Pinkbike Poll: Trail Sabotage?

Jan 30, 2015
by Mike Levy  
Mountain biking isn't exactly the safest of sports out there as it is, although that in itself is possibly one of the reasons that many of us enjoy it so much. A little danger time due to taking a few chances on the trail gets your blood flowing, right? One thing that we don't need, however, is the added element of trail sabotage. Picture yourself railing down your favourite singletrack at a good clip, only to come around a corner to find a good sized log across the trail, laid out in a way that makes it very clear it wasn't a natural occurrence.

This is exactly what's been going down for awhile on a few North Shore trails, and it just recently made headlines not just on cycling websites but also the mainstream media (for better or worse) when a few enterprising riders took it upon themselves to instal tree-mounted cameras in order to catch the perp in the act. It appears that they've been able to do just that, and a 64-year-old woman was arrested and charged for allegedly setting up logs and rocks on trails with the intention of obstructing mountain bikers. There's no word on if she'd think it's as funny if she fell into a punji pit during her golf game, but I don't expect that she'd see the humour if the tables were turned. Not that I'd ever condone the vandalizing of a golf course by digging pits and filling them with feces-coated wooden stakes, mind you.

photo

Vandals removed rungs from this ladder bridge in Cumberland, and it was fixed shortly after by local builders. Photo forbiddenfreeriders



I'd like to say I'm surprised that someone would vandalize a trail, apparently with intentions of hurting another person, but I'm not. This sort of thing isn't new at all, here or anywhere else, and I'm sure that many riders have stories about coming across similar scenarios. I know that I do. I remember one particular ride, nearly twenty years ago, when I came bouncing down a rocky chute to find that someone had strung what must have been a three quarter inch diameter vine of thorns across the trail at neck height, literally wrapped around a tree on each side. It worked as the intended, and I was pulled from my bike and left with some pretty nasty cuts on my neck that must have made it look like I should be on suicide watch. The next few days in school were awkward, to say the least. It was likely the same people who took it a step further by stringing high-test fishing line at roughly head height between the lip and landing of a forty six foot double jump we had built (measured feet, not ''Pinkbike feet'', by the way). We spotted it, thankfully, but talk about wakeup calls... I have plenty more examples of people being a*sholes, but I'm sure you get the picture.

So, while the topic of trail sabotage isn't exactly a pleasant one, I'm curious to know how many of you out there have experienced this sort of shady behaviour. And keep in mind that I'm not talking about officials or property owners shutting down a trail, but a person who's actively out to either injure riders or keep them off the trail. This is one poll that I'd hope to see the 'yes' answers kept to a minimum.




Author Info:
mikelevy avatar

Member since Oct 18, 2005
2,032 articles

276 Comments
  • 220 0
 Barb wire, fishing line and dug-in poles in the middle of the trail... Whats next, claymore mines?
  • 31 0
 Well it's a possibilty
  • 48 0
 If the dopes doing that could afford claymores, I wouldn't doubt it.
People are actually doing this? What the f*ck is wrong with the world?
  • 130 5
 Biological landmines are already "a thing" at one of my local trails..
The trail is official, clearly marked through the whole course and not only approved by the local authorities but actually run/maintained by them. For some reason the dog owners who use the forest still won't accept "us". They walk their dogs on the MTB trails, let them run loose (illegal in public parks/forests) and gets VERY offended if someone dares pointing out that it would be smarter if they used the hiking trails instead - as that is what they are there for.
In 2014 some of the dog owners had a bright idea. Besides the usual logs/branches/rocks they started to let their dogs shit on narrow, fast sections of the trail with blind turns. Sometimes it actually looks like the dog shit has been moved and rearranged by hand. Now imagine hitting a fresh pile of dog shit at full speed... On a hot summer day... Already soaked in sweat form going balls out on a steep climb... Mouth open, gasping for air... With a 45 min. ride to soap, water and clean clothes... That's why I'm not particularly fond of dog walkers anymore.
  • 17 13
 Yes, if the US government considers you a terrorist, we'll send in drones to hunt you down. Many of the trails here are illegal by government definition, I wouldn't be surprised if drones were sent, not to bomb, but to monitor. Drones are already watching California's boarder and shoreline.
  • 7 0
 Nygaar, I've ridden through dog puke. Not intentionaly placed puke, but not pleasant either.
  • 7 0
 punji sticks
  • 9 47
flag bikecustomizer (Jan 30, 2015 at 4:29) (Below Threshold)
 Overall biking business has a high sales volume and may be somone decided it's about time to make money on trails.
Seems like someone wants to make biking society (and near biking) to think there is an objective menace for the trails and this should be organized and controled by legal means or so. And of course it should be taken under protection of commercial firm or governmental org. etc.
Otherwiese - "you see what is happening...trails are broken...bikers can be injured seriously...people are bad in their nature...terrorists are everywhere...someting wrong with this world... and that's why we should make it of a limited access, only for dedicated, etc."
"JOIN US ONLY FOR $x9.99 a month"
When you pay the initiation is made and access is granted, you receive a ticket to ride or implant under your skin with all your biometrical/social data in it.
People in uniform or drons are on their places. Now you're safe to ride.

This sport is driven towards the elitism.
Something like this.

Ok, I have written this.
But then this - "Sometimes it actually looks like the dog shit has been moved and rearranged by hand." - has changed my mind....
"BY HAND..."
I just imagined this and have a LOL: there is no conspiracy or terrorism here....THEY ARE JUST IDIOTS!!!!!!!!!
LOL Smile
  • 15 0
 about a year ago someone wrote into MBUK telling them how they were bombing down a hill in Wales at about 25mph, someone had strung a rope between 2 trees at fork brace height. If you can picture that. Downhill at 25+mph straight into a rope. I think he was in hospital for a good while with some pretty serious injuries. Its official some people dont have enough to worry about in life if they get so worried about other peoples hobbies.
  • 15 0
 here where i live some ritards like to do this puentelibre.mx/img/media/ciclistastrampas.png
  • 6 0
 I build my own trails on somebodies property ( I do have permission) and I've come accross plenty of destroyed jumps, wooden berm ripped out and broken.. Feel like it's pointless to even build anything at my local trails..
  • 6 0
 I ran into a rope strung across a trail years ago. I threw my arms forward when I saw it and now I have two nice reminders of that happening (scars).
  • 37 4
 @DrippingPink Trolling isn't going to solve the problem... if anything it's going to make us as a mountain bike community on the North Shore lose footing as a respectable group (which most of us are) in the eyes of politicians and most of the other trail users. It's taken us a ton of work and advocacy to get here and it would be a shame to throw that away because a bunch of people on the internet hiding behind autonomy feel that its appropriate to harass those that don't share the same view as us. Seriously... grow up, and realize the actions and consequences of your juvenile comments. Be betterr than this.
  • 5 1
 .gov sabatoge...Usa epa, like the irs, is EXTREMELY corrupt. Their definition for environmental terrorism is pretty loose. Hopefully they'll be ablosihed soon.
On a local level we've got rangers driving trucks 1 day after a rain, rutting out fireroads.
Smarts?
Funny how rangers now using strava to build case vs you. Wait for you at bottom, see if u just strava'd...then they know ur user and past rides. (I've nvr strava'd)
  • 3 2
 One time after my father and I put at least two days of building into a down bring we can up to see it was all cut and burned by some idiots
  • 3 0
 I didn't witness the events or know anyone directly involved so take it with a grain of sand, but when I first started riding, one of my riding friends had a park behind the houses on his street. one day a kid was riding his moto through there and some asshole had strung up metal chord between some trees at head height and it broke the kid's neck and he became paralyzed. According to my friend they caught the guy, but it's still fucked up and has drastically changed that kid's life...
  • 14 1
 @drippingpink that page is obviously a satire
  • 4 2
 @Narro2 i hope man i hope... there are people dumb enough in the U.S... some backwoods inbred who really thinks that way. its pretty sad people are that dumb.
  • 7 4
 @drippinngpink and Lalena, best way to deal with that dude is to report his page to FB for violating the TOS because he's praising and advocating people to intentionally harm others..

to the Right of "message" in the background photo is the option to; Report to Facebook> Report this page > I don't think it should be on Facebook > It promotes violence > Submit to facebook for review..

