Sinking in = Committing a Sin

[jajones]

Poto not good to ride right now. Recent rains plus continued cold have made the top very greasy in many places. I was very disturbed to see lots of "pizza cuts" on my inspection this morning.

People, it is very simple. If you are leaving behind big pizza cut ruts in many places this time of year, the trail is NOT ready to ride! F the worms being out. F the air temp being 70f. F the sun being out. All you have to know is that if you are sinking in, you are committing a sin. Ride a f'ing dirt road route when it is like this in April. It won't kill you. Selfish bastards.

[RickPlite]

Like, double like

[c0nsumer]

I'd love to see this title expanded on into a poster.

[Loren]

Yeah, the earthworm thing is just too inconsistent and obscure.

This is what I had posted on the novi parks facebook page: "Basic rule - if you can look over your shoulder and see your tracks, don't ride."

It might be a little too restrictive, but anyone can understand it.

[Doc_d]

So will the PLRA race be cancelled if conditions aren't good? I'm always confused because you hear all the preaching about damaging trails. Then you see hundreds of racers riding in the mud and no one sees any issue with it.

[KLydesdale]

So will the PLRA race be cancelled if conditions aren't good? I'm always confused because you hear all the preaching about damaging trails. Then you see hundreds of racers riding in the mud and no one sees any issue with it.

Yeah, if early spring jump-the-gun "sinners" wallowed out a mud holes like racers did in the April 2009 PLRA race, the poo-poo would have hit the fan in this forum. But when it was done by 200+ racers running the trail the morning after an all-night deluge, nary a peep was heard. The huge bog they made just past the Orr road trailhead area lasted half the summer before it finally dried out. That was the worst I'd ever seen in a decade and a half of riding there. I'll take a pizza cutters any day over that.

This is the reason I refuse to do any early season trail work before that race any more.

[kwings00]

You know, that is a good question. Wrong to ride the trails in soft/wet condition, but ok to race on them?

I don't forsee Yankee being a hardpack rideable trail next weekend.

[RickPlite]

You know, that is a good question. Wrong to ride the trails in soft/wet condition, but ok to race on them?

I don't forsee Yankee being a hardpack rideable trail next weekend.

Yankee is bone dry and ready to ride or race on. It drys much faster than the eastern or northern trails.

[pfox90]

Glad Burchfield isn't hosting events till later in the season, the trails would be a mess.

[Doc_d]

So will the PLRA race be cancelled if conditions aren't good? I'm always confused because you hear all the preaching about damaging trails. Then you see hundreds of racers riding in the mud and no one sees any issue with it.

Yeah, if early spring jump-the-gun "sinners" wallowed out a mud holes like racers did in the April 2009 PLRA race, the poo-poo would have hit the fan in this forum. But when it was done by 200+ racers running the trail the morning after an all-night deluge, nary a peep was heard. The huge bog they made just past the Orr road trailhead area lasted half the summer before it finally dried out. That was the worst I'd ever seen in a decade and a half of riding there. I'll take a pizza cutters any day over that.

This is the reason I refuse to do any early season trail work before that race any more.

<crickets>

[kwings00]

You know, that is a good question. Wrong to ride the trails in soft/wet condition, but ok to race on them?

I don't forsee Yankee being a hardpack rideable trail next weekend.

Yankee is bone dry and ready to ride or race on. It drys much faster than the eastern or northern trails.

Thats good news for Sunday then.

[scat silvurz]

It's freeakin' DIRT people................As long as trails are left out in the open, people are going to ride on them no matter what the conditions. It's always been that way, and always will.

The Spandex Mafia will get you...........

[NovaraAspen]

It's freeakin' DIRT people................As long as trails are left out in the open, people are going to ride on them no matter what the conditions. It's always been that way, and always will.

The Spandex Mafia will get you...........

Not to mention that people who actually bother to check these forums for trail conditions are not the ones out wrecking the trails.

[Roy]

Scat is on to something: dirt is dirt, rock is rock. If you build a trail in dirt it will erode away. If you build a trail on rock it will erode away slower. After dry out we see the tire marks on the flats, dirt washed away on the down hills, and more sand the bottoms.
At Island Lake the most erosion always occurred after a late summer rain. By late summer there was usually an inch of dust on the trail. When the rains came that dust washed away. There several spots (now rerouted) where the trail had eroded 3 or 4 feet by this process. No one ever suggested that summer ridding was bad at Island Lake.
If we post signs in the spring and don't pull them when the frost is gone, then the public learns to disregard the warning next spring.
We are left with preaching to the choir and better trail design.
This is the time of year to asses trail design and make improvements.
What trail design improvements did you make last year and how did that improvement work to slow erosion?
If you really want to know how to stop erosion walk your trail in a heavy rain. At stoney this trick turned the swamp trail into The Pines.

Roy

[c0nsumer]

...but isn't dirt just little rocks?