The MTB Ranger for Coed y Brenin and Gwydyr has posted on Facebook complaining about riders damaging trails which are still under construction:
“This is really not cool! The trail builders have been working hard in tough conditions to sculpt a fine piece of trail. Then someone goes and carves some deep ruts through the soft surface!”
He says “I can’t wait to ride this, but its still not finished and like baking a good cake needs time to rest before it’s ready to taste!”
He explains that the new trail needs to dry out, settle and harden before it can be opened up, and by carving these ruts in the trail this thoughtless rider has allowed water to get into the trail. It’ll now need to be repaired so that it can dry out. So you lot are now stuck waiting while the trail builders fix this bit (when they could have been building some more new trails), and while it dries out (later than planned – so you’re waiting longer).
Tempting as that new trail may be, don’t be a wally [other insults may be available]. Wait until it’s ready and open. Patience is a virtue.
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Always think part of the problem is that people don’t understand the damage they do- in fact most people have no clue what’s involved in building a durable bike trail in the first place. I’m sure if more people understood the process, they wouldn’t do this. But I still don’t understand why people see a closed trail and ride it. We were working on a trail damaged by wind/treefall a while back and a huge group of kids led by supposedly responsible adults climbed past the signs and rode down- it was almost ready to reopen but 3 hours earlier it was unridable, and 24 hour earlier it was outright dangerous with hanging trees. Madness tbh.
If you don’t know anything, then do what you’re told, is the short version.
Take a cast of the treads, track down the culprit and send them back to do the repairs. It’s unlikely they’d know how to do that though. What a wally.
Interested to know what the construction is that allows the trail to dry out and harden and won’t just turn back to mush the next time it rains. I always just assumed that it was different grades of stone but this doesn’t look like that.
Stakeout. It’s the only way.
I’ve a black widow with some 10mm steel BB’s that I’m willing to lend for the process. 🙂
Apply this to natural trails as well.
Everything would be better if we stop and think a bit before we ride sopping wet trails or things that might be damaged.
The best riders don’t hurt the dirt.
Surprises me the amount of people who will cut down tape and other obstacles across a closed trail to get to ride it, and with signs up explaining the situation and how riding will cause damage. Utter selfish idiots. When the revamp of Swinley was underway it seemed a regular occurrence.
A liberal scattering of dog eggs would be a good deterrent.
Had this at the local bmx track when it was close to being finished. Problem is it looks finished, though that above certainly doesn’t, but needs time to dry out and harden. The amount of parents that had entered the track via a hole but in metal fencing past signs saying please be patient was staggering.
You all assume that wally’s can read and think. There is the mistake.
I bet they are saying “we sneaked onto the new trail and it is crap, too soft”!
not excusing the behaviour, but very often there is no signing to indicate why a trail might be closed, and communication does help ( even just the above, ‘please leave it alone or it’ll take longer/cost more’ is better than nothing ), and actually going back and removing signage too, otherwise it just loses it’s impact.
My experience from trail building at Cannock, was that you quickly learn to hate mountain bikers. No amount of brashing, signage etc would stop folk who are determined to try it before everyone else.
As someone who loves and rides these trails regularly – one word – tosser’s