Pinkbike Poll: Do You Ride Illegal Trails?

Jul 29, 2014 at 15:06
by Mike Levy  
I ride illegal trails. Not that often, mind you, but, in all honestly, I usually won't shy away from sampling some forbidden fruit if the risk and impact are both minimal. Before you berate me and exclaim how my attitude is the reason for everything from land access issues to the 650B wheel, it's pretty clear that said fruit has different levels of forbidden-ness depending on the situation. I know that sounds like I'm justifying the choices that I've made, but there's surely a distinction between a trail that's simply under the radar yet not entirely legal, and one that sports no trespassing signs, is clearly on private or government property, or is even known to be patrolled now and then.

Does unsanctioned mean illegal? The second example is best avoided lest you cause way more trouble than the ride is worth, but you'd have to be quite the Boy Scout to have not enjoyed the former. Never ridden some shady singletrack? You certainly deserve a 'saint' badge on your sash. I'll openly admit that my sash remains badge-less, although I'd like to think of myself as having a good amount of common sense on the matter, and I believe that it's okay to ride on some questionable trails so long as you're not too much of a halfwit about it.

n a

If there was ever a topic that requires a few hundred or so disclaimers it'd be this one. The situation varies not just from trail to trail or town to town, but even from country to country. I know that riding illegal trails in some places can result in huge fines, confiscated bikes, and even threats of jail time, whereas other locations see rangers and land managers turning a blind eye on mountain bikers. Factor in environmental impacts, or even possible search and rescue missions into dangerous areas, and you can quickly find yourself in quite the pickle. There's no doubt that there are countless reasons to never put your tires onto an illegal trail but, for many of us, the lure of a good piece of singletrack is too much to ignore.




Author Info:
mikelevy avatar

Member since Oct 18, 2005
2,032 articles

289 Comments
  • 221 4
 If the illegal trails where I live went away (Santa Cruz) I would probably sell my bike and start a multi-national crime ring involving child slavery and/or human organ smuggling. Take your pick Sierra Club.
  • 21 0
 Yea man, I'm not ridin' Demo every weekend. That place is already sauced out. Without UC, I'll be roaming the earth like Kane in Kung Fu, looking high and low for "legal" places to ride.
  • 14 0
 Shit I miss riding UCSC and I completely agree. The best trails in your area are illegal!
  • 19 0
 True. Funny, because we're supposed to be a main hub for mountain biking, but we're not allowed to ride anywhere. Sweet.
  • 5 0
 It's either UCSC (illegally) or being a grape smuggler.
  • 9 0
 Anything worth riding in SC is illegal. Can't stop won't stop
  • 11 0
 I ride hiking trials with shitty steps all across them in hong kong. With signs all across them banning mountain bikes. i have jumped into a bush once to avoid the bastard park patrol
  • 6 0
 Haha, we've all had our share of park rangers in Santa Cruz.
  • 3 0
 Hahaha the first thing that came to mind when I saw the title of this post was Santa Cruz
  • 18 0
 NSA is keeping track of this. think about it, Pinkbike did just ask us to answer, on record, if we have broken in some cases a federal law... Pretty soon were going to have Obama drone striking mountain bikers watch out.... this was complete sarcasm if you still need help understanding that
  • 2 0
 I was thinking the exact same thing the second I saw this.. UCSC
  • 13 0
 No idea how this poll benefits our sport.
  • 7 0
 In Hong Kong the No Biking sign usually means its an OK trail.
  • 11 0
 hahaha Big Grin Pinkbike selling us out to the NSA... THAT made my day, gombo8!

Message to NSA: I don't actually ride illegal trails, I just answered that in the poll to make myself look cool... I obey all laws and respect authoritay.
  • 6 1
 I don't think any internet polls on pinkbike really benefit the sport mate.
  • 4 0
 Haha robby, authoritaaaaaay!
  • 1 0
 @yetistew. Some of the ones in pokfulam country park are more stairs and trial. a short quick family trial in the pokfulam park is pretty fun somtimes. but i hardly ride in HK now.
  • 2 0
 multi-national crime ring involving child slavery and/or human organ smuggling

Too late, it's already monopolized. By the people trying to tell you what bloody bit of dirt you can ride on.
  • 1 0
 @fade-to-black Theres loads of trails at Tai Mo Shan with no, or at least minimal stairs, same with Tai Lam Chung, Lamma Project X and Chi Ma Wan to name a few.
  • 1 0
 yea, but to be honest with my gcses coming up in 9 months i cant spend all my weekends taking ferries then a car or what ever is needed. Also i am way too spoilt with all the trails where i am now in whistler that riding in hong kong is just so boring that i cannot be bothered
  • 89 1
 Here in Sweden we have this wonderful law called The Right of Public Access. This law says, among other things, on the topic of bikes:

"You may cycle across country and on private roads. However, be sure not to ride across the grounds of a house, on cultivated land or on ground that is easily damaged."

"Cycling is allowed on private roads and lands. Landowners cannot put up signs prohibiting cycling."

"When cycling off the road, make sure you choose a route and a cycling style that will avoid unnecessary damage to the ground."

Yeah. Sweden's a cool place.
  • 23 0
 sounds like common sense and common courtesy . logic ftw gota love northern europe
  • 2 0
 Do you happen to know if this law can be acceasable online in english? Few posts up is a comment about MTBing in our country (Slovenia) and it is the exact oposite Frown
  • 4 0
 Here's an official site with the gist of it. It's from the swedish enviromental protection agency.

www.swedishepa.se/Enjoying-nature/The-Right-of-Public-Access/This-is-allowed

There are more indept explanations on the right.

I didn't find a word by word translation from the lawbook but that site is good for explaining how the law is treated in Sweden.

*Edit, I did find it at www.government.se/sb/d/2023/a/22847 but it's 33 chapters long with over 500 sections so unless you're really interested in the legal formalities the first link is a way better source.
  • 2 1
 I agree HisShadow. I hate how everyone around here gets all upset when a person "breaks the rules" despite not putting anyone in danger or damaging anything. Sometimes I feel so restricted and I just want to explore God's earth!
  • 3 0
 Sweeden is such a great country , great lifestyle there , great terrain , really nice people , hot women and even a lot of the politics make sense
  • 4 0
 @Timetogo You are amazing, thank youuuuu so much!! I've forwared the links to people who are more involved into formation of new law and really hope the Swedish law will serve as inspiration!!
  • 2 0
 It was similar in former Austro-Hungarian Empire. The only problem are old drunk hunters who shoot at everything that moves no matter whether they can see it or not.
  • 1 0
 Wow! That goes the opposite of our laws. Here, laws here are made to restrict rights not give any one any opportunity to enjoy anything. The only thing laws allow is the advocates to make money out of them.

I might add that common sense and courtesy is some myth around here. People talk about it but none has ever seen it.

"That's my land, go away!" That is freedom made in America. Great isn't it?

I am exaggerating a little. Loads of people are open letting trail flow by their lands as long as it is done respectfully. Unfortunately, landowners can hardly be disclaimed for whatever would happen to anybody on their property. I think that's about to change though...
  • 2 0
 Sweden leading the charge on logical responsible legislation. No surprise! Always impressed.

(EDIT) And I'll add, it puts the responsibility to uphold courteous behavior in the hands of people. Proactive thinking put into law - Love it.
  • 2 0
 Tbh I don' t even understand how can one own some land. It' s not something people created, it's as if someone landed on a Moon, built a fence around some area and said: "Nobody can enter this area because I was here first". The whole idea of owning a land is simply ridiculous.
  • 2 0
 No trespassing laws or anything in Scotland ride with care for other users and build using natural features and everyone seams happy!
  • 1 0
 Glad you put this up, I was just about to. Good to be free to ride where and when.
  • 53 0
 In British Columbia there is a widespread and, to me, colossally sloppy use of the word "Illegal trails". The vast majority of trails are "unsanctioned". There is a big distinction between those terms.

