CMBA's Position on Mountain Bicycle Use in Natural Area Parks

The appeal for most mountain bikers is both the exhilaration of riding and the enjoyment of a natural area.

CMBA supports access for responsible riding in natural area parks such as Nose Hill, Bowmont. We believe that mountain biking is a safe recreation that encourages Calgarians to explore and enjoy the parks and areas within the city. It is also an environmentally friendly alternative to driving to various recreational areas within the city.

Background

CMBA has defined bicycle user groups as illustrated below:

 

Preferences
Obstacle course Specialized location					Trials BMX
Dirt trails High-paced workout Fast, technical circuit				Competitive
Dirt trails Scenic locations Challenging riding			Enthusiast
Paved pathways Easy terrain		Casual

The cycling group, which we are addressing, is the "enthusiast" rider. We do not believe that city parks should be used for competitive / high intensity training purposes.

The trails, which we are discussing, are dirt trails, not paved pathways and not off-trail riding. Mountain bicyclists tend not to ride off-trail, due to the danger of hidden objects and holes, which may be obscured by grass.

Designated trails have been previously defined as "developed or undeveloped paths that have been formally identified in policy... as an agreed upon route."

Undesignated trails have been previously defined as "random paths or desire lines created as a result of repeated use." Therefore, there is visually no difference between designated and undesignated trails.

Most mountain bicyclists do most of their long duration rides in other areas such as Kananaskis Country. The natural areas in Calgary tend to be used for:

• short duration rides,
• during the spring and fall swing seasons when snow limits the access to K Country trails,
• for younger riders who do not have transportation to access trails outside of the city.

A survey of the available literature on the impacts of users groups on dirt trails indicates that cyclists and hikers impact trails in different ways and under different conditions but overall to a similar extent. Horses and motorcycles have much greater impact due to their greater weight and power.

Once a person understands these factors, then the question becomes,

        How do we manage these dirt trails?

... with respect to both environmental damage and user conflicts.

Recreational usage of trails that does not negatively impact the environment is possible to achieve through properly designed, sustainable trails. The current trail systems in our natural areas were not designed, but rather they evolved from desire lines, and now suffer from some water erosion and braiding.

As part of natural area and trail management, CMBA believes that:

• the environment and safety take priority. Realizing that natural areas are intended for human usage.
• trails should be multi-user, except in extenuating circumstances.
• all users cause some damage and that bicycles do not cause any more environmental damage than walkers and runners.
• all users should have equal access. If an area or trail is to be closed, it should be closed to all users.
• trails should be evaluated on a trail by trail basis.

CMBA endorses the trail guidelines developed by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). IMBA has conducted extensive research into the impact on trails and on building sustainable trails. Some of the findings are:

• Once a trail has been established (by any user group), almost all erosion is caused by water - the design of the trail and not who uses the trail is what is important,
• Mountain bicycling and hiking have similar impacts on trails,
• It is possible to construct sustainable trails - trails which can stand up to thousands of users. The type of trail which provides the best design is a hillside, full bench, with controlled grades, designed to allow water to run across the trail and not along the trail.
• Users should be provided with education and alternatives before closing a trail.

Multi-user conflicts can be avoided through a process of education and good trail design. All users need to be aware of, and respect the presence of other users on the trail. Responsible bicyclists should never approach any other users without slowing down or stopping.

Conclusion

Members of CMBA are interested in being part of the solution. We would propose and support:

• the development and maintenance of sustainable multi-user trails that have the following characteristics:
  • trails requiring little or no future maintenance,
  • trails that do not promote water erosion,
  • trails constructed to minimize multi-user conflicts, discourage braiding and control user speed.
• general user education.
• trail closures, so long as the closures apply to all users and the number of closures is limited to a manageable number of trails (based on physical condition or environmental reasons) at any given time, thus obtaining compliance from the public.

We are willing to be part of the education on protecting our natural area parks and we want to participate in designing sustainable trails for everyone.

 
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