Posting on the page will just get him traffic.. reporting him will get it pulled.. did you see the sharpened spikes in the ground that he was so excited to see?.. it's just sad..
  • 14 0
 Its a total joke fb page.
  • 3 3
 if that Facebook page is real, they are some real psychos! look its easy to be nice. too bad these people have so much bitterness and hate. sad really.
  • 2 0
 we all know the fact, it uses less energy to smile than it does to frown so why not smile?? its friday night after all. Have a kebab and a beer and get over it. I mean bikers probably have become part of the ecosystem in most woods. we in reality are an asset to their grasshoppers and lesser spotted newts.
  • 3 0
 @danielslutt, no kebaps in mexico man, but thanks for reminding me....but i'll have a beer...do equis
totally agree, smiles are always better than frowning, be the better man.
hate only brings more hate.
  • 2 0
 Shame man you're missing out! you will have to come riding in England in the summer and have a after ride snack of kebab. its not really worth coming in winter - especially from Mexico!
  • 5 3
 That FB page is hilarious. Wow, some brains on the ones who didn't notice that FB page is satirical and facetious. The irony is clear, and most unfortunate.
  • 1 0
 My worst was a single strand of fence-wire at neck/head height, luckily I was standing at the time and caught it across the biceps and chest. That was almost 40 years ago. Other than that a few judiciously placed logs over the years, and one trail that was sabotaged at all the jumps and blind corners with pits and logs.
  • 1 0
 I've had to hop a few dog dirries in my day & some from horses too.

In Onterrible, that's about all the excitement you'd be likely to find I'm afraid. :s
  • 1 0
 All of my experiences have been in Ontario, unfortunately.
  • 1 0
 Ha! This geezer's a champion!
  • 3 1
 @jrocksdh....
That is why the strava thing can f%@& off!!
  • 8 3
 www.facebook.com/pages/Hateful-Old-Hikers-Association/170238123165188?fref=nf

GO REPORT THIS PAGE.

I hope this is a joke, it really seems like it but there are posts dating back to 2013.

The guy is supporting trail sabotage and needs to be pulled before he gives anyone else encouragement to act the same way.
  • 7 0
 So I'm not sure if you guys know what satire is, but I'm pretty sure that no serious hiker advocacy group would have an "About" section that states: "A page for us who hate bicycles, motorcycles, horses and pretty much everyone but ourselves." Nor would they call themselves hateful and old. There are countless other things on there that are supposed to subtly tip you off to the satirical nature of the page.
  • 1 0
 Hes funny
  • 1 1
 people were stomping out jumps on my trail, i really wanted to set up a bear trap camouflaged in the jump, i think that would teach them a lesson.
  • 2 3
 @abzillah: great way to bring stupid politics into mountain biking. All you who up-voted him: good job douche-tards! Abzillah, stay in the hole you live in and live your paranoid life.
  • 2 2
 @CaliCol: I find it funny that you say that, but isn't this article about politics?
Aren't there trail use conflicts?
If you want to live in a fantasy land, Disneyland is not far from where you live.

Drones are watching our coast, and if you think that drones will not be used to monitor endanger species' habitat, then you are living under a rock.

www.livescience.com/42108-drones-wildlife-earth-science.html

www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/28/dhs-drone-pacific-calif/4958529

And calling people douche-tards makes anything you say lose all credibility, IF it had one.
  • 1 0
 @flag OlavA I see Claymore's on the trail all the time. That don't make Cannondale a sabotagrer!
  • 1 2
 too much to read haha! xD
sadly there are person to everything in this world so
to see a claymore in a trail would not be strange but it would suprise me Haha xD
maybe we should put claymores in the start of the trail so when someone a sabotage person comes to visit
the trail you have build the first thing the person hears is Boom hahaha xD then we dont have to worry about sabotage person anymore be first or be last Hahah anyone like this idea? Big Grin
  • 2 0
 @aespe
Holy shit fking retards are you ok mate!?
  • 1 0
 Ive had holes dig into the trail right before a decent drop, that lands into a downhill. That pissed me off as i cut the drop out of the hilside not more than two or three days earlier.
  • 1 1
 @rockin-itis - Burn the witch!!
  • 1 0
 There is a park by me that is open to dogs but there are only mtb trails. I love my dogs but those who walk them on mtb trails and don't respect the people in which the trail is meant for need to find another place to do so. My point of view would be, if I hit somebody that is not supposed to be on the trail, it's not my fault. For those that find vandalism, report it to who ever runs the trail system. Also set up cameras to catch them in the act.
  • 58 0
 I imagine these saboteurs see bikers as a group in a negative light and want to stop them. The answer then for me is to be very visible in a positive way in the community. I want people to see my kids shredding trail and think of their own. I want to be seen as a dad who is passing his passion on in a healthy and fun way. I want everyone to see cyclists as human beings who are good and reasonable people.
Of course if the North Shore gets haters maybe there is no hope. Where are cyclists more visible than that? Even in Utah where there are thousands of miles of trail and bikes abound we are a fringe group.

This is frustrating to think about.
  • 30 0
 The trouble with the north shore is you have to park in and ride through a very expensive suburban neighbourhood (one which typical mountain bikers wont be able to afford to live in) to get to the trails, at least on Mt Fromme. I was really surprised when I went there, I expected a big car park and such after all the coverage of the Shore but nope, park in the street.

No matter where I have gone in the world, one thing has been true: People are dicks about people parking in their street.
  • 6 0
 While it pisses me off when people park outside my house, I understand it is a public road (albeit one with a red line painted on it) but I would never booby trap their cars.
  • 4 1
 It is truly frustrating to think of trail sabotage. And yes, despite the growing reception to offroad bicycling, we are still in a fringe group.

