I am a criminal… Or at least I am for the next two hours. After that point, I will help my ten-year old grapple with spelling the word “Mississippi”, try to convince the six-year old to stop eating the toilet paper (don’t ask) and then attempt to transform whatever is lurking in the hinterlands of the refrigerator into something edible for dinner. Soon, my wife and I will be stressing the importance of eating your carrots while reminding the six-year old that potty words are not okay at the dinner table…even if they
are words the kid has learned while watching daddy fix the leaky toilet.
I realize this is not the stereotypical routine of a hardened felon, but then again, my offense isn’t typical. I’m not raping, pillaging or plundering. I’m riding my mountain bike. On singletrack. And when I’m visiting family in this chunk of California that means I’m breaking the law. Mountain biking on almost anything other than a fireroad is usually a crime around here. Sure, it’s not a
go-to-jail-and-get-a–spider web-tattoo-on-your-neck kind of crime, there’s no need to be melodramatic here, but if the rangers that I’m watching out for catch me, I’m definitely in store for a ticket and a sizeable fine.
So today, I am a criminal. As are the handful of dentists, construction workers and other taxpaying Joe Blows I saw out there riding the trails. And I have to tell you, that truly pisses me off. Because riding your bike on singletrack and enjoying nature isn’t actually a crime. To make matters worse, this trail is really good; it wends its way up a ridgeline and then dips and rolls through a small forest of oaks. And it goes on for miles. And miles. There is so much potential here… And I’m just realizing it now. That hurts.
For 30 years, I’ve toed the line and refrained from breaking the law by riding in this spot. I never wanted to be that guy—that a*shole—who gets caught poaching trails and who proves the stereotype that we mountain bikers are irresponsible, thrill-seeking miscreants. Instead, every time my brothers and I have gone for a ride, we’ve packed our bikes up and driven a minimum of 40 minutes to one of the few mountain bike-friendly parks in the area. Driving an hour or more to ride trail when you live less than 20 pedal strokes from miles and miles of trail, that crisscross the hills in every direction, is a bitter thing. I feel like a fool.
Of course, I’m not just coming to this realization today. Since I turned 14, I’ve known that I and other mountain bikers around here were being served a shit sandwich, light on the bread… but when you’re a kid, you encounter all manner of baffling crap in this world and you think, “Well, when I grow up, I’m sure someone will fix this mess.”
Waiting for other people to resolve your problems, however, is rarely a winning strategy. You want something sorted? You better sort it out yourself.
This evening, I saddle up and sample the forbidden fruit. Along the way, I run into two guys racing down the ridge as the sun begins to set. I pass another guy climbing out of the valley a few minutes later. If mountain biking these trails is supposed to be a secret around here, it’s a particularly poorly-kept secret. There are tire tracks everywhere. Clearly, there are plenty of riders who’ve essentially decided to flip the bird at the regulation book. I haven’t lived around here for years, so I start asking questions, “Are any of these trails bike legal now?”, “Are they changing the policies around here?”, “Do you guys still get tickets for riding here?”
They shrug and look uncomfortable. Yeah, you can still get slapped with a fine, but you know, it’s kind of a “don’t ask, don’t tell” thing. You watch your speed. You keep an eye out for rangers. You ride at dusk or at night when the hikers have gone home….
I’m familiar with all this—it’s often been the unofficial code of mountain bikers in areas like this. To poach or not to poach, has never been the question. The only question is when and how to poach. You just have to be
smart, the logic goes, about breaking the law.
But if you choose to break the law on the sly, aren’t you tacitly agreeing that the law makes sense? Because you aren’t objecting to the law, per se, you’re just objecting to getting caught whilst breaking it. There’s a big difference.
And there are so many lost opportunities here. Under the blanket ban on singletrack riding, mountain bikers are stuck riding at night or during off hours, sneaking around the periphery of things, always riding at some risk to themselves. How much better would it be if they could openly ride some of these trails without fear of getting a ticket?
