By: Ben Welnak
Hello Mountain Bike Radio Listeners, Friends, Members, and Supporters,
First off – Thank You. Thank you to everyone who listens, supports, and has anything to do with Mountain Bike Radio. It’s grown beyond what I could have anticipated because of all of you. I appreciate the help, support, money, time, and everything that has contributed in any way. You’re all the reason that we are at this good place now.
BUT, the trains moves on and we need to keep it going. Without your continued support, Mountain Bike Radio goes away.
What do we need money for?
– Basics: Hosting, storage, programs, software
– Work: If you’re a regular listener, you know that Matt has been working for me full time this summer. Matt primarily does Mountain Bike Radio related work, along with some other things that I have going on. Matt makes it possible to do a lot of things that I couldn’t do previously. He is also helping to develop some important processes that need to be put in place.
– Other expenses: Like any business, there are always other expenses – design work, images, Quickbooks, and more. I also have donated small amounts to several organizations this year too (probably more than I’ve given myself actually).
Questions and Answers
– Do you do this as your full time job? Do you pay yourself? What else do you do? Yes, this is part of how I “make my living.” I was taking small amounts from the business, but have not recently. All the money that comes in goes back into Mountain Bike Radio in the form of pay for Matt, new ideas, new shows, new designs, expenses, and growing it all. I’m sacrificing a lot personally for the benefit of Mountain Bike Radio in the long term. I also am one of the two people behind Ridinggravel.com and then I started and run Gritevents.com.
– Doesn’t iTunes pay you for all of the downloads? No. We do not get paid from iTunes one dollar. We do not receive any money from anywhere for the downloads – it’s not like a website and clicks. In fact, we pay Apple yearly to host the app.
– How do you make money with Mountain Bike Radio? We make money by 1) Memberships 2) Mountain Bike Radio Gear/Product purchases 3) People buying through our Amazon Links 4) Advertising
– Why don’t you just get more advertising? I don’t think the long term answer is inundating you with annoying ads. Will there be some? Yeah, for sure. Will it be 5 minutes at the start of every episode? Hell no.
How can you support Mountain Bike Radio?
First, Go HERE.
– For no money out of your pocket – Shop through our Amazon link. IT’S FREE TO YOU. This is for ANY goods that you normally buy – not just cycling goods. Amazon does not tell us who buys what, so it’s anonymous. You don’t need to worry about anyone snooping on your purchases. You simply click on the link and shop as you would normally.
– Become a Member. This is the best way to support Mountain Bike Radio.
– Buy something. We have an ever-changing list of items in the store. Keep checking back for more goods.
If you value Mountain Bike Radio in any way – whether you get tips or it just saves you on your wretched commute, please consider any of the ways to support it.
Below is a recording that we did in April, in which I talk about a lot of behind the scenes things, including a lot of thoughts about the business side of things.
If you have any questions about anything, please feel free to email me at [email protected].
Thank you again,
Ben
If you have any questions about this post or anything about Mountain Bike Radio, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Also, please don’t forget to support MBR, by heading over HERE. Thanks for reading and listening to Mountain Bike Radio.
By: Matt McCulley
CANCELLED
Due to an underwhelming response to us being on the road, we are going to stay in Hayward and crank out some content for everyone. If you want to ride with us in Hayward this weekend – come on. We are going to do a cookout Saturday – RSVP to Matt or Ben if you are coming and we will make sure to have enough burgers and brats.
This is a work in progress, but the tentative schedule is Marquette, Copper Harbor, Duluth, Cuyuna.
Know of a coffee shop, burger joint, or trail we can’t miss? Let us know.
If you have any questions about this post or anything about Mountain Bike Radio, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Also, please don’t forget to support MBR, by heading over HERE. Thanks for reading and listening to Mountain Bike Radio.
The post Up North Tour appeared first on MBR.
