TheLonerider
Well-Known Member
Halfway through I expected to hear one of the bike bashers shout "We found a witch, may we burn her?"
Large groups of raving people ...no thanks
Large groups of raving people ...no thanks
Watchung News 12/9/2016
- Thread starter KenS
- Start date
thegock
Well-Known Member
At least one young man did speak and quite well.
It is clear that the anti mtb trails people are adament in their stance to keep bikes out of Watchung. While it was disheartening to listen to a lot of misinformation and folks who are against mtbers, I feel that at the end of the night we had some folks speak to rally our side and they did a good job.
The county is willing to hear all sides and is unbiased at this point. This link was given to voice your concerns and leave comments. I strongly urge anyone who wants mtb trails in Watchung to leave comments indicating such. Freeholders are listening, so lets make sure we are heard.
http://ucnj.org/parks-recreation/paths-trails-greenways/watchung-reservation-trails-master-plan/
The county is willing to hear all sides and is unbiased at this point. This link was given to voice your concerns and leave comments. I strongly urge anyone who wants mtb trails in Watchung to leave comments indicating such. Freeholders are listening, so lets make sure we are heard.
http://ucnj.org/parks-recreation/paths-trails-greenways/watchung-reservation-trails-master-plan/
stilluf
Well-Known Member
Thanks to everyone who came out. Disheartening to hear the same anti-MTB falsehoods. I know I shouldn't be, but I'm still saddened that the opposition is so adamant and hysterically anti MTB.
That said, we came off as the more responsible and mature group.
There's still work to be done. I'm sure there will be anti-Mtb folks at this Thursday's freeholder meeting. I plan on going to make sure our voice is heard.
That said, we came off as the more responsible and mature group.
There's still work to be done. I'm sure there will be anti-Mtb folks at this Thursday's freeholder meeting. I plan on going to make sure our voice is heard.
Obviously anyone can comment, but if you live in the county I'm sure that carries more weight. I'm trying to think of people I know in the area I can hit up to comment in favor, bikers or no.
That was a sad display of humanity. paraphrasing here, for those trolling, yeah... you.
"We want everyone to enjoy the Reservation, except for you." Well, that's not very nice.
"The hiking trails are in horrible condition, and there is litter" Then help maintain them and form a group called JORHA, Jersey Off Road Hikers Association.
"Who will police the bikers from riding the run down eroded hiking trails?" Who will police the hikers from hiking the new, well maintained, erosion resistant MTB trails? Actually, scratch that, let's all share and repair.
"Who will protect our children" Huh?
"I'll be able to see the trail from my house" Awesome, I can see the road from my house, as well as my neighbor's bathroom. Unfortunately for me, I only own what's within the four (4) corners of my property.
My head still hurts.....
"We want everyone to enjoy the Reservation, except for you." Well, that's not very nice.
"The hiking trails are in horrible condition, and there is litter" Then help maintain them and form a group called JORHA, Jersey Off Road Hikers Association.
"Who will police the bikers from riding the run down eroded hiking trails?" Who will police the hikers from hiking the new, well maintained, erosion resistant MTB trails? Actually, scratch that, let's all share and repair.
"Who will protect our children" Huh?
"I'll be able to see the trail from my house" Awesome, I can see the road from my house, as well as my neighbor's bathroom. Unfortunately for me, I only own what's within the four (4) corners of my property.
My head still hurts.....
Yes, one gentleman also stated that bicycles cause wear on road surfaces.
Frank
Sasquatch
Direct from the IMBA website:
- Access to community trails can increase property values and improve quality of life for local residents
- Bicycling and mountain biking is one of the most popular forms of recreation in America.
- Annually our members contribute more than 700,000 documented hours of volunteer trail stewardship.
- More than 65 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, now is the time to encourage cycling and build trails for recreation.
Yes, proposed trails are mtb only. Other trail user groups and homeowners do not want mtbers to have any access to Watchung for various reasons; NIMBY, environmental concerns, safety, cost, peaceful preservation...
The trails are being designed to address these issues, however misinformation and fear of the unknown has fueled an anti-mtb sentiment.
Tonggi
Active Member
That meeting was painful. The amount opposed and some of the silly assumptions.
It was disappointing to hear the ignorance and close-mindedness of the people against mountain biking. Some had valid points while some were not and showed pure selfishness and unwillingness to change. One valid point they made that stuck to me which to some of you are already doing or still doing it can't deny it.
"They are riding the trails illegally now, what's to stop them from not riding the hiker only trails"
I think everyone should try to convince all fellow MTBers to lay off the trails until its officially open to not give them any ammunition against opening the trails.
It was also disappointing to see/listen MTBers talking about Strava times and how fast they are going in near vicinity of people who are opposing biking in Watchung, booing (we are better than that), and MTBer's constantly talking while people are talking or trying to listen, come on guys, there's social hour and there is a time to be serious. Perception is key.