Land managers lose just as much as mountain bikers under this paradigm. For one, they now have to spend a godawful amount of time running around, issuing tickets to riders, instead of doing the 101 other things required of them. That's not the job they signed up for. What’s more, if the ban was lifted, an honest and logical discussion could be had about which trails are actually well suited to mountain biking and which ones aren't. As it stands, some of these trails are too erosion prone or are better suited as hiking-only trails. Under the ban, however, mountain bikers are simply riding whatever they can covertly reach. Finally, trails always need maintenance and mountain bikers come out in droves to fix trails. That is, they’ll fix trails that they can
legally ride. Under the ban, the land managers are not only gaining a headache in law enforcement, they are also losing a tremendous potential work force. Everyone, in short, loses under this scenario.
I’m torn about this whole subject. Part of me feels guilty even writing about poaching—publicly admitting that I’ve done it at all. I could be making things worse for riders in California, when I’m just an infrequent visitor these days. By the time this column goes live, I’ll be back home in Bellingham, Washington where mountain biking gets a big warm hug and a high five from land managers and city officials. Who am I to screw things up even more for riders who don't have it so well? Couldn’t I have just written something about bottom brackets and called it a day?
Yeah, I could’ve. Maybe I should’ve. But I also think that if we simply try to sneak around the bans, instead of outright opposing them, those blanket restrictions on mountain biking will never go away.
I understand why people poach trails in places where mountain biking is largely off limits. I just did it. It was good. At least, it was good today. But simply poaching trails and being a closeted mountain biker in these areas does nothing to secure you a better ride tomorrow. Long term, it's a losing strategy and I think we should be candid about that fact with ourselves and with the people who manage trails where mountain biking is still largely off limits. Public policies don't change because you quietly disagree with them. They change when you publicly present better alternatives. And we
do have better alternatives than poaching. There are plenty of places where mountain bikers and hikers share trails, where mountain bikers are a driving force in building better, sustainable trails. There are simply some parts of the world where the people who make the laws still aren't aware of this.
So, I admit it: I’m a criminal. Or at least I am, if you accept the idea that riding a mountain bike on singletrack trails should be illegal. I know better than that. You probably do too. It’s time we all stepped out of the dark and helped other people see the light. Mountain biking is not a crime.
MENTIONS: @vernonfelton
There are 143,000 glorious acres of protected "public lands" in Marin and yet we can't seem to find a way to share a reasonable portion of them with mountain bikers. So until then that happens, f*ck them.
Unfortunately, we live in a 'post-truth' world where carefully considered opinion and thought based on evidence loses out to soundbite and the rule of "prove me wrong" politics where mountain bikers will lose out to hikers who shout louder and point to wheeltracks whilst bemoaning trail erosion.
How do we change that?
real talk i live in mill valley and deal with it on a daily basis
Absolutely! In Japan the discussions usually need to be had direct with landowners; believe me I have tried!
I don't think my face helps being completely honest; local born and breds have more luck here*\(^o^)/*
some years back a big group of international downhill and freeriders in London built illegal trails all over (as well as sending every stunt in the City itself), and end up battling the Corporation of London to get legal trails established in Sandy Heath (woodland above NW London) which has been ridden on for years. Large petition with public support, established volunteer group, etc. No engagement from the Corp. and increased policing / ticketing and then large scale destruction of illegal trails inside woodland with tracked heavy plant - the irony (root compression and ground tearing)!
other sites were built on, on and off with mixed success
eventually a legal site was found in Esher, Surrey (only 20 minutes from London by train with your bike), with peppercorn rent, and for 8 years a not-for-profit volunteer built site was operated with great success offering 5 acres of timber 'north shore' style trails, dirt jump park, pump track and on-site bike shop. In its heyday, 200-250 riders a week from all over the UK and some international visitors passing through too.
Lots of companies like Specialized, DMR, Banshee, Freeborn all put plenty of ££ /staff time into the park.
It can be done, but it takes time / money to tackle a public site and get law changed, or just plain luck/circumstance at our site in Esher.
Yeah... The clue is in the word "illegal".
Despite the self-righteous pontificating on this thread ("The Land Of The Free", eh? HAH!), there's no such thing as "unjust" laws, and it's an IDIOTICALLY DANGEROUS premise.
Isn't it easy to argue that it's "unjust" that some folk can afford £10k bikes whereas some poor sods have to scrape by? Does that make if OK to relieve the rich bloke of his ride?