I have to park on the side of a road in residential neighborhood to ride my trails. There's all kinds of reactions, thankfully most are receptive because they know the bikers are the ones that maintain the trails, we are quiet (unline quads and dirty bikes) and it's a healthy lifestyle.
  • 12 23
flag nickmaldonado (Jan 30, 2015 at 4:36) (Below Threshold)
  • 34 0
 @DrippingPink I hate to say it, but scanning through that page, I honestly think the dude running it is a troll himself. I honestly think it's some dude who knows he'll get a rise out of mountain bikers (and apparently trail runners) by having that page. Best thing to do, in my opinion, is just straight up ignore that page.
  • 2 1
 I would find that clown funny if I wasn't so angry.
  • 3 5
 If we all report him to fb for encouraging harm towards others we could get him shut down (for 5 minutes while he starts a new page).
  • 3 3
 @taletotell consider it done
  • 3 2
 seriously, "ban trail running"? what?
  • 1 2
 I think you may have a distorted view of "typical mountain bikers"....
  • 4 5
 To be honest, i have reported the page. I'd say that it's possibly trolling. But still...
  • 17 2
 you're all idiots if you actually believe that page is real.
  • 7 2
 I hope you are right. I like his comment that trail running is unnatural.
  • 4 0
 Also, FYI Facebook think that page is fine.
  • 11 2
 Jesus Christ....it's a joke. "A page for us who hate bicycles, motorcycles, horses and pretty much everyone but ourselves." Facepalm Nothing to do with me though.
  • 5 0
 The district is finally building that "big car park" at the base of Fromme this winter! 50 vehicle staging area tucked away at the water towers off Mountain Highway, so hopefully this issue subsides...
  • 3 0
 That's awesome. That should make mountain bikers and non riding residents happy plus it will save about a hundred feet of climbing if it is where I am thinking of.
  • 6 3
 it's been confirmed - you're idiots for thinking that page is real.
  • 25 0
 There was a case recently in the UK where people had been putting fishing wire / cheese wire across DH trails between trees. What possesses people to do that is beyond me. A log across a trail is bad enough, but it probably wouldn't kill anyone!
  • 12 0
 Thats disgusting, and unfortunately I've come across the same here in Santa Cruz California. Fishing line sure is hard to spot even going slowly. Usually people just torch random wood features. I'm thankful to have only come across fishing line once.
  • 4 0
 Yeah, that was down by me. Me and a buddy were riding back from our local Forrest. Went via our other local (legal and council supported) DH trails just to check all was good.
It wasn't!!!!
  • 7 0
 I really dont understand what these idiots get out of doing things like this !!!!! Surely they should put all there negative energy into something more positive !!!! bellends !!
  • 3 1
 The fishing line thing has always been a strange fear, thankfully never seen at my trails. Biking is a bit more accepted in my area thankfully. That sucks to hear people have actually seent line strung at trails. Stupid kids have destroyed jumps, strewn logs in the middle of jumps, ripped down vines and strewn all over singletracks to get all tangled in your derailleur. Dog walking is tolerated at my trail, but I am sick and tired of picking shit off my treads with a stick.
  • 6 29
flag nickmaldonado (Jan 30, 2015 at 4:36) (Below Threshold)
  • 3 0
 I've been unlucky enough to come across BARBED WIRE strung between two trees in Peaslake (an area where the locals seem to accept MTB) but lucky enough to notice it a mile away and let everyone in the group know. That would have been some serious damage if less observant riders came across it. Snipped it down and reported to the police etc.
  • 6 0
 That's attemted murder isn't it? Very serious. I came across sticks planted like pike poles in the ground on the landing of one of our local drops. Imagine how grizzly that would have been if somebody landed on one! Downright medevil! I took them out but later wished I had taken pictures and went to the police. We can't let these broken people go on thinking they are in the right!
  • 21 0
 i always wondering how people are arrogant and super dumb! Society complains that many young people are fat, sitting on benches smoking weed and steal from seniors. But when we "play" in the wood we are is still considered as we are punks and doing "bad" things.
  • 4 2
 It fills me with anger to think, I want solitude in the nature, out in the woods, me and my bike riding man made trails and features which are natural and blend with the trails. Yet stupid punk kids, redneck kids, trash kids, come out, litter beer bottles and cans, start fires, and do absolutely abhorrent things to my jumps. Yet I press on, I always immediately fix the damages and look forward. Thankfully vandalism has died down to almost nothing for a long time now.
  • 20 0
 I recently confronted two elderly walkers in my local woods dragging a large branch across a bridal way that is commonly used by walkers and bikers. When I asked them what they were bloody playing at all I got in response was" you young uns and your bikes have no respect for these woods" I jumped off my bike picked up the logg and threw it down the bank, I was really shocked that this old couple were such a bunch of dicks
  • 50 0
 Dickery knows no age.
  • 13 0
 I think the old ones are often the worst, because they can remember walking on said path before bicycles were invented and it gives them a false sense of ownership. Old twats in Taiwan are always walking in the street instead of on the pavement and if you dare to tell them they're doing it wrong... well it won't be pretty.
  • 7 5
 Erm, I dunno if your serious about the 'before bicycles were invented' bit, but bicycle was actually invented in 1817, so noone alive remembers that.
  • 9 0
 Ha ha yeh it was a metaphor. I mean they've been using the paths since before MTBs were used for recreation on hiking trails. I mean if you were used to riding the same bridleway for twenty years on your MTB and suddenly some young punks started ripping down it at 100mph on their hoverboards or whetever, you'd not be to happy either. I'm not excusing it though. Public rights of way are just that.
  • 7 1
 I really believe there are people who despise seeing others happy and having fun.
  • 10 0
 pop out the phone, take a picture and call the police. Inform them that you intend to press charges for their attempted assault.
  • 7 0
 Hyperbole, not metaphor (grog ducks dictionary being thrown at him)
  • 2 0
 Thanks groghunter my mistake!
  • 15 0
 Barbwire, on public access trail down Mt-Grappa, near the dolomites. going down at warpspeed, saw the metal wire 5 meter from me...jettisoned the bike, jumped into the grass fields. lucky for me it had rained the day before so i landed on soft mud. i reported the fact to the Forestale. Comes out that a local farmer that had a couple of fields near the gravel road didn't wanted people to go down near his property. He was fined by the judge for 20k €...only for damage to public property -_- . This kind of things should go under the "possible damage to people"
  • 17 0
 Fuck that, they should be charged with attempted murder
  • 3 0
 Bloody right they should
  • 13 0
 We've had everything from buried boards with nails driven through,broken glass spread out to blind rollover transitions partially torn out the perpetrator was known and verl voavocal and confrontational but could never catch in act.the karma gods won in the end he past away due to cancer ( all that anger had to go somewhere ).the best part is that he owned a fruit farm connected to our county park and the county purchased it from his inheritor and now we have trails connecting in throughout the property! have to admit could feel the hairs standing up on the back of my next first time I rode through,but soon forgotten knowing he was turning in his grave over the irony!!!
  • 1 0
 Holy crap I never knew that about the Fruit Farm! I usually don't spite the dead, but good karma always seems to beat bad karma.
  • 12 0
 I think I can speak on behalf of most mount bikers when I say; I would never sabotage a hiking trail and if you think you appreciate the forrest more than I do then you are mistaken. If everybody shows each other, and the mountain gods, a little respect then we can all enjoy the Forrest in our own way.

In saying that if I catch you sabotaging a trail or dropping your rubbish and riding away. I will smite you with a bunny hop to the face.
  • 4 0
 I can't think of a single instance of mountain bikers purposely damaging a hiking trail, let alone intentionally creating a situation that could injure, maim, or kill a hiker, trail runner, or equestrian.

Continue to take the high road (or trail!) and be careful out there! There are powerful groups that might secretly appreciate what these people are doing. Retaliation is the WORST thing we can do.
  • 11 0
 Doesn't matter what you do in life there always seems to be some self-righteous tw*t who thinks you shouldn't be and it's their god given right to stop you.

selfish, inconsiderate, ar*eholes.
  • 13 0
 I think the appropriate response to catching someone laying traps for riders is applying a cattleprod to their genitals.
  • 2 1
 Followed by nailing their balls to a stump then pushing them over backwards onto aforementioned punji sticks...
  • 9 0
 Yes, a person put fishing wire at head hight across a trail. Thankfull a walker found it first and cut it. Just minutes before we came down the trail, I was first, it would have taken my head off. Anyone found doing this kind of thing should have the book thrown at them.
  • 4 1
 I am completely at a loss for words hearing this.. To think some horrible piece of shit would do something like this.. WHY?! Bikers who ride bikes in the woods, are out of sight out of mind, off the roadways, and having a quiet, healthy activity. We don't bother anyone. We have biking trails and hiking trails, and dual purpose trails approved by the city. I hate people.
  • 9 0
 This happened at my local trail - www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/local/breaking-news-eastbourne-cyclists-warned-over-deadly-traps-1-6136866

This is a picture of my six year old riding here about a week before - ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb11653245/p4pb11653245.jpg

Goes without saying that I wasn't best pleased - especially as this was about chest height for me but would have been head height for my son. People who do this clearly do not think through the possible consequences.
  • 10 0
 Scary thing is that these people might have already thought through the possible consequences.
  • 7 0
 If they do then they are homicidal maniacs. I would think the punishment for this would be the same as for hitting a person with a bat on the way to their car.
  • 5 1
 Scary and sad that sub-humans would would hurt people who want nothing more than to have a healthy, fun and positive hobby outdoors in the nature.
  • 2 0
 I am afraid they DO think of the consequences and that is what they hope for.... It is terrorism, to injure you, to scare you off of the trail, out of the sport etc.... What they don't realize is someone like myself getting injured by their ignorance and who has "a very particular set of skills " will eventually find them and make them wish they had spent their lives doing something different. Thankfully your youngster dodged that ! Cheers bro!
  • 7 0
 Every trail I´ve ever built has been destroyed by someone... every single piece...
and i have built at least 10 kilometers of trail by hand... and tons of spots..
nails and wire on the trail.. as well as spears against direction of riding
  • 4 0
 What in the actual f*ck? These people should face a more serious sentence if caught. Even if it's a trail you built. The fact is, they knew that someone was going to ride it and they knew what could happen if someone got caught up in one of those traps.
I don't want to live on this planet anymore.
  • 3 0
 My dog's paws got cut up badly by broken glass which had been thrown on a track used by trials bikes.
  • 1 0
 Unfortunately we live in a part of the country where a lot of people believe that they have the right to block the trails against bikers :-( On average I'm getting of the bike to clean away crap on every second spin.
  • 2 0
 That's horrible man. I'm sincerely sorry to hear that. So far I've only had to deal the whole "strategically placed" log bit. I worry more for my dogs, because of the crazy hunters out here that leave traps around mountain bike trails with no indication of doing so.
  • 4 0
 There's some cunts about.
  • 2 0
 Not as hazardous as wires and spears but that is what I experience pretty often:

a href="http://www.pinkbike.com/u/haop/album/Trail-Sabotage/"> PB Album Trail-Sabotage /a>


