Video: A Dust Zamboni for MTB Trails

As we pass into the shoulder season and see the first rain of any substance in six months, our local trail crews are picking up their McLeods, their shovels, and their Pulaskis. Finally able to sink those tools into some actual substance, some soil that doesn’t billow into the air with each step and tread or flow off a shovel like water.


Bend, Oregon’s soil is sterile, literally. With less than 1% organic matter, it’s so low that it is scientifically sterile. The result of volcanic activity 50,000-100,000 years ago, a mere blink in geologic time, the ground is young here.


The quick downpours and thunderstorms that pass over turn the trails to streams, sweeping away and consolidating the fine particles into sand traps of moon dust, leaving behind high silica content, hydrophobic soil that water will literally bead up on top of instead of saturating. So to get through the dry months and still ride some hero dirt, the obvious answer was to build the MTB equivalent of a Zamboni.


Built on our new Old Man Mountain Divide racks mounted to a crash test dummy painted Santa Cruz Bronson, the Dust Zamboni has two sprayer tanks that hold 14L of water and are linked together to balance pressure and water levels. To save the water for where we need it, they are solenoid actuated by an electronic switch on the handlebar. Don't forget about the safety lights and rider uniform!


The Dust Zamboni was super fun but we don't all have Mr. Mister riding ahead of us to wet the trail down. So, what do these alien, moon dust, conditions normally leave us with? They leave us one of the best trail networks in the US thanks to the tireless maintenance efforts from the Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA). Their non-stop efforts to repair and maintain the trails go far beyond clearing blow downs. Your local trail organization is advocating for mountain biking with your local government, fundraising to pay for tools and materials, and organizing volunteers.


The vast majority of labor comes from your fellow riders. Your local trail organization will bring the tools and the plan, but they need you to pick them up and swing em! And, oooh, the satisfaction of riding a trail that you just spent the day tuning up is…well, you’ll just have to try it for yourself.

Our trails don’t build themselves so build yourself a Zamboni bike and get out there! Or find your local trail advocacy group and pick up a shovel - whichever’s easiest.


Learn more at OldManMountain.com