I wrote a long diatribe about this in the context of the North Shore. Further research shows that it is applicable to most of the rest of BC and will be useful to trail advocates. It is here along with citations in a word doc

www.facebook.com/groups/mtbtrails/651324894903377
  • 18 0
 In washington there are many trails built on public property that the builders dont own. Too often my favorite zones get torn down by the authorities. If the land is not in use and is not visable by the public why cant we build there? People hike in areas where there ant trails for hiking. Why cant we ride in areas where the government hasnt provided trails?
  • 5 0
 thats the case with many trails that i ride. unsanctioned for any users but bikers get all the heat
  • 11 1
 I agree with @mtb101010. If you don't cut trees, leave trash, or destroy the site elseway, why not enjoying the nature in our own way?
  • 15 0
 ..or if you pass and ignore any informing sign of forbidden. Polish answer? Go around the location of any sign you know and if caught pretend to be a foreigner.
  • 12 1
 The you reason you can't ride in Government land is because of liability and protection. There are too many people here in the USA that will file a lawsuit for getting a splinter. That is problem. There are too many idiots that will build a trail without a thought towards drainage and other fancy aspects of laying a nice dirt ribbon. That is also a problem.
  • 7 0
 I ride on private property and illegal trails all the time, but then again I live in Puerto Rico, the land where playing stupid gets you outta trouble all the time...
  • 5 0
 Yeah I find this question a bit... complicated. Riding an illegal trail in Green River, UT is not the same as riding an illegal trail in Park City. BC Canada vs Laguna Beach, CA...
  • 11 0
 I have only seen 1 or 2 illegal trails since moving to Utah. As a result I almost don't ride illegally anymore. Back in New York however; that was a different story. There the legal trails all started as illegal, and the state's continual crack down on MTB means if you plan to ride you are already a renegade. Might as well build big stuff and go ride until the man shuts you down.
Before you neg me out of existence consider this: we continued to try every type of publicly responsible avenue for trail advocacy, including spending money to get imba's help and going to meetings, letters, surveys, and everything else and still the state department of environmental conservation doesn't even list MTB as an approved activity in NY. In Utah we should keep it legal and work with the state, but in NY no holds barred. They don't play fair so bikers shouldn't either.
  • 45 0
 I can't stand all the horse people who leave huge piles of shit on the trail
  • 26 1
 @Shredjekyll - I have never once come across that, every so often I have to dodge a pile from the horse, but piles from the people? Where the f*ck do you ride, sounds ghetto, like bums squattin under a bridge n shit.
  • 29 1
 @pbrider - clearly you misread, I said the "horse people". Not the people, or the horses. The horse people.... centaurs
  • 7 0
 Believe me people leave the worst piles among all animals.
  • 3 0
 Twice a week I ride illegal trails. Not my choice, but its either that or no mountain biking.I live in London, UK one of the most space restricted cities in the world. Keep my head down, and eyes open. Police regularly patrolling the area...
  • 4 11
flag cliff-huckstable (Aug 1, 2014 at 15:13) (Below Threshold)
 Beg to differ. It is your choice to ride or not ride.
  • 8 0
 Damn horses. One of our best trails is open to horses. Haven't seen any horse people help maintain the trail. Nothing like a big pile of siht steaming on the trail.
  • 4 0
 It was interesting talking to local North Shore riders about the scene there, coming from the Seattle area. A lot of their trails are what we would consider illegal in WA, but everyone on the shore called them "grey trails." We got corrected for it many times. A good term for it though I think.
  • 4 0
 Its an accurate word. We built the scene by playing in grey areas
  • 4 0
 @bhd13

It is my choice to ride illegal trails, I prefer to take that risk than give up mountain biking which would be the outcome if I could not ride locally due to time pressures.

We did try for 3 years to get this area legalised and offered to fund and build/maintain the trails at no cost to the guardian of the land (its public land). We had huge local support with 1000's signed a petition but the authority would not even consider the proposal and then returned with a heavy handed response involving mounted Police, Police dogs and prosecution.

Considering the area is well known for gay cottaging, illegal barbeques, littering, people riding horses, annual marathon running events which destimate the grasslands, regular fun fairs, etc. It all starts looking very suspicious
  • 3 0
 I didn't say you made the wrong choice, just that you had a choice. Splitting hairs I guess. I don't envy your situation.
  • 3 0
 Thanks for your reply. Its a tough situation... I just keep it low key. Trick with my trail work is subtle inputs just clearing deadfall /leaves and trimming vegetation. Never digging or scraping back.
  • 48 0
 What the fck are legal trails?? Here we have just trails...
  • 6 0
 i love this comment
  • 14 0
 Yeah! Mexico! were "law and Order" its only at TV
  • 41 0
 1st Rule of Fight Club?
  • 36 2
 Will the Goodie Two Wheels(No illegal/shady riding)patch be compatible with my enduro-sash?
  • 34 4
 I don't know. Is your mom an illegal trail?

But seriously, yes. Ask forgiveness not permission & be as respectful as possible.
  • 32 3
 is this a good thing to put on the front page of the biggest mtb site in the world, seems like good ammo for the anti-mtb crowd looking to shut down or enforce things
  • 6 5
 there's an anti-mtb crowd?
  • 17 8
 my distaste for PB propaganda and self mastabatory written articles by the likes of levy are really making me visit this site a LOT less .... seriously how hard is this. show people riding their bikes on your bike website please.
  • 2 0
 but.....ego!
  • 5 2
 Levy talks about a real issue in an honest way. Curse him for that. Never mind there are a bunch of new bike images added here there and everywhere everyday, we want more of the same old thing. As for the anti bike crowd, they have plenty of ammo already. This little thing won't make any difference. They use fear of hoodlums to sell ignorance to the masses. In other words, go lecture them in the forums and leave the honest folks alone.
  • 2 1
 "show people riding their bikes"

That's literally all Pinkbike ever is!
  • 19 1
 I really have a massive dislike for how trails are built in " Sanctioned " zones. All the top soil is removed. trails are four feet wide and everything has to have a berm. Every trail is predictable now. Corner , corner, jump .. corner , straight, corner jump corner... or some variable of that. " Illegal " trails are trails built by people that have absolute passion for riding and are to me absolute joy when I find one.

The best place so far in BC with amazing sanctioned trails that aren't conforming to the new school style or paved smooth trails that you can ride your road bike on are built by the guys in Cumberland .. those trails are amazing !! Keep up the good work United Riders of Cumberland.
  • 1 0
 True. There should be variety and fortunately in many places that still exists
  • 6 0
 Ya, too often new "sanctioned" trails end up kinda sterile. Bad? Not always. Not what I wanna spend the rest of my life riding, though. I thought I was old school, but there's a number of opinions here that seem to prefer technical trails, rather than man made stuff on "flow" trails, or bench cut US Forest Service style tracks. I like to have to slow down to get a section right, or to learn how to get through a section, rather than modifying it to suit my abilities. Gimme off-camber corners, roots, rock gardens, switchbacks - and all of it on the climbs, too.

Sure, some trails are no biking for environmental and liability reasons. That's fine. They should be no hiking or horseback either if they're so sensitive. Some trails are, and should be, no biking because of the difficulty of extraction of injured trail users.

Illegal trails are just another resource. Many of our "illegal" trails from the 90's became sanctioned riding areas. Ok, the ones that didn't become housing developments and golf courses.

Hmmm...Hey Mike Vandeman! What has a bigger footprint on the landscape: a bicycle on a trail or a golf community development? Go protest suburban development. Thank you.
  • 1 0
 A golf community or a clear-cut does more environmental damage that some singletrack. A lot of logging roads have water running down the middle of them but the trails are what get shut down. Or worse yet re-vamped so your granny can ride them. Then when everyone finds something new they cut corners or straightline it until it is 4 feet wide,
  • 1 1
 @RLEnglish golf communities and clear-cutting operations also bring more economic impact to areas than a standalone trail. How can the mountain biking (and trail user) community bring greater economic impact to areas? Perspective is a beautiful thing.
  • 4 0
 I work in a industry that makes a large portion of its revenue on logging. We all use logging roads for trail access. My point is that even though most trails have little economic impact, they also have little environmental impact. And then if you compare them to commercial operations they become almost friendly. I do live in a part of the world that is impacted every year with winter snow. And we do not have the population mass that southern Cali has. So maybe the environmental professionals should stop looking at trails as a unit and look at them region by region.
  • 20 3
 I ride wherever I want, legal or un legal, once by "accident" I ended in middle of a military polygon/training area, and when I got stopped by armed soldiers, I just slipped out by saying "lo siento senior no habla yo finlandes o ingles" hahaha they gently escorted me to the nearest exit without further consequences.
To pretend the foreign with a huge language barrier it always save the situation.
  • 12 3
 Well...bear in mind you could have got mortared, or hit a land mine...so keep that in mind next time you ride into a military training area.
  • 13 0
 I'm sure they would have signs up, as well as an audible warning before using live rounds
  • 3 0
 Military areas are close to always signed and fenced, so seriously that you definitely must want it so bad to enter it at all. There is no way to enter it by accident, at least in Poland. My rule number one is keep you eyes, ears and mind open. Think entering some new space.