]]>By: Tim Ek
A smooth section of trail allowed me to dial the little knob on my brake lever back a few turns, drawing it closer to the grip, which gave me hope that I would somehow be able to apply some stopping power when needed. My hands were reduced to permanent fixtures of my handlebar. My index fingers barely could make the extension to the lever, not to mention apply the minimal squeezing power required with todays modern hydraulic brake systems. The base of my neck burned with fatigue, while my lower back protested with every out of the saddle move I made. Out loud I coaxed myself through the bouts of searing heat that coursed through the contact points my feet made with the pedal.
I had 79 miles behind me and was faced with some 19 more miles of gnarly singletrack in the Chequamegon Forest of Northwestern Wisconsin. Normally, I would have been smiling ear to ear as the trail I was on could easily go down as some of the most pure, pristine, beautiful singletrack I have ever ridden. Instead, I winced as I passed over every stick and rock, a pained expression permanently fixed upon my face as my decision making began to fail. “Don’t crash now, don’t crash, stay clean, flow, flow, flow” ran through my head. The gorgeous surroundings were nothing to me. All that mattered was the next rise of the trail.
A brand new job and a brand new chapter in my life has forced me to move my training to the back burner. I am not able to be concerned with the amount of hours per week I spend on my bike right now. I call it real life. Sometimes we just have to adjust our priorities. That’s not to say, knocking out 15 – 20 hour weeks won’t happen again, it just can’t right now. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t stop entering races. It’s always been about the fight for me, the fight of fatigue versus finishing. In fact, I don’t mind revisiting this place of wondering if I can do it. I have never let go of my early convictions of finishing what I start. If the tents have all been taken down, the timing people have left, and I’m still on course, I guess I’ll be the only one who knows I made it across that finish line, that’s ok with me.
As I listened to Tim Krueger give some last minute race instruction I couldn’t help but notice Jesse Lalonde resting comfortably on his top tube near me. I wondered why he wasn’t up in the front row, but then it donned on me that he probably wasn’t too concerned about it. Jesse is one of the best cyclists our great state of Minnesota has. He is cool, laid back, and unbelievably fast! I compared his kit to mine. He had nothing with him save two small water bottles on his bike and minimal supplies in his jersey pockets. I couldn’t even spot an extra tube. I was outfitted with on tall bottle on my bike, with 80 ounces of water on my back. A small tool kit, a seat bag, and a food storage bag on my top tube. After all these years I’m still taking too much stuff. I wondered how many hours Jesse would beat me by. I shook it off as I had more to worry about than how an elite cyclist’s race would play out.
Soon enough Tim rolled us out. I had no designs to chase the front group as I pedaled easy about midway back in the field. I’d resolved to play it safe through the first half of the race and if possible try to pick things up when and if I could later on.
Seven miles later and we were finally hitting the singletrack. I was twitchy and nervous as I navigated every obstacle. A bad crash a couple weeks ago had me gun shy. Every rock that looked damp found me extra cautious. This was a problem. Typically, I’d give myself a B+ when it comes to my skill set in the trail, but at this point I was easily scoring a D. My confidence was gone. I just didn’t want to get hurt again, I was being too careful. I grew comfortable playing it safe and found myself settling in behind riders that were riding much slower than I was capable of. They sensed it and often asked if I wanted to pass, but I would decline as I felt a blanket of security in their company. As I nestled into this new comfort zone I began to lose sight of the race and began to just ride. I was fine with the casual pace, because I knew this would be a long day, but the competitive little guy inside kept saying, “don’t forget, THIS IS A RACE!”
Unfortunately, I slogged along at a slower pace than I should have been riding. I cursed my mistakes and poor line choices. I was riding inefficiently. Hundreds of tiny mistakes were wasting energy. Too much front brake, pedal strikes, poor line choices, and dabs were sucking precious energy from my body. I needed to knock it off and start riding faster! I needed to stop being afraid of a crash, trusting my bike, my skills, and just let ‘er rip.
