We have a local woods which is normally used for small walks, child walking and dog owners. Its situated near a town.
However, a couple of ‘downhillers’ think its a good idea to cut saplings down and make new trails and are making a huge muddy mess.
How can you ask them not to?
I have spoken to them, they were abusive and said its our local trails isnt it. No actually it isnt its basically a public park with lots of 25 metre muddy slippy ‘trails’. I mentioned if they were actually mountain bikers they should be in kentmere or the lakes (about 10 mins drive away).

This isnt a troll, i ride footpaths responsibly if i need too. i.e in the snow or when its dry or when there isnt families around.
However, they are making a bad name for actual mountain bikers who go to mountains to ride.

Maybe im getting old and grumpy, but these guys are old enough to know better.

Is it council land? If it is there’ll be a Ranger or somesuch who’s responsible.

There’s been similar problems near me in Hove and the Council have spent a lot of money putting trails beyond use. Biggest problem was there was a footpath cut into the fall line and the DH tracks crossed it in several places.

im sure everyone will be along shortly to give their underinformed opinions and slate my spelling/punctuation

My opinion is are they really hurting anybody? if not why not ask them to tidy up/ maintain the trail better. a ten min drive can be a long ride on a dh bike and they are right they are their local wood aswell

My opinion is are they really hurting anybody?

What is your opinion if they do hurt somebody?
It is after all an illegal downhill track that crosses a footpath several times in a public path.

My opinion is are they really hurting anybody? if not why not ask them to tidy up/ maintain the trail better. a ten min drive can be a long ride on a dh bike and they are right they are their local wood aswell

Not hurting anyone as such, but certainly hurting the long term ecological future of the woods by cutting down saplings…..

So yes I think the OP is right to be concerned.

Build gorilla trails by all means but do it with a view to the future.

Build gorilla trails by all means but do it with a to the future.

Yes i agree.

Why don’t you set up some illegal Strava racing activity in some OTHER local woods and circulate it on the internet.

All the irresponsible MTBers will sod off to the other woods.

🙂

Plant saplings in their berms.

It is after all an illegal downhill track that crosses a footpath several times in a public path.

Gap jumps over the paths are clearly needed.

gorilla trails…!? that should keep the yobbo’s away

[/quote]gorilla trails…!?

Thats the one!

I believe the trend is to stretch wire across the trails, or leave planks with nails in on them!

Joking really, not sure there is much you can do, there any many areas of life with irresponsible tools in, even biking.

are they really hurting anybody? if not why not

Good point, more violence is clearly needed.

However, they are making a bad name for actual mountain bikers who go to mountains to ride

Well arnt you the bees £%$^ing knees.

Get dogs to crap over their lines, they will soon move on

Ideal use for some old Claymore mines of you have any kicking about. They’ll only set them off the once…

I’m all for sniper DH lines but that’s exactly what they should be.. minimal impact, inconspicuous little lines.

Whether they cross footpaths or not is irrelevant imo..

I don’t think the stw mahoosive can reliably pass judgement here due to a lack of evidence.

Case dismissed.

STATO

No im not the bees knees, but some people need to respect their surroundings. We live so near Lake district i don’t know why they go there. I do.

its serious tho innit, shirley if we want what we do to be accepted and encouraged we’ve got to be responsible? i try not to ride stuff thats going to get destroyed if its wet, there’s plenty you can do when it is wet, and maintenance is part of riding?

Where is it?

It’s because they don’t have cars perhaps. When did pruning some trees and a muddy line become an ecological disaster? Dogs, on the other hand, are a nightmare for wildlife. Perhaps you should contemplate the millions of acres of treeless ploughed fields and protest against modern agriculture instead?

Whether these lines are a good idea or not, your idea that they should all ship off to the Lake District because
i) it’s close
ii) it’s what you do it
is laughable.
How about you live your life and let them live theirs?

buzz-lightyear – Member
It’s because they don’t have cars perhaps. When did pruning some trees and a muddy line become an ecological disaster?

New around here I take it?

Eddie Fiola – Member

We live so near Lake district i don’t know why they go there. I do.

You said 10 minutes drive- so, 5-10 miles? Not too convenient on a big bike, if you don’t drive. Are the trails there the same as these ones?

. I mentioned if they were actually mountain bikers they should be in kentmere or the lakes (about 10 mins drive away).

Was this before or after they got abusive?

