An article recently appeared in the Marin Independent Journal that highlighted just how bat-shit crazy this chunk of Northern California is. It begins thusly,
County parks officials launched a new bicycle speed enforcement program on open space trails this weekend, stationing two staffers with special radar-type devices in areas that have generated public safety complaints.
Officials hesitated to characterize the move as a crackdown, preferring instead to call it a pilot program that initially will be aimed at educating trail users…. Violators will face warnings at first, but citations may be issued at some point "depending on circumstances."Let’s unpack that for a moment.
Marin is equipping a couple of rangers with radar guns because people are scared and/or have a deep and abiding hatred of bikes. First you’ll get a warning for speeding, but eventually, they’ll be ticketing you.
This is Northern California, so the article is also full of pleasant odes to maintaining peaceful relationships, gathering data on how bikes are used, etc. etc., but when you strip away the BS, it boils down to this: It’s not a crackdown, per se, it’s just, you know,
a f@cking crackdown. And maybe I’d be okay with that if Marin County hadn’t already been giving mountain bikers an absolute beatdown for more than 30 years.
Three Decades of Crazy
If you’re not from Northern California, you can be forgiven for thinking that Marin County is a mountain bike-friendly place. Marin, after all, is the much-touted birthplace of mountain biking. .
But let’s be clear about this—that was then and this is now, and Marin County has been an absolutely horrid place to actually ride a mountain bike since, oh, about 1983.
It’s not that Marin is lacking for in interesting terrain. Despite being just a short drive from one of America’s busiest metropolitan areas, Marin County has a staggering amount of open space. Thanks to a strong push from environmentalists during 1960s and `70s, roughly half of Marin County—about 160,000 acres—is under permanent protection. That is a beautiful thing. The crappy part of the picture is that bikes are not welcome in most of it. Only 16 percent of Marin’s singletrack is bike legal.
Stop and con sider that figure for a moment...Sixteen. Percent. That's it. Or let's put it a bit more realistically: It is currently illegal to ride your mountain bike on more than three-quarters of the single track in what was mountain biking's garden of Eden. Oh, and it's worth noting that this is an area overflowing with mountain bikers. This is a recipe for disaster.
Bikes were initially cleared from Marin's trails due to concerns that bikes would destroy the environment they’d worked so hard to preserve. I can understand that initial fear. But when several independent studies came out in the `80s and `90s showing that bikes had no more impact on trails than hikers and less impact than equestrians, you’d think the restrictions in Marin would have been lifted or, at the very least, reconsidered. Not a chance in hell. The rallying cry against bikes simply changed pitch. Now we’re unsafe to other trail users.
There have, in fact, been a handful of run-ins between mountain bikers and hikers over the years. No denying that. Let me suggest the obvious reason why this occurs: You take a massive group of trail users (mountain bikers) and you funnel them onto a couple miles of singletrack or you tell them the only other trails they can ride are these steep, loose fireroads with blind corners…. Are you really surprised that chaos results? If you were the conspiracy-theory type, you’d be inclined to think that someone actually wants collisions and acrimony in Marin.
For the record, I’m not a conspiracy theorist. It’s really not that complicated a situation—For decades, Marin’s policy makers had their heads up their asses.
I’m not saying that bikes belong on every trail. Absolutely not. I’m saying that when you funnel an entire user group on a couple of trails, you create chaos and anger. Any trailbuilder worth his or her salt knows that you have to disperse trail users across the land to reduce congestions. Marin, however, steadfastedly ignores the obvious.
Let’s Get Back to the Radar Guns
Radar guns are not actually new to Marin mountain bikers. Marin County code dictates that “no vehicle, including a bicycle, shall be operated at a speed greater than is reasonable for safe operation, nor in any manner which may endanger the safety of others or the protection of environmental resources.” Your first ticket carries a $50 fine and $155 court cost penalty.
This new announcement about the crackdown that is not a crackdown, however, is a sign that times are changing--both for the better and the worse. There are elements of the story, for instance, that give you hope. Marin’s policy makers have been reconsidering trail use in the County (via the new Road and Trail Management Plan) and, to their credit, have been considering opening up more singletrack to riders. The Stafford Lake Bike Park that opened last year was also a monumental leap forward for Marin. The last few years have seen a more tolerant and thoughtful group of policy makers in Marin. These are good things.
