cambodia update

Posted by: xy9ine

yeah, i dig the new incarnation; bumps up trail speed in the flatter bits linking the fun features. it's a solid lap.

100% agree with this! The flow at the bottom feels a bit more like riding bike park, but we’re splitting hairs. I’ll also feel less bad riding it in the rain.

I get the love for jank in this and other threads. I’m also a grumpy old man who feels like the “new” isn’t necessarily better. That said, I'm grateful to still be exploring and happy riding mountain bikes.

I was riding in an unsanctioned area a couple of weeks ago with my 15-year-old son, his first time in the area. The kid thought it was a little too janky and he still beat me down the hill, decidedly. We ran into the trailbuilder (unofficially) who I’d ridden with many years ago. He asked me what I thought about the area becoming sanctioned. In the end, the area sees more riders than it did and the erosion is causing ridable sections to become much more dangerous. Something has to give.

My takeaway, jank or flow, sanctioned or un-sanctioned, I'm no longer able to claim the crown of best rider in the household :-) The grumpy old man gets grumpier. MORE JANK!!

My thoughts on the grievances over the loss of jank is that great jank typically comes from time  and erosion and is naturally created. So when it's lost it's often years of "trail work" that is disappearing.  Anywhere I've ridden that has great jank has had it develop through ridership. If jank is built it just doesn't have the same feel. I think it time, 'bodia will change a little bit and more of the old flavour will reappear. And maybe we can appreciate the success of this project as it may bode well for some brand new trails in the future.

CBC, Ned's & now Cambodia are all shells of their former selves, but what are you gonna do? Things change. At least they are still open. I have no plans to ride CBC or Ned's again. They both used to be on the go-to list of trails to be ridden.

Posted by: Stuminator

CBC, Ned's & now Cambodia are all shells of their former selves, but what are you gonna do? Things change. At least they are still open. I have no plans to ride CBC or Ned's again. They both used to be on the go-to list of trails to be ridden.

I'm not pointing at you directly but your ambivalent attitude is a big part of the problem.  There is always somewhere else to ride, but once good old school jank is gone, reclaimed for flow use, it is gone for good.  And the 3 aforementioned trails you note were all this, good old school jank, and are gone in essence (certainly in soul).  What's next?  Just like Canadians bitching about taxes, costs etc but rarely do many come out to vote to make a difference.  All talk.  I take direct aim at the NSMBA whom seem to think they can make such decisions with little to no actual input from riders and in many cases the ones making such decisions were most likely not even born when such trails were in their infancy.  

At what of legacy?  What of rider development?  I have given up hope that the new riders today would progress to harder trails since most don't and won't go out of their comfort zones.  This is even worse as the case can be made for trails like Crippler, Grannies, Bookwus et al that since they don't get heavy use they should be changed to reflect what current riders want.  It's a vicious circle, and in the long term, we will have lost what got us here in the first place.  Not a legacy I want to leave.  

Taking a stand for something you believe in has numerous precedents in history; maybe it is time one is made here and now while there is still something to preserve.  Don't take it for granted.  I was around when the Chainsaw Massacre occurred on Cypress in 1999 and it took a long time to get back to something resembling what we had.  But what we lost will never be replaced.

Posted by: syncro

My thoughts on the grievances over the loss of jank is that great jank typically comes from time  and erosion and is naturally created. So when it's lost it's often years of "trail work" that is disappearing.  Anywhere I've ridden that has great jank has had it develop through ridership. If jank is built it just doesn't have the same feel. I think it time, 'bodia will change a little bit and more of the old flavour will reappear. And maybe we can appreciate the success of this project as it may bode well for some brand new trails in the future.

I wouldn't count on it.  Now that it's official it will get regular grooming to maintain it.  As does Lower Digger, Espresso, Bobsled.......

I still can’t believe that anyone truly enjoys riding washed out fall line creek beds with loose babyheads. That is not ‘jank’. 

Had you actually ridden CBC Neds in the two years prior to the recent massive rebuilds?   Absolute sheit. I avoided them like the plague for at least 5 years prior, and based on the number of alternatives, I am not the only one. 

The NSMBA directors are elected volunteers who hire the staff and chose direction on an annual basis bases on mission statement btw….  Spots are always open at election time.

Posted by: heckler

I still can’t believe that anyone truly enjoys riding washed out fall line creek beds with loose babyheads. That is not ‘jank’.

I agree. Loose babyheads are "chunder"

To me, jank is endless tight turns (too short in radius for 1.5m wheelbase park sleds) with lots of naturally occurring features that require subtle observed trials skills, and are endless in variety and take some effort to puzzle out,

so more like rock climbing

Posted by: taprider

Posted by: heckler

I still can’t believe that anyone truly enjoys riding washed out fall line creek beds with loose babyheads. That is not ‘jank’.

I agree. Loose babyheads are "chunder"

Thank you. And Cambo had sections of chunder, some of it poor condition and posed to become northshore extreme chunder through increased traffic. 

Keep in mind also that Cambo became mainstream in 2020, before it was legitimized. How many instabros have you been influenced by to go find dynamite?

Posted by: taprider

To me, jank is endless tight turns (too short in radius for 1.5m wheelbase park sleds) with lots of naturally occurring features that require subtle observed trials skills, and are endless in variety and take some effort to puzzle out,

so more like rock climbing

So, more like Cambodia of 15-18 years ago.

Can we all agree to slag mother nature, ridership levels and unsustainable original trail design instead of the NSMBA volunteers and staff working hard for today?

What I am much more concerned about are the few rock faces which don’t have a go around for the blue trail hunters influenced by social media.

Those are the spots which will get uncontrolled braiding through pristine forest floor as imtermediate riders attempt to bypass them.

Posted by: heckler

Thank you. And Cambo had sections of chunder, some of it poor condition and posed to become northshore extreme chunder through increased traffic.

Hmm, so maybe people need to learn better bike handling skills that also happen to respect the trail, eg no fucking cutties and not dragging the rear god damn brake through everything.

Posted by: heckler

The NSMBA directors are elected volunteers who hire the staff and chose direction on an annual basis bases on mission statement btw….  Spots are always open at election time.

Well said. If people don't like the way things are going they could step up and be the change they want to see.

it's funny how the "hardcore" riders always blame the NSMBA.... when it's the land manager that actually decides what happens.  Those 3 trails were a complete mess before the rehab. Neds was literally a creek bed and CBC was literally falling apart and was also a creek bed. Cambodia would be a hiking only trail if it wasn't for NSMBA and was build by World Cup level riders.  I bet Neds had 3 riders per week and now has hundreds.  

Ride Incline if you want a creek bed with boulders.  Lots of other trails out there as well.

@Heckler is on point with his comment about joining the NSMBA if you want changes.

I was pretty concerned about Cambodia initially but it is still pretty good. Way faster than before which has opened up some big gaps...so likely no safer... (which I think is something Metro does not consider when they sanitize trails..) 

Ned's is better than it has been in a long time.

As for CBC.... It was only average when I first rode it in 2001. Happy the whole rock armouring trend seems to be dead but the whole trail just seems a bit lifeless because of it. Feels a bit like a flow trail with no flow....