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!

Mate youre completely & utterly missing the point…which is, fundamentally, about being responsible for your actions & being aware of the negative impact they may have on others & the environment.

You also seem to want to start a slanging match…which Im just not interested in.

On that note I’m walking away from this conversation.

I think its very bad for the public image of mountain bikers when some folk build potentially dangerous trails with such close proximity to dog walkers etc .
there have been similar issues near me ,all you need is one bike coming downhill fast and one other person walking accross their path and we’re feeding people the excuse to dislike our legitimate use of trails

Got to agree with the eco-treehugging-hippy people on this one. It only takes one bike where it has no right to be to hit someone who has a right to be there and all of a sudden we’re banned from riding privately owned land. Got nothing against building trails responsibly away from footpaths etc – it’s only you that’ll get hurt either through crashing or arrest for trespass/criminal damage but as soon as you start infringing on others access and introducing the risk of collisions between cyclists and pedestrians you’re making trouble for all of us.

Paintball guns are great.

Pirate Trail Builders are a pain in the arris. Without exception they think they are some sort of modern day Robin Hood exercising some form of medieval right to do whatever they please wherever they please, and generally just succeed in cocking things up for everyone else.

A similar scenario to the above left some poor innocent a paraplegic in my local forest. Borrow pits either side of a badly constructed, stupidly located, poorly thought through “jump” = one broken neck. Of course having had their fun these guys were long gone when the crap hit the fan, and then everyone else is left paying the price.

the woods are public property next to a town
Local Duke of edinburgh groups tidy them.
They have an alphabet trail for local kids to follow
Has lots of already built paths
Looked after by residents
Has no cycling signs

Im not appose to folk riding through the woods or even having fun on bikes there,(stealth like) it was just the cutting of saplings and making big muddy trails.

Think yourself lucky it’s not chavs on monkey bikes like my local woods!
(It’s only 5 hours drive to the Lake District too! 😉 )

ooo wont somebody think of the children

I think the OP has a point. If it’s a small wooded area then there needs to be some sensitivity which if the guys are young they may not be in tune with.
We all need to share these resources and this won’t be helping the reputation on mtbers if it’s making a big mess/hazzard.

Really not sure what you should do apart from keeping up the dialog/ empathise – keep chatting to them then they may be more inclined to listen to what you have to say

A similar scenario to the above left some poor innocent a paraplegic in my local forest. Borrow pits either side of a badly constructed, stupidly located, poorly thought through “jump” = one broken neck. Of course having had their fun these guys were long gone when the crap hit the fan, and then everyone else is left paying the price.

Was the injured individual riding those jumps? Surely they should only attempt them if they are happy with the jumps, and if so, accept any injury that results?

(Within reason of course, fair enough if the jumps were booby-trapped or similar, but pits next to dirtjumps is hardly unusual)

I live in an inner city area that is next to a bona fida Gheto, have a cheap house so cheap i did not pay stamp duty, a very small car and comute to work by bike,AND ride lots of stelth trails and footpaths, so if pussywillow will allow me to express an opinion..
building a trail that runs across walking paths cutting down sapplings and building unauthorised berns and jumps is silly it places mountainbikers in conflict with others and creates hostility it also does actually run a serious risk of injuring a member of the public or a childs face. I can think of two local “trails” that have down hill runs that cut across bridalways at 90 degrees with really poor sight lines so no warning for the downhill wanabees that ride them or the walkers, horse riders and todlers on ballance bikes enjoying the legitimate path. Some day soon it could get quiet ugly and then we all get banned or we get some more vigalanti’s building booby traps.

Eco warrior! not really, to be honest i’m just grown up enough to know that the world doesn’t owe me anything and i have some responsabilities, i dont really mind cheeky trail building but like most things you have to consider thier impact on the other users of the area. but hey as long as the mud self repairs itself who cares 😉

you could offer to give them all a lift to your idyllic trails in the lakes – maybe organize a minibus, get a club going, all that big society sort of thing innit. or just carry on whinging on here whilst they’re having fun in the woods

Troll

or

just stay in and watch Heartbeat or some other crap for pensioners.

So how do you find out who owns your local woods if you would like to do some digging?

you could offer to give them all a lift to your idyllic trails in the lakes – maybe organize a minibus, get a club going, all that big society sort of thing innit. or just carry on whinging on here whilst they’re having fun in the woods

Come on then, since you’re on your high-horse……what is it exactly you do to help?

I really don’t get this ‘eco-warrior’ bashing nonsense. 🙄 The last time I looked, mountainbiking involved riding bikes in the countryside, therefore anything that impacts negatively on the environment has a knock on effect to the enjoyment of my hobby. My local trails have over the years been the victim of idiots who’ve cut down trees and pulled up saplings to make lines easier for themselves. It’s selfish, doesn’t take into consideration the fact that others might actually relish a challenge, and ultimately it has had a detrimental effect on the trails.

I’d love to meet these guys, and quite honestly don’t think I’d be as polite and reserved as the chap who originally started this thread. We live on such a wee island, where pretty much every bit of countryside must be considered multi user, that selfish knob ends should be pulled up for their actions.

It’s also quite interesting to see how over the years, many of these selfish fools seem to have congregated on this forum. Maybe the cull should start here. 😈

ooooooooooooooooooo 😆

Trouble is a lot of the youtube shorts on mountain biking show people just wandering into the woods and digging a trail, and/or riding through apparent backwoods wilderness improbably seeded with kickers and berms.

(Where this filming actually happens I don’t know, one suspects companies such as Redbull and DC shoes and maybe the richer promoters and riders own or lease a few slices of land with such terrain.)

If they really are doing the harm suggested in the OP I’d probably agree with you Beagleboy, it’s just the OP sounds a bit ‘Daily Mail’ so it’s difficult to know what the reality of the situation is.

I really don’t get this ‘eco-warrior’ bashing nonsense. The last time I looked, mountainbiking involved riding bikes in the countryside, therefore anything that impacts negatively on the environment has a knock on effect to the enjoyment of my hobby. My local trails have over the years been the victim of idiots who’ve cut down trees and pulled up saplings to make lines easier for themselves. It’s selfish, doesn’t take into consideration the fact that others might actually relish a challenge, and ultimately it has had a detrimental effect on the trails.
I’d love to meet these guys, and quite honestly don’t think I’d be as polite and reserved as the chap who originally started this thread. We live on such a wee island, where pretty much every bit of countryside must be considered multi user, that selfish knob ends should be pulled up for their actions.
It’s also quite interesting to see how over the years, many of these selfish fools seem to have congregated on this forum. Maybe the cull should start here.
POSTED 41 MINUTES AGO # REPORT-POST

😆

what is it exactly you do to help?

He moans on here on behalf of the people who are being moaned at by the moaners on here. Big society innit.

When I was young we used to burn car tyres in ditches, set fireworks off and throw stones at buses to amuse ourselves. The bigger kids used to sniff glue. I’m pretty sure that were we out in the countryside on our bikes we’d have been held up as pillars of the community. Funny how times, and what people perceive as anti-social behaviour change.

Having said that I’m pretty sure there’s a solution to this which involves the kids still having their fun and the environment not being trashed. Maybe some common sense and understanding is in order on both sides?

Age of most of the mtb’ers in the wood is mid 30’s ish.

Mid 30s? I’m surprised they have the time to be building trails. Still, the common sense thing still applies.

Having said that I’m pretty sure there’s a solution to this which involves the kids still having their fun and the environment not being trashed. Maybe some common sense and understanding is in order on both sides?

Yes I 100% agree, I’m not saying they should not do it, just don’t trash the woods, whist you do ride.