#!markdown
"As an aside, I personally find the position of these riders quite odd; "
The fact that you find someone else's preference as "odd" is disrespectful to
their opinion and their preference. You may find that you do not like to ride
the same trails as someone else, but that does not make you odd. It shows a
narrow minded approach to discussing an important topic on the shore. Until
everyone agrees to respect each other's position there will always be a
perceived big divide between the smooth golders and the gnar/air rockers.
I also feel that the use of the word "entitled" is a bit extreme. Fear of
change or a loss of something you are passionate about tends to cause people
to speak out. There is definitely a trend toward trail homogenization on the
shore today, and that may have a few riders worried about preserving the style
of trail they prefer. I doubt that there all the gnar is going to be swept up
and paved over in my lifetime, there just isnt enough manpower hours out there
to do it. BUT - every trail that has been TAPPED has had the original style
changed to something more modern (read dumbed down if you like however i
specifically chose not to refer to i thtat way - i agree that a high skill set
is needed to really rail the new style of trail..I just dont feel like
spending my riding time on perfecting my cornering skills. I hope you dont
find me odd for this.)
I moved to the shore 10 years ago without a single foot of vert on a DH rig
and I was able to progress my riding to the point that I have rode pretty much
every trail and feature on the shore with the exception of a few ball busters.
Thats good enough for me - I didnt need the plethora of green/blue lines that
are out there now to comfort my progression on 2 wheels. It might be safe to
say that new riders who enjoy bobsled type trails will never "progress" to
ride different style trails. They get their kicks on the paved gold and thats
great. There is definitely a place for these trails in our expanding network.
But the constant slagging that people who prefer to ride more
difficult/different style trails is uncalled for…There is no planned future
development of higher level trails - what you got now is all you're going to
get, and once theyre gone, theyre gone. That concerns a lot of riders. IF
NSMBA really wanted to adress the concerns of the "vocal minority" (as it has
been referred to) then they would also include in their mandate the need to
develop higher level, sustainable trails as well to meet the needs of the
entire MTB community.
AS a side note - I dont intend this as slag against the NSMBA. I have
personally found them to be very supportive varied trail development and
maintenance. They are strong lobbyists for the MTB community - I would just
like to see them be more public about recognizing the need for more than just
gold. And yes, I am considering becoming more involved in the administrative
aspect of promoting MTBing…I have been considering it for a while…i just gotta
wash the mouth out a bit and free up a little more time.
Thanks for your article. It is sure to prompt even more discussion and
hopefully clarity on an ongoing topic.
Dec. 3, 2013, 11:47 a.m. - dubprof
#!markdown "As an aside, I personally find the position of these riders quite odd; " The fact that you find someone else's preference as "odd" is disrespectful to their opinion and their preference. You may find that you do not like to ride the same trails as someone else, but that does not make you odd. It shows a narrow minded approach to discussing an important topic on the shore. Until everyone agrees to respect each other's position there will always be a perceived big divide between the smooth golders and the gnar/air rockers. I also feel that the use of the word "entitled" is a bit extreme. Fear of change or a loss of something you are passionate about tends to cause people to speak out. There is definitely a trend toward trail homogenization on the shore today, and that may have a few riders worried about preserving the style of trail they prefer. I doubt that there all the gnar is going to be swept up and paved over in my lifetime, there just isnt enough manpower hours out there to do it. BUT - every trail that has been TAPPED has had the original style changed to something more modern (read dumbed down if you like however i specifically chose not to refer to i thtat way - i agree that a high skill set is needed to really rail the new style of trail..I just dont feel like spending my riding time on perfecting my cornering skills. I hope you dont find me odd for this.) I moved to the shore 10 years ago without a single foot of vert on a DH rig and I was able to progress my riding to the point that I have rode pretty much every trail and feature on the shore with the exception of a few ball busters. Thats good enough for me - I didnt need the plethora of green/blue lines that are out there now to comfort my progression on 2 wheels. It might be safe to say that new riders who enjoy bobsled type trails will never "progress" to ride different style trails. They get their kicks on the paved gold and thats great. There is definitely a place for these trails in our expanding network. But the constant slagging that people who prefer to ride more difficult/different style trails is uncalled for…There is no planned future development of higher level trails - what you got now is all you're going to get, and once theyre gone, theyre gone. That concerns a lot of riders. IF NSMBA really wanted to adress the concerns of the "vocal minority" (as it has been referred to) then they would also include in their mandate the need to develop higher level, sustainable trails as well to meet the needs of the entire MTB community. AS a side note - I dont intend this as slag against the NSMBA. I have personally found them to be very supportive varied trail development and maintenance. They are strong lobbyists for the MTB community - I would just like to see them be more public about recognizing the need for more than just gold. And yes, I am considering becoming more involved in the administrative aspect of promoting MTBing…I have been considering it for a while…i just gotta wash the mouth out a bit and free up a little more time. Thanks for your article. It is sure to prompt even more discussion and hopefully clarity on an ongoing topic.