So what exactly are these woods, and how large are they?
Are they a public park, as you suggest, or are they owned for other uses, either privately or publicly?
If it’s not really a park, I suggest you live & let live.
The cyclists will make a few paths through the woods, in the same way that walkers & dogs do. They won’t leave piles of poo though.

A 10 minute drive to you may be an hour’s cycle each way for them: not really feasible for an afternoon.
Of course the dog-walkers could always go to the fells instead of using the woods – or is that not just as reasonable a request as suggesting the cyclists move?
Perhaps you could offer them a lift?

pruning some trees

Pruning good/ok….if you know what you are doing….

Cutting down not good…..if you don’t know what you are doing….

Where I live the Gnar-Boys seem to do this a lot – its brill isn’t it 🙂

Oh, but been Scotland no one else cares what they get up to, and the ‘lines’ will stay until the trees are cut down – which could be next year, or it could be in 30 years.

I believe the trend is to stretch wire across the trails, or leave planks with nails in on them!

Joking really…

Sad thing is, there’s people out there who do that, and they aren’t joking.

When you’ve got people on mountain bikes being dickheads, people will think that mountain bikers are dickheads.

Only takes one of them to be not too bright and in possession of fishing line and someone gets hurt.

Whether it’s trashing the land, or riding inconsiderately or whatever, it reflects badly on anyone who rides on knobbly tyres. Whether that leads to access problems, vigilante idiots or just bad vibes, it’s right that it’s challenged by those that have the gumption, and good on you, OP, for not standing by or just being blindly tribal because they’re “mountain bikers”.

Take a shovel and help them build?

Why not approach them as both a mountain biker and a concerned local. That way you can actually influence what they’re up to, maybe suggest line choices that avoid paths or create corners that slow you down before entering a path. I’m hardly an expert trail builder but you get what I mean.

Compromise and working together is always better than this tribal approach some people seem hell bent on taking.

A lot depends on the circumstances, too often see this when people who think they can build something and all they actually do is make a mess that turns into a bog after the first rainfall.

Not good for anyone.

mattk – Member

Take a shovel and help them build?

can I suggest that without landowners permission no-one should be digging 😉 for all the group know there could be red squirrels or other protected species in the wood

if people want to dig they need to talk to the well known responsible groups who are well established about how to do it and keep everyone happy

Not really enough info in the OP to make any kind of judgement. Is it private land? Is it a managed wood? Are the footpaths RoW’s? How popular is it with walkers? How often do the DH lines cross footpaths?
The fact there are other options in driving distance is pretty irrelevant

Sounds good! Where abouts is it? If its local I might go give them a hand, OP you sound like a typical middle class mtb snob tbh! Would you rather them be on the street corners terrorising your neighbourhood! 😈

They’re causing no harm its only mud and will repair itself live and let live man!

They’re causing no harm

Apart from cutting down saplings and being abusive….

However, as mentioned above, more info is needed regarding the ownership / access rights to the woods.

@pussywillow: Except it’s not just mud and it won’t necessarily repair itself will it? By cutting down saplings/trees etc it can destroy the root system which hold the earth together, encourages good drainage and prevents erosion if it’s done extensively enough. Also, as posted somewhere above, how do the diggers know the area they’re digging in does not contain wildlife which they’re disturbing unnecessarily?

About 10 years ago, a group of young guys with jump bikes started doing exactly this in my local woods using what looked like piles of earth as the foundations of their jumps. Thing was, those piles of earth was a badger sett which they subsequently destroyed. Despite them not riding there anymore, the remnants of the trail is still there and it’s now pretty much a bog.

Self repairing mud! Gotta get me some of that!

They’re causing no harm its only mud and will repair itself live and let live man!

When professional trail builders e.g. Cognation, build a trail one of the most important aspects they look at is environmental impact & sustainability. One part of that is looking at how to build a trail which blends in with the local environment, doesnt impact on other trail-users & doesnt involve cutting down valid growth, & will last.

Now with their being professionals I think its safe to assume they know what they are doing & the best way to do it…

Or perhaps you know better? Perhaps you should give them a call & tell them not to bother with that poncy green tree-huggy crap ‘cos hey its only mud after all….

Jeez some of you guys really are a set of Eco warriors!! 🙄

A bunch of kids having some fun building a few jumps causing no intentional trouble and you guys acting like they’re a bunch of low life thugs!! I bet the moaners about it all live far in the country side with nice big houses away from all the REAL trouble in life hmmm… And I bet you all drive nice big fancy cars polluting the atmosphere too! Pot calling kettle n all that!