There are BAD laws though, but that's a different thing, and you only win those battles by engaging lawfully and following due process.
And you might not win.,,
In the U.K. it's somewhat different as many illegal trails are actually on private land, which raises a whole other host of issues to which moral and philosophical discourses concerning the 'public' are less related.
Laws can certainly be unjust: justice itself is a relative concept but is largely dependent on the idea of public morality. If the public morality changes and the law does not, it can thus be seen as unjust. The buggery laws here in the U.K. are a prime example - surely you'd concede that they were unjust prior to their being repealed (woefully late, I would add)?
My point was simply that a) laws can be unjust; b) in cases of public ownership land, what is illegal is up for discussion and c) this is distinct from illegal trails on private land, which are completely different kettle of fish.
This... 1000x this
My point is that as individual bikers there is nothing we can say in the current political climate that will change the will of the hikers; they have decided we are evil and so it will stay.
The land managers are the key; we have to hope they want to see the benefits of trail access for bikes; and that may be impossible if the hikers' tantrums reach the ears of the landowners at a greater volume.
We can lay some blame for that at the collective feet of the likes of Muir and Thoreaux for sowing the seeds of the wilderness mindset that convinces the average Joe that if they want to take a walk away from the crowd, then we, the riders, are just that, the crowd, and have no right to be there.
Add to that the fact most of us inhabit a world where we don't want to take the time and effort to piece together a compelling argument when we can point and shout as loud as the belligerent hiker and the result is and will be more people poaching than campaigning for change. See DirtyLove's comment on this page and you get the picture.
How about we all sell a piece of kit we don't use anymore on social media and give the proceeds to our local trail advocacy group this year people? That may be the best collective bet we have.
it rocked in the 80's too!
Punks is Hippies -G.I.S.M.
Mountain bikers make up almost half of the trail users here, if people were complaining as much as they were poaching, we maybe could get access to some more trails. The current situation is ridiculous.
You're joking, right! It's gett8ng worse because the MCBC sells us out. 30 years!
I have lived in in the bay area my whole life. They have government or academia jobs or are retired and place themselves in positions to control your access. The government managing these lands is conditioned to please those who complain the loudest. This is what they do.
Until the scales are tipped to real shared access without parsing everyone into little corners you are screwed. You are the enemy.
And yet look at the number of mountain bikers who bitch and whine about e-bikes on the trails: they didn't cost you what you've already lost, but lining up with them WOULD INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PROTESTERS...
Educated.....you really mean Indoctrinated.
In anycase, let's agree that we want more Bellingham's, North Shore's, gravity bike park, Post Canyon, Duthie's and so on! Ride on!
"Your joking right? The governor just signed a bill that taxes cow farts."
It's funny as hell and actually something that needs to be done.
At least we get the privilege of buying the bags our groceries come in now because (insert your ecological reason here) while the kid that used to have a job as a bagger stands there and wstches me carry stuff out by hand.
/rant off
At least we have Crockett... for now.
Wherever the hippies have decided they are entitled to the trails you got problems.
So much of the stuff that affects daily living has just started crumble for my generation, for my mom and dad's generation Sweden was great but now its just a shell.
Funnily enough there never was a shift in OS for the entire organisation because 8.1 sucked and they kept 7. The tablet was also given to some accountants and whatnot. And the reporter asked if they were supposed to expect support from those "whatnot" people, to which the reply was no.
All in all they bought tablets for close to 80k euros to give as christmas presents for a little less than 1k eu a head whereas a normal municipal worker the max per head for a gift was 30 eu.
not to mention that some private firms earn close to 80 cents on the dollar on housing for immigrants, which is 100% payed for by our government. Money which is borrowed from me and other workers. Pretty f*cking epic!
So yeah GO TEAM SWEDEN.......................... or maybe not.
....we need to be thick skinned to live in Scotland . .....
I't f-ing pisses me off. I poach in protest of all these rules and the nancy's making them. I left my family and friends behind and immigrated here for the promise of ""freedom". It feels like a con.
With all that being said rural California, and Southern California are excellent. I can hardly speak for SoCal but the central coast embraces the mountain bike scene! Having been down here for school, mountain biking is great, single track open and bikers and hikers play nicely.
