Race Across America? - Spokes Magazine

friendly greeting or bell is considerate and works well;
don’t startle others. Show your respect when passing
by slowing to a walking pace or even stopping.
Anticipate other trail users around corners or in blind
spots. Yielding means slow down, establish communication,
be prepared to stop if necessary and pass safely.
5. Never Scare Animals.
All animals are startled by an unannounced approach,
a sudden movement, or a loud noise. This can be dangerous
for you, others, and the animals. Give animals
extra room and time to adjust to you. When passing
horses use special care and follow directions from the
horseback riders (ask if uncertain). Running cattle
and disturbing wildlife is a serious offense. Leave
gates as you found them, or as marked.
6. Plan Ahead.
Know your equipment, your ability, and the area in
which you are riding – and prepare accordingly. Be
self-sufficient at all times, keep your equipment in
good repair, and carry necessary supplies for changes
in weather or other conditions. A well-executed trip
is a satisfaction to you and not a burden to others.
Always wear a helmet and appropriate safety gear.
Keep trails open by setting a good example of environmentally
sound and socially responsible off-road cycling.
It seemed that Scott Scudamore had covered all the
bases with his well rehearsed answer, but I still needed to
fill the column so I got in touch with a few other people.
The response I got from new president of MORE:
The Mid Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts Jason Stoner
was very similar to the IMBA Rules of the Trail with
a heavy emphasis on respect; respect for the land,
respect to the wildlife, respect to the trails, respect to
other trail users, respect for others users groups and
respect to other mountain bikers.
Several of the points Jason made to me pertained to
how the actions of the mountain bikers dictate the
future of sport of mountain biking and how giving
proper respect will aid in having mountain biking recognized
as a legitimizing outdoor activity.
Then I spoke with Michael Klasmeier (aka
MikeK) a management specialist for the Maryland
Environmental Service I got a more light hearted
response, but a response that is backed with decades of
riding and equally as much time in the bicycle industry
as well as long history of mountain bike trail advocacy.
MikeK tells me that a responsible mountain biker
looks out for the trails as well as fellow riders. MikeK
stressed that we should all get involved in one way
or another. We can pick up a shovel on the trail days
or we can teach someone to mountain bike. MikeK
ended in saying that riding is fun, racing is fun, but to
love mountain biking is more than just riding a bike.
One Sunday in April while riding out at Greenbrier
State Park I had a good time talking with Jim Carlson
of the Potomac Velo Club. Jim was hard at work with
a solid gathering of MORE volunteers. On each of my
three laps I slowed and said hello to the volunteers. I
snapped a few photographs and tried to express my
gratitude for all that these people are doing for the
trails. Part of me felt guilty for riding the trails while all
these people were working to build and maintain them.
So here I am making my contribution to the cause by
using my public voice to share the word of the responsibility
of the mountain biker and to encourage the
Singletrack readers of SPOKES to get involved.
How can you get involved?
Frank Raiti, the Virginia Advocacy Directory for
MORE, spoke of how we can all get started with our
contribution to the sport of mountain biking by
sharing the 20-25-25 Rule. IMBA: the International
Mountain Bike Association has created a simple rule
for the base level contribution for a mountain biker;
20-25-25; it used to be a clever and cute 20-20-20,
but inflation changed that. This little collection of
numbers asks that each mountain biker contribute 20
hours of trail work, 25 dollars to local trail advocacy,
and 25 dollars to an international mountain bike
trail advocacy group... maybe IMBA. That is the base
level... do not be shy about exceeding the minimum.
Give a little and get a whole lot! Give back to the
sport that gives so much to you!
The numbers do not match up! The numbers of
mountain bike riders in the Mid-Atlantic is far greater
than the numbers that contribute to MORE.
Chris Scott, the IMBA State Representative for
Virginia, stressed that if the people that rode
Schaeffer Farms, Wakefield Park, and Fountainhead
were MORE members... those trails would be even
sweeter than they are... and those trails are SWEET!
But for some reason people have not been doing
their part as responsible mountain bikers... maybe it
is because they were not aware of their responsibilities
as mountain bikers.
Spread the word, share the word, and contribute
where you can... the minimum is not too much to ask.
The people at MORE and IMBA do far more than
trail repairs. These are the people working hard to
keep trails open and open new trails. The responsibilities
of the mountain biker can be seen in how we
ride, when we ride, our volunteer efforts, and our support
to our advocacy groups.
Be a responsible mountain biker. Go straight to the
computer and become a member of both IMBA and
MORE—it is your responsibility as a mountain biker.
This responsibility to the trails is not just up to the mountain
biker. The hikers, the runners, and the dog walkers
need to also be aware of their personal responsibility.
When the trails are super soggy it is unlikely that
any mountain biker responsible or not will bother to
go riding. Slipping, sliding, clogging and crashing...
well... time would often be spent better doing other
things. A little mud splatter is one thing, but it is not
responsible to be snailing through deep mud, sliding
We have always been focused
on trying to make your
cycling experience as
wide on each turn, being forced to skirt the trail to
maintain speed, thus widening the trails and risking
cutting deep ruts in the rail. On these days the mountain
biker may ride on the road or stay home and
watch the game. Meanwhile the runners, hikers, and
dog walkers stay the course and hit the trail.
Then what happens?
The hikers, runners, and dog walkers will walk on the
slippery trail often avoiding getting too wet by skirting
puddles and walking on the trail's edge, staying on
the perimeter of the trail rather than its soggy center.
This widens the trail. This is not an effort to point fingers,
but to explain a little trail use/misuse along with
aiding to dispel that the mountain bike is the villain
on the trail. Because any good mountain biker knows
that responsible trail riding causes no greater impact
than the impact of hiking or running.
As mountain bikers we all have the potential to be
ambassadors to our sport. How we behave when riding
dictates how outsiders perceive us. Use common
sense, basic courtesy, and respect when representing
the sport of mountain biking.
In my talks with Jim Carlson of PVC there was mention
of the satisfaction of knowing that he is “giving
back” to the local riding and racing community.
This May MORE is hosting a number of trail work
days at various locations in the Mid-Atlantic which will
allow for you to get a taste of that satisfaction. Check
the MORE webpage for details.
The discussions with Chris Scott and Scott Scudamore
brought up the Virginia IMBA Mountain Bike Festival
which will occur Memorial Day Weekend. More information
can be found on the IMBA webpage.
IMBA: The International Mountain Bike Association
http://www.imba.com/
MORE: Mid-Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts
http://www.more-mtb.org/
Laurel Bicycle Center
enjoyable as possible. Striving to provide
the highest quality of service plays a big
part in reaching that goal. Whether you ride
only a few times each year or cycle every
day, have a basic bike or the latest racing
machine, we make a point of treating every
cyclist as an important customer. We want
you to have fun riding! Regardless of what
and how much you ride, we are here to
help. We have a small but talented staff of
older and extremely experienced people,
dedicated to making your visit to our store a great one. They are truly
motivated to help people, and really care about you, not just how
much you spend. We know how to work on bikes old and new, and our
advice and guidance for purchasing a new bike is simply the best. We
are proud to have been here to serve this community for over 50 years,
and intend to be here for many more.
—The Sawtelle Family and staff of Laurel Bicycle Center
Laurel Bicycle Center
14805 Baltimore Ave.
US Rt.1 across from Laurel Mall
www.bicyclefun.com
301-953-1223/301-490-7744
Monday-Friday 10 am-7 pm
Saturday 9-6/Closed Sunday
May 2008
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