But my favorite quote of the night before leaving at 830. "Mountain bikers are a privileged minority".
I was next to a woman interviewing people for the local newspaper, one guy screwed the pouch on this question: Why do you want to bike here in Watchung? "So I don't have to drive 45 minutes to another trail". (lol come on you could of articulated something better than that! Its gonna be recorded as an answer!!)
/rant
Hopefully it still goes as planned. Glad I went to this event to see first hand the process. I am unbiased towards this, I would love to see it go live but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it if it didn't, we have other trail systems in NJ to go to which I'm thankful for. Appreciate all the hardwork people put in to make it happen, playing politics with a county probably isn't easy so hats off to whoever is making it happen. Hopefully the county or whoever decides will make it happen.
It was disappointing to hear the ignorance and close-mindedness of the people against mountain biking. Some had valid points while some were not and showed pure selfishness and unwillingness to change. One valid point they made that stuck to me which to some of you are already doing or still doing it can't deny it.
"They are riding the trails illegally now, what's to stop them from not riding the hiker only trails"
I think everyone should try to convince all fellow MTBers to lay off the trails until its officially open to not give them any ammunition against opening the trails.
It was also disappointing to see/listen MTBers talking about Strava times and how fast they are going in near vicinity of people who are opposing biking in Watchung, booing (we are better than that), and MTBer's constantly talking while people are talking or trying to listen, come on guys, there's social hour and there is a time to be serious. Perception is key.
But my favorite quote of the night before leaving at 830. "Mountain bikers are a privileged minority".
I was next to a woman interviewing people for the local newspaper, one guy screwed the pouch on this question: Why do you want to bike here in Watchung? "So I don't have to drive 45 minutes to another trail". (lol come on you could of articulated something better than that! Its gonna be recorded as an answer!!)
/rant
Hopefully it still goes as planned. Glad I went to this event to see first hand the process. I am unbiased towards this, I would love to see it go live but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it if it didn't, we have other trail systems in NJ to go to which I'm thankful for. Appreciate all the hardwork people put in to make it happen, playing politics with a county probably isn't easy so hats off to whoever is making it happen. Hopefully the county or whoever decides will make it happen.
Zaskar
Well-Known Member
I've been following from a distance as well since I'm in Essex Cty but attended last night to show support. The voices opposing the new mountain bike trails.....privacy of homeowners, property value, scaring animals, ruining the tranquility, flooding, trees being cut down, running people off the trails, hundreds of bikers coming from New York City, parking, invasive species being spread, endangered species, costs to build the trails, who is going to patrol the trails, not being notified about this happening. The list goes on and on and I'm sure others more deeply involved with the process have more details.
Respectful and informed stakeholders will lead to positive results
Sven Migot
Well-Known Member
Here's a comment someone made on FB and my reply.
"It's not good for the local community when neighbors to the reservation will be able to see you from their backyard or from inside their homes. The plan needs to be revised to not run so close to homes."
My reply:
"I don't get that. Because seeing people ride bikes is ________ ? Don't let the children see that! Just because someone buys a house next to public land it doesn't become an extension of their property."
Another one:
"But the trails should NOT be within 100 feet or less of homes. Are you going to want to hear my dogs bark at you as you ride by or watch my family play in our backyard? That is absurd. And what about the wildlife? We see so many deer, wild turkey, fox etc in our extended backyard - the Reservation. They have to find a new home when the mountain bikers move in."
My reply:
It's not your backyard. It belongs to all of us. I think there's a misconception about the impact of this. The animals don't have to leave. A mountain bike trail is just a narrow path just like a footpath. It's not going to change the landscape much at all. No trees are cut. It's mostly invisible from a distance. Bikes are silent.
"It's not good for the local community when neighbors to the reservation will be able to see you from their backyard or from inside their homes. The plan needs to be revised to not run so close to homes."
My reply:
"I don't get that. Because seeing people ride bikes is ________ ? Don't let the children see that! Just because someone buys a house next to public land it doesn't become an extension of their property."
Another one:
"But the trails should NOT be within 100 feet or less of homes. Are you going to want to hear my dogs bark at you as you ride by or watch my family play in our backyard? That is absurd. And what about the wildlife? We see so many deer, wild turkey, fox etc in our extended backyard - the Reservation. They have to find a new home when the mountain bikers move in."
My reply:
It's not your backyard. It belongs to all of us. I think there's a misconception about the impact of this. The animals don't have to leave. A mountain bike trail is just a narrow path just like a footpath. It's not going to change the landscape much at all. No trees are cut. It's mostly invisible from a distance. Bikes are silent.
People fear what they don't understand. What they do understand is the exact way things are now.
Any way to get more people out of their cars & homes and into the woods is a win.
