Fat-assed mountain bike riders?

[dgibson]

From the Outdoor Wire:

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>IMBA Announces Kona/IMBA Freeriding Grants

Contact Pete Webber
IMBA communications director
303-545-9011
[email protected]

(January 19, 2004) - Mountain bike groups looking to develop technical riding will soon benefit from a new grant program focused on building challenging trails. In 2004, Kona Bicycle Company and the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) will award five cash grants to fund the development of freeriding, downhilling, and dirt jumping projects.

IMBA affiliated clubs are invited to apply for five $500 awards. The application deadline is March 1, 2004, and the grants will be awarded in April.

Funding for the program comes from Kona and the Kona/IMBA Bowling Party, an annual Las Vegas fundraiser held during Interbike, the bicycle industry trade show.

The program's goal is to speed the development of freeriding opportunities on public land. Grants will be used for a variety of purposes, including gaining land manager approval, addressing liability concerns, trail and stunt construction, trailhead kiosks and signage, and freeride organization building.

The Kona/IMBA Freeriding Grants program builds on Kona's time-tested, outstanding support of mountain biking advocacy. Kona has been a leading IMBA corporate supporter since '94 and has developed several creative fundraising projects, including the Kona Buck-A-Bike program, the ongoing Kona Bro Deal program (which asks all bro deal purchasers to become IMBA members), and the highly successful bowling tourney, which recently celebrated its sixth edition.

For more information, or to apply please visit http://www.imba.com/resources/grants/ .<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

MY OPINION: Wonder how much habitat damage THESE guys will do?

In seriousness, why does every different activity need its own area? We've got ATVing, horseback riding, skiing, hiking, and now mountain biking. Why does there have to be a separate trail system for each of these?

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 01-21-2004 14:02: Message edited by: dgibson ]</font>

 

[1_pointer]

At least these people won't propogate too much!

I can't imagine that being too good on the nads. Maybe Darwinism does work?

I can't imagine the damage would be too extensive just from the low numbers that participate in the sport and the weight of the vehichle. The trees/rocks may suffer some collision damage though.

 

[Troy Jones]

The BLM outside Sturgis, SD is spider webbed with mt. bike trails. Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter when there is no snow, you can alway see bikers riding there. I would say hundreds use the area annually. It started on the deer trails and went from there. When erosion ruts out a trail, a new one is made next to it. I have heard many talk about chasing deer on downhills. But I suppose the deer would rather be harrassed a little than get stuck with an arrow, huh.

I was just wondering though. I hear a few around here always saying my land, my land, my land. Isn't it the snowmobiler's, cattlemen's, ATVer's, etc. too? Or does all the public land just belong to IT and EG? It really is all in how you look at it.

 

[JoseCuervo]

Troy,

I am pretty sure the land just belongs to me, but thanks for asking.

Mountain Biking is getting WAAAAAAY regulated. When we first started riding Mountain Bikes in the Boise foothills in the mid-80's, we were the only idiots up there, and we had the whole places to ourselves. We did all sorts of stupid things, damaging ourselves, our bikes, and the trails. But, it was less than the Motorcyle guys were doing.

Well, now, it is much more controlled, restricted, and regulated. The trails we used to ride have long since been closed down, and the traffic is funneled onto designated trails. Not as much single track as we used to have.

In the early '90's I rode Mt. Bikes in Marin County in California where Gary Fisher and those guys started. We used to see Sammy Hagar out on his bike. It got so regulated on Mt. Tamapalis, that they started using Radar guns to enforce speed limits.

Troy, I support Mulitple Use for our Public Lands. Ithica can use it, and I can use it, and that is Multiple Use.

Actually, I think you have to ask yourself if the use hurts Wildlife. If it does, then it should not be done on Public Lands. That is why ATV's, Snowmobilers in YNP, and Welfare Ranchers need to be removed from Public Lands.

 

[Troy Jones]

EG, does hunting affect wildlife? Do as I say, not as I do?