I may be in my 30's... but I'm a real a*shole. Ticket me, I'll waste your time, cause a scene, take you to court, you may win... but I'll make it more of a pain in your ass than it will ever be worth.
And every time, you move the chance of finally winning legal access further towards the horizon.
You're trying - and failing - to make a virtue of utter selfishness...
(Picks up shovel and walks into the woods to continue the fight against "flow" and hide from poachers)
Here, we have a fragile relationship with land managers and land owners as riders..... As a local board member, I try to pass along to all bikers that when there's a user group conflict, we will always lose. The big bad mountain bikers putting the lives of runners, dog walkers, and hikers' at risk (Sarcasm). It's exhausting.....
There ya go..
Conversely, be a dick, you'll ALWAYS be treated like a dick.
Nobody being a dick ever won anything. (Last US election notwithstanding),
Which was pretty disingenuous, wasn't it?
So I push on through.
But if the sport isn't established, it gets more complex. There was nice 12km hiking trail in the dunes between my previous job and home that was banned for cyclists. Shame because it had some nice technical features. But as by law any non-motorized vehicle that can't be considered a bicycle (which by definition has at least two wheels) is considered a pedestrian, I took my mountain unicycle (MUni) with me a few times per week to ride it like that. Not having a freewheel nor transmission, your speed is limited by how fast you can pedal (as you can't coast) so you end up going about as fast as a fit trail runner. You can't really skid (and not crash). And the impact of the 3" wide rolling tyre is negligible compared to the pounding of runners' feet. I always dismounted to pass hikers or animals on the trail. Some hikers warned me that I was not allowed to ride bicycles there but when I explained that this could not be considered a bicycle, they were fine with that. I definitely wasn't under the impression that I was a hindrance or causing trail damage even comparable to a hiker. Even the rangers, I waved at them, they waved back, all fine. Then one day when I was riding the trail with no one else around, a park ranger stopped me. Told me I wasn't allowed to ride a bicycle there. I explained by law I should be considered a pedestrian hence was supposedly allowed to access these trails. He told me that the road laws don't transfer to these trails. He admitted that riding a unicycle was not explicitly prohibited but it is not doable to explicitly prohibit everything imaginable. But I was obliged to always follow directions by the park rangers, which then again technically is true. I didn't want to go into a heated discussion with the impatient man as I didn't want his (probably) first encounter with a unicyclist give him the impression that we are annoying wiseasses. Still confused about the whole thing as this way the activity was only prohibited to me on the spot and there is no way I could have reasonably have foreseen that. Luckily when my local mtb trails were opened, unicyclists were officially allowed. But it is silly in a way because our speed matches that of a trail runner much better than that of a cyclist.
Christ! I've been a mountain biker since 1994 and EVEN I can line up a ton of reasons for banning bikers from UK trails: the fact is, many bikers are complete arseholes who think they can get away with being arseholes because they do it at speed, usually with a helmet to anonymise their arseholeness.
THAT'S WHY THERE ARE BANS.
simpe rules respect other trail users. in a fair few woods ive ridden in there are simple rules outlaying respect for others and i have NEVER heard of any problems
www.mercurynews.com/2016/07/30/mountain-bikers-alarmed-by-spiked-strip-on-marin-county-trail
It's funny that a few tires marks on a trail is worth more to them than an innocent father/brother/mother/daughter's life or permanent injury (and with the price and uselessness of medical insurance, the outcome can be devastating to a family). $100k for a broken arm? Pfftt...
Still, there's stories of people putting fishing line across trails or putting out nails on the trails. I think that it's important to try to break the stereotype that mountain bikers are crazy, dangerous adrenaline junkies. Basic manners seem to go a long way. Even if it ruins your run to stop your bike and say "hi" to some lady and her dog, I think that's a lot better than jeopardizing the trail access to everyone in the area.
I know that this is a vastly different reality to that of California. At least here mountain bikers are an accepted norm. And every time I do trail work, the rangers note how much more active the mountain bikers are than the hikers or the equestrians. There just seems to be more accepting feel to the whole community than in Cali.
