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From: trow@uw-june (Jay Trow)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: Mountain Bikes & The Environment
Message-ID: <1793@uw-june>
Date: Wed, 26-Sep-84 23:49:06 EDT
Article-I.D.: uw-june.1793
Posted: Wed Sep 26 23:49:06 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 4-Oct-84 02:23:04 EDT
References: <173@oliveb.UUCP>
Organization: U of Washington Computer Science
Lines: 36



Forwarded from Bikers^@Xerox.arpa

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Date: 24 Sep 84 13:59:49 PDT (Monday)
Subject: Re: Mountain Bikes & The Environment

   I think that mountain bikes should be allowed to go anywhere that horses are
allowed to go.  Since horses are allowed in most backcountry areas (I am not
sure about designated Wilderness areas though), bikes should be allowed there
too.  A bike does no more damage to the environment than a horse, and causes no
more disturbance to other people than a horse or even a hiker (unlike the
ear-ripping noise and choking fumes of a motorbike).  Sure, there will be a few
irresponsible people who will ride like maniacs -- just as there are
irresponsible hikers who leave trash all over and let their fires burn.  But I
don't think it's fair to close trails to bikers, because of the inconsiderate
few, just as hikers are not shut out, because of their inconsiderate few.
   There really are not very many places that mtn. bikes are allowed to go,
especially if all hiking trails are closed to them.  There are no "trails
designed for them", as Kenton Lee recommends.
   Very few people who buy mtn. bikes actually ride them in the mountains.
Most buy them for local playing, and hardly ever see "wilderness" or
"backcountry".  This is one of the reasons that I don't believe that the land
is any more threatened by mtn. bikes than it is by hikers or horses, because
they are few and far between.  As far as erosion from ruts, bikes don't leave
ruts unless it's muddy, in which case very few bikes are out in the wilderness,
and if there are, the ruts are no worse than the huge pockmarks left by horses,
or the ruts caused by sliding hikers. I just don't think bikes should be
discriminated against.

Holly Wanless
wanless@xerox.arpa

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