Making Progress

Great mountain bike trails don’t just appear— you have to make them happen. Fortunately land managers are listening so now is the time to get your ideas out there.

You’ve probably noticed that more and more people are discovering the fun and the health benefits of mountain biking. So have our representatives in public office. Until fairly recently, many land managers have seen mountain bikers as a minority user group who have the potential to damage the trails and endanger other users.

 

While being reasonably pragmatic, they have been unsure what to expect from us and even more unsure about what we expect from them. The different styles of mountain biking have confused some managers and in some cases, areas that could comfortably accommodate cross country trails have been closed because land managers assumed mountain bikers just want to construct large jumps. Land managers have to cater for a broad range of user groups; horse riders, the aged, school groups, dog walkers and so on. For many managers it was simply easier to say ‘no’ rather than catering for these ‘strange’ off road riding types. Now, at last things are changing, albeit slowly. Land managers are aware that we are out there and many are beginning to think Sharing your ideas with land managers can make all the difference in keeping trails like this—Great Northern Road, NSW.

 

Now, at last things are changing, albeit slowly. Land managers are aware that we are out there and many are beginning to think about offering sections of land for riding. ‘Wonderful!’ I hear you exclaim, but it’s up to us to use this opportunity wisely. Rather than assuming that councils are ‘MTB savvy’, we can inform them of our needs and desires. Here is how to develop a great partnership between your local mountain bike community and local land managers.

 

Find out who owns the land - There’s no point in directing all your efforts towards someone who cannot make the important decisions. Ask about to see if there are people who can become your allies within parks management.

 

Patience is vital - Land management decisions and processes happen very slowly. Bureaucratic turnover will further test your patience as your contacts within the land management groups move on and positive relationships need to be transferred from one person to another.

 

Be nice - Everyone has disagreements but partners handle these with respect for each other. Even if the issues cannot be resolved; it is likely that other mountain bikers will try to work with these managers at some time in the future. In other words, try not to burn your bridges.

 

Strive for clarity - Establish clear goals of what you want and what you don’t want. Have a written plan. Deal with the following questions in your plan: Why do you want a trail here? Is there a need for a mountain bike trail in this area? Is it good for the community as a whole? How does the land management benefit from a mountain bike trail here? Both sides need to be clear about their objectives and methods.

 

Understand the needs of others - Know who else uses the land. We need to accept that there are other users on some of our trails who also desire access. Sometimes our objectives need to be adapted accordingly.

 

Get support - Having the right person to represent your local mountain bike community is a great advantage. Good communication and a long-term commitment is a must. Equally important is the presence of a consistent support base. If leadership is not your thing, do what you can to lend your support. Highlight the benefits – Remember that we have a great deal to offer—both to the community as a whole and to land managers. We can help land mangers by monitoring trails for damage, danger and misuse and can provide volunteer maintenance help. The community will benefit from our efforts through greater recreational opportunities, environmental awareness, increased health and political support for publicly available green spaces.

 

Don’t take it too seriously - You will make mistakes, learn a lot and make new friends. You may not win every time but if you try to have fun, you will always enjoy it. The doors are open and believe it or not, the land managers are listening. There are a number of parks that are taking steps to include mountain biking in their plans of management. Cudlee Creek in South Australia and the Munda Biddi trail around Perth are great examples. Parks Victoria has also been a keen supporter and has actively pursued relationships with mountain bike groups. Canberra is fortunate to have State Forests, national government and local councils working with mountain bike groups. NSW has seen some changes in the perceptions of land managers who have historically discouraged mountain biking. A proposal to develop a network of multi-use trails that makes up well over 150km of riding track has been tabled for Sydney’s northern beaches—this required the support of two national parks, two councils, the local aboriginal land council, crown lands and many others. All this is sure sign that the decision makers are beginning to realize mountain bikers are a legitimate user group. So say ‘Hi’ to your local land manager or ranger. Invite them to your club social BBQ. You could even ask them to go riding with you. Mountain bikers are out there in increasing numbers and we are not strange—well, not too strange!