Other than that, when I was 17, I "accidentally" entered, crossed or rode along a race track. There was a big gap in the fence and the site is usually empty, so I was very surprised when I was chilling down the tormac circuit on my bicycle and a racing car came out of a corner at full speed. This was the fastest way I ever left a place like this.
  • 1 0
 In Finland some are fiercely fenced, and guarded. But some of less strategic importance are just guarded by the density of the forest and some random "military area, do not enter" signal, and also a finnish flag colors marking in the perimeter trees, and sometimes, you are riding so fast that you don't really notice where is the precise limit, cuz as I said, no fences no trenches not much that just can stop someone going at 60 with good music on the ears.
  • 1 0
 I understand you. There are places like this in Poland too. It does not mean these are always military spaces. I managed to enter a movie production scene once, or a soccer playground with championships on, a camp site several times, firefighter training facility with hoses being rolled out on time. It is often like a lake beach full of people or restaurant tables set out in green. I learned that when enterring new places, silent chain work helps, taking one headphone out helps and if dark, turning off lights. It is also good to wear or expose natural colours only. Like souldiers I like to see before I am seen. This way I can be more sure about my security. I never know what reaction I am gonna face. Afterall, the adventure in biking is what is all about, so lets hope they will all come to tolerate us.
  • 18 0
 MOUNTAIN BIKING IS NOT A CRIME
  • 1 2
 You havent seen y riding then...
  • 17 0
 Well I live in Marin so...
  • 9 0
 Oh you poor bastard
  • 1 0
 Yup. Tamarancho, Tenderfoot, Coastal, and Diaz get a bit repetitive after a while....
  • 4 0
 the chinese place there is awesome!
  • 1 0
 Hahahahaha, you mean China Camp?
  • 1 0
 idk man but its like super good
  • 13 0
 Here in Slovenia, we have the most stupid and complex law about the biking off road and especially on mountain trails. Actually everything is illegal. We fight against hikers and mountaineers. Feeling almost like Don Quixote.... (My bike is a donkey of Sancho Panza).
  • 4 0
 darn windmills.
  • 2 0
 windmills?? charge!!!!!
  • 3 0
 What on Earth they see that wrong in bike crossing some natural area? There is less sign left than after a hiker.
  • 2 0
 in Slovenia is cheaper if you'll get caught riding off-road with MX. fine is 40-200€. for riding a bike it is 100-200€ .
  • 2 0
 If I calculate the sum of all fines I should pay for all rules and regulations I break each single ride, the price is higher than my whole bike after one day. It is impossible to obey all the rules and they know it too. For example riding along a sidewalk. I do it nearly awlays, becuase it is the safest place to be, when there is no a bikeway. Riding along a pedestrian crossing. Ignoring red light, at least half of them. Riding with both hands on a bar, and both feet on pedals. Obligatory, but half of the ride back home I rest with no hands on bar. Descending stairs and steep hills. Totally illegal. Going counter way. These are all city rules, but riding in national parks. Off course. Setting a camp fire. From time to time. Possesing a bell, front and rear lights that emit light in the dark. I often turn them off. Riding inside public buildings. Riding along train stop decks. Easily. Riding in cementary. From time to time. Entering private property, even if a fence is surrounding it. I am not a criminal, but I understand that those who state a rule, have to do it thinking about all society. They cannot agree for example for riding along sidewalks slowly with attention, because it is not clear what is slowly and carefully. When police sees me doing so and I am not causing dangerous situations, they try not to notice me. If I stop and ask them for permission, then they allow me not. If I rode fast doing wheelie in some crowded place, they would chase me probably, but just quietly just in case of failure. I am talking about city riding because I have never seen any patrol in forest for at least 20 years of riding there. So you can ride what you want in Polish forests unless you set fire to it or leave trash there.
  • 1 0
 I'd still prefer Slovenia over Ireland, at least you have bike parks. I ride illegal trails about 80 % of the time simply because there's one legal trail within 50 km from my house (and it takes ages to get there without a car).
  • 12 1
 non "legal" trails are the only way to stay true to what freeriding IS. once organized groups take over they numb the trails to the point where they RUIN the essence of the sport. screw them and there safe bull shit. Who gives them the right to ban or close a trail. We rode them before they ever came about and we will poach them every chance we get. Crown land is the people land, no group or organization will tell me where to ride or not to ride. Look at CBC trail, what was the ultimate in mountain biking is now nothing but a paved river bed that will rattle you to death, all stunts have been removed and closures are frequent.
Long live trail poaching. If you can't ride it go somewhere else, if you want pussy trails, go build them, don't touch the ones that have been the pride and joy of local shredders for years.
  • 1 0
 F-Yeah!
  • 15 0
 I hear that at night all trails become legal.
  • 2 0
 or after season.
  • 10 0
 I live in the German County of Baden-Wurttemberg (Roughly the same size of Wales) where all trails under 2m are illegal.

Not really sure how the bike industry survives here selling mtb only to ride on legal forestry roads only.

