OT, for those of you interested in MTB read please

[Guest Anonymous]

MTB Trails endangered in CA"

This may be old news, but please read. It only takes about 10 minutes to fill out the form.

Taken from www.mbaction.com (http://www.mbaction.com/detail.asp?id=615)

IMBA ALERT!--FILL OUT THIS FORM--DEC 10

California mountain bikers threatened by large-scale wilderness closures

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

Senator Barbara Boxer's pending Wilderness bill is deliberately intended to close multi-use trails and seal off huge areas of California's open country to mountain bikers--forever. Negotiations with Boxer's staff with IMBA representatives seemed promising initially, but when the text of the legislation was released, all of IMBA's requests to set aside critical mountain bike areas were ignored. it was obvious that Boxer's group was negotiating with conflicting user groups merely to divert resistance to the bill and to stall for time. If Boxer's bill passes without modification, anti-mountain biking groups will win a huge victory--and we will permanently lose huge chunks of prime riding areas throughout the state.

If you don't live in California, you should still act, because the Sierra Club, and its most powerful anti-recreation allies are based here. These groups know that, once they win a battle in California, most other states will fall in line and accept similar legislation.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Click Here To Fill Out The Form

Fill out the form letter and send it to Senator Dianne Feinstein. Then, send the URL or the Senator's mailing address to all of your friends. NOW!

Dianne Feinstein is a California State Senator who must sign-off on the bill. Feinstein is more of a moderate, and has a better grasp of the needs of regular folk. Our hopes lay in the fact that Senator Feinstein can ask for modifications and exclusions in the land that is to be designated Wilderness before the bill is passed. Both lawmakers will soon be up for reelection shortly and will need the moderate vote to prevail.

Don't pass up a chance to make a difference. Take action when your help is needed most: Click Here To Fill Out The Form

Fill the form out here: http://www.imba.com/news/action_alerts/ca_wilderness/wilderness_form.html

[Guest Anonymous]

URL: http://www.imba.com/news/action_alerts/ca_wilderness/wilderness_form.html

(nt)

[Guest Anonymous]

and for those of you who like to make their own decisions, read this

http://www.wheeled-locusts.org/

[Guest Anonymous]

The trouble is that the only land designation that hasn't been overturned by the drill-it-n-log-it crowd is Wilderness. It's a shame that people are drawn to extreme measures such as expanding Wilderness, because it is certainly nice to have unspoiled land that does not carry with it the restrictions and bureaucracy of Wilderness. However with the current climate in the BLM and the Forest Service, regulations are being bypassed wholesale to make way for projects of dubious value, and locking up special areas is a very tempting response to such poor stewardship of our public areas.

I have nothing against mountain bikers, hunters, rock hounds, equestrians, hikers, campers, or what have you. In principle I don't have overwhelming disagreements with ranching, mining, timber, oil and gas (I'd be a hypcrite if I did). Everything is a matter of degree, and we will all suffer because of our excesses.

I certainly hope that a solution can be found so that responsible mountain bikers can enjoy these areas without continuing to leave them vulnerable.

Mike

[Guest Anonymous]

You do realize that similar arguments could be made about our cherished cars right?

[Guest Anonymous]

absolutely. if they repealed the smog regulations here in california, i'd be in trouble.

[Guest Anonymous]

(nt)

[Guest Anonymous]

is water caused, yes I know bikes help.

[Guest Anonymous]

Guns, drugs, gambling, pornography, religion, abalone fishing, captive 'sport' hunting of exotic animals, paving over vernal pools for the latest strip mall, cyanide heap-leach gold mining, having 10 children, downloading music, violent video games, helmet laws, prohibiting clothes lines from fancy neighborhoods.

There are lots of things to disagree about. Each one must be taken on its own merit. It's a sketchy argument to say 'support me on my issue, because there are others'. I'd say that the differences between mountain biking in nearly-pristine areas, and the politics of wilderness conservation, are not terribly similar to the politics of smog and old cars. For one, mountain biking is rapdily increasing in popularity; old cars are becoming less numerous. Old-car smog could in principle be solved through technology, by requiring new motors to be installed (which we wouldn't want to be forced to do, but in the end it would still be a fun car), but I don't think there's much you can do to lessen the impact of a mountain bike on some of these trails.

Regardless, I don't see the mountain bike issue as really an attack against mountain bikes per se. There is a push to expand Wilderness as much as possible, because the public lands overall are under threat from many sources. It just so happens that expanding Wilderness will eliminate bikes, but not horses, and probably not grandfather-clause grazing, both which can do nearly as much damage.

Years ago you could ride a dirt bike just about anywhere you wanted to. It's great fun, but when everyone does it, it tears the hell out of the desert, or the forest, or the swamp. People complain about having to stick to fire trails and OHV parks, but I don't see any alternative for motorized bikes. Unfortunately, any wheeled vehicle, motorized or not, can cause damage if the riders are not careful.

Mike

[Guest Anonymous]

URL: http://www.bmw2002faq.com/store/index.html

would be torn to shit looking for more... Alabama has literally been LEVELLED.... i mean, torn to shit, by strip mining. what were once mountans are now lovely rolling hills covered with pine trees. all manufactured in the last 50 years by industry. not that they didnt need a gun to their heads to do even that. ok, so this is all off topic and we're supposed to be talking 02s... so would you rather plow along some lame rolling hills or tear up a mountain road... perhaps plow along and tear up are the wrong phrases to use... like you say, creeping slippery slopes start to take over and you might as well just stay home and shoot holes in your car (or MTB or whatever) until they say thats too iffy and take that away too ... ;/

-Rob (with 1988 audi 80 shootin' car (even paid for!!) but not allowed to actually shoot at it since we are in city limits )

[Guest Anonymous]

(nt)

[Guest Anonymous]

[Guest Anonymous]

Myself, I'm with you Rey. I think more terrain needs to be open to responsible mountain bikers. Here in Northern California and especially in Marin County, the options for trails to hike on are limitless. We mountain bikers are confined to very few legal riding areas where our impact on the trails becomes concentrated and more dramatic. I'm all for Wilderness Area protection, but please please please give responsible mountain bike riders more trail options in other places. There are many compromise solutions that are proving successful all across the country (MTB-specific use days and blackout days, rider trail maintenance programs, etc) that offer real options to simply denying bikers trail access. The debate goes on and on... Thanks Rey.

>Davin (bike shop guy)

'72 Verona-ish 2002

'03 Specialized Enduro Pro

'00 Marin Portofino Bilato Team Road

'93 Ritchey Comp rigid single speed MTB

'70s Free Spirit cruiser

[Guest Anonymous]

(nt)

[Guest Anonymous]

us who are consider a little nuts, because we drive 30 year old cars, ride mtb or even road bikes, even crazy enough to ride motorcycles(even race them). Lot of this debate is due to the mega million dollar homes been built deeper in land, now they feel they own every acre of land their eyes can see. Since they only work to pay for their home, we must be bum's because we ride a bike a few times a week. Also this is the same communites that wont let you work on your car or even have the garage door open... Yes I know that if you moved there is your own fault, and no I dont live in a place like that.