Prepared a little article if you like in relation to trail building, make of it what you would like:
I've been building Mtb Trails for about 3 years now. Whether its been secret downhill and xc tracks, or helping with the construction and maintainence of legal trails, it's something that I do so that I can give something back to the sport that I love. I'm not making any money doing it, infact I spend hundreds of my own, but they're not lost dollars. The greatest rewards that I've been given from trail building, is seeing how much people enjoy riding the trails I've built, and being able to ride something that you have put so much work into. It's a shame that the people building the trails, are so thinly spread amongst the riding population, and it is indeed the small minority that are out there, building the single track that you ride on. A number of build days I've helped organise, have had no people show up outside of the normal crew.
So it's almost ironic how quickly and how often people produce negativity towards trail builders, and their work. Recently I have become more and more dissapointed in peoples attitude towards people who are out building trails. It's almost always on the internet, whether its facebook or mtb forums, people are quick to talk shit about the work we put in.
This isn't a rant, or me having a go at anyone. It's simply a request to take the time next time you're riding some singletrack, to think about how it got there. Who could of built it, when, and how long it took them to create something that is enjoyed by so many people in our community. It's not a matter of every rider having to pick up the shovel and help out, although it wouldn't hurt. It's just a matter of showing more appreciation of what other people do for them, for no material gains, but simply out of goodness of heart, and passion for the incredible sport we have.
Jack.
I've been building Mtb Trails for about 3 years now. Whether its been secret downhill and xc tracks, or helping with the construction and maintainence of legal trails, it's something that I do so that I can give something back to the sport that I love. I'm not making any money doing it, infact I spend hundreds of my own, but they're not lost dollars. The greatest rewards that I've been given from trail building, is seeing how much people enjoy riding the trails I've built, and being able to ride something that you have put so much work into. It's a shame that the people building the trails, are so thinly spread amongst the riding population, and it is indeed the small minority that are out there, building the single track that you ride on. A number of build days I've helped organise, have had no people show up outside of the normal crew.
So it's almost ironic how quickly and how often people produce negativity towards trail builders, and their work. Recently I have become more and more dissapointed in peoples attitude towards people who are out building trails. It's almost always on the internet, whether its facebook or mtb forums, people are quick to talk shit about the work we put in.
This isn't a rant, or me having a go at anyone. It's simply a request to take the time next time you're riding some singletrack, to think about how it got there. Who could of built it, when, and how long it took them to create something that is enjoyed by so many people in our community. It's not a matter of every rider having to pick up the shovel and help out, although it wouldn't hurt. It's just a matter of showing more appreciation of what other people do for them, for no material gains, but simply out of goodness of heart, and passion for the incredible sport we have.
Jack.