Next time you attend Eurobike remember your in Baden-Wurttemberg.
  • 7 0
 An attempt to dislodge the 2 Meter law is being made at the moment. 60,000 people signed a partition to have it reviewed but the local Government told us to F#ck off ... so yeah ... I'm gonna keep on riding illegally. Only way to go here. Remember also that the Black Forest is in this corner of Germany !
  • 6 0
 same thing i Austria. No legal single trail outside of Bike Parks. Good thing though, no consequences either...
  • 2 0
 2m? So do you all ride with a tape measure? Come on, 2m is for cars. Most of my trails are less than half a meter wide, so immagine using a 800mm handle bar.
  • 3 1
 It´s illegal anyway.. so it doesn´t really matter actually if you are on roads with a latitude of more than 2 meters.
It´s more about the new penaltys that come with this rule... u can pay up to 20k euros...
And in adition to that this rule makes it impossible to legalize a trail.
Ohh and jedrzeja.. the rule is made to only be able riding on roads that can be ridden by cars and nothing else..
But in Hessia where i come from we managed it to dislodge that rule. and after one decade of fighting for a legal trail it seems like this year we´re going to win that fight and get a legal trail.
  • 3 0
 Authorities tend to set rules of prohibition, but I don't think it is the right way to make people behave in a particular way. In most cases, especially in Poland, but also in UK, people react to a prohibition as it was an encouragement. Especially when society does not like, nor respect authorities. Well I don't need any rule to stop me from cycling along a motorway. Even if such is empty, riding there is just so boring, and there are other more interesting places to ride. This is obvious and practically has no exceptions. Most people act in ways that can be easily foreseen. This way, if there were enough places developed on purpose for cycling, there would not be any people breaking rules. In fact I like the Italian way. There are just trails and use it as you wish. I also like the Cannadian way. There are huge bikeparks, but obviously too few for the needs. Lets be honest and confess that nobody would hit an illegal trail if there was a sufficient, and increasing number of legal, free ones, that were just more attractive. So those who prepare all the rules of forbidden, are just stupid in my opinion.
  • 1 0
 yep Wink
  • 2 0
 I was stationed in Heidelberg for 5 years and road Königstuhl, WeiĂŸerstein, Rodalben, etc, all the time. Rarely I would get a couple obstinate hikers trying to block the trail but I’d just kindly dismount and walk around them. I knew about the 2 meter rule but it was ridiculous and no one followed it. The butting of heads was nothing like it is here in SoCal with the Sierra Club and the mere number of riders vs hikers. It’s way worse here than back in the Vaterland.
Man I miss those trails and all of the WaldhĂ¼tte waiting at the tops of mountains eager to serve you a bit of Schnitzel mit Pommes und Pils, bitte!
PLEASE appreciate where you live for me! I miss it. And if you need a very cool mechanic, swing by Fender in Schwetzingen and ask for Adam. He’s my old bike mechanic, great friend and cuban cigar smuggler. The guy even flew out to Cali for my wedding! Bring him some cheap American beer and tell him Jeremiah sent you. You’ll get great service.
  • 1 0
 I suppose 2m rule is due to a possibility of running down a hiker, which is rather rare. Provided that we ride for years, we definitely use bikes with good brakes, we know that it is between 0,5 to 10m that it takes to brake down to a full stop. Riding trails it is usually under 3m. So if you know that, the authorities should also know it. Hikers tend to walk always in the middle of a track, even if it is 1km wide, or in the most convenient and shortest line of it. Hikers often walk in a group, so they are likely to walk side to each other, using the whole existing width of a path. Approaching hikers at speed they will be scared and try to walk aside. This is the worse thing they can do, but it is always like this. All this give riders an idea how to behave along a trail not to run down anybody. For example, if you can't see the next 5m in front of you just slow down, try to be prepared for a hiker to emerge in any time, any place. Fingers always on levers. I have been riding for twenty years and it was only once when I rode into a pedestrian. I was chasing my friend on a bike and he tricked me and turned to pass a pedestrian in last moment, so I did not see him and ran him down. We both fell down, then stood up, appologised and this was it. It is very hard to kill somebody with a bicycle, so I completely don't understand the rule of 2m. If I were in shoes of your authorities, I would rather impose a rule of a small bell always hanging from a neck, when using mountain trails. Funny like the cow bells, but it would be just better. In the end 2m wide trail is not always 2m usable trail. There is mud somewhere, water or rock elsewhere and everybody will try to go around it, using a narrow passage.
  • 6 0
 Most of my local trails are illegal, it doesn't bother me at all, its insane that all the brilliant riding round where I live is just for walkers or owned by the national trust
  • 3 0
 Same here, the "illegal trails" I ride are often legal pedestrian only trails that I poach on the bike, since they are often way more interesting to ride than the actual "mountain bike trails" in those areas. I ride them during week days where you hardly ever cross any walkers/patrol as opposed to the weekend when they're packed. I just make sure I respect the other users and don't give mountain bikers a bad name (except for my presence I guess). I find cohabitation relatively easy and painless in most situations and I feel those who don't like us are the kind of people who like to go out of their way to stir trouble, so I don't feel bad at all about riding those trails.
  • 3 0
 I get abuse when I pass some ramblers carefully on even legal trails, so I ride 'illegal' trails without worry that I'm upsetting their perfect lives.
  • 2 0
 I cross hikers in trails that were designed for biking as their only purpose and I slow down, say hi and smile while carefully dodging them. As far as I am concerned, I am not damaging the hiking trails nor harming, impeding, scaring, bothering other users in any way so if they're upset about it, I can't help but think it's all in their head... aaaaaaand that's their problem.
  • 1 0
 Futureworldchamp1 I know, some of the trail possibilities we have near us are insane half the 'illegal' trails we ride feel like they were intended to be ridden anyway! I ride illegal trails also and its so annoying how many people complain at you 'riding like a lunatic' or whatever when your 'hurtling towards them without any consideration for them' even when you stop 8ft away to let them through! They're always just miserable old people who've made it their mission to make everyone as miserable as them
  • 2 0
 Its is mad the amount of space that is wasted on walking only trails round us, its even worse when they are stuck up jumpy assholes
  • 8 0
 never seen a sign or other wise telling me I can't cycle unless the routes are closed for safety reasons like tree felling.
  • 14 0
 That's because you live in Scotland mate, our access codes are one of the most free in the world, it is very very good.
  • 5 1
 yeh, in scotland they can't tell you to get off any trail, but there are still trails build purely for the purpose of mtb not by land owners, which is what this more deals with, then walkers trails and such, many of which are immense to ride
  • 2 0
 You can ride any pre excisting trail, however, you can't build a trail wherever you want unless you get permission from the landowner
  • 5 0
 Good thing about living in Colombia is there are no illegal trails, trails belong to nature and no government control on them, people just respect each other (hikers, bikers, locals living there and sometimes dirt bikers) and find ways to regulate the trails. Never seen any problems yet, people signal each other or let others know that a group of bikers coming down for example if they see a problem on the trail and somehow everything works just fine.

What I have seen here biking these trails for the last 4 years is that no rules or control over them doesn't necessarily means caos. Any trail you can find in or out of the city you are free to ride.
  • 1 0
 i like what you said "people just respect each other" and "no rules or control over them doesn't necessarily mean chaos." i've found that self governance is a natural tendency and an emergent property when multiple groups are using the same resource. though coming around a corner pinned, on a multi-user trail where i live and making a horse rider fall off their horse - gives me good reason to go up into the secret "un-chartered hills".
  • 1 0
 @loam33 I hear yah on your last statement - I love my bear bell for exactly that reason.
  • 4 0
 My local forest has a combination of both official and unsanctioned trails. I help out with trail building every week on the official ones, but I ride both. The land owner, the Forestry Commission, tend to leave the natural unsanctioned trails alone unless they're near sensitive wildlife or dangerous (with huge jumps, boardwalks, etc), in which case they'll bulldoze them. And they're generally pretty relaxed about them though they don't really approve of them.
  • 7 0
 in Russia 120% of trails is illegal, yepp!
  • 25 0
 I've heard that in russia, illegal trail rides you.
  • 1 0
 ^^^ Damn -- beat me to it!
  • 4 0
 Touchy subject - cant really say too much on a public forum. Will it matter in the grand scheme of things, pretty silly really, It was dirt and rock before and will soon be so again.......
  • 9 0
 Totally. In dense forest when a large tree goes down cutting off a trail and ending that trail's functional life, you can come back a year later and there's almost no evidence that a trail was there to begin with. They really are temporary modifications to an eco-system that is always in flux.
  • 3 0
 "Trails for all, Trails for ever" is an awesome program but unfortunately have moved the DH riders outside of the picture. There is not need for big bikes any more what forces DH rides to look for another alternative. In the other hand XC, Enduro, and newbie riders have earned a huge net of trails.

I do know the people from NSMBA enough to understand what's happening. The trails are supervised and must follow standards and rules, not like in the old days. This is a transition period, so I'm waiting until the supervisors allow for more challenging trails. In the mean time I have to take my bike somewhere else.

It is a pity that non-paid challenging trials have become illegal.

Ps: No, this is not a critic to NSMBA.
  • 3 0
 The rules relating to access in the uk are a bit of a joke really, in Scotland there's a 'right to roam' you can ride, walk, horse pretty much where you like. In England it's very different, the Countryside Rights of Way act (2000) sets out access rights, with series of designation from 'footpath' walkers only, 'bridleway' essentially horses and bikes, 'BOAT' byway open to all traffic, and so it goes on, the reality is though they are hardly ever policed by either the landowner or the state.

Rights of way officers exist within the local authority, but that's a team of one covering a huge area, and their main concern is whether or not the landowner is complying with access rights (leaving gates unlocked, clear of veg) not who's using it.

The reality is CROW (2000) is based on an older ruling from the 1949 mass protest in the Peak District, Derbyshire, and has no consideration really to how we use the countryside today. Also landowners should list with their local authority where footpaths etc are on their land, not all do, so how do you know what's legal and what isn't?

Final point, the Forest Commision which manages most woodland in England has managed trails at trail centres and does a good job separating walkers from bikers (most of the time), the trails that exist that aren't designated for walkers or riders are often 'concessionary' which means you're ok to ride them, but the FC retains the right to close them without prior approval, for instance during harvesting operations (a sensible measure), so again, whilst they look like footpaths and there's no sign, if you're on FC land, you're probably ok to ride it, just don't build anything to lairy and expect it tohave a long life, nor should you start your own felling, these trees are a valuable commodity, if you're caught, fines are high.

