MOUNTAIN BIKERS WANTED! Mountain Bikers Join Together to Support San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance

Our trails are getting busier and busier with increase in foot and bike traffic! But this increase also adds stress to our natural areas and others out there enjoying the green spaces. So, local mountain bike riders reached out to SMGA to offer their support in fulfilling the SMGA’s mission statement.

An SMGA Mountain Bike Sub-Committee has been formed consisting of Curtis Seebeck (Chair), Andy Howard, Jeff Kester, Andrew Nance, Diane Phalen, Sheila Torres-Blank, Monique Tschurr, and Adam Wagner.  SMGA-MTB is in the process of writing goals that include: educating bikers on trail etiquette and use, recruiting more SMGA-MTB members for building and maintaining new and existing trails, and offering opportunities for all levels and ages of mountain bike riders to meet each other for social, community, and/or fundraising  events.

So, let’s start this month’s Outreach – MTB with a couple of important TRAIL ETIQUETTE rules.

1. Do NOT ride wet trails. If mud sticks to tires and shoes, turn around.

• Causes ruts and accelerates erosion
• Going around muddy spots widens trail which causes more erosion and loss of single track
• If first 2 don’t stop you, then know that it can ruin your bike

Solution: Join San Marcos,TX Mountain Bike and Hiking Trails to get trail conditions. The more people that join and participate, the more trail condition reports we can get!

 

2. Do NOT modify trails!

A lot of planning and detail execution went into designing and building sustainable trails. The parks are natural areas first, so trails are specifically designed to mitigate erosion, provide an exceptional user experience in the natural areas and respect the environmental conditions.

• Do not move or smash rocks or other obstacles to make things easier for you to ride. It changes the trial design.
• Do not add obstacles to trails. It changes the trail design.
• Don’t litter

Solution: Keep practicing those tricky, rocky sections or simply walk through them! Report any trail damage or issues to SMGA. They’ll want to repair the trail. If you like to move rocks and/or add obstacles, volunteer for SMGA Trail Building, and they will put you to work.

 

3. Mountain Bikers YIELD to all other traffic: runners, hikers, baby strollers, etc. That’s the rule. Be prepared to stop at all times.

• ALWAYS have CONTROL of your bike!
• All those nice people who step off the trail for you… slow down and tell them, “Thank you.” They were doing you a favor.
• Use a bell on blind curves, through thickets, and when approaching others.

Solutions: Ride at a safe speed and communicate with other trail users. Remember: You are sharing trails with others who have the right-of-way.

 

-MT