From what I can see the majority of people that ride bikes wouldn’t even consider getting a shovel or hoe and going out on foot to repair or build trails. Am I wrong? Why is this?

If even 50% of people I see riding were to put just a little time in here and there the local trail network could be stupendous.

I’m here to ride, not work, pal.

Now, smooth off that berm please, I’ll be back in 10, yeah?

Where I do most of my riding, I would get into serious trouble for getting my tool out.

Seriously, the Malvern Conservators would take a very dim view of anyone working on the bridleways.

But I take your point.

My Mrs won’t even let me have the sellotape at home. Trust me you don’t want me near trails with a shovel.

“the Malvern Conservators” – they sound like a bunch not to be messed with!

Whenever I get the opportunity I’m out there, which isn’t too often but it is annoying when bloody walkers and horsetorturers then go and rip it up for no apparent reason..

From what I can see the majority of people that ride bikes wouldn’t even consider getting a shovel or hoe and going out on foot to repair or build trails. Am I wrong? Why is this?

No idea, but I can’t recollect the last time I saw a car driver filling a pot-hole or clearing a drainage ditch either.

No idea, but I can’t recollect the last time I saw a car driver filling a pot-hole or clearing a drainage ditch either.

Because roads have maintenance people to do that, it’s what you pay your taxes for.

Whilst many trails/dirt jumps are maintained by volunteers who get **** off with winter only mtbers/carbon riding lycra clad audi driving **** wrecking their jumps/berms and not lending a hand to fix them.

^What Tom said^

It’s a lack of skills that put me off – 75% of the time I’m riding trail centres but when it comes to my local ‘community built’ trails I limit myself to shifting fallen trees and the odd branch which has mysteriously wedged itself between to narrow trees…

In fairness there’s nothing that looks overtly man-made, whoever is building is a master of stealth – jumps, drops and such magically appear week to week but look like mothers nature’s work.

Have just helped resurrect an XC loop near me following some felling/thinning, plenty of people have clearly been involved but would be good if others would help too, could be loads of trails round there.

I dig as much as my owd and knackered body allows, and do it alone for 95% of the time too, getting good trail builders is like pulling teeth, everyone is quick to ride the stuff when its done tho (strange innit) most people are lazy and selfish (and admit it too) so I have to do things myself ‘my way’ or it doesn’t get done at all.

I’m with you Dan – from your neck of the woods, and am getting a bit sick of clearing trails only for some asshats to destroy them with inept riding and/or riding them when too wet. The guy with the blue paint can stick it right up his hole too…

and I believe its our god given right and duty to fettle any trail up a little bit (for flow and fun) and the good of mankind! but only if it doesn’t leave holes or destroy another part of the place in doing so.

Whilst many trails/dirt jumps are maintained by volunteers who get **** off with winter only mtbers/carbon riding lycra clad audi driving **** wrecking their jumps/berms and not lending a hand to fix them.

I tend to mostly ride existing rights of way, which have for the most part been finely sculptured by horses hooves.
Besides, any decent enduro bike doesn’t need a groomed trail in the first place.

“the Malvern Conservators” – they sound like a bunch not to be messed with!

They have a legal responsibility for the upkeep the Malvern Hills, and on the whole do a good job in keeping trails open for everyone. What gets them going, and quite rightly in my opinion, is unauthorised digging, trail building etc. and people riding on the scheduled monuments

The Conservators manage over 1200 hectares (3000 acres) including most of the Hills and the surrounding Commons, some other parcels of land and many roadside verges according to the Malvern Hills Acts 1884 to 1995. The Malvern Hills Acts were drawn up to protect the rights of Commoners and the public and to prevent encroachment on the Malvern Hills, lands and commons. Under these and other relevant Acts the Malvern Hills Conservators shall manage the Hills to:

Preserve the natural aspect
Protect and manage trees, shrubs, turf, and other vegetation.
Prevent unlawful digging and quarrying.
Keep the Hills open, unenclosed and unbuilt on as open spaces for the recreation and enjoyment of the public.
Conserve and enhance biodiversity, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Scheduled Ancient monuments on its land.

http://www.malvernhills.org.uk/conservators/index.aspx

I’ve been riding MTB for 25 years and never once built or maintained a trail. I just ride what’s there. Why on earth would you need to? It’s not BMX.

