Constructive trail riding

GWood said:

I have decided to add a basic piece of equipment to my riding gear for the
season. I'm going to stuff a couple of plastic (yikes!) shopping bags into
the mesh of my backpack and do a little garbage collection along the way.
Been doing this for quite a while when hiking, it occured to me I could pick
up at least some small items when biking as well.

I find that seeing garbage alongside beautiful singletack is much more
disturbing than a few ruts. I think weekend hikers are way more prone to
dumping candy wrappers and empty water bottles alongside trails than bikers
are - although there are bozos in both camps. I've found trash in places
only accomplished distance hikers could reach, it always surpises me to
think true outdoor-lovers would do such a thing.

Anyways, I started packing out garbage after seeing someone else do it while
hiking. Seemed like a good way to "take back" from the environment. Maybe
I can even convince the trailhead maintenance folks to add a trash can
there...

Cheers
Gary

Good deal. Does "trash" include horsey poo :-p
--
Slack

"GWood" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have decided to add a basic piece of equipment to my riding gear for the
season. I'm going to stuff a couple of plastic (yikes!) shopping bags
into
the mesh of my backpack and do a little garbage collection along the way.
Been doing this for quite a while when hiking, it occured to me I could
pick
up at least some small items when biking as well.

Good plan... I've been picking up discarded plastic drink bottles as I bike,
which fit nicely into the back pocket of my jersey. I can just imagine
someone thinking, "He drank two bottles of sports drink and a Coke?!?!"

--
Scott Ehardt
http://www.scehardt.com

GWood said:

I have decided to add a basic piece of equipment to my riding gear
for the season. I'm going to stuff a couple of plastic (yikes!)
shopping bags into the mesh of my backpack and do a little garbage
collection along the way.

Good on you. Nothing pisses me off more than a litterer.

I pick up stuff as I see it as well. Amazingly, and fortunately, there is
rarely any trash on the [almost exclusively mountainbiking] trails here
within the city limits of Richmond, VA. I spend far more time picking up
hanger-breakers (broken tree limbs).

And if you're cringing about using plastic instead of paper, think again...
http://www.ilea.org/lcas/franklin1990.html

Scott Ehardt said:

"GWood" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have decided to add a basic piece of equipment to my riding gear
for the season. I'm going to stuff a couple of plastic (yikes!)
shopping bags into
the mesh of my backpack and do a little garbage collection along the
way. Been doing this for quite a while when hiking, it occured to me
I could pick
up at least some small items when biking as well.

Good plan... I've been picking up discarded plastic drink bottles as
I bike, which fit nicely into the back pocket of my jersey. I can
just imagine someone thinking, "He drank two bottles of sports drink
and a Coke?!?!"

funny. I'm working out the logistics for a clean up we are doing, and an
actual part of the plan is to have folks ride up the trails, and work thier
way down slowly with garbage bags. ;-)

Penny

"GWood" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have decided to add a basic piece of equipment to my riding gear for the
season. I'm going to stuff a couple of plastic (yikes!) shopping bags
into
the mesh of my backpack and do a little garbage collection along the way.
Been doing this for quite a while when hiking, it occured to me I could
pick
up at least some small items when biking as well.

I find that seeing garbage alongside beautiful singletack is much more
disturbing than a few ruts. I think weekend hikers are way more prone to
dumping candy wrappers and empty water bottles alongside trails than
bikers
are - although there are bozos in both camps. I've found trash in places
only accomplished distance hikers could reach, it always surpises me to
think true outdoor-lovers would do such a thing.

Anyways, I started packing out garbage after seeing someone else do it
while
hiking. Seemed like a good way to "take back" from the environment.
Maybe
I can even convince the trailhead maintenance folks to add a trash can
there...

Cheers
Gary

Awesome.

I try to do the same - if I'm stopped anyway especially. My friends and I
also had a running competition to see who could pick up the most reflectors
a couple summers ago. By the end of the summer, it got to the point where
we'd ditch our bikes and dive for little orange glints on the trail.
Reflectors may not be intentional litter, but they're still litter!