All you would have to do is travel 15 min west to CR and see that the world is still a safe place and mt bikes aren't ripping through the woods at 50 mph..
I am glad they are willing to hear all comments on this matter. That being said we each need to comment and let them know that we are looking for more ways to spend quality time outside with our families AND spend more money in the county.
Any way to get more people out of their cars & homes and into the woods is a win.
All you would have to do is travel 15 min west to CR and see that the world is still a safe place and mt bikes aren't ripping through the woods at 50 mph..
I am glad they are willing to hear all comments on this matter. That being said we each need to comment and let them know that we are looking for more ways to spend quality time outside with our families AND spend more money in the county.
This whole thing makes me sad. And really it is just a microcosm of the ALL OR NOTHING mentality that we see in every Internet argument today. We rally against the anti-mtb people (obviously) but I have seen similar animosity on this board for absolutely pointless things like tire choice, SS/gears, 26er/29er, fat bikes, shoes, etc. The latest political season just shows you that we as a society are as intolerant as ever and we cling on to these differences so we can wake up and be angry about something.
I don't understand why people wake up every day and seek sadness/unhappiness.
I don't understand why people wake up every day and seek sadness/unhappiness.
StayHydrated
Swedish Chef
Fixed that for him. Removal of material and deformation of surfaces under contact is an advanced concept; I don't expect him to understand.
Unfortunately, "seek" is probably an understatement. Revise to include "create" and "propagate" as well.
Use of conserved/open space is a therapy for many different user groups in many different ways. Kids & adults, able & challenged - nature doesn't discriminate. The trees don't see color. The rocks don't care how big your paycheck is this week. The birds don't know what tax bracket you're in. Marital problems, to-do lists, hopes, and dreams don't impact the wind, nor does it care. The length of a trail and the elevation change are the same whether you're getting traction from Maxxis or Merrell. The bear in the brambles? No clue what 1x is.
We only seek to be able to schedule our therapy appointments at Watchung, and to help further maintain and conserve the space so that other user groups can have their therapy, too. Maybe everyone should be prescribed a little bit of that therapy.
Dingo
Well-Known Member
My bike is a two wheeled therapist.
I just dropped this in the Mountainside Matters FB page.... Let's see what happens...
Did you know that there is a youth development league in New Jersey specifically designed for Middle and High School students interested in Mountain Biking?
Did you know that there are 15 teams already set up for the Spring 2017 season, with over 150 student athletes registered?
NICA is a national organization with 19 leagues in 18 states, over 10,000 registered student athletes, and 7,000+ volunteers. NICA's goal as a development organization is to build strong body, strong mind, and strong character with an unwavering focus on inclusivity and equality in everything we do.
Currently, the team that I volunteer coach has student athletes from Summit, Berkeley Heights, Westfield, Chatham, and Madison. Our team, the Trailblazers made the national newsletter. Check it out, about 2/3 of the way down.
With all the animosity lately, ( #FreeWatchung ) I think it's important to remember that biking is a life long endeavor that many of us started as kids. In today's society, ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO GET KIDS OUTSIDE should be given thoughtful consideration. These kids are the future. Teach them well, and let them lead the way ( ).
If you have a 6th - 12th grader, and they have interest, let me know or look up newjerseymtb.org for more information.
Happy trails to all...
https://madmimi.com/p/f55c99?fe=1&p...7719-27e63d1739ef3b20cbb8f455cee097512dd69c66
Did you know that there is a youth development league in New Jersey specifically designed for Middle and High School students interested in Mountain Biking?
Did you know that there are 15 teams already set up for the Spring 2017 season, with over 150 student athletes registered?
NICA is a national organization with 19 leagues in 18 states, over 10,000 registered student athletes, and 7,000+ volunteers. NICA's goal as a development organization is to build strong body, strong mind, and strong character with an unwavering focus on inclusivity and equality in everything we do.
Currently, the team that I volunteer coach has student athletes from Summit, Berkeley Heights, Westfield, Chatham, and Madison. Our team, the Trailblazers made the national newsletter. Check it out, about 2/3 of the way down.
With all the animosity lately, ( #FreeWatchung ) I think it's important to remember that biking is a life long endeavor that many of us started as kids. In today's society, ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO GET KIDS OUTSIDE should be given thoughtful consideration. These kids are the future. Teach them well, and let them lead the way ( ).
If you have a 6th - 12th grader, and they have interest, let me know or look up newjerseymtb.org for more information.
Happy trails to all...
https://madmimi.com/p/f55c99?fe=1&p...7719-27e63d1739ef3b20cbb8f455cee097512dd69c66
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Karate Monkey
Well-Known Member
The Germans have a word for that: schadenfreude, delight in the misfortune of others.
The fact that there is a word for it should be the first sign that there might be a problem...