Can We Shame People Who Do This?
Fully Rigid, 9/28/22
Having to get off your mountain bike to walk or hike-a-bike a technical section of trail is part of mountain biking and being a mountain biker. Maybe, in time, you’ll get the gumption to give it a-go and, yes, you might fall and hurt yourself, though that really isn’t all that common. More likely, you’ll give it a go in that stretch of trail and you’ll get bounced and have to dab. No big deal. Less likely to happen is that you’ll clean it in the first go-round. However, with time and more attempts, after “sessioning” it, perhaps, you’ll figure out the line and roll on through. When you do, you’ll be happy and probably emote in some way with a hoot and/or a holler.
If you do this below, though, you’ll ho-hum roll through it and have gained nothing in the way of developing your skillset:
Look at that on the left. Soil erosion gonna happen and mountain bikers are at fault. Those rocks that are “in the way” there in the center are easily rolled, if you actually try to ride the trail and put forth a little effort.
Plus, going around is boring. Ho-hum. Yawn.
A closer look:
How has this become acceptable?
If you can’t/don’t want to ride it, can’t you simply get off your bike and walk it?
Can we start a campaign along the lines of … ride the rocks, or walk/hike-a-bike?
A view from the other side:
Reminder: this is now a land management issue and your “easier” path has made things difficult for land managers and the mountain biking community, when thinking of other trail user groups and the relationships we have with them.
I know … this is going on everywhere and has been for years. It’s not going to stop. Okay, fine.
Is it okay, too, then, if we start “shaming” people who do this? Or is that not acceptable behavior in our mountain biking community?
If there are multiple B lines, I agree, but B lines do exist for a reason, a lot of us, myself included aren't interested in the potential injury. Especially on a public and authorized trail, the trails are there for all of us. Don't insist people risk breaking their bones just because.
Cheater lines are frustrating, I close them off when I see them. (Not to be confused with purpose built alternate/easy lines - if the builders put them in, great).
I've noticed people shortcut switchbacks or berms (why!?!), And sometimes an easier was around a tight set of trees.
I always stop and block these off, before too many people keep riding it. If you put enough branches/leaves/rocks in the way, the lazy riders go back to the trail.