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Examples of bad trail building

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
56,222
22,257
Sleazattle
you can tell it's cold up there


gotta build a portfolio of plausible deniability son

trust me on this. I spent 15 years posting up bike shit, just so I can make rideit lose his mind over things that don't matter. Don't talk to me about work. I had to hang out with mountainbikers to get where I am today.
Doesn't sound very healthy. Have you considered an outside hobby?
 

JustMtnB44

Monkey
Sep 13, 2006
865
130
Pittsburgh, PA
Look who's back with a new trail.


They built this odd filter thing at the start. I doubt there are any rocks like that on the trail (I didn't ride it). One slip on that rounded rock and someone will have some happy ribs or thigh bruise from that fence thing. :brows:

Note the curated trash placement.
Ugh, leaving cut off tree trunks is terrible. If you are going to remove it, dig out the stump so no one notices. Around here we have some random trail users (not affiliated with the local trail orgs) who do shit like that too, ranging from leaving a 3in high stump on the edge of the trail to catch your pedal to a 2ft tall broken off sapling. That filter thing is also pretty special, I've definitely never seen anything like that before. What about the trail is so advanced that it requires a filter of that complexity?

The most prevalent examples of bad trail building that I have been seeing a lot of on the internet recently is using deadfall / sticks / logs of whatever wood is near by to support the lower edge of a bench cut, or the back of a berm. What happens in a few years when it all rots out and those edges collapse? Shit like this:
1704811337997.png

1704811365430.png

1704812153097.png
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,381
10,852
AK
Ugh, leaving cut off tree trunks is terrible. If you are going to remove it, dig out the stump so no one notices. Around here we have some random trail users (not affiliated with the local trail orgs) who do shit like that too, ranging from leaving a 3in high stump on the edge of the trail to catch your pedal to a 2ft tall broken off sapling. That filter thing is also pretty special, I've definitely never seen anything like that before. What about the trail is so advanced that it requires a filter of that complexity?

The most prevalent examples of bad trail building that I have been seeing a lot of on the internet recently is using deadfall / sticks / logs of whatever wood is near by to support the lower edge of a bench cut, or the back of a berm. What happens in a few years when it all rots out and those edges collapse? Shit like this:
View attachment 206145
View attachment 206146
View attachment 206150
lol, that's idiotic. The cleared tread should be about 2x the intended tread (as far as dirt moved). All veg and organic soil should be clear to avoid rotting out and causing erosion. That's just lazy work.
 

iRider

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2008
5,784
3,241
lol, that's idiotic. The cleared tread should be about 2x the intended tread (as far as dirt moved). All veg and organic soil should be clear to avoid rotting out and causing erosion. That's just lazy work.
To be fair, in the pics above, a bench cut is not necessary. Clean fallen branches, leave the loam and let the trail naturally devlop from riding.
 

JustMtnB44

Monkey
Sep 13, 2006
865
130
Pittsburgh, PA
lol, that's idiotic. The cleared tread should be about 2x the intended tread (as far as dirt moved). All veg and organic soil should be clear to avoid rotting out and causing erosion. That's just lazy work.
Yep, here's the discussion from the first two pictures to see the builder's response. I thought it was funny.
1704826057951.png
 

JustMtnB44

Monkey
Sep 13, 2006
865
130
Pittsburgh, PA
To be fair, in the pics above, a bench cut is not necessary. Clean fallen branches, leave the loam and let the trail naturally develop from riding.
I disagree, that almost never works, and definitely not on cross slope / contour line trails. It might be a good way to identify the best line, but going back and bench cutting is needed if the trail gets any substantial amount of use. I say this as someone who has spent a significant amount of time fixing trails that were "built" that way.
 

iRider

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2008
5,784
3,241
I disagree, that almost never works, and definitely not on cross slope / contour line trails. It might be a good way to identify the best line, but going back and bench cutting is needed if the trail gets any substantial amount of use. I say this as someone who has spent a significant amount of time fixing trails that were "built" that way.
Depends on how much traffic and what type of soil I guess. We had here a phenomenal trail (that got sanitized 3-4 years ago) which was build just by riding it in. The top soil was ridden away, roots and the harder, lower layers held it together really well and prevented erosion. Now after sanitization, which included bench cutting, root removal and berm building, the trail is an erosion nightmare. The new builders did not anticipate this "because it never needed maintenance". Yeah, but you fucked it up!
Now their solution is to put gravel on it. :banghead:
 

DaveW

Space Monkey
Jul 2, 2001
11,675
3,166
The bunker at parliament
Depends on how much traffic and what type of soil I guess. We had here a phenomenal trail (that got sanitized 3-4 years ago) which was build just by riding it in. The top soil was ridden away, roots and the harder, lower layers held it together really well and prevented erosion. Now after sanitization, which included bench cutting, root removal and berm building, the trail is an erosion nightmare. The new builders did not anticipate this "because it never needed maintenance". Yeah, but you fucked it up!
Now their solution is to put gravel on it. :banghead:
There's a trail building company in Rotorua that come down to Wellington occasionally.
Aaand fuck it up almost every time, as they can't work with our terrain and soil types.
In Roto they just need to kick a couple of Punga ferns over, give it a rake and their done.
Welly is a totally different story due to the dirt and terrain.
 