Those same gains, however, have created a backlash amongst the HOHA (Hateful Old Hiker Association) contingent, which is rallying around the idea that mountain bikers are, as one interviewee in the article put it “a big reason for the creeping displacement” of other trail users from Marin’s open space. The same quoted individual suggests that “…bike riders need to ‘slow down to a crawl’ so that hikers or those on horseback are not frightened or hurt.”
Here’s the thing, if you’ve ever ridden in Marin and encountered the special (and apparently endangered) species of hiker that flocks to the place, you probably know it’s impossible to not frighten them. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve actually slowed down to a crawl, waved and said a cheery hello and have been either screamed at or had a hiking stick thrust or swung at me.
I suppose I could’ve taken a page out of their book and filed some sort of charge of “battery” against those hikers, but this is Marin. This is the status quo. It’s a dysfunctional place with a dysfunctional policy that actually creates tension between trail users.
I understand that seeing a mountain biker come barreling towards you would be a truly frightening occasion. I hike all the time. It would scare me too. The problem in Marin is that the mere
sight of a bike frightens and angers so many hikers. You don’t have to be an actual problem here, to be seen and treated as a problem. I might actually buy the argument that the radar guns are being used to “study” the issue and provide data about trail use, as the article suggests, if I hadn’t actually grown up around Marin. Having spent time in the place, I’m not believing it for a second.
So, yeah, rangers will be hiding in the bushes with radar guns. Tickets will be given. First as warnings. Then as fines. But, you know, it’s not a crackdown because that word just sounds so intolerant and Marin County is famous for being such a loving and tolerant place…that just wouldn’t do.
MENTIONS:
@vernonfelton
f*ck YOU RANGERS
I cannot wait till my kids move on to college so I can move to someplace much more reasonable and open. Like Idaho most likely. I will make sure I get rid of my Cali license plates before I arrive. Since being from Cali is now pretty embarrassing.
Marin is more like the backseat of a crappy old car where mountain biking got pregnant... and then burst into life in BC
BC is the best most tolerant place with the most trails to ride in the world and the Epicenter of mountain biking.. Oh ya Marin whistler is adding Another 50km of trails soon :p !
Sounds like a pretty sucky situation in Marin, is it really so bad that every hiker hates cyclists? If so, how/what has spawned that mentality? It does seem a crying shame that the riders in/around Marin are getting particularly unfair treatment though, nothing this bad really happens in the UK, although you might get the odd trail saboteur...
Oh and for the record, Whistler is incredible.
No disrespect intended.
I wrote a letter to California last time I stupidly pulled my double axle travel trailer down through San Fransisco and the rest of California after charging me $40 to cross that really nice orange bridge on the way down and a $85 parking ticket for stopping (I paid for one spot but took up 4 at 7am when the park was deserted) in the park on the south side and then almost having to go through Oakland on the way back to avoid the nice orange bridge or pay $20 on some other highway above a city (I chose the later$) In that letter I stated I won't be back to drop money off during my annual winter vacation again for at least a few years. California for being such a beautiful place full of really cool sights needs to get over itself big time.
Every week they would see you coming and politely block the entire trail and tell you that you didn't belong there.
On one occaision I have been shot at "accidentally" close enough for shot to bounce off my helmet.
Another occaision a rambler stuck his stick through my front wheel and sent me over the bars. I would like to say I was a better man but he laughed after doing it so I got up and knocked him clean out.
The U.K. I think is way way more tolerant now than it was back then.
Next step is to save the 300 acres above it. Just one small town in BC. There are lots more like it here. Like others have pointed out, the revenue from having open accessible trails is a tourism gold mine...plus wicked trails for me to ride whenever I want
The mountain bike lobby hasn't had time to get big money, and I don't think it'll ever compete with the old money $$ of horse-riders. If you think 8000 dollar carbon enduro sleds make MX motos look cheap, then wait till you see stabling fees and just the cost of feed and horseshit shoveling. If you haven't been riding your bike, it'll give you a goddamn heart attack.