Bottom line, I'd ride it, what's the worst that can happen?
  • 3 0
 All are trails are illegal around so cal, we build and they tare down. It's a never ending CYCLE.. I'm not going to let all my shovels go to waist. I hate when they throw cactus on our trails. Illegal trails are a lot more fun anyways.
  • 2 0
 Good thing my newly build ladder drop hasn't been found yet
  • 1 0
 Once u bring some one to the spot, it's all over. I remember BMX days when every one digs. Now people ride for free, and blow up the spots. We should all be BBQ ing building and shreding, building the shit out of every thing. U know who are staring at the out line of hills and mtn visualizing lips, drops, and jumps. Every one puts in work and every one rides.
  • 3 0
 thing is...unsanctioned and sometimes illegal trails are the ones that really push the progression of mountain biking forward and challenge us as riders. If my riding was only on trails built for the masses by trail groups (save for a few) things would get really boring really quickly.
  • 2 0
 Parks Canada have a serious attitude problem toward us in some areas here. So it's good from time to time to ride those trails just to make a point. Unless you're one of those guys that takes pride in abiding the rules, whether they make sense or not
  • 2 0
 I believe there is talk of opening some trails within the parks to mtn bikers in the future. Whether that happens or not will be up the them. I think that the parks are hurting for visitor numbers, and this would be a huge boost for them. The government is always willing to trade our nature for profit (not that biking would have much more impact, just a jab at our govt).
  • 3 0
 Parks Canada rules are a joke
  • 2 0
 I definitely agree. Antiquated rules combined with a conservative govt that would rather profit than preserve.
  • 7 0
 "It's a trap!"
  • 2 0
 I used to ride "illegal" trails in Virginia Beach because that was all there was, at least all that wasn't flat sterilized triple wide paths that the general public feel is the only place for bikes. I still ride a few around here near Boston, again similar reason, and they are more challenging but the general public deems them "dangerous" and hikers do not share well (cry babies). I always give way to hikers and I don't ride when I might erode the trail or in a damaging way, I feel these "illegal" trails are often just an attempt at excluding mtn bikers, and all from those who don't understand the sport. I always get a strange look from hikers when I ride down trails they can hardly walk up, but I don't want their public funded sterilized Bullshit bike path, and they will never understand.
  • 2 0
 Reading the majority of posts here makes me feel privileged about living in Scotland. The Land Reform Act of 2003 more or less opened up the whole country to mountain bikers, show respect to the other natural path users and all is good, never had any issues.
  • 2 0
 The local trails i ride were built by riders with berms, jumps and drops. For some reason hikers think the woods and trails are only for them and they marked it as a "hiking only trail". So i guess according to the extremly entitled local hikers i ride illegally everyday.
  • 8 1
 YOLO!
  • 1 0
 This song illustrates why that phrase is dumb.
YOLO (feat. Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar): youtu.be/z5Otla5157c
  • 2 0
 Word on the streets is that YOLO is a code word for 13 years old sluts who do anal.
If you're older than 13 years and have no intentions of going anal, the only acceptable way to use YOLO in, is in a sarcastic way.

My YOLO was being used sarcastically Wink
  • 3 0
 The legislation is a joke here in Austria, so many forests and you are not allowed to ride a bicycle. No one really cares about it, just the hunters. But then again, who cares about hunters...
  • 3 0
 Some additional info on this.
Hunters in Austria are very different to their north american counterparts. Its a Highly regulated thing where a hunter can lease a section of land for hunting rights and no onr else can hunt there so they think the are the rulers of the land.

Fact is a hunter or even personal of the Forest service (like rangers) have no rights to ask for an ID. This is a right that only personal of the ministry of interior has like police. They can call you in with the police but if they are not the land owner they don't even have the right to stop you.

So if one does, just be nice, smile, give them a wrong name and pedal on enjoying your ride.
  • 3 1
 I moved to the USA for the "freedom" so I ride a fair amount of local trails on state/ government land in protest. "Freedom" should not be specific to limited user groups IMHO. Besides if I didn't I'd be riding pavement 90% of the time.
  • 5 1
 Freedom != do whatever the hell you want.
  • 5 0
 Oh and then comes along the epa...whoops, we found a turtle and a lil fish on your trail/land.
So long sucker..oh and btw, expect a bill from us to pay for habitat restoration.
God bless America
  • 2 0
 where I live there are only two "legal" trails. and several "illegal" trails. luckily its a small community where for the most part people look the other way, including the authorities. even with the occasional injury on those "illegal" trails. Luckily there is a relatively new bike association formed that is beginning to get things rolling to sanction these trails.
  • 2 0
 Out of my observation it is perceived to be something very wrong and commonly unwanted to do anything illegal in the North American countries, but I cannot immagine myself riding legal trails only in my country, since these are only wide and flat forest paths for two-in-year sunday bicyclists. Exactly all of trails that are interesting for more serious riders are built with hands of the riders, without any special allowing document nor agreement. Existing on public land or unknown land, nobody really cares, including the authorities. Bikes don't do much harm, nor they cause pollution nor littering. Since every piece of trash would have to be delivered on bike, tt is marginal. Some paths exist since nobody remembers when, other are built new. Some paths of mine are built just in front of my front wheel, since I don't like to turn back anytime. Illegal signs like this one above are situated on public busy streets just because of some traffic regulations. So yes. All of my trails are illegal, becasue practically there are no legal trails. Being an offroad biker here, everybody is a pioneer. Whenever I travel to some new place, or abroad I use legal trails, but it is highly probable that after some time, all of these can become boring and I would start to use illegal ones. Riding illegal trails is not fun because of being illegal, but because it is the answer for legal, interesting and extensive enough alternative.
  • 1 0
 i am so jealous
  • 1 0
 why?
  • 2 0
 all of the trails for more serious riders are built by the hands of the riders, without any special document or agreement. public land or unknown land, no one really cares, not even the authorities as bikes do not really do much harm. some paths are built just in front of my front wheel because i just don't feel like turning back. i think you just described my own personal eutopia.
  • 2 0
 On the other hand. Serious rider equals to probably mental person in public opinion. There is no way of receiving a permission document for building something, even if you want to. So there is always a chance that your wooden structure will get stolen by people who will burn it in winter to get warm in their houses, or a chance that any of your structure will get demolished by somebody just for fun, or by someone who does not like bikers. I have recently done some paths with my front wheel and this is fun, but I remember entering a swamp and then searching for shoes after few steps. Cleaning them in a lake and continuing with wet feet for hours. Getting lost in most of times. Finding myself in a situation of entering a village and asking anybody what is the name of the village, just to know my location. Riding in a field of nettles higher than me with no hint of how to turn back, where is back and then healing exposed skin for a week. Meeting wild animals. I often run from wild boars, which I can hear, see or track their fresh trails. I met several ill foxes, dozens of running deers right across in front of me and a month ago a beaver one meter in front of me. So these are really wild places that often turn out to be totally unrideable. I understand you may like it, but you should rather see me like a determined person, with no alternative for interesting places to ride. I often return home exhausted and with not much experience of the very riding, but pushing a bike though dense bushes and swamps full of insects. These are adventures, full of memories, but these come with cost.
  • 1 0
 like i said, eutopia Smile

i should apologise tho. i am sure you have just as many troubles as me, maybe more. its just that our troubles are different. where i live most of the land is farmed. you cant ride more than a few hundred meters without reaching a fence or wall, and any small amount of public land will be flat grass. i never get to explore any wilderness unless i drive very far to reach the ever shrinking remains of what used to be huge expanses of natural beauty. i cant remember the last time i saw a badger or a deer, let alone a wild boar. the last fox i saw was digging around in a dumpster. there are trails near where i live but they are mostly for families and children or have to conform to so many safety regulations that most of they joy has been sucked out of them. i dream of your swamps and wilderness while you wish for my legal and well maintained trails. yet we both still enjoy the same sport. that makes me smile.
  • 1 0
 What we need is diversity. This is why I tend to go wherever I can. It is also inevitable that it sooner or later becomes insufficient to ride only places that we can reach cycling in one day and evenening. Some people tend to travel with bags everywhere on their bikes, but I am thinking of a simple and easy way to transport my bike with all means of transport available. I mean by car, train, plane etc. If you take a couple days off, or even a three day weekend, you may reach places far beyond what you could immagine earlier. The places should not be popular resorts though. Every single region on this planet has to offer some hidden treassure trails. One of my concerns lately is how to make my bike packed smaller so to transport it easily. I don't like the idea of unscrewing everything on an off each time, but if I could just pack my bike and gear in a size of a suitcase, and do it fast and easy, I would have secured one of the keys to explore more places. Another key is the right gear and clothes. In fact there are no betters ways to visit places than with a bike. This way I am aiming at a hundred percent reliable performance bike that could be packed, so I could have it standing like a suitcase near a restaurant table.
  • 2 0
 I ride illegally in my back yard- American River Parkway. Right-of-way is always given to pedestrians and I dismount or detour for equestrians. I am always friendly, respectful, and lend assistance. Mitigation trail work is done as needed. Abandoned campsites are often cleaned up. How could someone be so angry with me that they would drop their pants to prove the point that I was riding illegally and that if it was okay for me to do that, then it was okay for them to expose their genitals? Yes. A local "birder" gave me the Full Monty to prove his point. I was just trying to talk to him about the birds he was watching. Exit the pavement on the American River Bike Trail at your own risk.
  • 4 0
 if its pinkbike asking - yes I ride illegal trails. if its the park ranger asking - oh, gee, sorry, ive never been here before, I didn't realise.
  • 2 0
 When I first started biking here in NZ about 20 years ago we had this absurd situation where there were walking and hiking tracks that people hardly used but we weren't allowed to bike on them. But of course everyone did and this did lead to a bit of tension and conflict - mainly with park rangers rather than the public. But over the last 10 years there has been a groundswell of common sense - so a lot of public land and tracks have been designated for bike use so now riding tracks illegally is very rare.
  • 2 0
 Most (95%) trails are "illegal" in Ireland. But that's only because there is nobody to invest in it. The forestry board (Coillte) have made a good effort in the last few years and are beginning to develop more and more trail centres but these are largely built with gravel and are for beginners. Not knocking it, just doesn't cater to experienced riders who wanna get some air from time to time!