Jozz

Joe Dalton
Apr 18, 2002
6,416
8,217
SADL
Agreeing with most all of the above, except for the log wall for berms. I always prefer to dig the actual berm in the soil rather than adding material to build it out. But I've done log "framed" berms before. Some are more than 10 years old and the wood is still intact. I always use hardwood like beech. I cover the back structure of the berm with the removed top layer of soil and cover the berm side with at least a foot of organic dirt that is compacted. Usually those berms are good for 3-4 years before needing a tune/repack. Since the wood structure is mostly burried, it barely rots.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
22,201
21,794
Canaderp
work work work, all day long
work work work, while I sing this song
gonna find those rocks
gonna make em crumble
gonna plow the way
for us to bumble

1706817346662.png
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
22,201
21,794
Canaderp
You might think this is the after effects of a flood or something. Nope, this is on a steep hill and on the other side of this pile of shit is a turn.

What's going to happen when this gives way? :rofl: :rofl:

 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,381
10,852
AK
You might think this is the after effects of a flood or something. Nope, this is on a steep hill and on the other side of this pile of shit is a turn.

What's going to happen when this gives way? :rofl: :rofl:

Exactly what the beaver wanted?
 

JustMtnB44

Monkey
Sep 13, 2006
865
130
Pittsburgh, PA
You might think this is the after effects of a flood or something. Nope, this is on a steep hill and on the other side of this pile of shit is a turn.

What's going to happen when this gives way? :rofl: :rofl:

Wait that pile of sticks is the backside of a berm? Holy shit. Is that at local trails or a bike park?

The local bike park is filled with this shit. One of the reasons I no longer buy a seasons pass.


@mykel
Using forest wood to build dirt features is a hard no. And at a pay to ride bike park? Fuck no.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
22,201
21,794
Canaderp
Wait that pile of sticks is the backside of a berm? Holy shit. Is that at local trails or a bike park?


Using forest wood to build dirt features is a hard no. And at a pay to ride bike park? Fuck no.
Backside?

LOLOL no, it's the side you ride on.

There is another trail that has a set of 4 or 5 logs down in the dirt, perpendicular to the trail. Picture whoops, but instead of dirt you just wail over logs at speed.

But yeah, this stuff is why two of us from our group stop paying to ride there.
 

Leafy

Monkey
Sep 13, 2019
647
412
Those logs in the ground are perfectly fine mitegation for a perpetual wet spot on a trail that’s built for free.
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,381
10,852
AK
Yeah, water won't possibly cause dead organic material to rot out and turn into more mud.
 

Leafy

Monkey
Sep 13, 2019
647
412
Yeah, water won't possibly cause dead organic material to rot out and turn into more mud.
That’s a problem for 3 years from now trail crew. But like I implied, pretty unacceptable at a paid park, just fix the drainage right with the mini ex that the system owns.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
22,201
21,794
Canaderp
Its not a wet spot, its the end of a berm, so you are transitioning from banked to flat while riding those logs. You know, its the perfect recipe for ending up on your ass when your wheels slide out on the wet polished logs.

The ground is very sandy so wet spots isn't a concern.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
22,201
21,794
Canaderp
I swear I'm not a complainer..... :busted:


But the local club is at it again, this time changing an already existing and we'll established trail.

Check out this shit. Green line is the original trail, red is the new one they cut in......3 feet to the side, why? And if you zoom in, you can see the totally unsupported and loose bench cut fill they left on the down slope. I rode the original line, of course.

And now on this new one, if you're blasting down this hill, you'll have this tree right where your head will be as you make the slight corner.


Then further down the trail, they cut in this new corner....2 feet off the original corner....wtf? Are they trying to make a 10 foot wide trail?


They also put in a few berms in another spot, but it's like they just stacked dirt and made no effort to smooth it out.

It makes me wonder if some of thrse people even ride what they work on...

:confused:
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
22,201
21,794
Canaderp
This club again...lol. they're flagging some reroutes or whatever, after some logging.

Gotta do my part to stop the bermification of every turn.

 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
20,381
10,852
AK
Lady on a cheater line yesterday: "why is this log here?"
Me: "Because that's not the trail".

Dipshit just looking down and following the easiest line, which avoids the roots and goes around a tree. Some douches have widened the trail here and I explained that it causes erosion and widening of the trail. It was satisfying to catch one of those "rider arounders" in the act though.
 
Aug 27, 2023
104
91
Canton, Georgia
Lady on a cheater line yesterday: "why is this log here?"
Me: "Because that's not the trail".

Dipshit just looking down and following the easiest line, which avoids the roots and goes around a tree. Some douches have widened the trail here and I explained that it causes erosion and widening of the trail. It was satisfying to catch one of those "rider arounders" in the act though.
The entirety of our last work party was closing off cheater trails with logs cut from downed trees. I swear some people want a sidewalk made from dirt.