Riding my local trails today found a fallen tree across one of the trails and some industrious individual had built up the back side of it as a kicker with a haphazard collection of old branches and about 3 hand fulls of mud...
It was to quite frank one of the worst examples of trail building ever and has in effect ruined a quite good line, now is it poor form to knock down someone else handy work and re-do it? or should I leave it well alone to "bed in" (which it won't)...
Discuss...
improve it ? Presumably the tree's not radily moveable ?
(it's odd how many trees fall right across trails where I ride - it's tempting to make them into jumps just to piss off whoever felled the tree)
Do you know that whoever 'built' the kicker felled the tree. It could have been some 'do-gooder' (dog) walker
I'd shift it if it's that bad, it'll be dodgy to ride and fuel for the "bloody bikers brigade" If it were decent I'd leave it.
Build it up better?
build it better, add some skinny north shore sections into the trees, adding vital ewok villages of 'shore in the trees, drop it down into a kicker leading into a high walled 180o berm, down into a bomb hole followed by a table top and a 8ft drop.
Well thats what i would do 
Lie in wait and watch them try and ride it. 
Only thing youll find if you build it up correct
will be nutters recking it for someone to have an
accident on it.
Pull the mess to one side
If its in your average local wood (ie, dog walkers, do gooders) then it won't survive anyways. Anything this obvious just attracts their wrath!
I always keep my local stuff subtle, if you want a drop or jump then clear a line to something natural, Tidy the run in/out shape the lip, cover it all up with a few leaves and leave well alone for a month or two. Hey presto no-one realises its been built..
Problem with this approach is it requires patience!
Agreed, its amazing how often those trees 'fall' on good paths, time to invest in a chainsaw. 
My initial thought was go back with a shovel knock the bugger down then start again, but then it is somebody else’s work, and it’s not too polite to just demolish somebody else’s efforts.
The tree looks to have fallen of its own accord, due to being rotten and having probably been done in finally by frost, I actually have no problem with the kicker where it is, the principle of “Natural trails” being build/shore them up with what you find locally using the terrain and fallen trees as you find them. The trouble is it it’s obviously stopped riders using the line as evidenced by the skid marks on the run in to it and the lack of tyre tracks leading on after it it’s a bit of a big bike only feature in the middle of a bunch of quite HT friendly trails…
It’s uneven and rough meaning you’d need to carry more speed in to have a change of getting over it, it’s also too steep and has a chuffing great log shoved in the top which would boot you up the arse sending you too high and too long to ever get settled properly for the drop 10 ft further down the trail. It also lacks a chicken run/rollability for learners which most of the other stuff on these trails has; I do prefer to see some consideration given to those with fewer god like skills and monstrous travel bikes
As it was the trail was good but you probably had a touch too much thinking time before the drop, a nice shallow kicker over the fallen tree would be fine and add a little something extra to an already good line IMO, it’s just a crap bit of building, would I be out of order “Re-working” someone else’s trail work? I’m coming round to the idea of changing it…
Can the fallen tree be hopped? No? Then build the kicker better if you don't think its up to much - whoever built the current one wouldn't care less if they turn up next weekend and find a nice jump. Probably just someone out riding who thought they'd try a quick fix...
"would I be out of order “Re-working” someone else’s trail work? I’m coming round to the idea of changing it… "
Not at all, as long as you're doing it to make it better rather than to redesign a line. What you'd build will almost certainly be what they would have built, if they a) could be bothered or b) had a clue.
You sound like you've thought about it so what the hell, try and improve it. Better that than leaving something woeful in place.
Riding in Brandon country park by any chance?
Riding in Brandon country park by any chance?
Nope...
This topic has been closed to new replies.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
