[pct-l] NO BIKES SIGNS

[Barry Teschlog]

In regards to leaving step over trees on the trail:

A few issues with this approach.

1)  The bikers will ride around the down trees where they can, cutting in new user trails, which will degrade the environment, especially in fragile meadows with the occasional single tree or open forest on flat to slight hill side terrain.
2)  Where they can't go around per (1), chances are they'll turn it into a little jump / log hop.  Logs up to about 10-12" are able to be hopped by a moderately skilled rider.  

3)  Where the log is too large to simply "pop" the front, then back, wheel over as per (2), they'll turn it into an obstacle often seen on MTB specific trails where there is a pyramid shape of logs, ramping up to the the large log, then ramping down on the other side.  This is pretty common on the MTB trails I ride with logs in the 15 - 18" range.  Wuhoo!  This hiker trail is now becoming a MTB skill park.

4)  Where (3) is impractical, the MTBers will engage in guerrilla trail crew, cutting out the logs with chain saws - possibly including in Wilderness (where they'll be encroaching anyways).  In my experience, especially this trail season here around Snoqualmie Pass, the guerrilla sawyers do not clear the trail to standard, do not remove the cut pieces to standard, don't cut the logs wide enough, especially on the up hill side, and some times engage in "tagging" of the cut logs - carving names / initials / other graffiti in the ends.  In short, they do a poor job of it, requiring properly trained crews to go and cut the logs again to clear the trail to standard and to remove the tagging that is carved into the cut ends of the log.  In addition, untrained sawyers are a danger to themselves and any passing trail users.

As to the suggestion of log / rock water bars:  


The best installation to deter bikes would be at a skew angle, just above and below a switch back (such that they'll come around the corner and hit it with minimal visual warning at typical bike speeds on the down hill, and difficult to pop over when going up hill while setting up for a turn and even more difficult to pop over while exiting a turn).  


One other feature that would be difficult to ride would be back to back 
water bars, spaced such that when the front wheel is "popped" over the 
first one, it'll come down just in front of the 2nd one, just as the 
rear wheel hits the first one, naturally pitching bike and rider 
forward.  Most riders won't be able to "pop" the front wheel over the 
2nd bar, and combined with a skew angle, would result in a sudden 
deceleration with ground impact.  The down side of exposed water bars is that they're "old school" drainage structures and hence aren't as effective as newer designs where the bar is fully buried to reinforce the ramp that is part of the drain up hill a couple feet from the bar. 

http://www.pcta.org/pdf/trail-skills-college/curriculum/203_Waterbars_&_Checks_v0311.pdf


Of course, I would expect the MTBers, in typical fashion, to vandalize the trail by either ripping out any such deterrent double bar structures or building / beating in user detour trails, just as they vandalize it by riding on it today.