Taken for Granted . . .
I’ve been riding motorcycles since I was in 4th grade . . . 1976 was the year I started. During that nearly 4 decade period, things have changed significantly. In the early days, I remember us having plenty of places to go and ride. There were trails in the Daniel Boone National Forest, private farms or wooded properties, some pipeline areas, and even empty lots in and around the neighborhoods where I lived.
This Way!
Today, only a very small fraction of these places are open for riding. The Forest Service has shut down essentially all trails except for the Red Bird Crest Trail loop. There are some other areas that are open but many are dead end, one way trails that are less than 10 miles in length. No one wants to drive an hour or more to just ride a 10 mile trail. As for private properties, the fear of litigation has stopped all that type of access and riding in residential areas was nixed due to disrespectful actions and idiots who think that louder = faster.
Don’t get me wrong here . . . I too have been “one of those” annoying characters. I’ve drag raced my uncorked IT125 down a residential street with Travis, ridden without the appropriate protective gear, ventured off the designated Forest Service Trail, and stirred up excessive dust and dirt with no respect for those in close proximity. Most of this occurred during my teenage years and even as a young adult.
Don’t Take It For Granted!
Over a long period of time, a broad range of experiences in a wide variety of settings has totally changed my perception of motorized recreation. First of all, if you take the places where you can ride for granted you will lose them. This is especially true in cases where the trail system is of mixed use. That is, the trail system is shared with hikers, mountain bikers, horses, and motorcycles.
Mixed Use Trailhead Signage
In a mixed use trail situation, the motorcyclist is the lowest on the totem pole. You must yield to all other users. It is a matter of respect and simple etiquette. Shut off your bike and if possible move it to the side so that the other trail users can easily get around. Smile, say hello, apologize for interrupting their outing, and make sure they know how many more riders are in your party. Inquire as to how their day is going and if you are carrying a saw (someone in your party should be), ask them if there are any trees down across the trail ahead and let them know that you’ll remove them accordingly. Doing all this goes a very long way to earning the respect of non-motorized trail users.
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Trail Courtesy
I have personally witnessed situations where motorcyclists (and even mountain bikers) have not stopped and just blown past a group of hikers or horse riders. This is not an effective way to win friends or garner support for mixed use trails. Frankly, it just pisses them off and gives them the ammunition they need to totally shut down motorized access. Could you really blame them? No one is entitled to act in that manner.
Honestly, there are very few off road riders that have been taught these values. I suspect there are more out West than back East and this is evidenced by the abundance of trails that permit motorized use. Regardless, it is a problem and there are no indications that it is getting any better.
If you want to ride at race pace, roost some dirt, climb straight up every hill you see, or uncork your obnoxiously loud 4-Stroke then go buy your own property in the middle of no where and have at it. However, if you can’t afford to purchase some property of your own then you’ll be riding on public land or on some private acreage. If that’s the case, then you should treat the land and others that use it with respect. Remember that respect earns respect.
Trail Across a Meadow
Simply put, taking the places you ride for granted affects us all. I suspect that in another 10-20 years the land we ride on currently will all but vanish. And honestly, it will be the fault of the vast majority of riders and their failure to follow some simple, common-sense guidelines. Think about it . . . do you want to be “one of those riders” that contributed to a land closure?
See you on the trail!