Attitude of visiting moto riders

[locky]

I went for ride out to Coondoo today. Apart from some debris in sections left from the latest brushcutting work carried out by our hard working members the track was in fantastic condition...best I've ridden it in ages.

When I entered the forest there were two carloads of moto riders getting ready at the Forest Rd end of Western Boundary Rd. I also noticed on my first lap that a couple of Dad's had their children out with them riding the trail.

It didn't take long before the half a dozen or so moto riders had joined me on the singletrack. I pulled over the let them through and gestured to them to slow down; both for the sake of the young mountain bike riders on the trail and the upcoming Husky 100 endurance mountain bike race.

The first moto riders nodded their heads and then hit their throttles and tore the trail up straight in front of me. You know, the common message that moto riders like to give us, ie don't tell us what to do, just for that we'll really stuff your track up!

Further along the track they stopped to talk so I pulled up and informed them that there was a big race (Husky 100) coming up on this trail in a few weeks and we (SCUM members) would appreciate it if they slowed down.

One of the moto riders replied with 'we're only here for the long weekend, we only come down here every now and then', implying that they can't do too much damage because they don't live on the south coast. I said it would be great if they could ride somewhere else apart from Coondoo.

I then told them that there was bushland all over the place in the Shoalhaven and couldn't understand why they had to ride on that one 10km piece of single track surrounded by hundreds of square kilometres of bush and trails.

One of the moto riders then said 'you guys (meaning mountain bike riders) took all our trails away from us near Sydney, like Appin, so we come here, to ride Coondoo, Superbowl and Butterfly (SCUM's three tracks) instead.

I then informed this guy that SCUM members had nothing to do with what might have happened in Appin and that all the SCUM tracks were constructed by dedicated members, they were not former motor bike trails, so we would appreciate it if they rode somewhere else.

The whole group of moto riders then started their bikes up again and took off, ripping straight into another section of SCUM singletrack.

This was Monday morning of a long weekend and there was no evidence of any motor bikes being on Coondoo over the weekend until they came. Within minutes the firm grippy track was ripped up into ruts and loose surface.

So motorbike riders appear to be visiting the south coast and riding the SCUM singletrack on purpose (they knew the names of all three tracks) as if to get some revenge for other mountain bike clubs getting support from government and landowners to close trails to motorbikes and allow cyclists access because mountain bikes create very little, if any, major or long term damage to the environment.

This is a major concern to all clubs in the state that have tracks that are isolated and open to abuse by idiots like this bunch.

It's a total lack of respect!

One of the vehicles is a Reece Plumbing ute BT 39 JV, the other a black Toyota sedan BG 21 TH with a trailer behind it.

Geoff Lockhart

[Lewy]

Sadly Geoff there is nothing we can do.

[Hardly_Stuntworthy]

Between bogan 4wders and the moron dirtbikers, the land around here is fair game, sadly those who do the right thing are the ones that pay for it in the end...

[Between the Tape...]

Thanks Geoff for taking these meatheads to task and explaining the passion we all have for our trails.

Each one of us needs to do this every time we confront motos on our trails. Obviously it needs to be done with a level you are comfortable with even if that's just pleading they don't roost the trails because we put in a lot of work to maintain them. I myself would like to pull them off their bike and burn it on the side of the track and leave it at the trailhead to act as a deterent to other motos....unfortunately theres laws against that.

The most concerning part of your post Geoff is that they said they are coming down because mountain bikers closed their local trails, although I'm keen to find out what body is policing those trails and preventing them from using them?

I will pass those rego numbers on to Forests not that I think they'll do anything about it but at least they know we are willing to stand up for our trails.

From all SCUM members thanks again Geoff!

[dunkman]

To that I'll add my experience.

Monday morning fixing up some stuff on Superbowl. Just arrived and 5 moto's turned in off the road into the downhill section. I was at the part where the the harvesting had been done so when they got there (similar to Geoff) explained it was a legit mtb track that we looked after blah blah blah and it'd be great if they'd take the cleared exit out to the road. They guys wanted more singletrack so I took the time to point out where all that other moto ripped stuff was (not on our tracks). After that they said ok we just wanted to continue riding the track to where we get out at the bottom to which I said no it'd be great if they could get off our track which they did and of course road back down tallowwood and back into the track and proceeded to blast their way through it.

