IMBA Australia

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Bowmanic Philosophy 2: Confessions of a Project Officer (2007)

Some of the best times I have had on a bike have been when sane people are indoors, staying warm and cosy by the fire with a mug of soup or something. In my quest for health, fitness, fresh air and the buzz of adrenaline I often venture out into the cold and wet with a blatant disregard for the any impacts on my immune system. Riding in the wet seems to be a part of mountain bike culture. Getting sideways in the mud, splashing through puddles and generally having a wonderful time. Good, clean, dirty fun. Those were good times, and back then I had time to fuss over my bike afterwards and make sure that it would work well on the next ride.

Fun times aside, we all know that riding on water-logged trails does some serious damage to the trail tread and also to our credibility as a sustainable form of recreation. So what are you going to do about it, I ask myself? I recently went on a ride with some lads and although the sun was shining, the hills were just oozing water like I can’t remember, and before I knew it; I was chewing up the ground with my big tyres and rusty skills. And here is my dilemma, I wanted to ride and I sure did not want to be lecturing the lads about sustainable riding, but I felt so guilty about committing this mortal sin of sustainability. Some days I just can’t be bothered with diplomacy. So I did it, I rode in the mud, and sure it was fun. Cleaning the bike was not however, particularly with the feeling of hypocrisy hanging over me. My one saving grace is that I know a sustainable trail, in that ecosystem and in those conditions could be created, if only they gave us the chance.

While I was in Rotorua, NZ last year in August, it was wet, and I mean wet, because you just don’t get rain like that here in SA. But the volcanic soils of the forest never stayed boggy. The trail designers evidently had absolutely no considerations for drainage, because they know that the water goes straight through the stuff. It was unreal, and even in the area where the clay content was a little higher and therefore boggier; the trail was not altered by the 1000s of riders passing through, yes 1000s. And that was fun without guilt.

So now that I am a little older, less radical and reckless than I once was, maybe, I cannot allow myself to ride on the trails in wet weather. I think I prefer the soup now anyway and I am trying to maximise the longevity of my expensive components anyway. So that’s me fixed, but what about the other few thousand bikers who care for nothing other than their own sensual pleasure? Hmmm.. (in my best impression of Yoda). How the hell am I going to convince them that they should stop riding all winter to allow the trails to survive? What about racing and events??? I mean really, its just not going to happen. Anyway, dry weather can be just as bad but the evidence blows away and so is less obvious. The only solution is high quality trails that can withstand the punishment. Trails in Wales (UK) deal with up to 4000mm of rain per annum, which is four times what we get here, so if the Welsh can make it happen, surely we can. It should be noted that mountain bike tourism in Wales is now worth 7% of their GDP (IMBA 2005), so the investment has paid for itself in so many ways.

Bridging the gap between hot soup and the slimy trails is not going to be easy. So I have come up with a formula that to me seems fair and reasonable. For every hour of trail riding you do, put 15 minutes into some trail maintenance. Or even better, for every hour of trail riding you do give me $15 bucks and I will go and fix up the trails after you have trashed them.

I am enlightened to the requirements of trail sustainability and fully aware that sustainable trails can cost a packet to construct. This would not be the case if more people were willing to get out there and dig. However, most South Aussie mountain bikers are pretty lazy when it comes to volunteering. I want to change this; I want you to get involved. Stop ya winging and rock up to the next trail day in your area. If you can’t do that write some letters to the appropriate people, or even better send some funds our way to help pay for the development and management of trails. NOW. At the moment I am sick of feeling guilty when I get dirty.