The example from the photos are the most extreme example so far. Just imagine how long it takes to place all these logs there. They were so many that even hikers had a hard time to walk. It all resulted in a new parallel trail, so ridiculous.
  • 7 0
 I occasionally find that someone decided the best place to go for a dump is right in the middle of a trail... does that count as sabotage? Besides it being dumb in itself, it is actually dangerous for both rider and "tourist"!
I once hit a lady who went for a pee right at the exit of a blind turn... she went into shock as a result of the inevitable colision lol we had to call an ambulance and all, a whole circus went on haha
  • 6 1
 Fishing line, logs, and now peeing women?? Savages have no bounds!
  • 7 0
 It doesn't shock me that the person was 64 years old and clearly from the Baby Boomer generation, as they may be the generation that had the early builders but never embraced the sport like Gen X and onward did. I rountinely came across logs laid across trails when I lived on the North Shore in the 90's. Fisherman's trail that runs alongside the Seymour River (I was told it is now mostly boardwalk) frequently had logs laid across it, with clear indications an axe or sometimes even a chainsaw had been used. I don't know if Severed Dick is still a trail but that was another place I found logs cut and laid across the trail, and not logs you could get over with just your big ring grinding over. I find it ironic the picture is from Cumberland as I live in Comox now (Cumberland is part of the Comox Valley) and have just started to get back into Mountain bikes after years of road riding in Alberta. There are many retired Baby Boomers here that complain about mountain bikers on the local trails. Sharing is not in their nature unfortunately. It only takes one rider doing something foolish (in their eyes) to stoke the fires of their mountain biker hate. All we can do is re-build, try and be more courteous to other trail users and realize that eventually the Baby Boomers will die off.
  • 1 0
 A-A-RON has it pretty much nailed. Although the part about being nice has its limits.
  • 1 0
 Ya-Dear old people, hurry up and die. Except my parents.
  • 6 0
 Unsurprisingly this has generated a large response. I think there's a mixture of people involved here - those who just don't like mountain bikers, and those who are just anti-social anyway. The latter will think that because MTB locations are usually remote, they'll get away with it - psychopathic chancers/opportunists. Unfortunately they'll usually will. I don't know if she's an MTB hater or just an idiot but its good to see the woman being charged and I hope she's punished properly. For DH/Freeride trails I usually walk up and ride down each trail one by one, but this isn't practical for trail riding of course.
  • 4 0
 I think the thread of people involved in these kind of sabotage are all cut from the same activist cloth. They are misanthropes and seek solitude from others by escaping to the woods. They hate you for disturbing their therapy session and have determined that the risk of maiming you is justified in their twisted mentally fragile mind.
  • 6 0
 I had it happened to me one when I was younger. Somebody strung some barb wire up at neck level. I'm very lucky I was standing when I hit it. I never even saw it coming. The next thing I knew my bike was flying down the trail and I was on the ground with a 14 inch tear in my chest. Broke some ribs and lost a ton of blood. This was a well traveled spot and I know the person who did it had malicious intentions, but if I could see them today I would probably let them know that the person that they hurt was a little innocent 9 year old who was just getting into the sport. It's pretty sick and twisted when you think about it.
  • 6 0
 yep its so sad i ve been digging my local DH trail for free about 5-6 years now and constantly have to battle with the locals and their perceptions of this is their best path to go up hill and no bikers allowed, when there is a mutual benefit and they have better spare way to go and also it is a licensed DH trail and they keep ruin it chopping the wood work setting a big obstacles, spilling broken glass setting a wires at the neck level and so on and on and on . When i asked why they doing it they laugh on me or become aggressive that's their way not may way and after a major complain they have a ban to use it as they can couse a serious injury to a biker and they still don't give a shit about the law. The outcome is i keep repairing it and so on and on ......
  • 2 0
 bring it up to the town. Law enforcement is the responsibility of the government. If you get hurt they have to pay for it. Soon you'll see policing I would think.
  • 3 0
 well its not that easy to change mentality of the crowd they believe its their own path and as well they sabotage the trail and don't think about the consequences, they refuse to pay the fine too and the police is useless couse they want to stay neutral although they know its very dangerous game ... in the past the trail owner even built a new and better path to go but they don't use it that often and they are happy to sabotage the trail, not to mention that an angry father beat one of the local red neck's couse they threaten his son and then the local government set the ban but the red necks still happy to do the dodge stuff until someone gets really hurt badly Frown new plan is to set motion cameras and escalate to bigger institution and i believe that's the only way Wink
  • 4 0
 Unfortunately, this happens all the time in Austria.
Most of the time hunters destroy trails, lay out barbed wire barricades, or span piano wires across a trail. No kidding.
Their argument is that bikers "scare away" the(ir) game, as if a country that consists just of mountains and woods wasn't large enough for bikers and deer. Whatever. Bunch of morons.
  • 4 0
 On mt royal in montreal.. this is a everyday occurrence as shitty as it is we also realize that what we are doing is illegal, however there are civilized manners to deal with issues like this and obstructing the trail is not the solution!
  • 1 0
 Of course, on the spectrum of legal offences, Man-trapping is considered far worse than trespassing or illegal trail building.
  • 4 0
 Hello people, my house is on the highest point of the mountain of my city. in the woods near the house I build mini bike park for 10 years, there has everything you need for cycling, Northshore, French, mini DH, enduro =) but there was a problem = / summer 2014 I came to ride a bike on the trail Northshore, more than half of the trail were destroyed wooden = ////// what to do with people who do
  • 4 0
 Unfortunately we have had a few cases of fishing line and barbed wire strung between trees at neck height, clearly the vandals don't comprehend how seriously they could hurt someone
  • 1 0
 all the more reason to get one thrown in jail. Make a point of how bad what they are doing is.
  • 3 0
 I nearly rode into several strands of wire tied vertically from some tree branches to the roots in the trail once. east side of mynydd maen, north east of cwmcarn. I only noticed it as there was some early morning dew running down it. I didnt have anything to cut it with, took me half an hour to untangle it all. It did make me wonder if it was intended for moto-xers who ruled the area before blaen bran took ownership of the reservoir area. not that theres ever any excuse for putting wire across any trail.
  • 3 0
 Thanks for writing this Mike and for giving this issue a bit of airtime Pinkbike It's discouraging to see how often this happens in other parts of the world. It's discouraging to see how many bikers see the issue as a non-event and are willing to excuse this behaviour based on the HTFU attitude the obstacles were small anyway.
  • 2 0
 Ive fallen victim to car tire sized boulders on the down side of a blind drop. Luckily I landed short of them and somewhat rode out before falling. If I had landed directly on them it could have been hazardous to myself and definitely my bike. Crazy hikers
  • 2 0
 There used to be a massive log right before a bermy section of our local trail, either ut fell in the position that made ut most awkward to get over or someone put it there, we just jumped it and carried on riding, it was there for months.
  • 2 0
 I've come across broken wooden features, holes on transitions, and downed logs on across the trails. I personally did not experience this but it happened in my home town just a few months back where some nutcase set up a tripwire and a shotgun. Thankfully it didn't shoot anyone but the tripwire did get set off. Here's the article
- www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/10/portland_police_investigate_bo.html

Also this YAY FOR JUSTICE! - koin.com/2014/07/02/sandy-ridge-trail-couple-arrested
  • 1 0
 That Forest Park thing was scary. So many people use that area.
  • 3 0
 This happens on our trails.
Nails and wires on the trails to avenge mountain bikers ! The guy is now in jail

www.midilibre.fr/2015/01/22/des-clous-et-cables-pour-se-venger-d-un-vetetiste,1114423.php
  • 2 0
 tiens tiens un local ^^
salut mec
  • 2 0
 Holy crap sharpened re-bar?? I'll stick to the montagne noire by me I think! Just need to watch out for hunters!
  • 2 0
 Great topic, Pinkbike. We've had trouble on our local trails, thankfully it is usually 'just' logs or rocks placed on the trail but there has been one sharpened spear I've heard of in the area. This article has highlighted what a common shared problem it is all over the world.