Jon

Good to hear that so many folks feel the same way. Can't help but improve
(or reinforce) positive feelings about MTB use on trails from all folks who
share and govern the trail systems.

small change said:

Scott Ehardt said:

"GWood" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have decided to add a basic piece of equipment to my riding gear
for the season. I'm going to stuff a couple of plastic (yikes!)
shopping bags into
the mesh of my backpack and do a little garbage collection along the
way. Been doing this for quite a while when hiking, it occured to me
I could pick
up at least some small items when biking as well.

Good plan... I've been picking up discarded plastic drink bottles as
I bike, which fit nicely into the back pocket of my jersey. I can
just imagine someone thinking, "He drank two bottles of sports drink
and a Coke?!?!"

funny. I'm working out the logistics for a clean up we are doing, and an
actual part of the plan is to have folks ride up the trails, and work thier
way down slowly with garbage bags. ;-)

Penny

We do that annually at Hartman Rocks. We find everything from candy
wrappers to tires and refrigerators. I have a feeling neither the hikers
or the bikers left their refrigerators, but I guess I could be wrong.
Hard to picture, anyway.

Matt (I also grab trail trash as I can on regular rides)

Jon Bond said:

I try to do the same - if I'm stopped anyway especially. My friends

and I

Quoted message said:

also had a running competition to see who could pick up the most

reflectors

Quoted message said:

a couple summers ago. By the end of the summer, it got to the point

where

Quoted message said:

we'd ditch our bikes and dive for little orange glints on the trail.
Reflectors may not be intentional litter, but they're still litter!

Who are you?

I'm always dismayed when I see pedal reflectors on a trail like the
Moore Fun. Some people have no business in certain places and they
always seem to leave their mark in more ways than one.

Litterers are pigs, plain and simple. People on mountain bikes who
litter need to find another fad, like tagging or some other dipstick
persuasion.

JD

"JD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Jon Bond said:

I try to do the same - if I'm stopped anyway especially. My friends

and I

Quoted message said:

also had a running competition to see who could pick up the most

reflectors

Quoted message said:

a couple summers ago. By the end of the summer, it got to the point

where

Quoted message said:

we'd ditch our bikes and dive for little orange glints on the trail.
Reflectors may not be intentional litter, but they're still litter!

Who are you?

I'm always dismayed when I see pedal reflectors on a trail like the
Moore Fun. Some people have no business in certain places and they
always seem to leave their mark in more ways than one.

Litterers are pigs, plain and simple. People on mountain bikes who
litter need to find another fad, like tagging or some other dipstick
persuasion.

JD

Usually the ones we find are the little yellow ones... such as those you'd
find on... say... pedals with straps. *ahem*

Jon "who am I?" Bond

Per GWood:

Quoted message said:

I'm going to stuff a couple of plastic (yikes!) shopping bags into
the mesh of my backpack and do a little garbage collection along the way.
Been doing this for quite a while when hiking, it occured to me I could pick
up at least some small items when biking as well.

Thanks for the idea.

I used to do that when kayaking.
Not much, just at least one piece per trip.

--
PeteCresswell

Jon Bond said:

"JD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Jon Bond said:

I try to do the same - if I'm stopped anyway especially. My

friends

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and I

Quoted message said:

also had a running competition to see who could pick up the most

reflectors

Quoted message said:

a couple summers ago. By the end of the summer, it got to the

point

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

where

Quoted message said:

we'd ditch our bikes and dive for little orange glints on the

trail.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Reflectors may not be intentional litter, but they're still

litter!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Who are you?

I'm always dismayed when I see pedal reflectors on a trail like the
Moore Fun. Some people have no business in certain places and they
always seem to leave their mark in more ways than one.

Litterers are pigs, plain and simple. People on mountain bikes who
litter need to find another fad, like tagging or some other

dipstick

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

persuasion.

JD

Usually the ones we find are the little yellow ones... such as those

you'd

Quoted message said:

find on... say... pedals with straps. *ahem*

Jon "who am I?" Bond

Funny how those little yellow reflectors come apart from all of the
pedals I buy. Deflectorzing isn't hard if one is not lazy. Reflectors
have NO place on the trail, on a bike, or off.

"JD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Funny how those little yellow reflectors come apart from all of the
pedals I buy. Deflectorzing isn't hard if one is not lazy. Reflectors
have NO place on the trail, on a bike, or off.

Reflectors have a place on the trails I ride. Several places, actually:
both pedals and both wheels. I use them to complement my lights as I ride
home from the trailhead at dusk.

