Does anyone else think quads are wrecking trails?

[rideit]

Some of our local trails are slowly and surely turning from singletrack to doubletrack, and I think there is a culture war coming. Anyone have ideas/opinions on this issue? It may close a LOT of trails to motorcycle use as a result, locally. This is a very real problem. I don't wan't to come off as a hypocrite, I also use these trails by motor and pedal. How do people feel about selective access? It's a thorny issue...

[roostmanwr400f]

I am a two wheeler. Quads have the same rights as dirt bikes do we (offroaders) do not need any in fighting. Just my opinion.

[roostmanwr400f]

I am a two wheeler. Quads have the same rights as dirt bikes do we (offroaders) do not need any in fighting. Just my opinion.

[Dan_Lorenze]

Originally posted by roostmanwr400f:

I am a two wheeler. Quads have the same rights as dirt bikes do we (offroaders) do not need any in fighting. Just my opinion.

I agree, they DO have the same rights, even though they do make a bigger track we all need to stick together... This land belongs to all of us...

[Carl_Youngstrom]

I agree with roostmanwr400f and Dan Lorenze. My wife and daughter got started riding on quads. Dirt riders must not start in-fighting. A dirt rider is a dirt rider - 2 or 4 wheels.

"Stand together or hang seperate".

[SMD]

Feel free to flame away......but I beg to differ. I can only speak for what goes on in my area, but I have a major problem with the average quad rider.Subjective as it may be if things continue as they are quads will eventually lead to the end of riding on public lands.

If you look at the numbers quads out sell dirtbikes about 7 to 1! There is no where near the commitment to the sport from the average quad rider and most of this starts with the dealer and the factory.They are on the gravy train while it lasts at all of our expense.

I have had more than one conversation with a US Forest service employee as they post a closed sign that told me " Its not you guys it the four wheelers". Ever try to have a conversation with a guy in sneekers, t-shirt and a six pack about the donuts he keeps spinning through your favorite riding area? And what part of single track don't they understand? And your right we should all stick together but I am tired of cleaning up and regrooming trail because of go-arounds,turn-arounds and five differant ways through a bog that these folks insist on creating.

Apologies to those that are not in this catagory but I truly believe that you are small in number.

Wake up people!

Tee me up mates.

[Bamster]

I must agree to an extent,the average Quad rider is'nt very inteligent .But they have reopened trails in my area that were long grown

over and impassible by two wheelers. Other places I ride would quickly become overgrown

If it wasn't for Quads riding there.

I do cringe when I see a two guys riding along

on a quad with no helmits. The other day I came up behind a guy with his young daughter on the back of his quad. She looked about 4 and was wearing shorts, sandles,T shirt and a walmart bicycle helmit.I wanted to slap this guy in the back of the head. I should have said somthing

but visions of the movie deliverence were going through my head.

[RCannon]

I hate quads, and you are correct...However, if we start fighting with each other we become just like the Harley vs other street bikes.

Plus, lets pretend we get the quads banned. WONDERFUL!!! Then the trail heals up...well, half. They boot us out and the remainder heals. Were better off sticking together on this.

[LarryCO]

I have no complaints with the 4wheeler folks...I've seen just as many dirtbikers riding without helmets, offtrail, etc. as 4wheeler riders. However, reading this post reminded me to ask the following question:

Why in Minnesota are there dedicated 4wheeler trails...ones where dirtbikes are not permitted? Atleast around the twin cities area (like up my Monticello where my wife's from), all trails are offlimits to dirtbikes...but not 4wheelers. These 4wheeler trails are snowmobile trails in the winter...with many of them residing in ditches beside the highways. I can understand the "other way around" with people wanting to keep singletrack singletrack...but not this...

Can anyone from MN shed some light on this?

"Confused" Larry

[YAMAKAZE]

We just had 2 areas closed in Dallas Ga. Because of several major injuries requiring Life Flight Helicopters to rescue STUPID 4 wheeler riders that were not wearing any protective equipment at all. The county decided that they no longer were going to turn a blind eye on the unincorporated land and be subject to liability lawsuits....

There goes another 15000 acres because of 4 wheeler stupidity.

Bonzai ?

[Dan_from_HB]

I never had much of an opinion on this one way or the other. Haven't spent much time with or around quad riders.

My first reaction is that the dirt bikers were once where these guys are in terms of awareness. We blasted around wherever we wanted to without regard to other people or the trail conditions. We rode without the proper protective gear. As a group, we learned better, and have come a long way in the 30 years that I have been riding. I think the average age and maturity level of dirt bike riders has increased dramatically.

I think if we can assist these dummies a little bit, give them the benefit of our experience, we'll all be better off. They will likely exhibit better behavior, we'll have more of their help in keeping trails open, and non-riders will have less to complain about.

There will always be a number of trails the quads cannot get to. We two wheelers can cover more technical terrain than they can. I wouldn't worry too much about all the singletrack going away.

My 2 cents.

Dan

[Uncle_Rich]

I ride both and ride with both and I,ve seen MORONS riding both.

