Does the money make it worthwhile to be so irresponsible? You seem
to have made a career of promoting environmental damage. How can
you justify that? Just because something is legal, doesn't make it
morally or ethically acceptable.
Bicycles should not be allowed in any natural area. They are
inanimate objects and have no rights. There is also no right to
mountain bike. That was settled in federal court in 1994:
http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande/mtb10 . It's dishonest of mountain
bikers to say that they don't have access to trails closed to
bikes. They have EXACTLY the same access as everyone else -- ON
FOOT! Why isn't that good enough for mountain bikers? They are all
capable of walking....
A favorite myth of mountain bikers is that mountain biking is no
more harmful to wildlife, people, and the environment than hiking,
and that science supports that view. Of course, it's not true. To
settle the matter once and for all, I read all of the research they
cited, and wrote a review of the research on mountain biking
impacts (see http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande/scb7 ). I found that
of the seven studies they cited, (1) all were written by mountain
bikers, and (2) in every case, the authors misinterpreted their own
data, in order to come to the conclusion that they favored. They
also studiously avoided mentioning another scientific study (Wisdom
et al) which did not favor mountain biking, and came to the
opposite conclusions.
Those were all experimental studies. Two other studies (by White et
al and by Jeff Marion) used a survey design, which is inherently
incapable of answering that question (comparing hiking with
mountain biking). I only mention them because mountain bikers often
cite them, but scientifically, they are worthless.
Mountain biking accelerates erosion, creates V-shaped ruts, kills
small animals and plants on and next to the trail, drives wildlife
and other trail users out of the
area, and (worst of all) teaches kids that the rough treatment of
nature is okay (it's NOT!). What's good about THAT?
For more information: http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande/mtbfaq .