 

[Elkhunter]

There are several trails around here that are eroded beyond belief. Mountain bikes here are big business and the trails are used hard from the time the snow melts to the time they are snow covered. But I do not blame the condition of the trails solely on the mountain bikes. Most of them are shared trails with ATVs, dirt bikes and horses. I see the most abuse coming from dirt bikes actually.

We did all sorts of stupid things, damaging ourselves, our bikes, and the trails. But, it was less than the Motorcyle guys were doing.

I am shocked Gunner

Actually, I think you have to ask yourself if the use hurts Wildlife. If it does, then it should not be done on Public Lands. That is why ATV's, Snowmobilers in YNP, and Welfare Ranchers need to be removed from Public Lands. and mountain bikes? dogs while hiking? and hunting?

 

[JoseCuervo]

Troy,

Sloooooooooooow down, and read carefully. The word was "hurt", not "affect". Yes, everything we do affects everything else. Kind of a "Moment of Zen"....

Much of my hunting does not "hurt" anything, other than the soles of my feet.

And Mtn. Bikes are Banned from many areas, as they should be. They are also restricted in many areas, as they should be. And they will likely face further restrictions, as they should. It is not a big deal to determine that an activity has became too big, and begin to regulate the activity. It happens all the time.

And Elkhunter, there are getting to be lots of Restrictions on people with Dogs in sensitive areas around here. On Winter range in the Foothills, they are restricting dogs, as they don't want to stress the deer and Elk (or at least they did in the past, I havn't seen this years announcements). In a few of the parks, they are creating Leash Laws for Feb-May for waterfowl nesting protection.

Perhaps I should have added "habitat" after the "ask yourself if the use hurts Wildlife." Does that help you all see things correctly now???

 

[dgibson]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>But I do not blame the condition of the trails solely on the mountain bikes. Most of them are shared trails with ATVs, dirt bikes and horses.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Thanks for that, Elky. While reading all these initiatives and news articles and diatribes about "multiple use" it sounds as if everyone wants their own separate piece of the pie. It sounds like, in your experience, they all "share" quite a bit in your neck of the woods.

 

[Troy Jones]

EG, so what your saying is that hunting doesn't affect or hurt wildlife. Habitat or wildlife, it's still directly or indirectly affected. For an example, say grazing affects wildlife by having 20% less wildlife than without because of habitat loss. Now say with hunting, it takes out 20% of the wildlife also. What makes you better than the other. Sounds more like greed than Zen to me. Like DG said, we all want a piece of the pie, huh.

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 01-22-2004 09:41: Message edited by: Troy Jones ]</font>

 

[Ten Bears]

I like the quantification of his activity is "less" destructive then others:
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> But, it was less than the Motorcyle guys were doing.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
So that makes it OK????

 

[JoseCuervo]

Troy,

Nope, I don't want any of the Welfare Rancher's pie. I just want the Hunting pie. Sorry, I don't want to share, I don't want to step in a cow pie when I am hunting. I bet you never would have guessed you would run into somebody that cares about hunting, on Hunttalk.com

Who would have thunk it...

If you want to argue that Hunting affects the game, please start a topic, and let everybody know that you are anti-hunting, and don't want to have game affected...

 

[Troy Jones]

EG, I'm pointing out that your objectives pertaining public lands is pretty narrow. Whether you like it or not, you better be prepared, the majority is not pro-hunting. We are just on the tip of some drastic changes for the worse and if you think our hunting and gun ownership rights are safe, your in for a severe disapointment. The more rights and freedoms taken away from any part of the populous, is one more coffin nail for hunting. I believe the whole problem is most people's freakish desire to "control".

Many try to hide behind a cause and some are realists. In reguards to resource management, realists look at the big picture and see any single point that someone is a fanatic about as petty. Only one little part of a much more severe problem. I wish I had the answers for all the problems that we have. With resource management, the more research you do, the more questions you have.

EG, as far as questioning my love of hunting. All I can say is phuk off. If you hunted half as much as I do, you be divorced in a year.