Ahh good – shouty sweary Tom is here on his high horse.

Maybe those Audi drivers contribute in other ways,like using local shops and cafes and spending money on car parking and stuff. Maybe they don’t have time – a lot of people have children/wives to keep entertain on a weekend and as such would rather ride than dig.

Maybe its not lazy, it’s priorities …

If you build stuff for your own benefit on public land, expect other people to ride it, if you dont like it, buy your own wood and build there! otherwise

robgclarkson – Member

I’m here to ride, not work, pal.

Now, smooth off that berm please, I’ll be back in 10, yeah? 😉

Hi Tom Audi driver here btw. I know round by me the trails I mainly ride could do with some maintenance and I’d quite happily spend a couple of extra hours digging/sculpting trail but would have no idea where to start as I aint a landscaper plus since there a good old distance from the car trying to get tools and/or materials there would be a fair hassle.

Seriously, the Malvern Conservators would take a very dim view of anyone working on the bridleways.

Surely they would let us build berms and table tops once the chairlift is built? 🙂

If I ride a trail centre it costs me money so I assume the trail building is paid for from that.

If I ride a bridleway (90% of my riding) I don’t want artificial crap on it anyway.

I know there’s a big difference between conservation areas, England, Scotland, forestry or estate land etc. I guess this is more about the basic principle. Even people spending 30 mins clearing things now and then would be great. But I know local clubs and mtb groups where next to nobody does any trail work yet they regularly ride away from trail centres on trails that someone has spent weeks making for nothing but the love of the sport. It just feels a bit unfair.

I think the majority of people are too lazy to even learn how to ride a bike properly, let alone build trails.

Imagine if you’d built a sweet booter on the trail, and then the next time you go back you find some mincer has flattened it because they’ve never even bothered to learn how to jump properly.

You’d probably end up with something like this http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/12/fallen_tree_causes_portland_mo.html

Doesn’t take much to put a folding saw and folding shovel into a riding pack.
That way you can take 10 mins to clear anything particularly bad.
Have ended up cutting through a number of fallen trees clearing trails using my saw.
Saw can’t weigh more than 400g anyway so its easy enough to carry

Imagine if you’d built a sweet booter on the trail, and then the next time you go back you find some mincer has flattened it because they’ve never even bothered to learn how to jump properly.

What if I’m just a novice, do I need to have lessons before I ride on your trail? Or just expected to rebuild it when I break it?

(WTF is a ‘booter’?)

I’ve always assumed people who build trails do so because they enjoy doing so. As part of their hobby, a bit of fun just like riding their bikes. Apart from a bit of deadfall clearing I never touch any trails, just ride whats there.
Honestly if your going to be arsey about it just don’t bother, I’ll still be out there riding whatever, the same as most others.

I do a fair bit- more than most, less than some- but only because I enjoy it, whether solo or in a mob. A huge amount of the social side of mountain biking comes from the digging, for me, in fact in a roundabout way I suppose I owe most of it to that since it was trailfairying at Glentress that really turned me from an occasional rider to an Enthusiast, and also put me in touch with more riders, racing, all that. Oh and it was kinda cool having Steve Peat tell me how much he loved the new trail we built for the EWS.

Locally, my riding is better for what I do- even if it’s just spending a couple of hours whacking nettles or digging drains or clearing deadfall. (I can’t jump so I don’t build jumps, but the mad kids don’t build drainage so I come along once they’re gone and make things last a bit better)

So I suppose I’m saying 2 very similiar things here- it should be its own reward, I wouldn’t do it if I hated it. But also, don’t underestimate the benefits, I’ve got way more out of digging than I’ve given.