Hopefully you guys in California can get your trail access. I've only ridden out there once and the single track was so fun. Fast, loamy, everything a ride should be. But I do think that in order to get that access, mountain bikers need to continue to try to give off the best image possible while we're out on the trails.
I am lucky to (currently) live in an area that has a small but well-organized and active MTB community. We also have a good-sized equestrian community, and while there are some from that community that are in positions of power, they are a bit less organized. There is a local mixed-use park where the MTB community has at least doubled the amount of trail, with the new trail designed to IMBA standards to be sustainable. And every year the equestrians ride it when it is too wet and post-hole sections that we have to go in and repair. But, we continue to play nice in order to maintain our access and build more trail for the horses to tear up. The latest park addition nearby has some great new trails that were all designed and mostly built by the local MTB community (Youth Corps has been a great help as well) -- and the powers-that-be built a new access to it with a very nice horse trailer lot at the top. Luckily it doesn't have enough trail yet to draw a lot of equestrian traffic, but time will tell. The damage they do is far worse than MTB tires.
Great article, @vernonfelton. Trail users can and should coexist, and in order to drive any change you actually have to do something. Maybe PinkBike can start a series highlighting various clubs and the local trails they have been able to build and maintain, spread awareness of what can be done if you actually take some action.
- So true Vernon, I've been following and reading your articles on the wilderness bicycle ban in the U.S. and the HPTW Act that the Sustainable Trails Coalition put together and is currently working to push through congress. There's so much more to lifting the ban on bicycles on public lands than making mountain bikers happy - it's about partnering with public land managers to ensure the longevity of the trails which they are tasked with maintaining...an overwhelming task which in most cases they cannot complete without the partnership of volunteer groups.
Without a doubt, I'd venture to say mountain bikers boast the largest and most passionate group of trail stewards when compared with hikers and equestrians. I've worked for the U.S. Forest Service on a trail crew in wilderness areas and can say from firsthand experience that the current regulations which only permit the use of primitive hand tools is a broken system. The government simply does not have the manpower to keep trails open and properly maintained without the use of modern equipment and the aid of volunteers. Excluding mountain bikers from singletrack that is perfectly suited for bike traffic is only hurting these trails and the future of their existence. If the government cannot maintain a trail, they close it and no one is allowed to use it - regardless of whether you are on a bike, horse, or on foot.
No, they REALLY don't: they'll just ban more and more.
It's not rocket science.
I totally hear what you say, I originally tried to talk with the park authorities, but not one email was replied to, they just don't want to get into discussion, period. So maybe it is wrong but I just do as I please, being courteous and polite to everyone I meet to try and present a good image. I also don't ride where it's going to damage the trail and leave massive ruts, and I think most bikers do the same. I think this way they tolerate it without actually having to make it legal.
and. I/out crew are here to shred, and ride with as much irresponsible, personal risk as possible.
AND I/we go out, and work trail, and partner with land managers and improve the situation.
My buddies and I spend countless hours in boring meetings, writing emails, calling folk, organizing sparsely attended work days. SO TRAILS STAY OPEN !!!
we gotta do WORK to GET the playground.
FS and other land managers respond to people proving that they are partners....it means work.
Well said, fella - you win only by engaging on their terms and beating them with the weight of well-formed arguments,
So why should I obey the laws and preserve the park when others don't? Not only is there no-one to uphold the rules, if there was, they ain't catching me. So now I ride the singletrack and if any hiker says "You are not supposed to be on this trail." I make it very clear to them that I most certainly know that to be the case.
Go, Vernon, go!
So did you shop him to the police?
Y'know - DID YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?
I'm guessing not. And you seriously can't see the link?
"So why should I obey the laws and preserve the park when others don't?"
By that logic I can break into your house and steal your bike, because someone once did that to me...
Got it.
Seriously: THINK, FFS,
There's different levels of criminality. Breaking into a place is at a different level to some douchebag threatening (which I'm still not prepared to call his bluff). And even then, no theft or break in I ever reported to the police resulted in an arrest.