Interesting in that no moto's had been through all weekend to that point and even not for a while before by the look of the track, and these guys while seeemingly not local know the tracks well enough.

There were mtb'ers out there on Saturday and Sunday. Mind you the newly deviated track segment on Butterfly has been turned to mush by moto's too (see photo below).

All I can say is get more mtb'ers out there. Get the signs on the tracks! and promote their prescense to anyone you can riding an MTB.

[Between the Tape...]

Forests are pursuing this so if you ever get the chance to take down number plates I will gladly pass them on to the appropriate people who it seems will do something about it.

They were very grateful for Geoff's information and have already received police assistance.

[locky]

Sounds like the same idiots Duncan. They said they were there to ride the three SCUM singletrack trails. They parked right where all the mountain bikers park near Forest Rd to get quick access to Coondoo.
I'm guessing they were riding somewhere else earlier in the weekend. Pity they didn't stay there!
Listed my story on Rotorburn, which really opened a can of worms.
If what they are doing is illegal I just wish the police would get out there and do something about it.
One night I found a registered dirt bike in the bush in the same area...probably stolen, and reported it to police with the rego number. They didn't seem to care that someone had probably lost their bike. It's like it was too much of an effort to go out there and get it. Might still be there.
In light of things like what happened on Monday I shouldn't have bothered. One less motorbike out there is not such a bad thing.
Thanks for chasing that up Pat.

[trevor]

I am afraid that until there is official signage on the the trails with forestry backing and logo there is nothing that can be done because what realing is the difference between a mountain bike trail and a motor bike trail. A lot of motor bike riders would only see a nice track and like to ride it they shouldn't be blamed for that. So we need to get the trail head signs done and also at the start of each trail a no motor bike or vehicle access but it MUST have a state forest logo or it will have no status.

[Lewy]

The signs will help but enforcing the law would be better.

[locky]

Thing is Trevor, they knew the tracks were there, they knew the names of each track and they drove over 2 hours to come down and ride them!

[locky]

Signs are not going to stop idiots like that but it may make them stop and think; and that's better than the current situation.

Policing the bush is the answer.

Someone said that dirt bikes are the jet skis of the bush. They bug the hell out of everyone except the people that ride them.

Problem is water repairs itself, bushland and mountain bike trails don't.

[Between the Tape...]

Let me set the story straight with signage, it is purely to assist mountain bikers navigate the trail and to conform to requirements laid down by the land managers.

We are not allowed to put "NO MOTORBIKE" signs up, so anyone who thinks these signs are going to stop motos raping our trails is living in a pipedream. Granted it may stop some, but it only takes a few to totally destroy a trail, as Geoff can attest.

Police are only interested in unregistered motos in the forest (mildly interested) and a registered moto will do just as much damage to our trails. Forests are the ones that don't allow motos on our trails and they clearly admit they are not resourced to police it. This is not a new thing, and while ever our trails are in public land it will continue.

Ever since we put these trails in my emotions constantly switch between Excitement ;D; of having sweet trails to ride, Anger ; of having thoughtless idiots trash them, people who change them for their own gain, lack of interest/assistance to maintain them and Depression ; knowing that we're pretty helpless to change the minds of the people that cause the anger.....but we bat on because we're mountain bikers and we love it!!

The signage is progressing and we will have all the info at the AGM.

[dunkman]

Pat's dead right in that signs won't stop moto's. Hell most of us don't need a sign to find the track. The real aim of signs is to encourage more mountainbikers to get out there on mtb's. One of the great selling points we have to land managers is that there is evidence that having appropriate access and use in an area discourages less acceptable use like dumping etc.

It has been noted elsewhere that it is unwise to put up signs attempting to ban groups but the strategy is to promote acceptable use.

So my take on it is that the biggest advantage of the signs is awareness. Yes they are there to guide mtb riders around the track, but, with the trail head signs, should also indicate to the wider public that the trails are there and have some legitimacy.

Of course the plus is that it's also advertising that there are mountain bike trails there and supports the aim of the club to 'promote mountainbiking in our area'.

I'd much rather repair trails from mtb wear and tear than moto's or horses or dumpers. And yeah I should have got numbers plates off the moto's too but I figured Geoff had me covered