76GMC1500

Uhhh...
Oct 19, 2006
2,142
1
I found a bicycle trail out in the mountains recently (not private property) and decided to give it a whirl on the dirt bike today. I checked top and bottom for bicyclists first, but it's rare that they ride it on weekdays. It's all single track, but man they sure know how to make a trail. Since momentum is so important to bicycles, the trail very thoughtfully laid out with lots of obstacles and turns but you never have to stop. It had some rocks, trees laying across the trail, and fallen trees overhead that you had to lay on your seat to get under. Some of the turns were a little tight for the long wheel base of the dirt bike, but most were just right. The OHV parks in the area should hire some bicyclists to design our trails.

The trouble is, bicycles are a lot shorter than dirt bikes and the trees are trimmed accordingly. It makes it hard to stand in a lot of sections.

That bike is crazy on the single tracks without the flywheel weight. It comes on hard in the midrange and next thing you know you're going stupid fast towards a tree. I love it.
 

jim f.

Mi. Trail Riders
Member
Jul 2, 2005
173
0
I do not think the bicyclists will like you tearing up the trail. bicycles do'nt have a engine to pull through loose soil.
 

Sapper33

Member
Apr 15, 2007
32
0
A good bike trail does have lots of flow.

On behalf of cyclists though: unless it's a very very hard pack trail, keep motors off! I've had more than a few sets of dirt jumps torn up because of guys on dirt bikes.

On the plus side, the real super cool flowy mountian bike trails are so tight through the woods that there is no way you would be able to get a dirt bike through, just way too long and heavy.
 

trial_07

Play with gravity
~SPONSOR~
Apr 26, 2004
1,430
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Sapper33 said:
A good bike trail does have lots of flow.

On behalf of cyclists though: unless it's a very very hard pack trail, keep motors off! I've had more than a few sets of dirt jumps torn up because of guys on dirt bikes.

On the plus side, the real super cool flowy mountian bike trails are so tight through the woods that there is no way you would be able to get a dirt bike through, just way too long and heavy.

You've never ridden or seen a trials bike in action ;)
 

76GMC1500

Uhhh...
Oct 19, 2006
2,142
1
I ran into a few sections where the bike couldn't make the turn. And about chewing up the trail, it's really hard packed as is everything around here. I couldn't even tell where I had ridden when I doubled back.
 

friar tuck

Member
Feb 9, 2006
190
0
back when I was racing mountain bikes, we had a local trail with about 3 miles of TIGHT single track. Lots of tight turns, rocks and roots. About 100 yds before entering that, my training bud and I heard 3 dirtbikes coming up behind us. They saw us and gunned it. We hammered our asses off, and while they got close a couple times, we had about 30 yds on them at the end of the 3 miles. :-D We stopped and talked a long time, and they couldn't believe we smoked them for so long. It was just tight enough to make it tough for them, and to let us hammer. (sigh) Oh to be in shape like that again. :(
 

adam728

Member
Aug 16, 2004
1,011
0
As a dirt biker (#1) and a mountain biker (#2), keep the motorcycle off the mountain bike trails!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First it's one dirt bike. Then a couple. Pretty soon people are cramming quads down it and it's lost forever.
 

motoxclark

Member
Mar 6, 2007
1
0
adam728 said:
As a dirt biker (#1) and a mountain biker (#2), keep the motorcycle off the mountain bike trails!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First it's one dirt bike. Then a couple. Pretty soon people are cramming quads down it and it's lost forever.


I agree whole-heartedly!
 

Patman

Pantless Wonder
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Dec 26, 1999
19,774
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adam728 said:
As a dirt biker (#1) and a mountain biker (#2), keep the motorcycle off the mountain bike trails!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Funny how it doesn't work both ways. We have a local public facility that was dedicated to the public for the use of motorcycles yet there are a growing number of bicyclists using the trails and even "claiming" them. :think:

I mt. bike and dirtbike and it's been my experience that the narrow tires on bicycles tend to cause equal damage to the surface of most trails. There are ways to lessen the impact especially on a dirtbike but it's not awlays considered. Also as pointed out trials bikes leave almost no trace except in the sloppiest conditions and easily cover any "mt. bike trail".

Perhaps instead of saying who should or shouldn't have access more responsible use for all users would be the best solution. All the silly little divisions of offroad users is what lets those that think all offroad land should be only for walking & hugging trees have the upper hand.
 

Ol'89r

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jan 27, 2000
6,961
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76GMC1500 said:
I found a bicycle trail out in the mountains recently (not private property) and decided to give it a whirl on the dirt bike today. QUOTE]

PLEASE! Stay off of the MB and hiking trails with your motorcycle. This type of behavior is getting massive areas closed to motorized recreation. It is also making it impossible to defend dirtbikes at OHV meetings. The next time you go to that area there is a good chance there will be a sign that says, NO MOTORIZED VEHICLES. We will have you to thank for that. :bang:

Com'on guys. Please use your heads.
 

olderndirtmom

Member
Apr 28, 2007
424
1
How about we offer a simple:

Hats off to good trail builders. Hats off to the people who try to make our sports fun, and safe, and set good examples of who we are, and what we are about.

You know who you are. :cool:
 
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olderndirtmom

Member
Apr 28, 2007
424
1
UPDATE:

Less than one hour after I posted this...2 white males, approximately 15-20 yrs of age, walked into my carport and stole my two skateboards!

Lol.

I chased them down the street. Now I'm gonna hunt them down with my enduro. (Kidding.)

Yeah, they got away... laughing the whole time.
 

SpeedyManiac

Member
Aug 8, 2000
2,378
0
Mountain bikers make alright trails in my opinion. For the comments about dirtbikers on mountain bike trails, here's my thoughts. My area (West Kootenays, British Columbia) is a mountain bike mecca. But it wasn't always this way. Back in the 70's there was tons of offroad motorcycles cruising the backroads and trails. In the last 15 years or so, the mountain bikers have moved in and have created a trails society. One of their main objectives is closing the trails my dad has ridden for over 30 years to dirtbikes. My dad and I refuse to respect their signage and continue to ride these trails. Every spring we get out the chainsaw and do lots of trail maitenance and then for the rest of the year we ride the trails. I do avoid new trails that the mountain bikers have built, but the existing trails are fair game as far as I'm concerned. I've been yelled at by quite a few 'local' mountain bikers in the last few years. I use the term local loosely though, as these are guys (mostly Aussies I've found) who have moved here in the last five years and now they think they own the place. My family has been here since 1920 so I get sick of the new guys telling me to get off the trails. So, basically, I know I'm probably not doing the best thing for the ORV community, but damn it, these are my trails and I refuse to get kicked off them! :yell:
 
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