Where I have trails that are over grown I will ride the quad through to knock the weeds and briars down so I can ride the bike through.

Quads can help and or hurt trails.

SMD said "If you look at the numbers quads out sell dirtbikes about 7 to 1!". I say if we stick together we have a better chance against the enemy, there is strength in numbers.

Rich

[gettin2old4this]

I personally have owned quads in the past. Obviously I prefer 2 wheels over 4 but that doesn't give me the right to tell people not to ride quads.

Quads are the lazy guys dirtbike, they take no brains to operate and are "in vogue" right now.

The one thing I can say is out here in the Vegas area I never see dirtbikers without at least a helmet.

What I do see all the time is idiots on their quads riding with no helmets and shorts and tee shirts. It's stupid to see some j/o with his baby girl riding passenger with no protective gear either. It gets me hot, everyime I pass one of these fools I knock on my helmet as to say look, these things actually exist. ?

[funktree]

You guys need to make tighter trails most of the trails around here are way to tight for a quad to even fit on. They stick to the fire roads

[Dan_from_HB]

I vote we allow Natural Selection deal with the stupid half of the quad rider population.

One of my favorite ads was the Bell Helmet one that said "If you have a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet". AMEN.

I believe that those who think their head isn't worth protecting with a helmet are probably right.

Dan

[Highsider1]

LarryCo, I am in Minnesota and can answer your question. There are two Quad manufacturers located in Minnesota. Polaris and Artic Cat. They lobby our DNR and legislatures and, you know.... In the meantime, no-one, except riding clubs, lobby for cycle trails. and they don't throw around large amounts of cash.

Enough said about that. They have managed to get many trail systems built. Unfortunatly, like you said, most are "off limits" to 2 wheelers. Only one trail system is OHM (Off Road Motorcycle) only, but you will find many 4 wheelers still ride there. However, most trails are single track with trees too close and 4 wheelers can't get through.

We can ride the ditches on OHM's and I have a hunch we won't get tagged if going on the ATV only trails. They are too flat and boring, so we don't even try,

But to answer the original question in this post, I don't mind the 4 wheelers. Most are respectfull to the OHM's and the trail systems. If not for them, we may not have any DNR sanctioned trail systems. They outnumber us, I believe about 90 to 1 in Minnesota (DNR website has the exact number) so they carry alot of clout when the tree huggers get active.

[Chukkar]

Ridit,

As an active ATV club member and owner of both 2 and 4 wheel ATVs I have to say that if all ATV riders were all intelligent, respectful, law abiding, safety educated and club active ATV owners it wouldn't matter 2 or 4. I see more than my share of MORONS cigarette, beer can, trash throwing, no helmet, cant stay on the designated trail) every time I go riding. As much as I hate to say it, a small portion of the 2 wheel riders are problems, but a large portion of the 4 wheel riders are problems. I say we all need to stick together as motorized vehicle users and figure this out damn quick! Our riding days are coming to an end......

[Chukkar]

In haste, I forgot to add an example of my most recent ATV MORON sightings.

A mother had a small infant (1 yr or so) strapped in an infant car seat which was strapped onto the rear rack of an ATV. This mother was riding up a trail that would easily cause a wheeler to tip over. I will always wonder if she got to use that infant seat roll bar that day.

MORONS stay home!!! ?

[Sweet_on_my_WR__426]

I have mostly good things to say about the ATV riders I have met while riding. This past weekend I came across the undesirables that some of you have already mentioned.

People riding double, neither wearing helmets, drinking beer at the loading areas and tying their machines together so that they can have a "tug of war" to see who machine has more power? Still not wearing helmets.

Really, until this past weekend, everyone I have met has had the same stick together attitude and respect for the land we use.

I would rather see alot less of the ATV riders on the trails, let them stay on the closed tracks and private land that when they mess up, it won't affect the rest of us who respect and realize the privilage we have in riding these public trails.

[huskyrider]

Our quad riders are the greatest.

They've cleared untold miles of trails along creek and riverbeds and have helped open up existing trails that had been overgrown.

They almost always pull over to let us pass when we ride up on them.

They always have a cold drink or a beer and will usually offer one when your out in the middle of nowhere.

They all seem to have the same mindset on gear. NONE! I can't believe some of the young crazies.

Jumping banksand dunes, flying down trails or the street on high performance quads in sneakers and a tanktop.

When one of them tells his buddy "hold my beer and watch this" you'll either see a good jump or high speed creek crossing or an even better crash.

When talking to the older ones about the lack of equipment they say we don't ride like that and these are alot safer than dirtbikes.

They outnumber us here 50 to 1 at any of these riding areas. 40 of them are dad, mom and/or kids, sometimes all on the same machine, and the other 10 are major partying young people.

I like to think I get along with all of them but have had a few runins with the young ones who have a lack of respect for other people with their unsafe operating or their poor manners around my or others children.

I sincerely believe that if they can form an entity like the AMA, we'd have an ally with a sport that has many more members.

There has, and always will be, strength in numbers.

All in all, 95% of them are okay by me.

Just my .02