A chance to refill water came around mile 51 which also meant a chance to get off the bike for a few minutes. Surprisingly, a tiny break like a water stop can re-energize your body. As I pedaled away, I felt different – better. Oddly, the singletrack was unfolding before me in a different way, almost like a smooth ribbon being rolled out across the floor. I sensed a rider approaching from behind and sure enough it was the same strong singlespeeder who had been leap frogging with me for several hours. Throughout the day it was clear that he was riding stronger than I, but this time I thought I’d give it a shot in dropping him. I lifted my pace and started trusting the machine underneath me to do what it was designed to do. Suddenly, it clicked! No longer was I picking my way through rock gardens or carefully routing my way through root system, but instead just slamming over the top of them. I began holding my momentum as I feathered the rear brake through the turns, rather than scrubbing a bunch of speed in order to “play it safe”. I was back! With my mojo fully intact, I went with it. For the next 20 miles I rode just a smidge under the red zone, picking off riders one by one out in front of me. I felt good and wondered what things would have been like had I adopted this reckless abandon for the trail hours ago. The good feeling stayed as I seemed to be flushing the crash of two weeks ago from my head as well as the toxins of caution from my body. I surfed this wave all the way into the 71 mile aid station, which held my drop bag.
The last few miles into the aid station dragged on and on as the singletrack began to look the same around every corner. Finally, I popped out of the woods to the sound of voices and laughter. It reminded me of a picnic out in the middle of nowhere. A volunteer quickly fetched my drop bag for me, but I had a decision to make. I only needed to top off an energy drink for my bottle, but everything else was good to go. I began to ask myself if I would want to wait at the finish for my drop bag to eventually find it’s way to the finish line or simply just grab it now and take it with me? I hefted the oversized zip lock in my hand and figured it weighed about 3-4 pounds. Screw it! I shoved the bag into my camel back and resolved to haul the load the remaining 30 or so miles.
I rolled out of the “picnic area” into more endless singletrack. I longed for a gravel road section, just to break up the routine, as well as the full body, all day work out I was enduring. The miles rolled on and it began to occur to me that although I’ve mountain biked all over this country these trails rivaled some of the best I’ve ever been on. I wondered how I’d feel about if I were fresh. “Bliss” was the word that came to mind.
Up ahead was a break in the canopy – a road section. I looked to the heavens and gave a word of thanks. I was out of the woods and on an open road, but not without consequence. The road meant climbing as well as more consistent pedaling. The constant pedaling resulted in hot spots on the bottoms of my feet that became excruciating. The contact points felt as though a blow torch was aimed directly at them. I had no way to alleviate the pain other than exercising some mental gymnastics. I tried to enter a Zen like state and ignore the agony, but with little success.
A white tent ahead on the side of the road had me thinking there was only one trail section remaining in the race. I was some nine and a half hours into this beast at this point and I couldn’t imagine it would last much longer. Optimistically, I sought out confirmation from the volunteer working the station, “This is the last trail section right? This is Ojibwe right?” The Ojibwe Trail is always the last piece of singletrack in the Chequamegon 100. She looked me in the eye and didn’t speak. The silence was awkward as it appeared she had something to say, but the words wouldn’t come. Uncomfortably, I waited out the silence until she tried to explain it to me. Like a mother taking away a dangerous toy from a child she tried to politely tell me what lay ahead. My heart dropped as she described at least three trails in this final stretch. I stared through her while the gentle nature of her voice drifted away into a hollow echo. I snapped out of it as I heard my own voice reluctantly asking her how many miles remained. Apologetically, she replied “nineteen miles”. I put on a brave face and slammed down the can of lemonade she had offered. Thanking her I snapped my feet in and allowed the forest to swallow me whole, one more time.
My legs were made of wood as I begged them to perform. I’d rise from the saddle over the slightest of climbs only to get zero response from them. My thumb cramping now from the thousands of shifts I’d completed throughout the day, was a small problem barely worth consideration. Fat rain drops now splattered on the screen of my blank gps, it’s battery had given up the fight long ago. Despite these inconveniences I inched my way through the trail, telling myself that this would eventually end just like every race before. I’d find the finish line somehow, even if everyone had packed up and gone home. There were no longer other riders near me. I was now alone with the sound of the knobs of my tires catching the edges of rocks. I was alone with the sound of my rear hub whining with every pause of pedaling. I was alone with my forced positive thoughts, “This is a beautiful trail”, “You love riding your bike”, “This is bliss”.
