Give back to the trails by coming on a dig day! Plus weed spread prevention.

There's a fair chance that many reading this will have had a blast on their local trails this weekend. That's all good, but did you ever wonder who put those trails there in the first place? Yes, yes... I'm sure many of you already know the answer: the mythical Trail Fairies

Good as those fairies are though, sometimes they need a hand in their work. So we're just putting a gentle request out there: please consider coming along to help out on one of the upcoming maintenance days.

RSVP to a dig day organised by your local land manager, show up and lend a hand. Hard work, but more fun than you'd think. And there's nothing more satisfying than riding on a track that you helped maintain or improve.

A reminder of trail days coming up in the next few weeks:

OMV Maintenance Session - Sat 7 Sep @ 2pm
Yellomundee RP - track maintenance - Sat 14 Sep @ 8:30am
Manly Dam - trail maintenance afternoon - Sat 21 Sep @ 1pm

Preventing Weed Spread

While we're on the topic of trail care, there's been some new talk in the forum about weed spread. See Phytophthora cinnamomi.(dieback). This might be a good time to mention that weeds and other nasties can be spread between trails when picked up on your bike. Land managers like National Parks & Mt Annan Botanical Garden are always keen to communicate the message of prevention:

• Try to avoid riding in wet conditions, which cause more mud/debris to cling to your bike.
• Always wash your bike/shoes/etc. after riding.
• Preferably wash your bike at the trail head - keep the soil you picked up in the area.
• Preferably disinfect your bike by spraying with 70% methylated spirits diluted with water.
• If you prefer to wash your bike at home, do so on a hard surface away from grass, etc.