If horse riders and nature-walkers give us shit for ruining the trail, we need to hit back at them with hard numbers, all the time. A lot of us are busy, but we need to go out, be polite as our (rightfully) pissed-off DH-baggies ass will let us be, and seriously just outnumber the NIMBY-ists at meetings, volunteer days, public consultation, votes and donations.
Print out a well-thought out letter and send it to city councilors, MPPs, land-access managers, the whole nine inches (in the rear).
I know how American civil rights must bother you.
Do you ask the government what you're allowed to eat for breakfast, or can you still make that decision on your own?
#Guns4Marin
The people's republic of NY is a cesspool of corruption.
Answering an anti-American moronic rant is not a defense of the government I'm subjected to.
Fail, but good try.
You don't have any knowledge of American politics to criticize. You've been programmed to be anti NRA, which is the oldest civil rights organization in the nation.
However #Guns4Marin sounds amazing!
If the equally as oppressive right was in charge of Marin, I'd be against them too.
What's more sad than anything is the person from Scotland with absolutely zero knowledge of American civil rights parroting the leftist anti-NRA propaganda his head has been filled with.
Scottish Land Access rights give me the freedom to ride anywhere pretty much. Freedom as Mr William Wallace aka Mel Gibson would say.
Scotland is a beacon of hope to the rest of the world for mountain bikers rights.
Also, you spelt criticise wrong. The z is nasty.
See? This is why we kicked King George out of America, we like our z!
@gkeele; take your love of MTBs away and you'd fit right in politically in Marin, provided your bank account contains at least 8 figures....
I happen to be a devoted Christian, working in the mountain bike industry. By nature of my specific job, I, and those I work with are paid in part by the church.
We clearly have different experiences with the religious community, but I am yet to encounter anyone opposed to mountain biking on the basis on religion.
I'm super into making the world a better place, but at the ripe old age of 21 I've already figured out that I can only be responsible for myself. So I put my garbage in the garbage cans and smile at people as I pass them on the trails. I don't need to impose my religion on people, sure if they want to talk I'll talk, but ultimately that's between them and God.
And bikes are pretty cool too. Its really a shame about those speed traps.
Devoted Christian here. and long time mountain biker, former post college dirt bag cyclist, father of four, and tender of a flock of mountain bikes, and supporter of trails and mountain biking. I have read many of your posts, and think that if you and I went out for a ride we would probably have some interesting conversations, and might even be good friends. You have a great intellect and interesting discernment on life.
Taking a swipe at Christians, even in a backhanded way through presidential candidates, just doesn't reflect well on you.
There are some HOHA's out here where I ride, I doubt they ever go to church, and if they do, they are hypocrites, and they missed all of Jesus teachings on love and conduct for treating others.
Don't have much respect for most politicians either - pulling a halo of christianity (or really any other organization or belief) as a means to get more votes is disingenuous and slimy.
Peace my friend, and now back to the topic - we need to save/open more trails. Here in WA state, Evergreen, the local MTB group has been a model of collaboration with other trail users and trail organizations and we are enjoying more new trails than ever before.
Cheers mate! I could ride with anybody, but I'd never speak about God on the ride, because... I need to fkng focus while I am riding and getting into such open state of mind seems like a very bad idea. Many people take drugs to get to where I go when sober. Safe riding, and remember He wants you to ask questions, he wants you to be critical, what kind of douche father would he have to be to expect his children to sit in the church and sing stuff to him... I could not respect such father. He's in the mirror, looks just like you. I love you.
Now... can someone please suspend my account?! Do I have to draw prophet Mohammed hucking TDF peloton? Naked. I am really getting nuts here. All I wrote above is fkng crazy by all standards. Even boost.
Well the demographic of mtbers is white space true on the most part!
If you think it's all down to liberals vs conservatives, you've got a lot to learn.
The other pathetic thing? MCBC also signed up to be the "Trail Kudos" org for every trail in Marin County on Trail Forks. So if you gave them "Kudos" to give back to the trails you actually helped bring radar guns to Marin's trails.
But in all seriousness, this isn't about safety, it's just a cover up, an excuse to get people to not mountain bike on certain trails. Unfortunately, there are people (mountain bikers) who like to go super fast and not yield to pedestrians at all. I've seen this happen and get pissed off when I see this happen.
