BIKE Mag - trying to kill MTBing?

[radair]

I read this message on the IMBA listserv this morning, written by a contributing writer from BIKE magazine. This is scary stuff, IMO:

"Whoooaa nelly, is everybody in for a humdinger with
the new issue.

In the most mind-boggling case of blatantly
irresponsible mtb journalism I've ever seen, the July
issue of Bike features a cover story titled, "The Next
Level, Forging New Lines on Natural Terrain."

Yes, it's as bad as it sounds. No, there is no
mention, anywhere, of the need to stay on trails and
ride with anything resembling responsibility. Frankly,
I'm shocked.

I'm posting this to encourage everyone to write to
Bike at bikemag@primedia.com or Bike magazine, Box
1028, Dana Point, CA 92629.

It's important that the editors there receive as much
feedback on this story as possible. This issue is
going to be waved in the face of mtb advocates by the
anti-bike crowd for years to come.

Let 'em rip,"

Time to step up and let them know this is no good.

Got the issue in the mail today. Sorry, i did not take offense.

[knucklebuste]

"The Next
Level, Forging New Lines on Natural Terrain."

Whats up with that? I find that going off the trail makes for some difficult travel. As far as all the erosion BS, I don't buy it, but understand that the rules must be followed. However when I see the videos of North Shore stuff and then see the crappy trails around here the wanting to build does sometimes creep into ya, but if I did build a trial, it would be A1. I find 99% of the stuff around here to be very boring. Nam was tough, but it lacks flow and theres no such thing as a real downhill in Massachusetts. It's all uphill. I'm sure Lynn is cool, but I haven't had the time to make the 2 hour drive out there. Nam is cool and thanks to Splat I diddn't have to pedal 10 miles to get to the decent trails. Thats it, I'm gonna stop watching the North Shore videos. Why the hell do the canucks get to have all the fun. CAN'T BUILD ANYTHING FUN IN MASSACHUSUCKS. NO WAY, CAN'T DO, WOULDN'T WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE TOO MUCH FUN. As long as the trails around here suck and are XC oriented, freeriders will build, and not on their own property either. XC is alright, it's how I originally started 5 years ago or so and then quit for a 3 year hiatis, but with freeriding so popular now, I find XC stuff boring and in this state, it's 99% XC trails and thats it. As far as the bike magazine though. Don't get yourself so upset about it man. Theres plenty to ride and they aren't gonna stop us from riding.
knuck

[AA]

However when I see the videos of North Shore stuff and then see the crappy trails around here....... I find 99% of the stuff around here to be very boring........... Nam was tough, but it lacks flow and theres no such thing as a real downhill in Massachusetts. It's all uphill.

Knuckles,

When you watch those North shore videos you seem to be missing a few points.

#1 they edit a lot of footage together to get a flow for the effect of the movie, it would be pretty boring watching the guys pedal / push their bikes between sections

#2 How do you think all these guys in the videos get to the top of the long downhill sections with all the flow. They mostly get driven to the top then ride down.

#3 British Columbia is in the mountains, Massachusetts is not

#4 Most of the stuff in the videos is illegially built then torn down by the local authorities then re-built by the locals. It seems to be an ongoing battle.

#5 Massachusetts is one of the most populated states in the country (per capita per square mile). it is one of the reasons there isnt that much open space from Worcester east.

#6 If you dont like to pedal you should stop mountain biking. Unless you only go to ski areas and pay to ride the chairlift you have to pedal.

#7 Stop your bitching

Your pal AA

[gungywump]

"The Next
Level, Forging New Lines on Natural Terrain."
As far as all the erosion BS, I don't buy it . . .
knuck


Knuck,

You have to look at it on a wider geographic scale. Here in the east it is obvious that there is not as much concern for erosion as there is out west. In Colorado for example the ground is much different. Things wash away very easily once they have been disturbed. The whole enviroment is very delicate. A tiny little plant may have taken 10years or more to grow. It is in soil with little nutriants, gets almost no water, the sun beats down on it day after day and all it takes is you putting your foot close enough to it to disturb the soil a little, and it's all over.

Just imagine the state of Mass. coming in and knocking your house down with all of your sh*t inside because they need to put a highway through. You say What the F*ck! This is my house what the hell are you a**holes doing? Can't you find somewhere else to put the highway so my world doesn't get F*cked? I've got a nice green lawn, nice big old trees and you f*ckers are going to put in a butt ugly piece of sh*t highway! My palaial estate looks 10,000 times better to the eye than you're f*cking highway! Plus, there is already another highway that goes to the same place 50 feet away! You can't do this!
They say, "Yeah, but we like the line better if we run it through your house! It flows better! I guess you'll just have to go find your little piece of paradise somewhere else." ;)

[Z]

Theres plenty to ride and they aren't gonna stop us from riding.
knuck


Not sure where you get that delusion!

We are so lucky (knock wood) here in Massachusetts. Sure you could always wish for more trails and more challenges. (But personally, I think our trails are WAY more challenging than a lot of other trails I've ridden around the country.) And so many riders around the country would kill to have access to trails like we have. Mountain bike access to urban and suburban trails is the exception, not the rule! You should feel lucky to be living here.

But it's a constant battle. While most mountain bikers are out riding, advocates are going to meeting and doing trailwork, just to preserve access. In fact, right now as I write, some NEMBA advocates are at a meeting where the future of trail access at a park near Boston is threatened.

And when some uninformed stunt builder comes along (and it only takes one) and puts a stunt at the wrong place at the wrong time, all our hard work goes down the toilet.

I'm not saying this to lay a guilt trip on anyone, but you should feel thankful you live where you do. And if you really mean what you wrote, Knuck, NEMBA obviously isn't doing a good enough job communicating how fragile our access really is.