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View Full Version : Over grown trails....


wannabee
July 20th, 2007, 08:57 PM
Nice wide open trails have been replaced with face slappers, leg shredders, and un-rideable trails, due to lack of or no trail maintenance.

During scheduled NEMBA trail maintenance days, what type of 'tool' (by its real name) is used to cut back overgrown trails, removing face slappers and leg shredders? What are the pro and cons of using such a tool?

Two of us just spent 2-1/2 hours cutting back less than a mile of overgrown trail, using gas engined hedge trimmers. Cutting stuff as close as a couple of inches off the ground, bending over all that time, has caused a good case of lower back pain. We will have to go back with some hand loppers to remove some saplings too large for the trimmers.

There are over 40 miles of trails in this condition.

There has to be a better way!

peterdbikes
July 20th, 2007, 09:21 PM
I like using a weed wacker with a metal blade.
I always get flack from others that I cut back too far. NO WAY!
Once you open up the canopy, the sun makes things grow like crazy. We were on Fireline at FOMBA last week and it is getting tight in there. One of our other riders mentioned she brushed back the trail just two months ago. It is already worse than when she did it. If you dont cut back far enough, you will be doing it again soon!

hammerhead
July 21st, 2007, 10:11 AM
Metal blade weedwacker for the ground cover and good anvil loppers for the higher stuff. Worst offenders in the DAR and Wendell are the beech trees. Seem to grow new 8' long branches at 5' above the ground every year!

phonics
July 23rd, 2007, 09:53 AM
Good ol' machette. Great workout and no gas. Pretty fun too:)

hogboy
July 23rd, 2007, 11:51 AM
Good ol' machette. Great workout and no gas. Pretty fun too:)


+1

no stink, no noise, cheap, lightweight, no carbon footprint