A Mountain Biker’s Perspective Michael Cowan Chain Reaction Cycles
Hello Michael Cowan Michael Cowan Brand Director Chain Reaction Cycles Director at Chain Reaction Cycles Been mountain biking in NI for over 25 years - racing Downhill, XC, Enduro and also actively involved in race organisation
“Why informal trails are important to mountain bikers?”
The pure essence of Mountain Biking is how the combination of man and machine can tackle a vast variety of terrain
TRAIL WITH USE OF NATURAL DEVELOPED PATH/ANIMAL TRACK FEATURE
ROOTS MACHINE BUILT TRAIL DIRT VS NATURAL FEATURES
OLYMPIC XC DOWNHILL ENDURO
Moving Forward Listen to rider feedback to improve the network of official trails - the better they suit what riders are asking for, the more time riders will spend on official trails as opposed to natural trails Work with race organisers to run events on existing natural trails, and use this as an opportunity to improve the quality of these trails, rather than a lever to close them Encourage/publicise responsible trail building Re-think the current ‘trail closure’ approach to some informal trails - I don’t think it works, riders will simply clear the blockages, or build a new trail often making the situation worse - much better to identify and engage with local groups and work to improve high risk areas (path crossing etc)
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