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UNITY - XC FR DH DJ AM
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I'm noticing a few comments that are not constructive to the overall riding cause.
Whatever discipline we are all in this together.
When I started advocacy with NP's 4 years ago I rode 80% DH or FR. So did a very large proportion of other contributers. XC was after dark on weekdays to keep fit enough for gravity.
We knew full well we were unlikely to get DH in NP's, which is what many of us rode, but knew that by swinging NPWS as far as we could (XC and AM) everyone would benefit when we consider the doors this policy change opens up on less sensitive land tenures.
Many may also be surprised to know that the document that has opened the door for discussion with all land managers at RH and Oxy for all disciplines was written by TrailCares freeriders and dirt jumpers. Their (our, TrailCare...) soil scientists also came for a site inspection with a professional trail building company just to help everyone out.
FR/DH and DJ is also at the cutting edge in terms of challenging the state of art in sustainable track design and construction. The FR and DJ lawyers are also working hard to resolve risk and liability concerns.
What these disciplines are doing through TrailCare benefits us all so please remain united.
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Agreed Simon
Quite often DHrs have to ride XC or AM to get to thier trail or to get out at the bottom,and downhillers/AM and most XC guys love jumps,just not ones that kick you up vertically.
So we are all in it together
And after all DH is similar and in some cases the equivelant to the part of a trail that XC/AM riders enjoy most,the decending part.
There will be Downhill in Suitable National Park areas (thredbo and other parks/landmanagers around oz are showing how its done and thredbo are just finishing a second trail), just about every XC/AM trail has downhill in it. Its kinda not fair that sustainable DH is frowned upon by some and preference given to AM/XC in comments, when really the sustainable DH that you woud put into parks would be similar to the decending half of an AM or XC trail anyway.
Yes sustainable Downhill trails are harder to build per KM,However they are shorter and would end up the same or less cost/effort wise.
+ 2
I got into advocacy from a DH AM back ground. XC came much later. The whole DH is bad, they don't contribute is silly.
The work we've done on the Pony Express DH trail and efforts put in to make it sustainable was applauded by Sydney catchment who recommended the control measures be submitted to the NP review as an example of how mountain bike trails should be constructed
While I'm more of a wheels on the ground guy (although i do like launching off waterbars
) its my view that it's critical all segments of mtb are catered for.
Many of the innovative low cost trail solutions that we benefit from and the whole water flow awareness thing were pioneered by the gravity brigade.
DJ is just awesome to watch up close.
Who are we to say their discipline is less worthwhile than ours?
Eventually those guys slow down a bit as they get older* and start turning up on the occasional xc ride so its in our interest to keep them engaged or we wull end up like the walking groups and struggle to replace ourselves with new talent.
*excepting the awesome Oli who i noticed in a Sanitarium ad the other week dirt jumping an xc hardtail