So, you can imagine why people who don't mountain bike would build up a bit of hatred towards hard core mountain bikers.
Then there are hikers who just think our bikes are destroying mother nature. Which we all know isn't true.
Both sides have their stupid extremes. The a*shole rider and the a*shole hiker. Hopefully these types of people are of the minority but I guess not since laws are being passed to have speed limits.
Yuck.
It scares/startles and annoys the people hiking. It also ruins their peaceful hike. It's not like anyone wants to get hurt it's just that in this particular case ones selfishness to not yield or be courteous just because they don't want to bother slowing down.
I always slow down to a very safe pace. If I see people with pets or kids I STOP and pull over. No f*cking Strava or personal time to beat will ever be too important to not respect everyone out on the trails.
Even if you're riding and I'm going down and the other is riding up I will let the rider going up have the right away unless he signals to me it's all good.
Unfortunately, not everyone follows these simple rules of respect and courtesy and this is exactly why we have this problem today. The more popular our sport becomes the more problems we will see because of a few rotten apples spoiling the bunch.
Sad but true.
I believe it's those few people that have been bothered that are the ones that tend to speak up. If you have a small group of people who love to hike a lot and frequent a trail a lot that person(s) will experience a negative situation more often.
I don't have statistics but this is what I believe is happening. I've personally witnessed this a few times and I used to ride with a kid who didn't care about hikers in general. Which, is why I don't bother riding with him anymore.
It sucks reading articles like this. I don't ever want to see the trails I ride destroyed, limited or sabotaged. It's one hell of a scary thought. Where I live we have one trail that is closed off to hikers. It's only for mountain bikers. Which is great but it's a little far to get to and sometimes time doesn't allow for me to get out there.
One day I was riding on a trail called Neds Atomic Dustbin. Now, this trail is considered a "DH" trail. One where mountain bikers are not going slow by any means. I cant 100% remember if it is biker only, but I believe it is.
So I am entering one section of the trail, its fairly straight down but steep and very loose rock. Now this is NOT a place you can stop, let alone slow down very much. So this day of course, I enter the section (which is a mostly blind corner so you cant really see that far down the steep section). And of course, there are about 10 - 20 hikers going UP The trail.
Of course I dont think anyone of them spoke a single word of English (Remember, Vancouver here). I doubt they even knew where they were going. And unfortunately another fault of that trail system is the signage is fairly poor and if you dont know the area it can get a bit confusing.
Now luckily they were mostly paying attention, but quite frankly it scared me shitless. Because if I DID have to maneouver out of the way OR slam on the brakes it probably would have wound up with me in the hospital or seriously injured along with anyone I may have collided with. I personally was extremely lucky and also was able to use my voice warning them that I cannot slow down that easily on this section of trail.
Personally I believe it is extremely important on MANY trails anywhere that there is a separation of hikers/bikers. It honestly is just WAY too dangerous for both sides on certain trails and certain sections of trails. Yes it takes time, and money but honestly I personally view it as a large key in turning the tide with this whole hiker vs biker debate.
Not to mention ONE bad apple can sour the whole bunch on each side. And unfortunately you can never just eliminate that one bad apple.
Its frustrating, its annoying, policy totally blows. Most of us just want to ride but we need to face the reality that our societies today are too concerned with rules and regulation over just plain f*cking common sense.
There are many variables to consider but if we had trails where hikers were not allowed then it removes the whole idea of bothering or injuring some body else.
if trails are both for hikers and pedestrians there should be appropriate signs all around the trail head/parking lot and a few on entrances inside the trails like "Caution" or "MTB use only" and to avoid language issues just show icons of bikes and people. Which should be universally understood
What I noticed is that the fire roads, the only place bicycling is allowed, are also popular with elderly hikers, because the grade is consistent, safer, etc. So you have old people walking and younger people riding bikes on the same routes. Meanwhile the singletrack trails are empty. I know this because I hike as much as or more than I ride a bike.