The news coverage of incidents must really help make potential saboteurs think twice / realise how serious their actions could be, so as a community we should not be turning a blind eye to this.
  • 1 0
 Getting worse around here. Used to be the odd branch/log laying on the trail but now they're setup in the shadow of drops, immediately after blind corners and with pointy ends in the air waiting to impale riders. Wildlife camera surveillance time me thinks.
  • 2 0
 Near the place where I live there was an "accident" and a person is in chair wheels because of one of this traps! In this case is because hunters wants exclusive use of the trail. They don't like people around while they are hunting. Crap people!

www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/galicia/2014/09/06/ciclista-sufre-lesion-medular-caer-trampa-monte-vigo/0003_201409G6P9993.htm
  • 2 0
 Hunter's get a sense of ownership for entire areas where I'm at too. It's almost unwise to go riding during certain hunting seasons in certain areas. A bunch of lunatics, the lot of them.
  • 3 0
 This is why the new Evil 'The Following" comes in Don't Shoot Me Orange.
  • 3 1
 Human Trash
  • 2 0
 If caught. they should be charged for acting with the intent to mame or kill by their acts of vandalism. My own trail has been damaged countless times. It's a track that I built with my bro and friend that aren't around anymore and the place reminds us who ride there of all the good times. Some of the track was unusable for walkers before we did anything to it, actually making paths for walkers and a small wooden bridge over a muddy bog for them and us to get over it. Scum
  • 2 0
 Pure madness. I know in the UK the ramblers association believe its their god given to walk anywhere. Loose dogs are almost as dangerous as fishing wire & trashed landings. Getting a dog in the front wheel is no fun, nor is being chased over hill & dale by rabid dogs and walkers. I agree with charging with intent to maim, GBH, ABH or attempted murder, totally calculated & vicious.
  • 2 0
 One of our most popular local trails is called the Crevasse because of the crevasse feature you have to ride through. There is no stopping once you commit and half-way down it someone had placed two logs at chest high. I was torn off my bike, my helmet was ripped off and my neck and chin were cut. This is no joke and God help anyone I catch setting a trap.
  • 2 0
 Logs, sticks, rocks all placed on the landing ramps of some legal doubles. Fishing line has been found in this area as well. It has become common practice for us now, to walk up our favorite trail to inspect it before making our first run of the day.
I don't know if these people doing this actually realize how serious we mtb'ers could be hurt, if we were to hit these obstacles. They either don't care or seriously don't know the danger they are creating.
If it were one of their own that were to get hurt because of something intentionally placed on a trail, would it be a different story?
  • 3 0
 A friend of mine got caught by fishing wire in the forest of dean about 20 years ago , it slice the sides of his mouth about 15mm deep , he was so lucky it wasnt his neck and that the line snapped
  • 2 0
 Once there was some kind of troll/horse barrier on the tail after a sharp bend. Nailed together and in place, even damaging trees just around it. Luckily I slipped just under the sharpened stakes in chest height...
Fraking insane experience...
  • 2 0
 I've even come across logs laid across trails by trail a local management group. The trail has been there for years before the group had started but, Because they don't want this now... unofficial trail there si they don't have to maintain it. The logs appeared. Fair enough if it's at the start of the trail with easy sight but, this was near the end of the trail in long summer grass. Luckily I have enough ride experience to brake in tim...... Not fucking cool
  • 2 0
 Well at the trail we built back home, one morning we've come to not only damaged woodwork, but interestingly also a man-made object on lips of jumps. Man made somewhere within the intestinal tract, to be precise. That was one of the more creative ways our trails got vandalised :-(
  • 2 0
 All the time. We get razor blades embedded in buried wood blocks and boxes of nails emptied on jumps. Usually it results in just a walk out with shredded tires, though a few friends have stepped on them. Scary that people/pets/horses also use trails, always worried to hear about a child or pet with a razor blade through the paw.
  • 5 3
 Allow me to offer an unpopular perspective:

I love trail-riding just as much as the next guy, but the first thing I did when I saw that bridge was look under it. What were they trying to cross? Was it soft ground? Natural run-off? An obstruction? Nope. Seems like more useless building for the sake of building. Now, if I were from a remote town and enjoyed nature, I probably wouldn't want someone coming in and building condos and Starbucks in mini-malls just for the sake of it. This is likely how these people see useless construction like this, and I don't blame them.

My background is in Canadian national and provincial parks management and design, and there is a very long list of criteria we use to consider whether a certain activity falls within the objective of the park, and how it might look like if it were to be allowed. We use bridges and boardwalks all the time as a means of 'site hardificatin'. It's a way we can use the area without breaching the environmental carrying capacity. Since parks are both for the enjoyment of users and protection of the environment, you might see a similarity to where your local trails are. So is it necessary to have bridges and 'features' all over the place? Absolutely not. Are they integral to trail design? Unquestionably yes. The difference lies in how they are used. You might find other uses and stakeholders of the area be a little more receptive to using them sparingly.
  • 4 1
 building structures for the sake of building structures is way of the dodo bird now. It takes a long time, doesn't last and can easily be destroyed. Keep it natural!
  • 2 0
 You obviously haven't ridden many bike trails in BC and epically Cumberland
  • 2 0
 As you said, trail building in national parks is defined by the criteria. However these criteria are defined in part by ministers sitting in their office. I do no mean to undermine the input park manager may have, but by the end they have to apply the legislation.
Random trail building is as condemnable as vandalism, but nowadays, with associations as IMBA, ADSVMQ, VVM, and many in Western Canada, trail builders are far more educated and pay more attention to the location and impact of their trail than most of the original builders who made the older trails we use in the national parks.
Today, protection of the environment is the number one rule in the trail builder organisations.
Now think about this; yes their is a down side by having a new trail for use by the community in a natural environment, but getting people to learn to better enjoy nature with their children is the only way to maintain these parks from getting turned into Condo ranges or a large parking lot for a new shopping mall. When these project will come, and they will, if that large piece of land is unused, it will have no public support.
  • 2 0
 These people should be criminally prosecuted and are probably sociopaths. What I can't wrap my head around is that this problem isn't limited to one individual or outlier - this is a chronic issue, what are riders doing to provoke these actions (intentionally or not?). The riding community needs to think about what's triggering the general public. Might be interesting to map all incidents with detailed meta-data, lat/long (GPS location), time, associated encounters, trail name, type of trail (DH/CC, legal/illegal etc.). I'd be happy to work on this project if anyone has interest in putting together a database and publically available map (Trailforks or Strava??) with me. I know we have some geospatial experts on here working on a Undergrad or Graduate degree....
  • 1 0
 We found logs and boards full of nails on the local trails in the south of Rome (MonteCavo) for a couple of months in 2014.
Luckily after a while the douchebag who was setting traps quited but we didn't find out the culprit.
  • 1 0
 We get the usual logs dragged across trails round my way. Haven't seen any wire, but did come across a bloke with a handful of tacks and was like...WTF you doing with them mate. His reply was something about putting posters up on trees for a running event. Although he didn't actually have any posters with him.
Does a woman letting her Alsatian dog off the lead to chase me down a trail count too?
  • 1 0
 Most common thing is logs and tree trunks across the trails, which in my case I'll just bunnyhop over but for others it's a big danger. I often go out clearing it away for the others. There's been nails in the bridges. Never caught anyone red handed but I'd really like to and shame the rangers are next to useless.
  • 1 0
 At my local trails we actually had multiple cases of arson. There was a group of people who were hiking in and lighting firers in an attempt to destroy trails. It's a shame, and thery did alot of damage. Multiple times the fire department had to make dangerous treks into the woods to put out the fires. Some people really suck.. Hopefully they get caught and penalized harshly.
  • 1 0
 On one of the best DH sections of a local loop someone had been placing glass shards on the trail in multiple spots. At first I thought it was benign, just the result of kids partying in the woods. Closer inspection showed that all the glass pieces had been placed strategically.
  • 2 0
 Sub Human Trash
  • 1 0
 Thankfully my local trails have only really had logs, and the occasional rock laid across them....since most of them are "unofficial" trails there's not a lot we can do about it, but they're so frequently worked on that half the time they just have some dirt packed in and become a small jump or trail feature, makes each ride a bit more interesting for us.
  • 1 0
 My local council put logs and rope across people's trails. Or the gypsies dig holes so we can't ride. Even when the trail is technically on private land! Or hikers when they walk up a trail even thought there are signs saying bikes only!
  • 1 0
 Professional dog walkers flooding trail heads with "outputs" (not sabotage just carelessness). Each walker has six dogs on average..trail head is near a parking lot. You race out after a great ride to get an unwanted surprise as you and your ride are now a bio-hazard.
  • 1 0
 Alot of the bikers have put in hard graft in our local woods and they have done a decent job, there is this one old "c u nxt Tuesday" that has a vendetta against bikers and constantly kicks the jumps down, destroy the wood jumps/drops, smashes the berms down, places rocks on landings and drops and trees across the trail.
We encounter a lot of walkers and dogs and they all seem fairly friendly, we slow down for them and they move for us or grab their dogs, but this one old guy just doesn't give up.
I think the most annoying thing about it is some of the stuff is built well out of the way of the usual walk trails but its like he goes out of his way to find the bits that are built and wreck it.
  • 1 0
 We have some A-holes in Frederick, MD making his own razor blades out of some kind of steel...epoxying them into small planks of wood and burying them in the trails. He has destroyed countless tires and put many young kids, horses, hikers..you name it in extreme harms way! We've talked extensively about hidden camera's.
  • 3 0
 Time to stop talking. Get the cameras and get this guy off your trails before someone is really hurt man!
  • 1 0
 Have heard of wire cable at neck height on tracks that I have previously used!