The sign I passed said something about a parking lot. “A parking lot?” I thought. It had to mean I was coming to the end of the trail. I had to be close. Soon another sign about a parking lot. A road had to be near. Just then I looked down a ridge to my right and there it was, a beautiful gravel road. I cruised through the switchbacks, dropping off the ridgeline and out into the smooth gravel road home. A few riders were out ahead of me working through their own demons. Willing my fingers to complete the last couple shifts of the day I worked the bike up to a higher speed. The last arrow indicating a turn was up ahead. As I rounded that turn I saw the white tent with a timing mat, the finish line! They hadn’t left yet and in fact they seemed happy to see me, but not nearly as happy as I was to see them.
I leaned my bike against a bench and took a seat. As I hung my head staring at what was left of my legs, I could still feel the motion of my body flowing through the trail. I could still see the roots and rocks ahead of me, the sunlight through the trees, the birds flitting about. I could still see and feel the neverending trail to bliss.
Thank you Tim Krueger, Odia Krueger, and all your wonderful volunteers. Thank you to Charley Tri for his hospitality in allowing me to stay with him at his cabin. Thank you to Mountain Bike Radio, Rudy Project, and Schwalbe Tires for all your support. Most importantly thank you to my wife, Amy who was unable to come to the race. She was busy running another marathon. She has always been my number one fan and I hers.
Thanks for reading,
Tim
If you’re interested to find out more about Tim, head over to his site, The Eki Chronicles.
If you have any questions about this post or anything about Mountain Bike Radio, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Also, please don’t forget to support MBR, by heading over HERE. Thanks for reading and listening to Mountain Bike Radio.
The post Chequamegon 100 appeared first on MBR.
]]>By: Matt McCulley
2017 has been a year of things on the move. The Mountain Bike Radio headquarters have moved up to Hayward, WI. The Hayward area is home to the Cable Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBA) – which offers up miles and miles of trails pretty much right out our day. There is a number of races in the area that benefit the trails, but this past weekend was the 5th running of the Borah Epic. I didn’t really feel like racing but wanted to go over and hang out, I knew some long time listeners would be there and wanted to go out and play with my new camera. Full disclosure – I am not a photographer, haven’t read the manual on how a real camera actually works, and just sorta was winging it. Go easy if they aren’t perfect.
The day was a smashing success. Pictures were taken, beers were drank, listeners were touched, and I didn’t get poison ivy standing around in the field at the finish.
If you have any questions about this post or anything about Mountain Bike Radio, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Also, please don’t forget to support MBR, by heading over HERE. Thanks for reading and listening to Mountain Bike Radio.
The post Borah Epic 2017 appeared first on MBR.
]]>By: Tim Ek
Late last fall I flopped my mountain bike into it’s parking spot, stomped the mud from my shoes, and went inside. As I shed my riding clothes along with the chill that clung to my skin, I wondered if that was my last trail ride of the year. I told myself that it wasn’t. The days crept by and soon they turned into weeks. The bike never left it’s spot. A new machine made it’s seasonal appearance. It had big, fat, ugly tires and weighed as much as a Mack Truck, but it was fun to ride. The race rig seemed to be offering a few dirty looks, knowing it was being replaced.
Weeks had turned to months, the weather had turned brutally cold, but the mountain bike remained in it’s spot, as if there was a chance a leg would be thrown over it and it would be heading to the woods again. However, with the days shortening and the trails icy the chances were slim to none.
As spring fought it’s way into the northland, thoughts of tacky trail and warm days were on my mind. The mountain bike with spare tubes and a shop apron draped over it, not to mention a layer of dust, patiently waited.
One sunny morning the news broke. The trails were open! As I removed the miscellaneous items that had turned this pristine machine into an expensive “shop rack,” I saw it turning back into the mountain bike that had taken me on that last great ride of the fall.