Oh- re paying for your trails, most trail centres struggle for investment, even at honeypots like Glentress the maintenance budget is stretched, and overall it’s never likely to see a cost benefit. But even if your local riding spot is well funded, they could do more if they had more.

I ran into Paul Burwell from MBR up at Surrey on NYE, he was busy putting another jump into the new(ish) jump line up there. He had a good moan about people who ride but don’t dig. I neglected to mention that with 3 young kids I barely have time to ride so fit into that category. I can see the annoyance but for some of us it’s just not practical to devote the time. Been meaning to donate some money for tools to the guys who build the trails round my way (Steyning MTB), they do a great job. Must get that done.

Digging jumps and what not in the Surrey Hills is idiotic anyway, sufficiently contentious land without fuelling the fires!

I usually drain puddles that have formed on trails, and pick up tear offs and other litter, but I’m not sure my local trail builders would be very happy with me taking a spade to their trails and ‘improving’ them for internet brownie points

I spent 3 years trying to organise trail maintenance sessions in the Pentland Hills. It was one of the most frustrating and fruitless exercises I’ve ever undertaken.

FWIW, a mate and I moved a fallen tree off a trail today.

Hats off to the boys that dig on Woodbury Common.. They put in a lot of work but seriously, although the stuff up there is top notch, it’s always one of the least inspiring parts of the ride if and when I can be bothered to ride it..

The more natural trails that have been there for years with little or no conscious human input are far more rewarding.. Immaculate groomed trails with berms and carefully measured transitions don’t have any soul from my point of view..
It’s also pretty funny that this smooth Scalextric style trail seems to require such massive suspension and tons of safety gear..

That said, they’re fun little links and diversions between the ‘real’ trails when I’m pootling about on my shonky rigid bike 🙂

Saw can’t weigh more than 400g anyway so its easy enough to carry

Do they make a lightweight carbon version or maybe a titanium one?

Have always done a bit of trimming and tidying on my local stuff, but have only recently started ‘proper’ building. Enjoying it so far – it’s a different vibe to riding but still part of the same activity. There are a small group of us building locally and it’s cool to ride the different ‘personalities’ of trail. I’ve discovered I tend to build tight, twisty, technical stuff rather than fast and flowy.

What if I’m just a novice, do I need to have lessons before I ride on your trail? Or just expected to rebuild it when I break it?

(WTF is a ‘booter’?)

+2 ^^^

And what all the others said about priorities, 2 children and their activities take up most of my weekend and then work takes up the week. This situation leaves very little time for riding let alone building which I know bugger all about, that said I will at some point in the next 6 months drag the children up to QECP for one or two of the dig days where my activity can be controlled and monitored. If it’s not I might inadvertently build a booster in the wrong place 🙂

If I ride a trail centre it costs me money so I assume the trail building is paid for from that.
If I ride a bridleway (90% of my riding) I don’t want artificial crap on it anyway.

+1

If I found any “sweet booter” on a public right of way, then sorry guys, I’m gonna probably make sure it’s destroyed. We have to share them with all the other legitimate users and I don’t want to get a bad reputation just because you don’t have the skill to get air off natural obstacles. If you can’t cope with the trails being natural then keep to your trail centres.

If I found any “sweet booter” on a public right of way, then sorry guys, I’m gonna probably make sure it’s destroyed. We have to share them with all the other legitimate users and I don’t want to get a bad reputation just because you don’t have the skill to get air off natural obstacles. If you can’t cope with the trails being natural then keep to your trail centres.

+ another. I don’t do trail centres basically & FWIW I’ve only ever ridden 2, GT 3 times, last time was about 7 years ago & Dalby about 2 years ago. Oh, I went to Stainburn once as well.
However, I do realise that you’re talking about regular TC & jumpy riders not rebuilding. Right?

I’ll stick to the natch stuff in the Dales & on the NYM.
( I did move a twig that was in my way once, does that count?)

Cmon, so end tell us what a booster is 🙂

Nick1962
Mine is called a silky bigboy (yes yes fnar) it weighs 450g according to the silky site.
**** amazing saw