We build our own natural, rooty, kickass trails in the forests but it's done subtly, away from walkers trails, we don't do any damage and we don't threaten other mountain users by bursting out in front of walkers or knocking over their children / pets.

Apart from the odd lunatic who puts glass on the trails or hangs wire between trees at neck height, we don't get any trouble. If it's safe, sustainable and non-threatening, the forest managers tend to turn a blind eye. They even allow enduros and DH races to take place on unsanctioned trails as long as it's licenced by Cycling Ireland.
  • 2 0
 'Government property' is an oxymoron. Firstly because a fiction cannot truly own anything. But mainly because they don't have anything they didn't steal from the people anyway. We own it all. The idea of government, and that's all it is, is a disease. People who believe in it must accept that it's the cause of the most theft, the most murder and the most fraud. They must also quietly lie down when it tells you what to do, what to spend, where to go, what to say, who to respect, who to disrespect and so on. I will tell you something else, if the criminals in the UK think they can sell off our woodland to private hands without our say so they are very much mistaken. The whole thing is fraud on a massive scale. I shall ride where I like until someone with a true claim against me comes forward and requests I provide remedy for any damages I have actually caused. Government does not actually exist. Period. Just people. I don't operate in fiction so I just look at the people. If there are none of the people who have a problem with where I'm riding, then what is this imaginary entity that has an issue with it? And can it please take the stand so I can face my accuser. As per the law of habeas corpus.
P.s. local council people generally tend to have the 'government' disease real bad. Listening to them waffle about redtape and other bullshit is comedy. Probe them about it, question presumed authority always. A few choice questions normally has them contradicting themselves and getting all flappy. Great fun. Ride your bikes, expose bs and have a nice day.
  • 1 0
 I rode an illegal trail near me, when coming to the end a council official was standing by my car and stated that there was a no cycling sign, too which I pointed to some people with there dog off the lead and then to a sign that said all dogs must be kept on lease, not a lot he could say really... although this chap was sound and said he was fine with me riding as long as I stayed off the beaten track...good man
  • 1 0
 What is illegal many times is only separated by a matter of time for a given trail to be accepted. I ride and build. You have ridden something in your time that wasn't approved by a forrest or land manager, so accept it. I personally don't build wooden structures and try to use just dirt and rocks, but that is a matter of trying not to draw attention. Many trails I've built in the last 15 years are used by more than bikers and some are even kept clear by the local forrest ranger. I have helped build and maintain approved trails as well. The real question is when that trail work goes wrong. Either over developing an area or building poorly and creating erosion issues can lead to trouble, so getting educated how to do it appropriately is a good thing. With more rider/builders out there now it can get out of hand, but if you've never lifted a shovel and you take an high and mighty position of only rolling "legal" trails, well you're full of it. This sport grew up without help from local governments or corporations. It will continue to live on absent all that as well. You should get a poll on cheat paths, braids, whatever you want to call them. I hate building something only to find a cheat path around it. Some trails are not meant to be for beginners and the cheats can ruin landings and takeoffs. I try to block them off as the emerge. It would be cool if pinkbike took on some public service for trail etiquette here. Stop making braids and don't ride them!
  • 1 0
 In the UK, we are not meant to ride on footpaths. But that is where the best riding normally is. When I do get caught by patrolling police, they ask why I am on the trail. To which i reply "So I can enjoy myself" They then ask if I know i am allowed on the trail. I say i think i am. They then let me go or ask if i saw the sign. When they point it out to me i say it is too high, (I am only 1.69m) If it is a land owner, ride away ASAP because they normally cant follow you as fast anyway hehe!!!!
  • 1 0
 Not in Scotland. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code allows us to cycle pretty much anywhere. As long as you respect other path/trail users! Can't imagine being restricted to only dedicated cycle paths.
  • 2 0
 Well, everything is illegal here, except for bike parks. You have to be careful, because people are retarded enough to put barbed wires and nylon cords across the trails on a neck height.
  • 2 0
 shit man that's heavy!! I've thought about that a few times when I've been riding on my own, early mornings (nightmare scenarios n all) as that would be the worst thing that could happen, like a horror story!! Luckily, doubt that would ever happen around here, but...could you imagine??
Any incidents where people have actually been hurt in that way or worse? That's true hatred, in a bad way, for someone just enjoying life...
All good in wales tho, if not bike park, I wouldn't know whether the trail was illegal or not sometimes. Been there when the forestry commission poked there noses in a few times and one or two have been semi ripped up, but rebuilt and still running...some changed so you're not flying across a fire road at mac 10 (were better then tho!!) but all good and still fun! A lot of tracks have gone due to felling too, but think that's due to diseased trees mostly. Gutted for people in the cities, with police on the beat in the woods!? thought they'd be needed more in the cities, but at least it keeps the doggers and weirdoes to a minimum!! All you guys with that vast amount of space and not able or supposed to use it is lame and a shame! Supposed to be the great outdoors, not that great if you can't use it!!
  • 1 0
 I'm from Southern California where I still currently reside, all the good trails with features on them are built illegally. Unless it's on private land. I've grown up building trails just to have them torn down after a few months time, just the way it is out here and always has been.
  • 1 0
 Where i used to live there were no trails legal or illegal, If you wanted to ride it involved lengthy discussions with the farmers who owned the land (before doing that you need to find out who the owner is which also takes time), trying to work out a deal which was basically if you hurt yourself it didn't happen on their land -wink wink-, trying to get the materials needed yourself and above all paying for the use of the land.

It probably would of been easier to go to the council or national forest trust and work out a deal with them but the answer would most likely be "no our insurance blah blah blah"

Other than that it involved a 45min drive to market rasen (kinda hard when you don't drive)

