New BIKE mag issue falsely blames Freeriders for new trail

[private joker]

Has anyone picked up the new Photo issue of BIKE?...in the back they have regional stories and trail news...well someone submitted to BIKE that the new "trail" that was cut up by Steel Tower at Lynn Woods was done by "Freeriders" and claimed it as a freeride trail....

They state in the article "thanks to some knucklehead freeriders"...(Not 100% on exact wording since I dont have the issue in front of me but it was that style.)
It was not a "freeride" trail..It was a XC trail at best(and thats stretching it)....

Great publicity...people
:-[

[pk]

I haven't read it yet but I doubt anyone "submitted" this. The writer for BIKE is on numerous email lists and reads lots of regional forums, and I presume got the info off the web.

I think the authors email is listed, so perhaps someone in the know should sent him off a clarification.

pk

'It never ceases to amaze me how ignorant some treadheads can be.
Take the nitwitts who cut an illegal freeride trail through Lynn Woods on Boston's North Shore, potentially undoing years of good relations with park management. They even announced their handiwork with flouresent pink arrows! Dumb, huh?"

I find his writtings in "Local Knowledge" section interesting but not always accurate and "complete".
Like he says, he can always be found at brion@inspiredink.com

[gungywump]

He probably got all of his info for this from BustedSpoke. If I remember the thread correctly there was some debate between some people who feel self-entitlement to build whatever they want versus those who see the bigger picture. If the trail had just been removed instead of being discussed at length . . . no bad press would have resulted. It's just sad that when a couple of people build something illegal like that it doesn't matter if a hundred right thinking people remedy the problem. The initial bad act is all that people remember. :(

[Z]

Is it better if the problem is swept under the rug, or publicized in the mtb media so other people considering cutting a new trail might learn from past mistakes?

I don't know the answer, but it probably depends on the situation.

I know the author; he's a good guy and his intentions are well-meaning. I can't speak to the accuracy of the article, but he probably thought it would be a good idea to get the word out to the mountain bike community that this is not a cool thing. If his article was off-base, I'm sure he'd like to hear from you.