I'll come clean, that tree discloated my shoulder earlier this year, front wheel slipped on the wet roots and I bodychecked the tree on my way through. By rights I should be thanking this person from the bottom of my heart but I'm not.

It makes no odds now, the deed is done but what was once a small but defining feature is gone because this person is so selfish.

Don't get me wrong I am not condoning the action. Then again I am not necessarily criticising it either as I haven't ridden it since it was altered.

What is being reflected here is that everyone takes something different from a trail in terms of enjoyment. Some people prefer a slower technical trail while others prefer trails that allow you to carry lots of speed.

The real issue as far as I can see is not that the act may have ‘sanitised’ a section of trail, because you can always make it harder by riding it faster. The real issue appears to be that someone else has imposed their idea of fun onto the trail.

I’ll ride that section tonight and maybe I will enjoy it more because of the alteration but then maybe I won’t.

Let's be realistic though, the only reason for carting a chainsaw up a big hill on your own is for selfish reasons.

Whilst I neither agree nor disagree with the trail change in question, this statement (and others to the same effect) are what I strongly DISagree with.

It may have been done for entirely selfLESS reasons.

+1 for Glenp.

These great trails that we have really don't build themselves and some one out there is making life an awful lot of fun at the moment. I for one would like to buy that person a beer!

We could go round and round on this all day.

That bit of that trail was something to master and could catch you out no matter how often you'd ridden it, it was interesting.

No matter what the intention the result is that something good is gone based on one persons view of what is *right*.

Thin end of the wedge, they'd have been better off trimming back some of that sodding holly by the graveyard.

davefarmer – Member
definately a rider, know who it is.

The first tree i disagree with, the flick through the offset trees at the start of T2 was fun, now it is just faster, this will erode the next corner massively.

The second tree, the 'V' tree, did not flow, was annoying at any time of year, and made people ride around it (another line has appeared). So removing it, improves flow and maintains the original trail line.

WTF?!?! Are you serious?

you can't just take a chainsaw and start cutting out parts of the woods, it's private land ffs, have some respect!

I don't build trails on Hurtwood Control, because the rangers ask people specifically not to – it's ancient woodland, not a trial centre, pissing about with the established trails takes people into the woods where they shouldnt go, disrupts ground ensting birds, makes a mess and pisses off the landowners etc…

That is unreal . . .

If this is the bit where you did a sharp right after a couple of rooty steps then I am gutted. I had only just mastered that section without having to dab.

As a little point to note the trees didn't really get in the way it was more that the little dip stole your momentum and you'd see people hang up at the bottom. I fail to see how removing the tree does anything about that?

One thing I do agree with – these debates seem to go round in circles, so I'll step away now.

One last point though – it is very true what has been said about this not being our land. Unsanctioned trail building, cutting trees etc are all not on, and that alone is reason enough to leave as-is.

Some things in life apply to most situations.

Lance: Still got your V Tree?
Vincent: Aw, man. You know what some f*cker did the other day?
Lance: What?
Vincent: F*cking sawed it.
Lance: Oh, man, that's f*cked up.
Vincent: Tell me about it. I had it built up over three years, it was unveiled for five days and some d*ckless piece of sh*t f*cked with it.
Lance: They should be f*cking killed. No trial, no jury, straight to execution.
Vincent: Boy, I wish I could've caught him doing it. I'd have given anything to catch that *sshole doing it. It'd been worth him doing it just so I could've caught him doing it.
Lance: What a f*cker!
Vincent: What's more chickensh*t than f*cking with a man's trail build? I mean, don't f*ck with another man's trail.
Lance: You don't do it.
Vincent: It's just against the rules.

why focus on messing with a trail which is already bleeding great. there are hundreds of downhills all over the place here which are fantastic and a bit of work could make them top notch.

Just rode the bridleway down redlands twice this morning and it rocks.. (and yes i _do_ mean the bridleway because i respect that area). that bridleway is bleedin great at high speed – a few tweaks could make it fantastic (even just safety tweaks – hidden rocks, branches in face, etc), and the same goes for hundreds of untweaked trails. why anyone would mess with whats not far off perfect over on pitch baffles me.

PS please can someone name and shame becuase we shouldnt let this selfish coward hide behind anonymity any longer. They need to be stopped, and, if necessary, prosecuted.

The V tree doesnt bother me, the part to get over is still there, its not changed that much. However the tree thats gone further up is the part that bothered me, its taken away the feeling of the trail as you can just striaght line it now, if i wanted to ride in a straight line id ride on the bridelways.

…or the A1.

Wow, and I thought this post had fizzled out.. Nice to see that a majority here appreciated the tree obstacle, and that we don't all sit on the fence either.. (Greg 😉 )

The Graveyard trail has been widely used for what – 4 years now? It's never been a flat out DH trail, it's a fun twisty singletrack with a nice mix of speed and tech thrown in.
There was never a need to remove the tree in question – It was a fun feature in a section of the trail that required you to drop speed a little, think about what you were doing, negotiate the tree and then climb slightly up to the fire road crossing – not exactly a super fast section in itself, regardless of trees.

Look, I'll be the first to admit to enjoying the various new trails that seem to pop up here and there up on the hills and having done plenty of trail building myself I appreciate the effort that goes into it. I am more than happy to maintain any trail that requires it (and many of them do) but removing trees is a BIG no no – simple as that, especially on a trail that's been established and enjoyed for a number of years.

Oh, and geetee1972 – I'm the best rider on the Surrey Hills, you know that! 😀

Jim you've certainly taken a fast pill or had fast implants recently!

lol thanks, just been getting out loads thats all 😛

Rode this earlier this evening not thrilled, chicken run is gone which is good, any challenge or skill required is gone too, not good.

davefarmer – Member
definately a rider, know who it is.

The first tree i disagree with, the flick through the offset trees at the start of T2 was fun, now it is just faster, this will erode the next corner massively.

The second tree, the 'V' tree, did not flow, was annoying at any time of year, and made people ride around it (another line has appeared). So removing it, improves flow and maintains the original trail line.

At least the person in question is putting some effort into the trails, they don't just maintain themselves, and they don't just come into being by themselves.

I wonder how many people commenting on here have actually performed any trail building/maintenance themselves?

Just get out there and do it, find a puddle that doesn't drain, and drain it, find a blown out corner that people are straightlining, and block the straight route and build the corner right.

Hmm, despite the condescending "how many of you have done any trail building" after everyone has been strongly discouraged from doing any non sanctioned trail building in the area, this post has made me change my mind slightly and see the other point of view.

People riding around techy parts of trails, scratching in new trails around obstacles only end up creating some sort of motorway. That nice rooty trail that leads down to the Holmbury village hall, across Telegraph Road is becoming a victim of that.

If the "work" was done to prevent more lines being created then maybe it is of more benefit than originally assumed.