals themselves and people just
found out they were nice to hike of bike.


--
Just Bill again