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Track or Trail


mikethebike's picture

By mikethebike - Posted on 18 August 2009

Just a little note. I've noticed that a lot of our TRACKS are actually being called trails. With all due respect to our American friends, this term is American and doesn't really sit quite right. Do you ever hear Kokoda trail, or Birdsville trail, or the Oodnadatta trail. Not likely.
'Track' is as Aussie as Vegemite and I think we need to use it more often. Am I being pedantic? I hope not. What do you think???

mrsoldfart's picture

a mate of the Delicious One

nrthrnben's picture

Without taking into account the aussieness of the words, trail makes it sound legitimate, track sounds informal and unmanaged in my opinion.

Rob's picture

Think when I create a 'track' (a 'track' on this site is any specific route from A to B) that if it's named on a topo map then that name is used. Now, for some reason topo maps seem to use trail and track in an interchangeable manner which causes some confusion.

The term 'track' is defined in the NPWS walking policy. The terms 'track' and 'trail' are used in a somewhat arbitrary manner in the cycling policy. This would seem to point to the fact the two terms are someone interchangeable as far as they are concerned too.

Basically - there's no specific difference or intention to distinguish between the two here.

unclebullbar's picture

Can I ride my Trail bike on a Track? I can't see myself riding a Track bike on a Trail though.

Buck's picture

I think you should campaign for the term firetrail to be changed to firetrack. That way I know we are riding in Australia in future.

hawkeye's picture

Tracks are the marks my tyres leave behind as I ride.

Trails are what I follow when I ride.

I make tracks, not trails. I ride trails, not tracks.

delicious's picture

I'm with Mike on this. I dearly love pedanticness, particularly of this sort. However I'm definitely guilty of posting rides on the 'trails of Menai' and elsewhere. This will cease immediately and they are all now tracks, and Buck can ride along with me confident in the knowledge that he is in Australia.

psd's picture

in the spirit of pendanticness the word you are looking for is pedantry Eye-wink

mrsoldfart's picture

,

Eye-wink

delicious's picture

Those of you who treasure the English language and endeavour to maintain its purity, I salute you. Now, onto more pressing matters...
I'm not convinced that the use of the name trail is neccessarily American as I believe the British also use this term along with the name path. Now, path I really do like. So, come chaps, join me on Saturday to ride the mtb paths of Menai. And if you're really keen it's just three short weeks 'till I'll be riding the downhill paths of Whistler, so get prepped!

mrsoldfart's picture

will you be doing anything like this while you are there?

http://www.nsmb.com/

I particularly like the rides at the start of the CWX day 5 vid

Matt P's picture

In the spirit of specificityand maintain other Englishnesses, isn't this really just "picking peanuts out of poo"?

Anyway, most Aussies mis-prounounce words (using American pronunciation). Vitamin is often pronounced with a long sounding I (as in bIke), whereas the correct pronunciation is, of course, with a short sound (refer "picking" above).

So don't worry about using the language and various familiarities of other countries, you wouldn't be the full QUID if you didn't, and you certainly wouldn't get as much bang for your BUCK Sticking out tongue

(lets see whats biting in Lake NobMob today)

mrsoldfart's picture

It is a strong "I" because the "e" has been dropped from the Latin word "vite", the origin of the word vitamin. The "e" gives the "i" its length.

The "I" in "picking" is short and crisp because the "ck" combine to give a strong 'K' sound, dominating the preceeding vowel Eye-wink

mikethebike's picture

BUCK sounds like you need a GPS

Matt P's picture

Well bitten Mrs O

Eye-wink

mrsoldfart's picture

using the Google language tool to test the validity of what I claimed. Eye-wink

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