I got involved in trails advocacy here in the Ottawa area 4 years ago with a petition to the National Capital Commission (NCC) to allow fat bikes in Gatineau Park in the winter. Our local IMBA affiliated club, OMBA, has been advocating for singletrack trail access in GP for over 10 years. Over 200 km's of unsanctioned singletrack has developed through illegal trail building since the 80's when most of the trails were closed to bikes.
The fat bike proposal was successful in gaining a set ofpilot trails and opened the door to increased mountain bike access overall. Other stakeholders were initially suspect of this new activity and it took two years to get a 10km fat bike pilot trail. The advocacy efforts here helped us gain trust and we will soon add over 100km of sanctioned singletrack trails for mountain bikes. OMBA is now a trusted partner of the NCC for GP trails matters.
eBikes couldn't arrive at a worse time IMO. Land managers and the conservation officers can't tell these things apart from regular mountain bikes. The NCC has limited resources for enforcement and ebikes are banned on all natural surface trails. I've ridden behind people on fat ebikes in the snow and they roost and wheel spin with the slightest torque on the pedals.
Most of the shops seem indifferent to selling them but if they carry a major brand they will likely have to have one on the floor. Some shops close to the park will likely have rentals. The owners say "We won't sell many if any". But when they do where will they send the buyers or renters to ride them? A club member just bought one summed it up perfectly when I asked where he plans to ride it:
**"Wherever the f%$k I want to!" **
Great. Exactly the _"who gives a sh!t, try to catch me"_ attitude that got trails closed in the 80's. We have been working to overcome this "Mountain Dew Crew" perception for years, and along comes ebikes to bring it around again.
The other arguments I hear around "getting unfit people out on the trails" or "people are getting older or have _[insert health condition here]_ that prevent them from being able to continue riding mountain bikes like they used to don't hold water. I'm fatter and slower than I used to be and my rides aren't as long as I used to do. I feel for those who have diminished health conditions but motorizing a non-motorized sport and sending people out onto trails that weren't designed for motorized equipment is bullsh!t.
July 25, 2017, 6:43 a.m. - sralph
I got involved in trails advocacy here in the Ottawa area 4 years ago with a petition to the National Capital Commission (NCC) to allow fat bikes in Gatineau Park in the winter. Our local IMBA affiliated club, OMBA, has been advocating for singletrack trail access in GP for over 10 years. Over 200 km's of unsanctioned singletrack has developed through illegal trail building since the 80's when most of the trails were closed to bikes. The fat bike proposal was successful in gaining a set ofpilot trails and opened the door to increased mountain bike access overall. Other stakeholders were initially suspect of this new activity and it took two years to get a 10km fat bike pilot trail. The advocacy efforts here helped us gain trust and we will soon add over 100km of sanctioned singletrack trails for mountain bikes. OMBA is now a trusted partner of the NCC for GP trails matters. eBikes couldn't arrive at a worse time IMO. Land managers and the conservation officers can't tell these things apart from regular mountain bikes. The NCC has limited resources for enforcement and ebikes are banned on all natural surface trails. I've ridden behind people on fat ebikes in the snow and they roost and wheel spin with the slightest torque on the pedals. Most of the shops seem indifferent to selling them but if they carry a major brand they will likely have to have one on the floor. Some shops close to the park will likely have rentals. The owners say "We won't sell many if any". But when they do where will they send the buyers or renters to ride them? A club member just bought one summed it up perfectly when I asked where he plans to ride it: **"Wherever the f%$k I want to!" ** Great. Exactly the _"who gives a sh!t, try to catch me"_ attitude that got trails closed in the 80's. We have been working to overcome this "Mountain Dew Crew" perception for years, and along comes ebikes to bring it around again. The other arguments I hear around "getting unfit people out on the trails" or "people are getting older or have _[insert health condition here]_ that prevent them from being able to continue riding mountain bikes like they used to don't hold water. I'm fatter and slower than I used to be and my rides aren't as long as I used to do. I feel for those who have diminished health conditions but motorizing a non-motorized sport and sending people out onto trails that weren't designed for motorized equipment is bullsh!t.