posted Dec 22, 2020
by International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA)
Bike parks are not trails. They are managed similarly to city parks. They require a higher standard of care. They need to be professionally designed and constructed.
posted Dec 22, 2020
Tens of millions of North Americans and Europeans own mountain bikes and millions of them are avid trail riders. The growing popularity of mountain biking in many areas has led to increased trail degradation and conflicts among users on single track. This study could be used as a template to estimate benefits and costs to other users (hikers and equestrians), a critical component of any analysis of the types of policies managers must consider.
posted Dec 22, 2020
This study offers direction for future studies on mountain bike riding, including: characteristics of mountain bike riders and their use patterns, identification of resource degradation problems, identification and resolution of conflict issues, wilderness trespass issues, partnership issues, communication issues, and testing of management strategies related to mountain bike use.
posted Nov 13, 2020
by Josh Adams
American Trails contributor Josh Adams recently interviewed Lawrence Simonson, who serves as the Chief Strategy Officer of the PedNet Coalition, to talk pedestrian safety, projects and obstacles, and making a difference in Missouri.
posted Oct 27, 2020
On average, the majority of survey respondents disapprove of e-bikes being allowed on the trail. This remains true across the board for each of the major user groups; however, mountain bike rider respondents are less likely to disapprove of allowing e-bikes on non-motorized trails and equestrian respondents are more likely to disapprove.
posted Oct 13, 2020
by Taylor Goodrich with American Trails
In August of 2020 American Trails held a webinar called "Balancing Recreational Area Use with Homelessness and Vagrancy." This webinar discussed how the city of Modesto, California dealt with the challenge of homelessness and vagrancy in their parks and trails. These are some key takeaways from the webinar.
posted Sep 13, 2020
by Lora Goerlich with Equestrian Trails and Facilities Consultant LLC
Responsible equestrians should actively protect trees and other park structures when out on the trail. Equine expert Lora Goerlich gives her take on this topic.
posted Aug 19, 2020
This report addresses both the technical and political challenges of how communities are paying to maintain trails, bike lanes, and sidewalks. It examines agency maintenance policies and provides examples of communities who’ve successfully made these facilities a priority.
posted Aug 17, 2020
In the USA, sales and use of “fat bikes” (bicycles with 75–120 mm-wide tires) have increased dramatically in the past five years. These bikes are designed to open new terrain to cyclists, including snow-covered trails and softer ground surfaces impossible to ride with a standard mountain bike. In this paper, we discuss the extent and possible trends of fat bike use, potential impacts, conflicts and land management approaches.
posted Aug 14, 2020
by American Council of Snowmobile Assns. (ACSA)
Many snowmobile trail managers are facing new management challenges related to OHV use that have been evolving over the past ten to fifteen years. This evolution has included significant growth in overall OHV numbers, the addition of wider side-by-side utility vehicles (UTVs), and some OHVs now being equipped with tracks. Consequently a growing number of local administrators must evaluate what’s best for their local area: continuing to provide only ‘single use’ motorized trails for snowmobiles – or integrating concurrent snowmobile/OHV use onto some groomed trails.
posted Aug 14, 2020
The growth in ATV numbers has driven a desire for more places to operate them recreationally on trails. In some areas of the Snowbelt this has led to a growing interest for ATV operation on groomed snowmobile trails during the winter season. This can be a challenge for land and trail managers.