I used to ride in Germany in the 90s and we had, and some areas still have, a ban on paths narrower that 2m. The argument was that bikers destroy the forest, scare people and animals and injure hikers. Seeing some of the videos here where riders do power slides on lush green mellows, I understand the sentiment. I don't think going into forbidden areas with shovels and start digging is the way forward. A dialog needs to be made, and bikers need to be considerate towards others. We need to show that we can be responsible in these areas and share them with others. But we also need to question why a ban is in place, and why e.g. horse riders do get access. Use other areas, where riding is allowed, as references. Contact their regional regulators. I am sure they have data showing that no harm was done by opening up their land to bikes. We are enough people to stand up and challenge the status quo. One just has to be persistent.
Just look at some of the comments on here - I'd ban some of the buggers myself.
A survey in a UK magazine showed that over 60% of riders use footpaths, most of us do so with respect for other users and in my experience it doesn't cause problems for most people.
I'm not sure how it works with the submission of such a holiday park. Could be that there is a large project developer behind it who just develops a plan, submits it and only starts negotiating when the plan is rejected. But it seems to me like hikers, riders, equestrians etc have a say in this. One of the tasks of the FC is to organize recreation such that it doesn't conflict with other users. So if one party wants to build that park in a way that it compromizes other users (interrupts the trails etc) then it seems to me like it can only continue if they provide a fitting solution. I expect that project developer was just too lazy to figure out who other users of the area are hence simply submitted something from his/her own perspective and only negotiates with whoever objects. Which does mean of course that you should speak up now that the plan has been submitted!
Poach but keep yer trap shut about it.
Won't be too long, I imagine...
I mtn biked...said the guy who is just about to get is ass beat in jail when asked, "what are you in for?"
Not for pedestrians, unfortunately - y'know, the people the paths are for...
I've made an early New Year resolution to kick every bike that passes me on a pavement, right into the middle of the fecking road, where it's supposed to be,
"surely the police have more serious crimes to attend"
You are aware that people are seriously inured or even killed every year by being taken out by some dick on two wheels riding illegally on the pavement? EVERY YEAR.
How "serious" do you want?
Let's turn this around, how would you feel if you found an ATV poaching your local trail that primarily bikers built and maintain?
I agree that there should be some compromise and middle ground between the trail managers and bikers...but poaching trail won't get you there.
Let the downvotes roll in...
Ebikes I agree are a bit different but still the rules day one banned any motor driven users.
For the record, you're damn right I'll poach that trail. I'll be dead and gone before it may be legal, what's the fun in that?
I personally like to ride at night to avoid them and never been ticketed! Come get some cop'er ????
All of the park land/open space created in the area had no mention of rules banning bikes until into the 80's and even the 90's. So you see in this area it's the opposite, bikers built trails and then years later rules were put in place banning us to fire roads or from some areas altogether. Unfortunately we ignored the rules put in place and enforcement was lax for a longtime but as park users have increased the crackdown has started...I personally don't have hope it will change in the area
That's because you're a f*ckwit who doesn't understand a fecking thing about e-bikes.
"Shreds", FFS...
What about "the more bikers fighting the bans the better" confuses you?
I don't like getting yelled at by some fat mom on a horse because I'm scaring her precious shit factory that costs more than my bike and truck combined by using the trails.
Actually they do. Perfectly well, I share all of my local trails with horses.
So here's what you do (feel free to take notes):
You slow down a bit and say "coming through on the right..."
REALLY simple, works perfectly.
If we segregate, that will mean even less trails.
that's what im wondering
@markg1150 ranger was hiking the other direction on a narrow traversy trail so wouldn't really be able to flip around (plus running just makes it worse if you're caught). Ranger was cool about it and even dubbed it a usage fee, though know people who've had not so great ticket stories.
Usually the case - many of the muppets on here banging on about their "pride" at riding illegally are those same bad seeds,,,
SO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT instead of all your useless whiny little-girl bitching!
Seriously - WTF is it saying?
Surely, a free people are not the one dictating these rules, regulations and laws to where you have a ranger on a dirt bike ,handing out a $400 fine to a mtn biker on the same ground.
He knows exactly what socialism is.
I believe 'Meme' was coined by Richard Dawkins in reference to the perpetuation and spread cultural ideas, analogous to genes...could be wrong...Been years since I read the Selfish Gene. Now it seems to have its own font and lives on FB. Cheers!