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Wood Stuff / Man made.

Huck Banzai

Huck Banzai

Turbo Monkey
May 8, 2005
2,523
23
Transitory
Im a fan of wood features, I like skinnies and teeters and elevated wood.

That said, people (including resorts) are building wood structures in places that dont 'need' them, as well as not building them thoughtfully.

What I mean? For 1 example, check out the Pinkbike POD (I know, I know... )for today (10/19/07) - not taking away from the shot or the rider, but focussing on the wood. Why is it there?

Wood features were introduced A> to elevate over sections of sensitive, or untameable/difficult areas, or B> to ride high above the ground and provide stunt-framwork.

It has increasingly been used in hi-erosion areas, and thats a great adapation.

BUT - its EVERYWHERE, wood stuff built barely off the ground, not providing any benefit or increased 'extremeness' or difficulty. I can recall some wood I have seen at resorts that 'improves flow' - aka there was a rough section that some had trouble getting through without being held up/slowed down - w/e. Im all for making trails accessible t nooB's, but these are skill inhibitors. Others fail to put in, or design in, any traction accomodations; no grooves or wire lath, or anything -- people exclaiming that it should be skills that keeps you from falling -- anyone who's ever ridden the shore to any extent, I BELIEVE, would disagree.


So, unless you just hate wood altogether, what do you think?
 
xy9ine

xy9ine

Turbo Monkey
Mar 22, 2004
2,940
353
vancouver eastside
i'm into 'appropriate wood'; ie, stuff that is built to transition sensitive or difficult to build upon areas, integrating existing logs &/or rockwork, using native building materials (ie, log stringers & split cedar slats, no lumber yard manufactured scrap). stunts that are well integrated into the terrain & seamlessly compliment the flow of the trail. digger, the old man of the shore, is a master of this. works of art, these trails can be. superfluous scrapyard stunts are lame.
 
U

Urinal Mint

Monkey
Oct 10, 2003
193
0
Washington
I like wood stunts...here's my trail I'm working on. I definitely only use it for building stunts that are pretty high off the ground though. Sometimes I prefer to build wooden jumps since it's less shovel work.















 
Huck Banzai

Huck Banzai

Turbo Monkey
May 8, 2005
2,523
23
Transitory
Tastiness - all within the scope of 'fresh ass stunts n trails'

Lemme track down pinkybike pic for me examplez, just one form/one example:



Nice split wood - looks to be of quality - and there may be something I do not understand that justifies its use, but it appears totally superfluous (and st00pid!)

Re-Disclaimer: Not at all poopin' on photog or rider.
 
Kornphlake

Kornphlake

Turbo Monkey
Oct 8, 2002
2,632
1
Portland, OR
The wood in that picture serves no purpose unless that grass is an endangered species. The photgraph was post processed too much, the coloring looks artificial, not really my thing but hey, my definition of art can be very different than yours.
 
J

jamesdc

Monkey
May 6, 2007
469
0
Alot of people just think its more fun to be riding on a wooden surface over dirt then on just dirt even if it has no point, thats why resorts do that and wood doesn't rut out and erode like a dirt trail so it is less trail work.
 
TheMauler

TheMauler

Monkey
Sep 20, 2007
170
0
805
Urinal Mint said:
I like wood stunts...here's my trail I'm working on. I definitely only use it for building stunts that are pretty high off the ground though. Sometimes I prefer to build wooden jumps since it's less shovel work.















Click to expand...
you have pics of you hitting that last section>?
 
T

[Tha]Shovla

Monkey
Aug 28, 2007
119
0
Somewhere over the rainbow
I take the wood when appropriate route. WE have some very very rocky trails here on the east coast and a wooden ladder to gap a rock ledge can make a trail very nice and keep the flow, likewise we dont always have the ability to use dirt transitions because some of the sides of the mtns. are very rocky so we use wooden transitions because they are easier to build and will last longer. but just a random ladder here or there isnt cool. I agree with the original post that some places/people forget why wood was used innitially on the shore.
 
jonnynails

jonnynails

Monkey
Apr 26, 2006
990
0
Just another day in the Ghetto...
Urinal Mint said:
I like wood stunts...here's my trail I'm working on. I definitely only use it for building stunts that are pretty high off the ground though. Sometimes I prefer to build wooden jumps since it's less shovel work.















Click to expand...
Dude, that's some awesome woodwork. I love that step up to step down. I've just started building my first couple of wood stunts with very little help and it's friggin hard work. Carrying all the wood all on the low down into the woods. Building the kicker is easier then digging though.
 
B

basikbiker

Monkey
Jun 15, 2006
619
0
Northern Cali
i agree that wood should be used appropriately. meaning it enhances a trail. for examle, wood forms for jumps and landings are great as it reduces dirt usage and keeps overall shape of jumps better in high traffic conditions. the pictures of the elk trail on here are perfect examples as the stunts made of wood create an obstacle to challenge riders and offer sumthing enjoyable to ride<cause thats the reason we build anyways right? so why not make it have a point unlike that pinkbike picture
 
DirtEveryDay

DirtEveryDay

Turbo Monkey
Nov 24, 2003
2,692
4
Pacific North Wet
For one, this prob belongs in the freeride section, surprised you haven't been yelled at by the grounded folks yet!
But another reason for wood is that it isn't as permanent or damaging, like in the picture of the Commencal manualling the boat dock? Looks like some REALLY nice terrain there, that perhaps wouldn't have bikes on it if it weren't for the wood.
But keep in mind the ORIGINAL REASON for it: Getting a bike through terrain otherwise impassible, be it too rough, too rocky, or too fragile. Digging holes to plant poles to built structure through trees on perfectly desireable terrain is pretty tarded. I'd rather hit a flowy dirt line than wood. But wood is good in highly erosive areas where you don't want to be making holes or trying to pile sand into a booter. It just got carried away over the many years of NWD, etc films...
 
dklopp

dklopp

Chimp
May 1, 2007
83
0
Carnation/Spokane, WA, USA
I would rather ride dirt (except in sensitive areas) because there is way more grip when it is wet-which is about 8 months out of the year in the pacific northwest. Dirt is also easier to use to make flowy trails...it takes too long to make a trail have good flow when there are multiple ladders used
 
Huck Banzai

Huck Banzai

Turbo Monkey
May 8, 2005
2,523
23
Transitory
THRILLSEEKA said:
For one, this prob belongs in the freeride section, surprised you haven't been yelled at by the grounded folks yet!
But another reason for wood is that it isn't as permanent or damaging, like in the picture of the Commencal manualling the boat dock? Looks like some REALLY nice terrain there, that perhaps wouldn't have bikes on it if it weren't for the wood.
But keep in mind the ORIGINAL REASON for it: Getting a bike through terrain otherwise impassible, be it too rough, too rocky, or too fragile. Digging holes to plant poles to built structure through trees on perfectly desireable terrain is pretty tarded. I'd rather hit a flowy dirt line than wood. But wood is good in highly erosive areas where you don't want to be making holes or trying to pile sand into a booter. It just got carried away over the many years of NWD, etc films...
Click to expand...
Yes, the area/grass trees looks like someones manicured properties - not where Id expect to see a trail, but as pointed out - are the post holes much better? and the grass and ground coverage will die underneath the platform anyway; doesnt look to be an erosion issue!

Understood about the forum, however I did consider that in this case. But for one, most if not all of the freeride convo is the same as DH (the forums are ultimately redundant, with most of the talk happens in this forum - they should really be merged.) and secondly this is happening at what are ostensibly DH trails and not for stunts or erosion control.
 
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