Video: The Story Behind Universal Trail Design in Jackson Hole in 'Digging for Answers'

 Riding with the kootenay adaptive riders helped our company in Golden learn exactly how well those bikes preform but what things limit them, like clearance, boulders in the sides of the tread and steepness of lips. Heres a link to the standards we helped develop for adaptive trails and what could be applied to a broader range of trails to make them more inclusive! everyone just wants to ride with all their friends at the end of the day!

kootenayadaptive.com/adaptive-mountain-biking-trail-standards

 @yukonman: Yeah, my Rec Sites and Trails guy from the government asked me about these, he found them and liked that they had 7 levels of trail ratings vs. 3 on trail forks. Beauocrats like more paperwork and complexity! He was trying to get me to justify the ratings I was giving my trails and I tried to explain to him that green/blue/black were the only decent ratings someone who doesn't ride a Bowhead should rate it, allow the refined ratings to happen from the rider consensus. Good job on the standards, they will be adopted by more governments and used widely.

 @Jvisscher: Its not about beuracracy, its about allowing more people to get out and ride. This rating system was created because the wide range of riders and differing equipment simply don't fit into the classic rating system. Having a more complex rating system makes it less likely for adaptive riders to drop into a trail and come across something they physically cannot cross like too skinny of a bridge/bench cut or rocks that impede a rider. As an able bodied rider you might be able to pick up your bike and walk through but it can be a major issue for adaptive riders. As a builder you should know that the worst thing is to have someone complain about your trail or heaven forbid change something to suit their riding style. By building to these tighter ratings you're allowing more people to go out and ride solo or with more freedom, so is it really then end of the world if you have to make a couple tweaks to your trail to fit into a more specific set of guidelines?

 You have missed the point of what universal design is and what the adaptive technology of today can handle. Wild, rugged, and raw is what adaptive athletes want as well. Not just one or two easy trails for adaptive athletes. We are beyond that and deserve better access to our public lands.

 @Joesstone22: but the two are mostly incapatable with eachother. unless you have a way to get a 36" wide vehicle down a trail that's 12" wide.....do you?

 @conoat: Make the trail 36" wide.

 @plustiresaintdead: nailed it.

 @plustiresaintdead: no. that ruins the trail. stop advocating for the dumbing down of 100% of trails to fit the needs of .1% of riders.

the f*ck outta here...

 @conoat: Lol I'd love to see you ride I'm sure we could make a trail 36" wide that would make you poop your little panties.

 @conoat: again… you missed the point of what universal design is all about. There is a way to make a trail interesting and challenging for everyone. I wider trail can have multiple lines within it that are challenging to all riders. There are plenty of black and double black trails where this exist. You might actually be surprised at how much fun it is when you can choose lines on a trail and not just be confined to 12 inches. It does take an open mind to understand this concept though. And maybe a little heart.

Thanks for advocating to keep people with disabilities off our public lands. And thanks for not seeing how capable adaptive riders are.

 @plustiresaintdead: again, not the point. there are for sure 36" wide trails that are gnarly......that's neither here nor there. the point is that all trails shouldn't be 3 f*cking feet wide.

why is this so hard for you?

 @Joesstone22: so you legit want all trails to be 4 feet wide? you see no problem with that level of idiocy?

 @conoat: I have never advocated for all trails to be 4 feet wide. The terrain will make sure that’s not possible. But I do advocate for universally designed trails where it is possible.

Hopefully you never have to join the disability community but know that it is always a possibility. Anyone can join the largest minority in the world at any time. (15% of the world is disabled) Just know that there is a lot of us out here making sure that you, your friends and family have access should any of you find yourself on the other side of this fence.

Unfortunately most the advocacy is slowed down by conversations like this where someone like yourself wants to limit access but I feel it’s still important to share perspectives and move on.

Cheers.

 @Joesstone22: failure to make everything that exists accessible, is not limiting access.

you seriously need to learn the difference between postive and negative rights.