Shocking and that land owners and walkers in or around areas of outstanding natural beauty see it their duty to do such things.

There was rumours of a disgruntled bloke regurlarly placing obstacles in our (rider's) way and best efforts have been tried to catch him.

Not sure if he was ever caught mind. So he must have been a local who chose his moments of madness.

It became a Police matter tgat anyone found to be putting riders or anyone else for that matter at risk of harm, that it be dealt with, with due severity of the law.

If in doubt, always contact your local constabulary if having seen trail sabotage so they can record it for future purposes.
  • 1 0
 A lot of the time i find the jumps destroyed, glass everywhere, dog crap, logs , sharp sheet metal, plastic banners stretched across the trail so i check out the trail before i ride it. They are pointless people who shouldn't be here, do nothing but bad things.
  • 1 0
 Let me give you all a little history lesson on "The Forestry Services." They were invented because Theodore Roosevelt wanted to preserve the forests and mountains from loggers. But us trail builders, the only thing we take out is some dead bushes some roots , and a couple of branches. And then we get sh*t for it and get trees put in the way of the trail. The SAME trees that were suppose to be protected.
  • 1 0
 the old lady on fromme (and her husband) need to be trespassed from the area for life. if caught in the area again they would be arrested and charged with criminal trespass, a pretty stiff charge. they would probably move away if this happened. no great loss to fromme but, potentially a problem for another area.

glad to see that law enforcement took the whole thing seriously.
  • 1 0
 a few years ago, someone was putting fishing line with hooks attached across many of your local trails. the sheriffs dept contacted a "person of interest" in the case and the sabotage stopped.

l feel we are lucky here to have good relations between all trail users on galbraith. due to years of hard word by WMBC, formerly known as the whimps. good job whimps!
  • 1 0
 Reading this I am re-evaluating my local trails and community, in a year I maybe encounter 5 people in total. So glad I dont really have to think about this problem and that riding bikes (our kind) is perfectly legal allover the woods. Sweden might suck in all kinds of things but allemansrätten for sure is something to be treasured like nothing else. In short everything with a motor is banned from use offroad, besides snowmobiles on their designated trails.

And to top it off people are fleeing into the big towns in the south so the outback is getting ridicously sparesly populated so I am feeling for those that dont get to just go out and have fun but instead have to worry about traps and stuff.

Attempt of murder seems like a reasonable accusation for setting up these traps? It is definietly pre-meditated and you are really going out of your way to bring all the gear for the traps and setting them. And setting a strong string at head height cant mean anything but an attempt at decapitation or sever head trauma.


Its kind of weird though that the ammount of self entitlement is so high for such a non issue and that a person would deem it better to cause significant and permanent health damage for a path that you walk on? Of which you can just step a side off if someone is coming? And when you are walking with a dog, just use a leash, whatever damage the cuases you are going to be held fully responsible in either case so even if the dog is hit and the biker is hurt all the blame will fall on the owner.

But then again people in general are stupid and ignorant of all that dosent concern their small life bubble!
  • 1 0
 Just came across one of my jumps tore down yesterday.. Frown so frustrating.. why?? Hikers have sooooo many trails! I even regarded the trail to rid of puddles, and jump was safely out of the way. Hikers, please, stop,there are more pressing issues to fight for in this world.. this is NOT one of them!
  • 1 0
 All of my trails were destroyed, even this legal trails. Sometimes I find broken glass, nails or even fishing line on neck height. Freeriding in my city looks like 75% digging and 25% riding. www.pinkbike.com/photo/5148520 . Waiting till I can afford to buy my own real estate and put fence around Smile
  • 1 0
 I've been fortunate. There are some really good and legitimate trail systems in my area that never seem to get this kind of activity. One area is pretty much mountain bike only but also has a disc golf course in the lower area. No conflicts there, as it doesn't seem to get used all that often. I'll very rarely see hikers here, and usually only on the lower, less used trails. Building is condoned and encouraged, as long as a plan is submitted and approved first. The best part: it's a city park. The local state park (Riverside State Park) has an enormous trail network, and again, no traps found by myself or anyone I know. I do get some glares and muttered insults occasionally, as the trails are multi-use, but not because of my trail behavior. I'm the guy that slows down and tries to make myself know when overtaking walkers and hikers. The ones that glare are also the ones that won't give any ground and cause me to nearly ride off-trail just to get around them. Many of the dog walkers typically have a leash in hand, but the dog is not attached to it, which is against regs in a Washington State Parks. Dodging loose dogs sucks, as does dodging their messes. I hope to never find booby traps on trail, but it's probably only a matter of time.
  • 1 0
 Dude old hikers like that make me mad I was riding up to the top of a trail and there were hikers in the way so I stop and wait but they stop and stand in the middle of the path and don't let me pass I carry my bike up the rocky ridge to get around then and they through a rock at me and hit me in the back of the head and they yelled some pretty mean stuff at me. Some people
  • 1 0
 I didn't realize how exclusive the club I'm in has been. That's a lot of reported vandalism and it makes me feel sad. As for myself, I have never personally seen a really vandalized trail. There's always trash littering one of mine, but it's because ATV riders in my area never clean up after themselves. I live in a small development where, for the most part, everybody has an outdoor hobby and recognizes the amount of effort others put into their outdoor life. Most of our trail users are equestrian, although some ride moto. Mostly everybody helps clean up downed trees after storms. The best part is the old fart douchebags don't have a clue that there are actual trails nearby. That heaven for that.
  • 1 0
 Kind of related, I lived through the days of Earth First (or wanna be's) in the 70's and early 80's sabotaging So Cal desert moto trails with pits, shotgun shell-armed traps, nails, spikes, etc. Pulled a large rambo-style survival knife out of the bottom of a creek crossing in Anza Borego where it was lodged point-up in the middle of the trail near where my kids were playing. This sh_t isn't new. No lack of arrogant self-absorbed jerks in the world.
  • 1 0
 I built myself a couple rollers on my trail and I came back a few days later to find them ripped apart completely. Another time my friend and I built a walking bridge across a creek with wood from a lightning-struck tree, and a few weeks later it was torn apart and laying in the creek.. I'm not sure of their motives but it just seems like they do it for fun.
  • 1 0
 I am from the group that built the bridge in the photo above. The trail in question is called "TIED KNOT" and it was designed as a short trail with obstacles designed to introduce people to the obstacles and skills needed to navigate through many trails here in Cumberland. Admittedly, the bridge is part of a feature that includes a small jump ramp, which puts the rider onto the bridge shown. A very small step-up kind-of. It is close to town and accessable by most walkers, hikers, nature-lovers and bikers alike. For more detailed info on the trail and the construction, look here...
www.pinkbike.com/u/forbiddenfreeriders/album/Tied-the-Knot
  • 1 0
 When I was younger we had a jump trail down the street in the woods. Me and some friends went to hit it like any day, but when we landed we saw the landing was colorful. Someone had smashed up a bunch of glass bottles all over the landing. No one was hurt but this was a state park and not a walking trail. It was way out off the way for anyone but riders. It was a trap!!! Cleaning glass out of the dirt was a pain in the ass too.
  • 1 0
 I can't go through all the comments above, but I'm just hoping there's no copycat saboteurs that are now heading to the hills after all this has hit mainstream press. Some people are just irrational assholes, who'll never understand MTB
  • 1 0
 Unfortunately the vandals were other biker. I was building a trail that was going to connect with another trail. After clearing a tunnel through the thick brush, some punks built some "jumps" that had no flow. I took them out, built some structures. I left them a note explaining I had a sweet line picked out. They were welcome to help, I even left my phone number so they could call me. The next day they had destroyed my stuff. I rebuilt and they demolished the trail 3 times. The 3rd time they wrote on the ground out of my wood. F... You. The trail never was finished after that
  • 1 0
 fortunately there is not trees to tie things between. some dog walker was walking up a DH. trial before on perpose and clearly saw the sign that said no pedestrians, horses, or dog walkers or motorized vehicles. She got all mad and called me and my friends a*s holes and said it was her right to use the trial.