After it all though it was fantastic to ride knowing unless you put the effort in, it wouldn't exist or at least for very long
  • 1 0
 It's only illegal if you get caught. Are we being reckless and destroying everything in our path? No. We respect the terrain and enjoy what it has to offer. Sadly a lot of area's become illegal to ride for dumb reasons and politics. I just hate it when joe public rides them and doesn't respect the trails and other riders that have made them what they are ... and gets them shut down because they do something stupid or get hurt and then get sue happy.
  • 1 0
 There is an extensive illegally built trial network in Edmonton's river valley. Its legal to ride but not to build and this causes issues such as drainage and erosion due to the city bylaws. You could always ride the paved paths, but watch out for the roadies with attitude and the wolf pack like XC riders.
  • 1 0
 Riding footpaths in the UK (illegal trails) is a bit of a necessity, that's where the good riding is plus its the only way to link the bridleways (legal trails) together which can end abruptly once at the top of a mountain, at a different landowners boundary or the puzzling double track that becomes a footpath because its a private road, I mean you can get a bus down here but its called a footpath! Most walkers (ramblers, hikers) seem good natured enough and a bit of courtesy go's a long way. Occasionally you come across some retired old dear who tries to stop you so she can shout at her, but you just smile, apologise and what ever you do, DO NOT stop! As they like to grab hold of you and threaten you with all sorts of crap, funny thing is though here in the UK if you get caught cycling on a footpath they can only punish you by banning you for 24h from using the footpath and most authorities turn a blind eye. At the end of the day you can always get off your bike and walk and there isn't a dam thing they can do about it! Smile
  • 1 0
 In Hong Hong the no biking sign actually means no bikes, I have been fined for pushing a bike on a restricted path!
  • 1 0
 Long ago I was doing a decent down a hiking trail. I came across a group of about 20 hikers coming up. The first couple were blown away that we would try to ride down it. The dozen or more were blown away and stoked at what we were doing. The last few looked at us and said "Oh I don't think you should be riding here, we hike this trail a few times a year". So it'd be better no one else uses these trails for some 360 days a year so that a few hikers can have it to enjoy less than once a month. It's better to have someone use a trail then to have it left unused.
  • 1 0
 Not posted ones like with a sign like that but hidden single track. If you're not riding illegal trails in many parts of Mass, you're riding old crappy ATV destroyed doubletrack. DCR doesn't want illegal trails but doesn't work with groups to improve their trails so they get new trails anyway instead of trails built with their concerns addressed.
  • 1 0
 In my oppinion, riding and building your own trail is one of the most important thing to do. Everyone at least has to know how to build a jump, to consider himself a freerider. For me thats the true meaning of the sport, you want some kind of jump? Go and build it, alone or with your buddies. if it works it's cool, if not you lerned something new on how not to build. Bikeparks are fun too, but it's allways the same, if you ride the jumps you built, you can adept them to the skills of your group, thats the real way to push yourselves!! I know how frustrating it is if your (illegal) trails get destroyed but even if it's hard, if you build nice jumps in the first time. you definitely can build them again!! Wink
  • 1 0
 Where I live we have pretty decent number of trails, but no one seems to care about legal thing. There are around 70 trails I know and only one is legal and is all flat. But if you saw DH track that local guys have builded IMBA would ban whole country from MTB Wink
  • 1 0
 here in SF...there's pretty good legal singletrack within city limits...nevertheless...errbody rides Golden Gate Park even though it's clearly marked as illegal...main threat being happening upon illicit homeless person acts.
  • 2 0
 Where I live mountain bikes are almost never allowed on singletrack and there are no trails for bikes only. I (and probably lots of other people) have ridden on illegal trails out of necessity, there isn't much other option.
  • 2 0
 On the flip side we have a moto trail system that allows for mtb riders and has signs everywhere prohibiting any pedestrian use, but there's always some jerk off jogging or walking their dog.
  • 1 0
 What exactly is an "illegal trail" anyway? I've never come across one... In winnipeg if there was a spot you could cut through the bush along the rivers, it was open season... and then they started manicuring them and they turned really lame and I don't even bother anymore
  • 1 0
 And then I build a dh rig... lol
  • 3 0
 seriously dumb article. posting this on the front page of the largest mtb website!!! wtf great way to bring fire and negative publicity imo.
  • 2 0
 Riding in Slovenia is illegal! And I have build "illegal trail park" in my backyard hills with 500m of elevation and couple of different trails. Hell yeah Im riding illegal! Smile
  • 1 0
 please send me the gps coordinates cebe.. Smile
  • 1 0
 zoki, contact me on tabla for further informations. Wink
  • 1 0
 In Finland there's basically no restrictions due to the "right of every man" that allows U to trespass even private areas, at least until the riding starts to seriously damage the ground.

In Barcelona I have only ridden in Collserola that is completely forbidden for bikes (the roads U can ride but why to do so?) but there is practically no surveillens and I heard that as a non-local U can't even be fined by the authorities. We have even built small features in there, keeping the passage open for everybody from local grannies to XC-riders and trying to make things as invisible as possible. These trails are well ridden by the locals and every now and then there has been conflicts since the fast going bikes scare the hell out of some pedestrians in the woods. I have had a rule that I only ride speed that even a totally surprising confrontation would not lead into collision - Fast when the visibility is good, slowing down for the tighter bushes and curves Wink

Riders should respect the trail and the other users of the trail and by doing so be free to ride pretty much where ever we want. I know it has to become heavily punished before I quit.
  • 1 0
 I think if i did not ride "illegal" trails in my area i would not be able to ride at all! its easy for people with good trail networks on their doorstep to shout about this but for some of us it is a necessary evil so yea i always have and always will ride when and where i can sanctioned or not!
  • 1 0
 I help a new youth off road riders group, and our support has been overwhelming from the community. There is no way I or our group could get caught on any illegal trails. A lot of people that give us funds, build all the hiking trails around here. We have to travel about 20 miles to get to the mountain bike trails they built. Wish we could sneek a ride or two, but not worth it.
  • 1 0
 I have some drops and jumps in a rail yard not to far from me. On a few occasions, me and my bro have had to hide from the rail enforcer dudes. The only time we've been caught was while heading down the access road(which also happens to be private property), to go to another spot across town. I haven't seen any signs, but it is a BNSF yard.

There's some badass containment wall drops, hips, and gaps. Great fun on my morphine.

But yeah, if I had some more spots or a park, that would eliminate the illegal spots(maybe).
  • 1 0
 Most of the promotional videos and print ads you see from Fox, Troy Lee, CB, Kenda, Intense, GT, Scott and a zillion other manufacturers are shot on "off menu" trails in SoCal. Wait - no they're not. I just made that up. Nothing to see here. Move along.
  • 1 0
 In the part of Austria where I live, riding in the woods is forbidden. We have official "MTB Trails" but those are just forrest roads and have nothing to do with mtbiking. So to really enjoy riding you have to go "illegal". The only thing that happens, if they catch you, is that the guys responsible tell you to leave the trail your on or push the bike out of the woods instead of riding. It is also possible to just flee them.
Sometimes the arguments can get a bit harsh though, with insults be thrown at each other. My Dad always says it's part of the game to get caught.
  • 1 0
 We´ ve built our little illegal bikepark 10 meters beyond my house,it consist of 8 trails-some DH/FR/North shore,enduro,dirt jump,pumptrack as well..legal trails closest to my home city are 50 miles away so..It is a shame,that the forrest where our bikepark is,will be cut down this year Frown
  • 1 0
 If I was to ride only the legal (OR AUTHORIZED) trails in the San Diego proper, I would not need the following!

suspension
baggy shorts
2.35 or larger tires
full face
actual skill set
closed toe shoes
sober faculties
a desire to be on PinkBike
a past time involving defeating gravity

In part, San Diego Ca. is NOT truly FREE RIDE/DH community supportive by the sanctioned entities, city councils and land managers as a whole. Politics and soft socialism and eco nazis reign supreme here. Thus many a squishy bike rider, find alternaitive means to come down the hills and mountains in N.I.M.B.Y. land.
  • 1 0
 I moved out of London Ontario, where it is illegal to ride a bike on dirt. The only place you can legally ride are at Boler "bump" Mountain, and Fanshawe Park where you have to pay to enter. But to make riding on dirt illegal... REALLY!?! It is also VERY dangerous to ride ANYWHERE, including paved bike paths. I have been struck down a number of times by pedestrians, causing numerous injuries. Not even are the roads safe, as I have had dozens upon dozens of near misses with traffic, even though there are some clearly marked bike lanes. Riding on the sidewalk is also dangerous and illegal. London has one of the highest car insurance rates in all of Canada, the drivers are either insane or don't care about anybody! 20km south, in St. Thomas (where I now live), anything goes, however you have to worry about MX and 4x4's out on the trails too.
  • 1 0
 Where I live, richers, have dropped lots of money to have mtb excluded from the ridge called "Forest Park". I ride the north side anyways, because the rich hikers and runners are to fat and lazy to go all that way from their homes to the other side of the park. Several of the clubs in the area have lobbied for access to the north of the park were there generally is no foot traffic, but the city sides with the richers. Well, I ride it anyways, for more than a decade, and have zero people try and stop me or say something to the fact that I'm not to be there with my bike(because mtb ruins the environment...LuLz). If by chance I run into a person close to the south side who says I can't be on the trail, I just ask them if they want to try and stop me!

