Flo and Mountain Biking

 The advent and continuing creation of machine built mountain bike trails brought a "new" buzzword into the mainstream vernacular, flow. The concept of flow is not a new notion, however building it into the trails is rather new in a historical perspective. In the days of yore, if one wanted to flow down a trail they had to create it themselves with learned skillsets. Nowadays, those skillsets are not necessary if one seeks out machine built flow trails and that seems be causing a myriad of issues that feed my notion of degradation beyond the general lack of skills these trails require.

 The most glaring issue with those firmly attached to modern flow trails is the apparent inability to turn without being aided by a berm. I was fortunate to be patiently shown how to look for hooks and use them, which is highly applicable in both technical trail riding and on machine built flow, especially at speed. The most common miscue witnessed in this light would be flow disciples attempting to bomb the lines that are optimal for slower speeds. On wide machine built trails, this causes cut corners, skidding and blown-out turns when the turns are not on a bench cut. If one is looking for and using the hooks at higher speeds, they are not cutting corners but instead hitting the hook, which could be as simple as the cup in the middle of the tread, or as unapparent as a notch in a boulder.

  The ability to keep oneself in the trailbed on a singletrack is touted by advocacy groups with the common tenet of "Control Your Bicycle". With most flow trails, this should be an easy task as they tend to be well over a foot wide, however the aforementioned inability of some to adhere to staying in the trailbed (especially on trails that are not a bench cut), those cut corners and blown-out flat turns tell a story of ignorance and/or entitlement. There are countless trails where the inability to stay in the trailbed have dire consequences to those not adhering to one of the most basic rules of the trail. Riding out of the trail bed on The Portal in Moab can lead to a 600' cliff dive, which has occured before and will do so again. Riding within ones limits and respecting the trails creates a true advocate, whereas those of a hypocritical nature who may claim that title are only fooling themselves and their sycophantic virtual (or otherwise) acquaintances. When a rider is controlling their bike, their tracks stay in the tread.

 The last item of observation is the Vanillafication that these trails appear to be creating. The designs of machine built flow trails are very similar across the board and this is especially true where soil conditions are the same. The berms, bumps, jumps, etc. tend to be carbon copies that create what flowficionados crave, the safety of Vanilla. Putting Rocky Road in front of those used to Vanilla can cause a variety of issues, though self-preservation is most likely high on their list and they will not want a taste. Another factor that keeps flowficionados away from different flavors is ego, but that's a topic for another day. Of course when some with the afflictions in question do attempt a different flavor, it can be disastrous to the environment and/or themselves. While Rocky Road isn't for everyone, there are still many who crave variety, as it's proverbially The Spice of Life.

 The burning question remains, is this curmudgeon against machine built flow trails? The answer is no, in fact I feel it's a great way to get people turned onto the lifestyle and get some exercise. The side effects (both beneficial and destructive) are part of the human condition, though with the narcissistic tendencies created by various antisocial media platforms, the destructive aspect is worsening. Destructive is unfortunately what we get from the few who don't wish to adhere to the most basic tenets of the trail. If there's a cure for selfishness beyond those of that ilk on the trails deleting themselves by their own misdeeds, I'd really like to know. There is a certain comfort in all of this to Riders, the truth is out there on trails where one must bring their own flow.

Riders Come and Go, Kooks Accumulate 

Mister Miyagi and Mountain Biking

 Mister Miyagi got things right in so many of his principles in reference to the MTB realm. His eternal cinematic wisdom may be applied in sports realms well beyond Martial Arts if one was to ponder this in their chosen sports pursuits. I've only chosen two of these to ponder in recent months, however I'm certain most of his wisdom is also applicable.

Must Have Balance

 Balancing one's life is wise throughout, being something that will always be necessary in order to live life to the fullest. In the MTB realm, it has many forms. My lifelong desire to explore new places has fueled my life balance on two wheels since childhood. Having a myriad of skillsets on two wheels is essential for this, with abilities allowing me to go places and see things that have a lifelong imprint on my mind. The pigeon-holing of oneself into a media-created realm of a lifestyle such as MTB prevents this, though if this is what one seeks, then one is simply doing what suits their idea and that's fine. Though this may lack balance, some may have other pursuits that balance their lives in lieu of solely identifying as "mountain biker". In my experience, many who hang their hat solely on one aspect of any recreational pursuit while using that as their identity are largely fraudulent and when they do decide to venture beyond the "safety" of their chosen realm can be a danger to themselves, others, and the integrity of the environment.

No Such Thing as Bad Student, Only Bad Teacher

 The term "teacher" in this instance is being utilized to represent those who actually teach, those who have either a self-imposed leadership role, or are the "old guard" and should be setting good examples irregardless of whom they are with or where they are riding. Monkey See, Monkey Do can be a benefit, or a hindrance in the teacher/student relationship. If the student observes the teacher performing proper etiquette on the trail, they usually respond in kind, especially if discussed previously. An example of hindrance would be the teacher stopping in the middle of the trail with their student and effectively blocking the trail to other users, should another trail user happen along. The student may now be under the belief that stopping and blocking a public right of way is acceptable, when it's not and is actually contrary to the vehicle code in some states. This instance is the tip of the proverbial iceberg, practiced by the Indignantly Ignorant, who are largely responsible for the degradation of trail systems around the globe. Bad Teachers creating Bad Students tends to lead to ignorant and destructive behavior such as this ridiculously long skid:

 While I'm alright with those who lack balance and don't destroy public resources, my disdain for bad teachers remains because their students literally destroy public trail systems. Even so, bad students from bad teachers will most likely remain unbalanced and tether themselves to three or four trails, keeping their destructive ways away from the remote places that don't find their way onto bucket lists or the like. If the unbalanced from bad teachers do venture out of the safety of their chosen realm, it's usually to an a-technical marquee trail that bucket listers flock to.

Riders come and go, Kooks accumulate.