Wierd thing though, the sighn said no Camels on trial, yes, you heard me right, camels!
  • 1 0
 if they wanna play dirty by damaging trails to a point where it could kill us i don't see why we are just taking it, if they are fucking us over we should fuck them over. simple as that, rich house wives will learn quick enough
  • 1 0
 People used put logs into the way and also hammer nails into roots on our local trail. Destroying our tires and wheels and catapulting us over the handlebars. I kind of managed to fall on one rusty nail with my back. Luckily it went in just a little bit.
There was a serious war between the local people (even though it was in the state forrest) and bikers, which ended in banning the bikers from organizing any sorts of "races" (very small hobby events) that were held there traditionally every year since the 90s.
  • 1 0
 I haven't came across it personally, about the closest it gets for me is someone was dismantling pieces of wood from the start ramp we use for the track, but on the whole trail sabotage thing, I have heard of someone riding down one of the faster sections of track where there was some piano wire strung across it at neck height, with the speeds that can be reached on that section, piano wire there had the real potential to decapitate a rider, the rider who hit the piano wire, thankfully wasn't going fast enough for that to happen, but still got some nasty cuts.
  • 1 0
 its funny that this article was made just 4 days ago, our trail was destroyed just now. all of our wookstructures got chopped off, and taken away.. Its sad , if people do this to harm bikers, or keep them off the place, but its even more sad, when ignorant goodfornothing lazy gipsys do it, to have firewood for heating. because you know.. its not like they want to work for it...
  • 1 0
 I live on the Sunshine coast so I'm only a few hours from the North shore! I have seen obstacles placed on the trail in my area, such as rocks and logs. Another issue I see in Roberts creek is horse back riders, they push their horses to go down mtb trails and even across bridges, not only destroying trails but it can't be good for the horse either! According to a study cycling has the exact same impact as hiking were as horses have 8 times the impact! They turn up large rocks and make a smooth trail very rough and loose and I find the riders very stand offish and unwilling to discuss the issue.

Another incident I really noticed as I used to go 4x4ing was a set of large boulders placed in one of the popular creeks to cross on the main power lines. Someone had to have used machinery as the the rocks were way too large to move by hand ( 3 foot across) and they were hidden by the water, I personally witnessed many folks get stuck and I helped some get out, one of which had a mechanical failure and transmission fluid leaked into a sensitive stream habitat!