--
Scott Ehardt
http://www.scehardt.com

"Scott Ehardt" <SCEhardt--((REM@VE))--SCEhardt.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"JD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Funny how those little yellow reflectors come apart from all of the
pedals I buy. Deflectorzing isn't hard if one is not lazy. Reflectors
have NO place on the trail, on a bike, or off.

Reflectors have a place on the trails I ride. Several places, actually:
both pedals and both wheels. I use them to complement my lights as I ride
home from the trailhead at dusk.

--
Scott Ehardt
http://www.scehardt.com

Ick. You've obviously never seen a wheel reflector break, flip sideways,
and rip out a rear derailleur, have you? Because I have - took out a couple
spokes with it too.

If you're riding back from the trailhead, get flashing lights that are
visible from the sides. By the time somebody's headlights see your wheel
reflectors, they're either far enough away that you'll pass them, or they're
too close and will clock you anyway.

If you really are paranoid, get some of the 3M reflective tape/dots, and put
it on a few places on your bike. Reflectors end up as litter, plain and
simple.

Jon Bond

Scott Ehardt () said:

"JD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Funny how those little yellow reflectors come apart from all of the
pedals I buy. Deflectorzing isn't hard if one is not lazy.

Reflectors

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

have NO place on the trail, on a bike, or off.

Reflectors have a place on the trails I ride. Several places,

actually:

Quoted message said:

both pedals and both wheels. I use them to complement my lights as I

ride

Quoted message said:

home from the trailhead at dusk.

Tell us all this, do you stop every time you happen to break a
reflector off to pick it up? My guess would be no because I've picked
up hundreds that were left on the trail in the past 19 years. Ever
think of wearing reflective clothing for your ride to or from the
trailhead? There is all kinds of reflective gear out there, which
eliminates the need for extraneous reflectors *on* your bicycle.

JD

Jon Bond said:

"Scott Ehardt" <SCEhardt--((REM@VE))--SCEhardt.com> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"JD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Funny how those little yellow reflectors come apart from all of

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

pedals I buy. Deflectorzing isn't hard if one is not lazy.

Reflectors

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

have NO place on the trail, on a bike, or off.

Reflectors have a place on the trails I ride. Several places,

actually:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

both pedals and both wheels. I use them to complement my lights as

I ride

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

home from the trailhead at dusk.

--
Scott Ehardt
http://www.scehardt.com

Ick. You've obviously never seen a wheel reflector break, flip

sideways,

Quoted message said:

and rip out a rear derailleur, have you? Because I have - took out a

couple

Quoted message said:

spokes with it too.

I'm wondering where his local trails are. If they are paved, I see no
problem with reflectors on the bike. However, mountain bike trails
have obstacles that tend to rip extraneous BS off of a bike at the most
inopportune moments.

Quoted message said:

If you're riding back from the trailhead, get flashing lights that

are

Quoted message said:

visible from the sides. By the time somebody's headlights see your

wheel

Quoted message said:

reflectors, they're either far enough away that you'll pass them, or

they're

Quoted message said:

too close and will clock you anyway.

That's too easy Jo, especially since there are so many to choose from
on the market, many of which attach to a pack or elsewhere on a person.

Quoted message said:

If you really are paranoid, get some of the 3M reflective tape/dots,

and put

Quoted message said:

it on a few places on your bike. Reflectors end up as litter, plain

and

Quoted message said:

simple.

Maybe our pal's myopia causes him to throw lit cigarettes out of car
windows too. "Everyone else does..."

JD litter is litter is litter

"JD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm wondering where his local trails are. If they are paved, I see no
problem with reflectors on the bike. However, mountain bike trails
have obstacles that tend to rip extraneous BS off of a bike at the most
inopportune moments.

There are parallel paved and offroad trails; one on each side of a bayou. I
ride the offroad one when it isn't too wet.

Quoted message said:

Maybe our pal's myopia causes him to throw lit cigarettes out of car
windows too. "Everyone else does..."

Lets see... a list of everything I throw out my car window:
- pistachio shells
- cherry stems
- cherry pits

Quoted message said:

JD litter is litter is litter

--
Scott Ehardt
http://www.scehardt.com

"JD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tell us all this, do you stop every time you happen to break a
reflector off to pick it up? My guess would be no because I've picked
up hundreds that were left on the trail in the past 19 years. Ever
think of wearing reflective clothing for your ride to or from the
trailhead? There is all kinds of reflective gear out there, which
eliminates the need for extraneous reflectors *on* your bicycle.