In 1989 (the year of the earthquake) the MMWD rangers started using radar guns to enforce bike speed limits, but they did not post any signs that they were doing this. They were more interested in catching people than slowing them down. They set up the speed guns at mostly the same place, at the bottom of a long straightaway on RR Grade with clear visibility. Very tempting to ignore the brake levers. One day, as I was riding the bike up that dirt road, I noticed a couple rangers with the radar gun, so I kept riding uphill and stopped, warned cyclists to slow way down. The first time I did this I stayed in one place too long, and the rangers caught on to me, came up to my position and played the "good cop / bad cop" game. One yelled at me, threatened to arrest me, etc. I told them I wanted to slow people down just as much as they did. "Why don't you put a speed-checked-by-radar sign up there?" All I got was bla bla bla, obstruction of justice, etc. I was so put off by this typical a*shole cop behavior I publicly resigned from the Bicycle Trails Council of Marin, something I helped start. The second time I acted as a living speed-checked-by-radar sign, the speed trap was set up at the same place, but I went further up the road, and left my position before they caught on. May I suggest that the people who still ride there do the same thing. If you are riding uphill, and see the ranger with the radar gun, just keep riding and and warn people to slow down as you go. The rangers will be waiting at the bottom of straight sections with good visibility, pretty obvious spots.
On the other hand, in Bristol UK, there were a tiny handful of designated mountainbike trails and I once found a family pushing their pram the wrong way up a section of berms and jumps (the quarry section at Ashton Court) in amongst the bike traffic.
In higher traffic areas I really think the best solution is simply to have separate trails. I don't see any need to exclude riders from a given area, just give them their own trails.
Valley stay home.
The whole speed limit $h!t in the woods is PATHETIC and stupid. A bunch of dumb people who have no common sense and are bitter.
2) Vernon, you are doing a great job of painting a picture of the current ridiculous situation mountain bikers face in the USA. Please keep stoking the fire, and educating all of us. The legal framework has to change for our sport to have a healthy future.
3) Rest of us - keep on donating to Sustainable Trails Coalition and IMBA to ensure access.
Seriously though why not move to, or ride somewhere that is welcoming to bikes. Marin can't be the only area in Norcal that's worth riding. I mean you guys have plenty of space and hills.
The big issue I see is if this narrow minded attitude of hikers spreads. In southern England it is still fine but you have to be considerate when riding bridalways. Horse do pack a punch when they kick which is why I slow down / stop. There are a few walkers / dog walkers but you slow down and smile.
On a more serious note I'm sure there is more important regulations they could enforce, like here on the trails where there's guys on motor bikes who think it's cool to blast the trails and rip them up.. Next they'll pass laws on quadcopter (drone) use.. Oh wait ????
Worse, with Measure A money, the OSD is now investing in radar, installing motion cameras to track hotspots, LIDAR, hiring extra cops/rangers, and staking out previously never-patrolled areas (e.g., social trails in north Marin). It's absolutely HORRIBLE.
I think we'd have more success as a united community jointly fighting to get more access to areas that groups like the walkers and the horse riders have managed to get us restricted or outright banned from.
The reason they have such great success is partly due to wealth, there's no denying that, but it's also because they're far more united as a group than we are, particually against us. We are the common enemy it seems to both of these groups and these groups both have long ties dictating what can and can't happen on wilderness trails.
Ideally we should make peace with these groups and jointly push forward to keep beautiful places beautiful but at the same time allow people to enjoy them whatever their mode of transport, as long as damage isn't occuring. It's easy for each group to point fingers and say oh horse riders destroy trails with big heavy beasts, walkers are slower so more likely to carry more food and thus drop more litter or mountain bikers will try to rail coners too fast and chew them up. All of us have an impact, some more than others but the worst are those who have no considerations for others, be they a walker, a rider (beast or mechanical). I'm sure anyone from any group would agree they'd rather come accross the group they like least that are not dropping litter and acting like they own the whole trail than users of the same group who are. The worse thing we could do is stoop to their level though. Don't become what we hate.
I appreciate that right now making peace will be a long way off so at the very least we should try to stand united. Every time we start arguing with ourselves over irrelevent things like religion or whatever else is being a point of contension in these comments we doom ourselves to more problems just like this because we don't have the combined clout to make it stop in Marin County or anywhere else.
If we could grow up as a group and maybe start making ourselves heard with a united goal and voice we'd be much harder to ignore than the playground din we currenty make. This is how I see things getting better, not by bringing each other down.