The tire pressure was checked, the chain was lubed, and the dust swept away. Once the GPS clicked into postion and booted up it felt like not a day had passed since the last time we were together. Fifteen minutes in and I had the flow of the trail under my wheels. The suspension was eating up the roots and rocks. The sun was on my shoulders and the miles were disappearing behind me. It felt so good to be together again and back in the dirt. Right where we belong.
Thanks for reading,
Tim
If you’re interested to find out more about Tim, head over to his site, The Eki Chronicles.
If you have any questions about this post or anything about Mountain Bike Radio, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Also, please don’t forget to support MBR, by heading over HERE. Thanks for reading and listening to Mountain Bike Radio.
The post Back in the Dirt appeared first on MBR.
]]>By: Tim Ek
I often find myself wishing I had someone to ride with, but the truth of the matter is that the majority of my rides are by myself. Schedules with friends don’t match up or it’s hard to find another who wants to sign up for six hour ride. Therefore, it’s me, some head phones, and my bike. Although, I’m at times bummed about rolling out alone again, it usually ends up being a good thing. It’s a time to clear my head, take a look, and a listen in places most never visit.
It’s gravel season now as northern Minnesota is fighting it’s way into spring. That means trails are too wet to ride, but dirt roads are perfect. It’s true that Duluth is flush with trails within it’s city limits, but to find gravel one must ride miles of tar first. The mixing with traffic and mundane rollers that take a rider out of town are worth it, as the solitude and utter beauty of the country roads are breathtaking.
As I pushed out of my driveway on a Saturday morning, I felt that all too familiar feeling of being alone again on another training ride. My mind went numb as I was buzzed by pick up trucks passing at 60 miles per hour as they, like I, headed north to the woods. Most likely they were going to work on their cabins or ride their 4 wheelers. I was simply destined for gravel. Alone, I spun out the miles. Every so often I reminded myself to keep the intensity up, hit the climbs hard, and keep an eye on the heart rate. This was a work out after all.
Finally, my turn lay ahead, the turn that transitioned the smooth sound of my tires to a chorus of chrunchy, buzzing, the sound of rubber on dirt. A bald eagle soared above me, it’s white head and tail shimmered against the bright blue back drop of the sky. A murder of crows watched me pass from the branches where they rested. The flooded swamps were alive with the sounds of frogs celebrating the coming of spring.
I stopped checking my heart rate, I backed off the intensity, and I stayed in the saddle on the climbs for a tailwind had found me now and I resolved to keep my head up, and my eyes and ears open. I wasn’t alone anymore. In fact, it occurred to me that when I ride the gravel I never really am.
Thanks for reading,
Tim
If you’re interested to find out more about Tim, head over to his site, The Eki Chronicles.
If you have any questions about this post or anything about Mountain Bike Radio, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Also, please don’t forget to support MBR, by heading over HERE. Thanks for reading and listening to Mountain Bike Radio.
The post Alone on the Gravel appeared first on MBR.
]]>By: Tim Ek
If you commute to work by bike year round and you come from a land of 4 real seasons then you know that having more than one horse in the corral is ideal. Riding through winter city streets on a machine that is worth over two thousand dollars is not recommended as it is sure to have a very short life.
Keeping this in mind, I converted one of my first “gravel grinders” into a winter commuting beast. I should add that this bike was no slouch in it’s day and mind you, that day was long before the term “gravel grinder” was even a term. In fact, the races back then were simply referred to as “races on gravel roads”. The Specialized Tri Cross that is now my winter “beater” held it’s own just fine back in the day. I will humbly add that I was able to roll to a second place finish in the 3rd version of the now famous Trans Iowa upon this “beater’s” back. It was and still is a very capable machine, But, the black beauty has now been replaced with even finer rigs made of carbon and titanium.
Back to the conversion. So, I made some changes in order to get her more “sloppy street friendly”. First, I dropped everything that had to do with changing gears, it’s just more that can go wrong and more stuff for salty grit to cling to. Next, I slapped a studded tire on the front (not necessary for the rear, but not a bad idea if you really need the added security, but keep in mind it will make you slower). Fenders were added and modified to make them even more efficeient. Lights were a must! I found a nice little commuting light for the handle bar and a little blinker for the rear. They’re nothing fancy, but they let the cars know I’m out there. Finally, I found a good frame bag and threw some winter essentials in it, like a complete tool kit with a pump, some chemical hand warmers, and some other items of convenience that might help me in uncomfortablly cold situations, like a heavier set of mittens.
Here’s the rub when it comes to building up a “sloppy street grinder”, it’s slow and combersome to ride. The studs grib even dry pavement, the small single speed cog in the back doesn’t like the hills, and I swear the grease “gums” up in the hubs during extreme cold. When I’m hating it most I think about my race horses hanging in the garage nice and clean while this Clydesdale takes it for the team.
Enter spring! The street sweepers have all done their job, a few hard rains have come and gone, and the streets are free of salt. Ice seems to be a thing of the past, so now it’s time to make the switch. The winter machine is going to get a bath and it will be her turn for the hook in the garage. The true summer speed machine will make it’s appearance now. The Ti Salsa Warbird is my go fast on dirt bike. She’s just built for it. I’ve never been much for commenting on the tiny nuances of bike differences, but the Titanium frame compared to the aluminum is undeniable. Those first few rides in the spring on the “A-Team” bike make me feel like I can fly.
As the summer wears on and I’ll let my mind wander back to my old “sloppy street grinder” and I’ll give a little smile, because I know she’s resting comfortably now, warm and comfy in the garage. It wont be long until that first snow flake flies again and she’ll be dragging me through the winter streets once again.
Thanks for reading,
Tim
If you’re interested to find out more about Tim, head over to his site, The Eki Chronicles.
If you have any questions about this post or anything about Mountain Bike Radio, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Also, please don’t forget to support MBR, by heading over HERE. Thanks for reading and listening to Mountain Bike Radio.
The post Sloppy Street Grinder to Summer Race Machine appeared first on MBR.
]]>By: MBRBen
I posted the following update in the last post if you missed it:
———
If you haven’t been following our Facebook page, you may have missed out on some news. We have a YouTube Channel. It’s been something that I’ve wanted to cook up for a little while and we finally just got it going.
CLICK HERE FOR THE MOUNTAIN BIKE RADIO YOUTUBE CHANNEL
What can you expect from our channel? Your going to find videos that are real – not highly edited (although sometimes we may take some extra time and make more edited videos – some may contain some music and some may be silent), tips/tricks/random/whatever we cook up that day or week, and our content. We’re not going to be reposting other people’s content or PR releases. Our goal is to keep it real while providing you some information and entertainment. They may include some “reviews,” but don’t expect it. We’re just not into the business of getting paid for reviewing things and then producing videos for those.
———
This new video is from Matt (he’s on Just Riding Along). He shares a current favorite rear light that he’s been using for commuting. Below the video is a link to the Cygolite Hotshot Micro USB light that he discusses. Please note – it is our affiliate link to the light on Amazon. If you buy through that, you’re ensuring that we can keep doing all of this. Thank you.
ABOUT THE CYGOLITE HOTSHOT MICRO:
From Cygolite’s website: “Packed with features for safe cycling, this micro sized Hotshot
combines a powerful 30 lumens of flashing red with 5 road-proven modes and an Enhanced Cycling Optic that scatters light at a wider angle for maximum distance and extra wide visibility during night and day use. Its Versatite flexible mount lets you attach the Hotshot Micro 30 tail light to most seat posts and seat stays, including aero styles.”
RELATED SHOW LINKS
Click Here and shop like normal. Your purchase will help support Mountain Bike Radio
If you have any questions about this post or anything about Mountain Bike Radio, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Also, please don’t forget to support MBR, by heading over HERE. Thanks for reading and listening to Mountain Bike Radio.
The post Cygolite Hotshot Micro 30 USB appeared first on MBR.
]]>By: MBRBen
If you haven’t been following our Facebook page, you may have missed out on some news. We have a YouTube Channel. It’s been something that I’ve wanted to cook up for a little while and we finally just got it going.
CLICK HERE FOR THE MOUNTAIN BIKE RADIO YOUTUBE CHANNEL
What can you expect from our channel? Your going to find videos that are real – not highly edited (although sometimes we may take some extra time and make more edited videos – some may contain some music and some may be silent), tips/tricks/random/whatever we cook up that day or week, and our content. We’re not going to be reposting other people’s content or PR releases. Our goal is to keep it real while providing you some information and entertainment. They may include some “reviews,” but don’t expect it. We’re just not into the business of getting paid for reviewing things and then producing videos for those.
So…..
This new video is from Matt (he’s on Just Riding Along). He shares some tips on carrying his essentials on his mountain bike. Below the video are links to the products that he discusses. Please note – they are our affiliate links to the items on Amazon. If you buy through those, you’re ensuring that we can keep doing all of this. Thank you.
RELATED SHOW LINKS
Lezyne Pressure Drive Hand Pump
If you have any questions about this post or anything about Mountain Bike Radio, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Also, please don’t forget to support MBR, by heading over HERE. Thanks for reading and listening to Mountain Bike Radio.
The post Matt’s MTB Packing Tips appeared first on MBR.
]]>By: MBRBen
PLEASE NOTE: BEFORE YOU GET OUTRAGED AND START BLAMING CERTAIN USER GROUPS, PLEASE READ. WE’RE ALL RESPONSIBLE. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO CALL OUT A SPECIFIC USER GROUP.
If you’re reading this, you’re likely a trail user. Whether it’s riding, running, hiking, xc skiing, or just laying in the middle of it while you’re sleeping after a tough climb, we’re trail users. Along with the use, comes some responsibility. It’s like that with most things in life. We have a responsibility to leave it at least how we found it, and in the best case, a little better.
I think that one of the ways we can really have an impact is to just teach others. Remind them to grab a piece of garbage, show them ways they can help with time and/or money, or teach someone new to trails how to use the trails responsibly. We can’t assume that people know what to do.
We see it constantly in the spring – pictures are posted throughout social media showing tracks of riders and runners through muddy trails. We get pissed. We fire off assumptions about who did it, why they did it, how horrible they are, and that they did it to the entire trail rather than a small piece of it. Many times people just don’t know. As mountain bikers, I feel that we’re a little more tuned into trail conditions because, in many cases, we’re walking on egg shells. It’s clear who it was when there are tire tracks sunken into the mud and we’re an easy target at that point. Also, in many situations, it’s the local volunteer mountain bike organization that spends the time and money fixing any issues, so we’re more vested in the maintenance.
The picture below popped up today in a group that I follow and it was a clear reminder that we share the trail with people who don’t realize the impact that they are having on the trails. The comments offer some insight into that. BEFORE YOU GO OFF BLAMING ANY GROUPS, please know that this is not meant to point blame at runners. This was just a very clear example that got me irritated.
I won’t say what group it was from and I’ve blacked out names and profile pics (except mine.) There is only one picture of the trail in question too, so it very well could have just been a small stretch in a larger piece of doubletrack or road. However, that does not change the fact that there clearly needs to be some education in this area. It happens – you get rained out part way through your ride or you come upon some sections that are muddy in an otherwise good part of trail. No big deal – just minimize the damage and remember for next time.
I have seen it where local running groups have been helping out with trail work and posting information about staying off closed trails (shout out to the a lot of the runners out at Elm Creek Reserve near Minneapolis.) That’s very encouraging and appreciated.
It’s also important to consider local conditions and the trail itself. Some areas can get away with using wet trails with little impact, while others are unusable with any amount of precipitation.
Please use this example as an opportunity and motivation to proactively reach out to your local groups – runners, riders, horses, etc and offer some help, education, and try to work with them so that we can all avoid this happening in each of our neck of the woods.
What do you think? How can we educate people? Do we need to resort to trail cameras everywhere?
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