OK, you're starting to sound like the Vandeman of reflectors. If I have
lost any reflectors on trails, and it's possible I've lost a couple of the
small pedal reflectors, obviously I didn't pick them up because I didn't
notice until hours, days, or weeks later that they were gone. However, if
you will, look at the situation in the grand scheme of things. Through
organized and unorganized (just me) beach, bayou, and trail cleanups, I've
picked up absolutely massive amounts of litter. And yes, I've even picked
up more reflectors than I possibly could have lost!

--
Scott Ehardt
http://www.scehardt.com

Scott Ehardt (REM@VE) said:

"JD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tell us all this, do you stop every time you happen to break a
reflector off to pick it up? My guess would be no because I've

picked

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

up hundreds that were left on the trail in the past 19 years. Ever
think of wearing reflective clothing for your ride to or from the
trailhead? There is all kinds of reflective gear out there, which
eliminates the need for extraneous reflectors *on* your bicycle.

OK, you're starting to sound like the <snip spammer name> of

reflectors. If I have

Quoted message said:

lost any reflectors on trails, and it's possible I've lost a couple

of the

Quoted message said:

small pedal reflectors, obviously I didn't pick them up because I

didn't

Quoted message said:

notice until hours, days, or weeks later that they were gone.

However, if

Quoted message said:

you will, look at the situation in the grand scheme of things.

Through

Quoted message said:

organized and unorganized (just me) beach, bayou, and trail cleanups,

I've

Quoted message said:

picked up absolutely massive amounts of litter. And yes, I've even

picked

Quoted message said:

up more reflectors than I possibly could have lost!

Try and spin it however you want to. The fact is that you admit a
possibility of losing reflectors and not picking them up. How does a
missing reflector on your bike qualify as "possibly"? Either you have
come up missing reflectors, or you have not. Which is it? Leaving
reflector garbage on the trail still makes you a litterbug, whether
you've picked up the garbage of others, or not. Having wheel and pedal
reflectors on your bicycle while riding mountain bike trails in the
dirt is *inviting* litter. There are other solutions to being seen
while riding on the street at night to and from a trailhead. Get it
yet? Then again, your "grand scheme" will probably remain myopic.

JD

JD said:

Scott Ehardt (REM@VE) said:

"JD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tell us all this, do you stop every time you happen to break a
reflector off to pick it up? My guess would be no because I've

picked

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

up hundreds that were left on the trail in the past 19 years. Ever
think of wearing reflective clothing for your ride to or from the
trailhead? There is all kinds of reflective gear out there, which
eliminates the need for extraneous reflectors *on* your bicycle.

OK, you're starting to sound like the <snip spammer name> of

reflectors. If I have

Quoted message said:

lost any reflectors on trails, and it's possible I've lost a couple

of the

Quoted message said:

small pedal reflectors, obviously I didn't pick them up because I

didn't

Quoted message said:

notice until hours, days, or weeks later that they were gone.

However, if

Quoted message said:

you will, look at the situation in the grand scheme of things.

Through

Quoted message said:

organized and unorganized (just me) beach, bayou, and trail cleanups,

I've

Quoted message said:

picked up absolutely massive amounts of litter. And yes, I've even

picked

Quoted message said:

up more reflectors than I possibly could have lost!

Try and spin it however you want to. The fact is that you admit a
possibility of losing reflectors and not picking them up. How does a
missing reflector on your bike qualify as "possibly"? Either you have
come up missing reflectors, or you have not. Which is it? Leaving
reflector garbage on the trail still makes you a litterbug, whether
you've picked up the garbage of others, or not. Having wheel and pedal
reflectors on your bicycle while riding mountain bike trails in the
dirt is *inviting* litter. There are other solutions to being seen
while riding on the street at night to and from a trailhead. Get it
yet? Then again, your "grand scheme" will probably remain myopic.

JD

Don't forget the plastic chain protectors between the cassette and the
spokes. I've found hundreds of those on the trail. First time I
noticed them I wondered why people were dumping CD's on the trail.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws