What are the top trail issues in NJ from a MTB point of view?

w_b

Well-Known Member
Those Jackholes at 6MR riding with atrociously crappy 80s tunes blasting from their handlebars. Yes you Night Ranger fan.

Actually whatever tunes you feel like blasting suck. I’m in the woods to enjoy the trails, not because I woke up and thought “Hmmm, I sure could do with some Dexy’s Midnight Runners”, or any other of your endless series of poor choices.
 

A Potted Plant

Honorary Sod
Would it really be a bad idea to just fix some ruts on your own? Serious question.
That's what I'm asking I know it's frowned upon to do TM without company eyes on you but simple things not trying to build bridges. But it would be nice if there were plans available for us to pickup when we have time just go to the place and do some work
 

gmb3

JORBA: Sourlands
JORBA.ORG

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
That's what I'm asking I know it's frowned upon to do TM without company eyes on you but simple things not trying to build bridges. But it would be nice if there were plans available for us to pickup when we have time just go to the place and do some work

Cutting back branches and nicking puddles so they drain is fine. Any cleanup of blowdown not requiring a chainsaw is also ok.

If you think the trail should be relocated to avoid a trouble spot, find the Jorba rep. Might be ok, might be a disaster.
 

a.s.

Mr. Chainring
It's always the same ... the lack of signage and trail markers throughout NJ parks is ridiculous, frustrating and annoying. Good way to keep new folks from joining the tribe. And before you counter with, "That's a good thing!" remember that there is strength in numbers.
 

Xler8

Well-Known Member
For a small state, we do have a decent amount of trails, however for the amount of people that live in the state, I feel there should be more options. There is land that can support more trails, but politics is a bitch and the growth of trails is stagnant or nonexistent at best. When was the last time you heard of a new place or the expansion of an exsisting place?

MTB specific trails would be a huge bonus.

Not so much trail specific, but the MTB community should do more in promoting, supporting, and growing the activity. And all that is hard to do when people don’t have much in a close promxity. There have been many instances where I’ve talked to people about giving MTB’ng a try and the typical response is, sure but where. When I mention a few places, the response is always, I’m suppose to drive that far just to ride a bike??

For the people who really enjoy it, yes they will drive, however it is a big deterant for people who would like to give it a try.
 

pibbles

Well-Known Member
Riding during freeze thawand otherwise poor conditions
Methinks e bikes still suck.
I've given up complaining about people showing up for tm and I think our crew of up to 1/2 dozen get quite a bit accomplished
 

ebarker9

Well-Known Member
People riding when trail conditions don't support it continues to be one of the biggies. Went for a walk over at Lewis Morris on Monday and encountered probably half a dozen guys covered in mud and significant ruts throughout the park. Not sure how anyone could think it was ok to ride given the recent weather.
 

Johnny Utah

Well-Known Member
That's what I'm asking I know it's frowned upon to do TM without company eyes on you but simple things not trying to build bridges. But it would be nice if there were plans available for us to pickup when we have time just go to the place and do some work
Yes, this is a problem. Quite a few people think they are performing a good deed by reworking a trail but end up diverting water to another area which creates a larger problem. It’s funny; in some areas you need an engineering degree in order to rework these issues but many people think they just need to watch a bike video or read over a quick trail building brochure and all of a sudden they are a pro. Over the past couple years with the increase in rogue trails as well as the increase in sanctioned trails to keep up with the demand there has been some really poor trail building and maintenance going on in the State. While I commend the effort of some in reality it makes the cycling community as a whole not look too good when work is not done properly.
 

goldsbar

Well-Known Member
Missed this thread when it first came out...

1. Lack of trail maintenance. Logs, branches, etc. stay down forever at places like Allamuchy, Mahlon and many others. This leads to go-arounds that are almost always worse than the original trail flow. Worst is stuff that could be moved if people just got off their bikes for a second, but much requires a chainsaw or three hours with a hand saw. Overgrowth with thorns is zero fun to ride.
2. Poor trail building. Stop just cutting new lines at Lewis Morris (just for example) without taking into consideration that there are few natural barriers and what starts as nice single track will turn into a fire road in two weeks.
3. Mark the trails. Never does a trail marker disrupt a ride. They haven't disrupted the raw nature of Wildcat and Sourlands has plenty and that place is as tough as it gets.

Some examples of parks that do it right:

Wildcat - some climbs will always be brutal, but the gradual creation of new single track and marked trails has helped greatly. Seems to be well maintained.

Stephens - great TB and gets lots of TM (could use a controlled burn or 10 in the peak growth season)

Dickerson Mine

That's me on my high horse, pot calling kettle black. Reality is I don't do organized TM (though do on my own) and no nada about TB (though mistakes are obvious).
 

Johnny Utah

Well-Known Member
Little respect: too many people ride whatever and whenever they want. Muddy rides, build trail whenever/wherever they want. While this has always been around too many people post up about it and don’t try to hide it, thereby encouraging others to do the same.

Improperly Run Trail Work Days: Often these are canceled last minute or not properly advertised/documented. In addition they are often poorly managed. The last several I went to should’ve just been conducted at a bar. It was a group of people stroking thier ego’s and telling stories rather than getting work done. It’s very hard to keep skilled work at these when people treat it like a day in the park bringing their dogs joking around and not actually getting anything done in a four hour window or whatever set of time has been advertised. It also seems like these organized days tend to work on the same trails over and over again while ignoring other larger issues in the parks. For someone that wants to go and actually get work done these become discouraging after a while. We need skilled riders that are experienced in both riding and trail work to become more involved in these but if we keep directing them towards beginners they will never remain a viable option.

The desire for flow: This has led to a plethora of issues Including the dumbing down of trails, The continuous raking of leaves which fill out the drainage nicks and therefore lead to larger erosion problems down the line. All of the roots, debris, leaves etc help slow water down and stop erosion. By removing them water is sped up and causes more damage. We saw this a lot this year at Allaire.

Poor shop participantion: generally a lot of new riders look to the bike shops for inspiration and knowledge. When the shop owners/employees are seen participating in poor practice this creates an issue for the next generation of riders. Not to be left out here are racers, media and brand ambassadors who generally set the tone of the sport.
 
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