If I have to pay even a dime for upkeep of the park, I'm going to use the park for my style of fun, period!
  • 1 0
 here in Brazil everything is ilegal. but this month a rider was cought by forest rangers and got sued for ambiental crime, fine and arrested bike... funny cause in this trail everybody do all the shit there but riding trails are ilegal...
  • 3 0
 A lot of the best trails in bc are unsanctioned. In my local area there's more secret trails than legal trails
  • 2 0
 I rode in Flagstaff this summer, & my understanding is that a huge chunk of those trails are unsanctioned as well, but other than the "the forest is only for looking at!" environazis, nobody is clamoring for them to be shut down. Seems like some places, there's riding or staying off illegal trails, you can't do both.
  • 1 0
 4 sure!
  • 1 0
 Valley Forge national park in Pennsylvania! If you're able to piece them together without running into hikers wearing crocks and ankle socks then you can have a pretty good run. Otherwise they are short and sweet
  • 1 0
 There's enough legal trails in my area to not need to ride illegal ones. Come to think of it...if I wanted to ride an illegal trail I'm not even sure where I'd go to find one.
  • 1 0
 here in israel we dont have illegal trails,you can ride where you want but its best to not jump any fences because you may find yourself in a minefield or a military firing range.
  • 1 0
 Here in Cali. We have been chased off the trails by rangers in helicopters,because we are the most dangerous criminals around. Hey jerry brown (gov) good use of our tax dollars.
  • 3 1
 When you live where I do, you have no choice. Like your ranger truck causes less erosion than my bike. Nobody can stop me from riding my bike.
  • 1 0
 Exactly. I don't understand how a bike can destroy any natural environment.
  • 4 0
 No..... why? Whos asking?
  • 1 0
 I accidentally rode on a trail that was quite well-marked as being closed to cyclists. Some people looked at me like I was crazy as I rode past them on a section of trail that was maybe four feet wide. Oops. Oh well.
  • 1 0
 Pinkbike I can't tell if you are sincerely trying to help the issue of trail access or if this is some click bait BS to perk up mid-summer page views. When this data is used against legalizing trails, where will you be?
  • 1 0
 Thinking about getting after some very illegal trails in rock creek national park in Washington DC when I'm down there for work. Anyone ever get away with riding the hiking/horse trails there? Tips are appreciated!
  • 3 0
 In Mexico if you do not ride ilegal trails.......you just do not ride.....
  • 3 0
 Where is option "I have built some illegal trails"?
  • 2 0
 I live in the 3th world, so let me ask you... what is a Legal trail? (sarcastic mode on)
  • 2 0
 After reading all of these posts I consider myself lucky to live in Montana
  • 1 1
 if you have ridden your mtn bike in a national forest there is a 98 percent chance that trail was illegal. Thank you national park service for keeping everyones lives safe and mtn bikers off the trails.
  • 1 0
 Minor but important point: The US National Park Service is part of the Dept of Interior and oversees National Parks. They are pretty mtb hostile.

The US National Forest Service is part of the Dept of Agriculture and oversees National Forests.They are much less mtb hostile.
  • 2 0
 I hate closed minded hikers! They even try to tell me I can't ride on the legal trails.
  • 3 0
 the sign clearly shows hardtail and rigid bikes are not allowed
  • 1 0
 Here in Ukraine, we don't ride illegal trails.
(maybe cause we don't have any...seriously, you can ride anywhere you want, no laws for that)
  • 1 0
 Once upon time, in the country named Slovakia, goverment full of fu.kers passed a law prohibiting cycling on singletrails.So, YES, I ride illegal trails...
  • 5 3
 WTF does "illegal trail" even mean really... respect other users, and ride your bike.
its a dirt path.
  • 1 0
 Well said mate. Sounds like you understand natural law. Ride dem trail yo.
  • 1 0
 Meh, its total anarchy in usa now. Its all about who you know, and what side your on. I have a pen and ill act alone in rewriting xyz law if need be!
  • 1 0
 In Peru most of DH trails are old Inca trails. We supposed not to ride on them but we do anyways because Incas were genius at building them up!
  • 3 0
 That sign means absolutely no hardtails!
  • 2 0
 As we say here in our little country full of beaches and bent politiks,

"it's only illegal if you get caught..." Beer
  • 1 0
 A few times road through private property crossed fences with no trespassing signs and slayed some good dirt. But usually on trails that r legal. Lots of BLM in Idaho
  • 1 0
 In America the Democrats who run office would rather advocate for gay rights and cell phone unlocking laws. Us mountain bikers are on the bottom of the pecking order.
  • 3 0
 Illegality, another abstract concept.
  • 1 0
 In France you are supposed to have lights on your bike, and a lot of others things.... so it's illegal even in the streets !!!
  • 2 0
 In italy thers no illegal trails
  • 1 0
 This is why we all love Italy.
  • 1 0
 where i ride is mostly illegal but finally being legalised and turned into a bikepark
  • 1 0
 No illegal trails in the area that I know of, but I would definitely ride them if there were some.
  • 1 0
 ONLY LEGAL TRAILS FOR ME. ALL THE ILLEGAL CRACK I CAN GET MY SMOKING HANDS ON THOUGH
  • 2 0
 I always ride ilegal, im mexican!
  • 3 1
 I poach at home but never in another country.
  • 3 1
 If I don't know, then it's okay anyway, right?
  • 2 0
 There should be an "I don't need to." option.
  • 1 0
 I got my trails (fr, enduro , and bmx dirt) in a Wood near my home. That wood does not belongs to me but i ve never had big
  • 1 0
 ...problems so far. I ve recently learned that the terrain belongs to a guy in who works in the construction and now they plan to put the all wood to the ground to build on it. I feel a bit sad but at the same Time I knew it was gonna happen one day.., personnally I think I m not TOO MUCH in the illegality
  • 2 0
 I've never ridden a legal one so....
  • 1 0
 Who cares if we have fun ?! And WE HAVE FUN !
  • 2 0
 I'm taking the 5th on this one! Anyone for a GAP night ride?
  • 1 0
 If you all see a sign exactly like this one in the picture above, just untape the red lines around this beautiful pictogram.
  • 1 0
 Must have it lucky. 130+ Miles of legal trails within a 2 hour radius of Tampa, FL.
  • 3 1
 What's 'illegal'? Sounds like a sick bird.
  • 1 0
 I feel like posting this on the front page of the worlds most popular MTB website is truly moronic. Shaking my head.
  • 3 0
 do i? f*ck yes!
  • 1 0
 I have fun replacing those with these (ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ZFIJ-h6dL.jpg)
  • 2 0
 build first ask questions later
  • 2 0
 It's not 'illegal'. It's 'extralegal'.
  • 2 0
 O hell yea I do ! it gives you that bit more of a rush haha
  • 1 0
 Those fleas just like to think they are in control of the dog... I listen to the dog, and the dog don't mind.
  • 1 0
 Greece is ... still, a free country inhabitat by free people. We ride our land whenever, wherever.
  • 1 0
 Different rules in different countries. Shame on me for digging and riding.
  • 1 0
 Lol did anybody notice that bike sigh had bb gun dents in it. Someone didn't like his local rider I guess.
  • 2 0
 PB do you share our info?
  • 1 0
 For every trail they close I build another one on illegal land…. Lick'em!
  • 1 0
 Most IMBA Trails are wheel chair accessible. Yuk. Thank God I live in Canada where Crown-land rules
  • 1 0
 Feds are looking at all of this. Stop talking about this sh!t on here.
  • 1 0
 there aren't any here...so i don't know
  • 1 0
 The point of this is pointless.
  • 1 0
 clearly we only see the humor in this!
  • 1 0
 I love canada trails not italy trails
  • 1 0
 I always carry my red hoop and stick. So I can ride those trails too!
  • 2 3
 i pay taxes just like everyone else. i should be able to ride any trail on federal land. all trails should be multi-use IMHO. ORV, bikes, hikers, horses.
  • 2 0
 Riding bike on a horseway is terrible. It is full of tiny bumps and shit.
  • 1 0
 ^true.
  • 1 0
 Some of the best countryside is a non biking area in fairlight
  • 1 0
 i ride my bike where i wanna ride my tr450
  • 1 1
 In the UK you'd struggle to ride natural stuff without the majority of it being illegal
  • 1 0
 Does Mt Royal in Montreal count ? I definitely dont ride those.......
  • 1 0
 If I told you, I would have to kill you!
  • 1 0
 no-- there all legal too me :-}
  • 1 0
 STRAVA MADE many a trail illegal.
  • 1 0
 went riding yesterday on a new (to me) trail - can I change my answer?
  • 1 0
 Woody keen is an imba joke bring it
  • 1 0
 every thing is illegal in slovenia...
  • 2 1
 Yes
  • 2 1
 I only ride park.
  • 1 0
 Poach that sh*t
  • 1 0
 illegal feels better
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