can't wait until the gyms open back up 100%
and these cross fit f**ks can go back to the mirrored walls
so they can stare at themselves flexin once again and get the
hell off the trails
One of the local gravity junkies has been building gnarly fall line descents in the local park. Basically straight lines down the steepest hills they can find. One of them crosses straight down the middle of a really fun switchback descent. Now the horses and hikers are starting to use it. Maddening.
It is very very possible for riders not comfortable riding a berm to ride a straight line.
One of the trails I ride here is "if ou got there you must ride the berms to get down" or go back where you came from. Doesn't mean they are skilled or knew what they were in for. Or are okay taking it easy through the bermy bit then riding the next 8 minutes of trail to the bottom and enjoying single track.
Another of the trails here has been seeing an easy line getting worn in. No excuse here, the rider should know from all the signage it's a jump line and if you are unskilled you should be intimated enough not to go down it, and you have options not to.
Alternately, the lines I'm referring to could be from climbing, staying out of the downhill line. It's actually not supposed to be climbed but people are going to be people. At least now people can somewhat get up the bermy parts without being in the line. Still distracting when focusing on the down hill while riding on a downhill trail.
The first trail I mentioned isn't worn in due to climbing traffic, can't climb it. It's all about the rookies incapable of riding berms and therefore have to ride it as straight as possible.
It's impossible to provide a generalized answer to this question. Sometimes it's Stavassholes cheating KOMs, sometimes it's hacks without the skill to ride the turns, sometimes the turns in question are poorly built and objectively dumb. Sometimes it's all of the above.
It does seem to be a consensus as to which cut throughs remain and which ones are blocked. A few that bugged me were blocked off by rocks and chopped weeds, and are being taken back by the natural flora. One of the two way single tracks that had a few cut throughs develop, and I've contributed to the cutting through inadvertently. In one direction the switchbacks are fun and flowy. In the other direction you have a bunch of speed coming off a hill and the cut through leads you to an up to level up jump. I just noticed the other day that the jump was the cut through from the other direction.
It annoys me when I'm riding a nice flow trail with well developed berms and I see a new line developing that just goes straight down bypassing all the S berm turns. I'm wondering if this is the result of gravity riders just wanting to hit the bottom in record time, or uphill riders looking for a more direct path? Some are too steep for that. I don't think it's hikers because there are tire tracks. Maybe it's just kids?
I see people have thrown bushes in those paths to deter it.
Where I ride, dirt bikes and ATVs are the bypass creators. Many of my favorite trails have widened by as much as fifteen feet and widen more every year. I use some of these bypasses. At 65, I think I've earned it.
Couple of thoughts:
1. Well designed bermed turns are rideable and walkable on their inside radius - I.e., all skill levels and foot traffic should be able to use them
2. Sometimes it’s not obvious (or possible with your terrain) but going with a bigger radius for the turn (and berm) can improve flow and increase likelihood that all users will stick with it. of course you have more berm to construct
3. Don’t stack the turns. If you align the turns and make it obvious to some one that “I can get there if I just cut here” you’re just making it easy for cut-throughs.
4. Disincentivize those cut-through in advance by loading the inside of the turn radius area (undisturbed terrain, not the trail with logs, large rocks, deadfall, etc. But don’t obstruct the sight lines, just don’t make it inviting to cut through.
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