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Discussion starter · #181 ·
i'm just super glad you don't live anywhere around me and our trails...
Once again, I'm not actually concerned about the design of the feature, whether it's built properly or how rideable it is. If the kids that built it crash and break bones, that's on them.

My only concern is that it is completely unexpected given everything else around it and an inexperienced rider, exploring the trails in the town's recreation area could have a very serious accident because a rather innocuous look stretch of mellow XC trail blindly goes off a 'cliff'.
 
I've heard on the grapevine that the rec manager is already sniffing around, so this might have been an entirely moot post.

I was a little surprised by some of the responses here, especially the "poor kid" comment. I actively encourage my children to ride, take them to DH parks, provide them with proper equipment etc... The "poor kid" in question will happily 'send it' down a black diamond, and clocked over 60mph on a pair of skis, and rips it through the moguls on the freestyle team, and he thought this particular feature was completely out of place. It was also his idea to stand in the feature to give a sense of scale for the photo.

I never said it shouldn't be there because I can't personally ride it and there was some anecdote about a woman who didn't think a trail should exist. If this was clearly signed as a black trail then I wouldn't have even asked the question.

I genuinely asked the question with the best of intentions because I don't want all their hard work to be torn out but I worry they have maybe gone 'too far' for where they are building. I was looking for advice because I'm new to this and I was looking for others experiences dealing with land owners/local authorities etc... in the creation and maintenance of trails.
Just put a sign up..I have kids so I get it. I just didn't find it appropriate posting I picture of your kid.

Sorry.
 
At what point does catering to unknowing and downright ignorant people go too far?
By your logic we should ban cars because more people die in traffic accidents every year than cycling.
And I'm lactose intolerant. Like many others. So lets ban Dairy as well because that directly affects ME.
And since many mountainbikers hate roadies. Lets just ban that as well.

You see where this is going?
This post is such a straw man it could be a scarecrow lmao
 
TLDR: Look at it from every angle.

Let me jump in here real quick.
I bought my first MTB at 12 years old. Did we do stupid stuff? Yes. Did we crash? Yes. There were broken jaws, collarbones, wrists and ribs within our group just to list a few. Where did this happen? On clearly visible features/jumps that we observed beforehand and sessioned. Without taking classes or anybody teaching us we learned (the hard way) to take it easy on unknown terrain and progress from there.
What I am trying to say: things happen, even if the features are clearly visible. Physical harm is something inherent to the sport of mountainbiking and can never be fully eliminated. However, precautions can be taken.
OP asked for opinions, so here is mine: put up a sign and create a b-line. If the city people come close enough to see the sign, they will be close enough to see the feature anyways. If they want to find something they will. If the "dangerous" feature is already marked as such, maybe this can have a positive impact on the discussion between riders and the city as well as in the riders taking care of themselves and others.
Don't go running to your city and get things removed. This will only cause trouble. Believe me, I have been there from the perspective of the kids building jumps. Once the city took our trails and dirt jumps away, we moved somewhere more secluded, which in and of itself can also create more "danger". If something happens, you're farther away from infrastructure. Just saying, you need to look at it from every perspective.
And on the topic of advocacy groups: If there isn't one in your area, create one. If you want to protect the kids, educate them. Start small and see where it leads from there. I am sure that members of groups around you are happy to help you with questions as we are all in the same boat afterall, right?
 
Discussion starter · #189 ·
An unexpectimg person exploring a new trail, deserves every bit of what happens to them if they get hurt for not being more in control on a trail they know nothing about..
Once again, these aren't posted mountain bike trails, they are trails in the town's park. There is an assumption that the town wouldn't have a trail that leads off a cliff...
 
People always have to be one extreme or the other. You can be pro-rad-ness AND pro common sense, and this feature is clearly lacking the latter.

You can't have a potentially paralyzing gap drop on a trail that an 8 year old child or old lady could easily be pedaling down and not be able to stop for.

Significant signage is completely reasonable and frankly the builders spent all of this time building the feature they could take the 4 hours to build a sign and setting it up.

Build a sign, or tear down the feature. Those are the 2 reasonable options. And the responsibility to build the sign is 100% on the people who built the features.
 
An unexpectimg person exploring a new trail, deserves every bit of what happens to them if they get hurt for not being more in control on a trail they know nothing about..
As I said, on a backwoods trail or in a true mtb trail system: yes. On some casual trails next to recreation fields easily accessed by neighborhood kids: no. I'm guessing you don't have kids; they often lack good judgement.
 
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