/rant
Poor rich folk...Don't they know, if they keep us poor. We'll have to eat their horses. Then they will have to love MTB Muwahahahahaahaha
www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj0zrvqo4DMAhXrs4MKHVNzDBMQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.spreadshirt.com%2Fimagine-no-liberals-t-shirts-A7030029&psig=AFQjCNEtwuXmCYOE9Po3tEfEZbTdzE2Qmw&ust=1460247444834991
If you want one to spout off about one political camp or another, how about taking it to a political forum. This place is for MTB. Stay on target.
1) Most of the open land in Marin was set aside by equestrians, so horses being allowed is totally understandable- without those endowments there wouldn't be the plethora of open space in Marin.
2) The amount of rules and legal ass covering is incredible here. There are almost zero trails where you can trail run (let alone bike) with your dog off leash.
3) There is a push in the Marin Headlands with their new management program to close trails, and funnel more traffic and usage to adequately maintained and managed trails. They've closed local/neighborhood hiking trails that are 10-20 years old because they don't have the budget to ensure maintenance or "safety" of the trail.
That being said, there isn't any sense that there are new/better plans coming for bikes, making a new trail plans don't seem to exist, probably due to the high cost of environmental studies needed to open up any new areas. The focus on closing trails is very frustrating, and treating the forest as if it needs to be as safe as walking on a sidewalk is absurd.
My great hope is that the "gatekeepers" of land have kids that get into biking and realize that things need to improve.
Vernon, why do you think this hasn't been happening?
Really I haven't had any bad experiences with other hikers (excluding horse riders), just bad experiences with rangers and cops and people like that. Whenever I see a noter trail user I stop, say hello, they say hello back and it's fine. Nice and friendly. But then 10 minutes later I get some a*shole park ranger telling me to stop and that I'm endangering the lives of other trail users. What a load of bullshit
I only dismount my bike and move off the trail as a mere courtesy to a*sholes that give me a death stare when I acknowledge them, slow down, say hi, and then attempt to proceed cautiously. I have been teaching my girlfriend how to ride, which for me, the rides are at a glacial pace (sometimes walking uphills or down technical sections of trail) and this happens even when I am not riding agressively and teaching someone about mountain biking. I feel incredibly disrespected almost every other time I'm out on my trail bike and I am getting f*cking sick of it.
Sorry for the long rant...thanks for reading.
All it takes is one ignorant city official to decide to go after the reckless fringe group of bikers.
Solution: hidden trails. Or poach the off limit trails at night.
Its a shame that Marin county is the birth place of mountain biking.
I live and ride the NorthShore from my doorstep.
Ned's atomic dustbin trail is a black diamond trail in really bad shape. I can see why you got the the freaked.
I even with nobody coming up it is scary.
It is a designated mtb primary trail downhill only.
Unfortunately the dumbass Asian tour groups do what ever they want...
As much as I want to get away from all the BS and just ride my bike, it is becoming increasingly important that we stand up for our user rights.
#freemarincountymtb
Truth hurts, I know.
You mean the non-politician who isn't beholden to mega corporations and has actually worked for a loving, Donald Trump?
Yeah, the other party is every bit as corrupt, and oppressive as the left, which is why both sides, and brainwashed zombies hate him so much.
Run to your safe space!
What bigoted thing have I said? I was attacked, and replied in kind.
Leftist cry bullies are hysterical, especially when triggered.
Having said that, yeah I don't mind if you write postcards instead .
Nowhere have I posted any defense of the equally as oppressive "right wing" nor any defense of Hitler. You're so brainwashed that you give the same canned response as other stupid, poorly educated left wing kids.
My comment would have been against the right if they were in control of Marin, but don't let facts get in your way, after all, you're a dopey leftist. It's what you do.
Seriously, the "Hitler" card? Laughable.
Everything the left touches turns to garbage.
Sorry if facts bother you.
Trump was never a lifelong Democrat, that's a lie.
Trump does a large part of his business in blue states, and because our system is so corrupt, made contributions to all political parties.
The idea that Trump is in cahoots with Hillary is beyond stupid, because in spite of the polls that have ALL been wrong so far, Trump will destroy the lifelong politician, who has never worked a day in her life in the general election.