I think the authorities should have a program to setup game cameras in places people notice trail sabotage to encourage people to report incidents like this, it appears to be more common than one would guess.
  • 1 0
 We appear to have quite a lot of it here in the Uk, maybe as we are a small isle and our trails are often shared with local horse rider/walkers, etc....drawing pins (tacks) all over our new bike-only course at the 2012 Olympic Track was the latest one, luckily it didn't hurt my tubeless minions too much.
  • 1 0
 Fishing line or barbed wire across a trail is a calculated and deliberate act, and is in my view the equivalent of cutting the brake line on a car. And there is no part of me that believes that the people who do this sort of thing haven't thought through the potential consequences - i.e they are knowingly endangering lives. And yet I cannot imagine for the life of me how a person can be so disgruntled by something as simple and marvellous as few people enjoying themselves riding a bike that they would be willing to take a life. I must be missing something. Or I'm just supremely naive when it comes to understanding people.... Live and let live, I say...
  • 1 0
 In my time I experienced; Nails in the lips facing out. Fishing line across the trail. Clusters of nails sticking through wood, from the underside up. The usual kicking off as much lips and landings as possible...
Until I can buy my own land. Now put 110% effort in gov provided public spots in CO - Check Barnum Park, Denver to see how we do.
  • 1 0
 while pushing up a local trail recently, I found an exceptionally large pile of human feces + tp right in the middle of the tread near the bottom of a steep chute. While not life threatening, it was really gross. What kind of person does that..?
  • 2 1
 Lots of thoughts about returning violence with violence and anger. To me mountain biking is about connection with natural spaces, my own capabilities and my community. I feel sad when I hear about the thoughtless action of others, specifically those deliberately attempting to harm bikers, impacting others health and wellbeing. However, I would like to beleive it is a very small percentage of other trail users doing this and geting angry at other groups, like hikers, as a whole or typing them as anti-biking is the wrong idea. In fairness, there is likely also a small percentage of mountain bikers who are dicks and put others at risk through reckless use of shared space not that it in any way justifies the violent actions of these few, skewed folks. Biking contributes to me being a happy and healthy person. I hope those that have been thoughtless or deliberately intended to harm stop and are dealt with through approapriate means but the idea of fighting anger with anger and violence with violence isn't productive; even the idiom fight fire with fire is assinine as you just end up with a bigger fire... try water next time. In the least hippy way possible I'm trying to say I think this is an opportunity to take a breath, and continue to positively represent our sport, a sport that is more often about connecting with people and promoting positive wellbeing.
  • 4 0
 In my experience the being extra nice does nothing. Just saying. Handle it anyway that makes you feel good. What makes me feel good is giving it back x2 when I am faced with the Bitter Silver Tail attitude. I am too old to take their shit anymore.
  • 1 0
 Yup, just about every ride there are purposely cut and laid briars, thorns, rose stems, whatever you wish to call them laid all on the trails, not life threatening, but a total act of sabotage!! I have caught people doing it and politely mentioned that these types of manners on multi use trails result in death in some countries.... They looked terrified..... Have a nice day.....all of my local trails were cut by off road motorcycles many years ago and a good portion of hikers ( which I do, as well as dirt bike ) think they have the right to do such things...pretty ignorant to be certain !! I have sat on my state trail advisory board representing the mt bike community and have listened to complete absurdities come from some in that group relating to mt bikes, and thankfully, I am capable of eloquently and intelligently defending our right to the trails.
  • 1 0
 Ruined dirt jumps, broken glass on landings, logs...thankfully never any wires. The spot I grew up riding on So.Or.Coast was called the 30 (old school NW BMX riders will know this spot!) and there used be a mentally challenged individual that lived in a house that bordered the spot. He used do all sorts of shit, the one thing that sticks out in my mind was that he chased one of the riders around with a fire poker once. He used to get into fights with riders once in a while, but he mostly just taunted us by waving his genitals at us. He was weird, to say the least. I think he eventually wound up in an institution somewhere. Looney.
  • 1 0
 Yup had some twatbag put razor wire about chest/head hight across a trail on a tight berm into a drop, lucky i walk the trail up before i ride just in case some muppet does shit like this
  • 1 0
 This scares me because on my local downhill trail you can reach speeds of 60 kph, and even 70. And ive seen vandalism like someone destroyed a few of the berms which is annoying because you have to slow A LOT
  • 1 0
 people like to put big ass rocks on the landings of the jumps, not the lips the landings. so for all you know the jump is great as always then once get right off the lip you see that shit. people these days...
  • 1 0
 This is why I always walk the trails first! Just in case, you can never be to careful! luckily my trails only take about 5 -10 min to walk, couldn`t imagine doing that on larger trail networks tho. damn you saboteurs!!!!
  • 2 0
 Lucaz getting wiped out at hamsterley a few years back by a rope! This was on a pay to ride DH track:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTvcv6HQZoU
  • 1 0
 Why I always ride my first run super slow to avoid hazards just encase someone stupid setted up any boobie traps. if I caught someone doing it they would be getting flipped on left n right.
  • 2 0
 Round here, if you encounter sabotage it's usually been done by another rider who doesn't approve of your riding style or trail ethic. We are a rather high strung lot.
  • 1 0
 Just got all of the local jumps absolutley destroyed. Shortly afterwords, they ruined the rest of the trail by digging extra little holes everywhere. What do these people want to gain from this?
  • 1 0
 fishing wire across lines,glass stuck straight up in the ground ,large staples,sticks with nails through them..ect. some people are just gnarly kook's. Facepalm id like to catch one.
  • 1 1
 I don't know about anyone else, but I would have a real hard time if I ran into someone doing something like this out on the trail, and not wanting to pull a baton out of my pack and beating the absolute life out of them. Maybe Im just a little disturbed in the brain, but I would not hold back any aggression if I ran into a person who does this kind of stuff. They are trying to cause me physical harm or potentially worse.
  • 1 0
 What an idiot. She has gotten a dose of reality and is facing actual, rightful consequences for her actions and is now trying to pay the victim.
  • 1 0
 At my favourite trail there is a jump onto a bridge and some had broken the bridge. My mate came around and jumped straight into a rocky river and broke his pelvis Frown He was lucky and riding again
  • 1 0
 f*cking nobbers. I mean, you don't want to have to walk up to check your tracks at the start of every ride do you? I have to, but it's to check for spiders at face height. Often find logs and bamboo as well though.
  • 1 0
 Sub Human Trash - nuff said
  • 4 0
 Do freeride flicks count as trail sabotage?
  • 2 0
 What I understand from reading the comments, is that there are some really evil c-units around virtually everywhere. So disappointing to hear all these stories.
  • 4 0
 Why cant we all just get along
  • 3 0
 Selfish, vindictive red sock wearing muppets!!!
  • 2 0
 haha such a poignant description :-) but you forgot the pastey legged, khaki totting fun-monkey bit :-)
  • 3 0
 ELE, everybody love everybody
  • 3 0
 Hikers who think mountain bikers are dangerous...
  • 1 0
 Wire & Fishing line are the common ones in my neck of the woods...Some people think there is nothing wrong with attempted assault/murder. Unless they see it on TV
  • 1 0
 Here in Colorado on the front range, I've met a couple of park rangers who have acted as amazing liaisons between hikers and bikers. Otherwise old people just suck.
  • 1 0
 The wardens in my local woods are utter cu*ts. trails and jumps flattened, and big logs put across corners and nailed together with reinforced steel bars.
  • 2 0
 The worst and best part is it probably took someone an hour to booby trap all that wen it can be fixed in 10 mins....
  • 1 0
 Our neighbors hate that I build dirt jumps and "Ruin" their woods. Most of the time they wreck them and scatter the dirt and logs used to build it.
  • 1 0
 this has happened to me a number of times on trails me and friends have spent months on end building, its pathetic to say the least
  • 1 0
 yeah some dickheads think it's a great Idea to put rocks on the inside of berms. what sort of people would go through all the trouble to put them on every corner.
  • 1 0
 yeah, same kinda thing happening in yarra blvd, melbourne. popular, hilly, quiet road close to centre of town is getting caltrops strewn all across the bike lane. now people just ride in the middle of the road
  • 2 0
 here in Portugal we had a trail damaged by a "biker"!!!! :O he simply didn´t like the jumps, altough it had alternatives...
  • 1 0
 At my local trails, someone has been planting roofing nails on the trails. Not only used by bikers, but runners and our 4 legged friends as well.
  • 1 0
 Our own park ranger threw cactus and large wood pieces below a 8 ft drop. If I wouldn't have checked first it would of been all bad
  • 1 0
 People used to chop off the tops of my local dirt jumps regularly. It seemed like I was rebuilding the lip more often than I was riding.
  • 4 1
 horses are the worst trail vandals
  • 3 1
 "Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet."
---US Marine Corps
  • 1 2
 I've never seen any of the above but me and my mates made some dirt jumps close to my school, off their land, and whilst they had a bunch of workers with machinery doing work for them they ploughed them down, dickheads!
  • 2 0
 Maybe her lawn bowling green needs some "dumbing down".
  • 1 0
 was at one of the Pearce dh races in the UK and someone had vandalized the timing wires by cutting them!
  • 2 0
 Bear traps placed on the landings of all the jumps at my local trails.
  • 2 0
 Our locals love throwing down roofing nails on trails...
  • 1 0
 I haven't seen this on my local biking trails but there is a spot up one of our forest service roads where there is a decent piece of old pavement and people love to go do some doughnuts on it and test their cars out safely away from the public and some one tossed literally buckets of nails onto it, I noticed it just in time!
  • 1 1
 Scattered nails.... in attempt to burst our tubes. But the thing with that is if you wipe out, you are going to get nails in your arm.
  • 1 0
 Friendliest, most useful thing to carry on your pack...a collapsible shovel.
  • 1 0
 Yep, a big ol' mountain of rocks blocking the entire trail in a 55km/h zone... Good thing i had a helmet Wink
  • 1 0
 hey north shore folk. whats the latest on the hiker attacking the mtn biker on fromme?
  • 1 0
 Boardwalk/bridge stringers that were half way cut through. Found that out halfway across a 4 foot high bridge. Snapo!
  • 1 0
 We get large boulders moved, Sticks and logs placed and most recently, massive piles of dogshit dumped. Bastards.
  • 9 8
 my 29er rolls over that lousy trap
  • 4 3
 很向往这样的生活。
  • 1 0
 Choke cord from tree to tree
  • 1 0
 This is a worldwide epidemic. They must be terminated
  • 1 0
 The underpants gnomes are branching out....
  • 1 0
 For everyone that's never seen a vandalized trail, I'd like to go there.
  • 1 0
 Operatiunea "Uluca": youtu.be/ZUrcvyfvJlI

True story
  • 1 0
 Pianostrings, mounted in Head-Height (here in Innsbruck/Austria)
  • 1 0
 How would that ladder bridge even be used or was it in building progress?
  • 1 0
 Less boobie traps, more boobies
  • 1 0
 Barbed wire across a trail in France...Bunny-hops FTW!
  • 1 0
 Cheese wire tied across trees, jumps and boardwalks smashed down too
  • 2 2
 Then there is this (the sabotage is at the end)
www.pinkbike.com/video/337933
  • 2 2
 All these vandals need a bullet in their head. Prisons cost too much for the government.
  • 2 1
 WHERE'S IMBA IN ALL THIS??!!
  • 6 1
 IMBA would appease these bitter old silver tails until there was barely a trail left. They are tied in with the same bunch of Tree Hugging Maniacs as the HOH groups. As a grizzled veteran of the land use wars here in Cali. I can tell you with absolute certainty there is no solution other than them dying off. The 60's created a fucked up culture that resulted in idiots like this roaming the trail and hating anybody using any mode of transport to access the backcountry other than the method they have chosen. Give Nothing and Take Everything . That is the motto you will need to fight them. The system in the US is structured to only respond to litigation and nothing else.
  • 3 1
 I mostly agree with you. I'm not saying I want IMBA to get involved. I'm saying IMBA would have us believe that they've got our backs, but where are they now?
  • 1 0
 The sucker here in my local spot plant Cactus everywhere... very mean!
  • 1 0
 beavers are the worst
  • 2 3
 What does dog poo counts as in that poll?
  • 5 0
 No joke, stuff refuses to come out of tread!
  • 1 0
 as non-man-made obviously... man made would be really gross
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