Mtn.Biking/Fat Biking Needs to Be Contained
| Posted on February 18, 2014 at 1:00 PM |
Is this the likely sordid future of mountain biking/Fat tire biking? Mountain bikes are "morphing" into nothing less than motorized dirt bikes, right before our eyes... (but it seems nobody is "blinking") Out of Vancouver, BC.... a Pandora's box is being opened, with the advent of Fatbikes, electric powered, or not...
Lithium Ion Battery Powered Electric Fat (MTB) Bike "promises to take riders through snow, sand and over mountains with relative ease for a truly all terrain biking experience."
"Know No Boundaries" is their motto
"A fatbike designed to carry adventurous riders out into wild places not normally accessible to bicycles. Fat tires help the bike float through sand, snow, mud and other variable terrain, opening the door to epic beach rides and mid-winter expeditions...encourages riders to soak in their surroundings as they pedal through places where bikes rarely go."
You need Adobe Flash Player to view this content.
Fatbikes, beercage, and free riding on the North Shore...
This is even more reason to BAN mountain biking from our public forests and place them inside contained and well-enforced private ski resorts, etc. How much more damage do the mountain bikers have to inflict on our natural parkland and forests before our public land managers and politicians remove the blinders from their eyes??
An Open Letter to the Districts of North and West Vancouver Mayors and Councils:
"The economic future looks bare for B.C.'s ski resorts" -- A viable solution
With bad news like this, you would think that dialogue between the three North Shore Ski Resorts, NSMBA, and North Shore municipalities would have begun long ago. What merit is there allowing the ongoing mountain biking freeride in our public forests, carried on the backs of taxpayers, when our three private ski resorts are found wanting? There is no revenue in it for these three resorts as long as the mtbing freeride on our public forests below them is questionably supported by DNV and DWV. The ski resort idea works. We can see this in Whistler, and elsewhere.
What would you rather see: Three ski resorts go under for lack of snow? Or, mountain bikers/fat tire (snow) bikers "paying to play" on them; while banning the freeride from the public forests, altogether? Why should the majority non-mountain bikers have to pay for a minority mountain bikers' self-gratification to do whatever they wish on our public forests, unabated, while abusing the natural environment and making it dangerous for any other forest user to enjoy. All that riding and trail digging four seasons a year, rain or shine, day and night is just not sustainable. Those jump structures, berms and rollercoasters built on the trails are not inclusive, and restrict the enjoyment of every other forest user, on foot or hoof. Remember, the renegade mountain bikers first came onto our public forest land to ride and build without permission, crying that there was no other places to ride. Now there is a place for them, and a very legitimate place for them...Why continue pursuing what are unsustainable and very costly solutions, when the answer is right in front of you?
It is time for the mountain bikers to pay to play, supporting our three ailing ski resorts. It only makes common sense, in light of this recent article:
I urge you to seriously consider it, helping to protect what still remains of our public forests from further off-road recreation abuse, and to ensure the next generations' enjoyment of it, while leaving intact and viable forests to battle climate change naturally. Thank you.
Monica Craver
**************************************************************************
More:
Photos: B.C.'s ski hills hoping for some powder
Grouse Mountain is hoping this cold snap will mean fresh powder on the hills. The ski resort has been making its own snow, but many of the hills remain patchy or bare.
Snow woes force closure of Mount Washington putting 200 out of work
http://www.theprovince.com/news/bc/Snow+woes+force+closure+Mount+Washington+putting+work/9446176/story.html
About Fat 'Snow' Biking
The fat 'snow' bike was created to go where standard “all terrain” bikes flounder. The floatation and traction afforded by large-volume, low-pressure tires can get you over and through otherwise unrideable terrain…sand, mud, wet rocks and roots, ice and many kinds of snow. The fat bike is purpose built for snow and sand with wide, high flotation tires that enable travel on a variety of low pressure surfaces. Huge tires make for a comfy ride and distribute weight for FLOAT and TRACTION IN THE SNOW.
Compare a muddy Surly MTB Fat Bike tire with a Bridgestone Motorcycle tire:
Note that mountain bikes are looking more and more like the motorized bikes, and with the push toward electric mountain bikes on the horizon, what is the difference between the two off-road vehicles, anyhow? If our public land managers cannot enforce the pedal-powered mountain bikes inside our forests, how will they manage the stealthy electric dirt bikes/motorbikes/fat bikes? If people do not like the idea of off-road motorized dirt bikes inside our public forests, why are mountain bikes any different, in light of these facts?
This is even more reason to contain mountain biking/fat tire "snow" biking to private recreational resorts, than to allow the freeride to continue on our public forests, etc. before the whole off-road mountain biking "freeride" gets really out of control, doing far more damage with their fat tire culture, off-trail...
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.