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Home / Culture / Advocacy

Have You Ever Helped Build or Maintain a Mountain Bike Trail?

Trail building is an important part of mountain biking. After all, if no one built or maintained trails, we wouldn't have many, if any, places to ride.

By Jeff Barber
October 20, 2019

5 comments

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Trail building is an important part of mountain biking. After all, if no one built or maintained trails, we wouldn’t have many, if any, places to ride.

For many mountain bikers, building trails is the key to skills progression and for others it’s a great way to connect with other riders in the community.

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Jeff Barber

Jeff Barber has been mountain biking since 1992 and has tested hundreds of mountain bikes and components. He is the co-founder of Singletracks and serves as Editor in Chief. Contact him at [email protected].

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5 Comments

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al56cantrell Tennessee // 2022
May 28, 2023

I have 4 short trails on my property and am connecting and improving no design experience letting the lay of land mostly dictate but enjoyable for and og

0 reply

bikematt Maryland // 2014
Oct 24, 2019

I have helped in the past but I am like many I am lazy, the emails stopped so I don't get reminded. I will need to find a group after I move if our renovation is ever completed. I get out to ride so little it is difficult to want to do trail work rather than ride. Free passes to the parks that charge would be nice, or at least close the park on trail work days. The other would be to banish those (as a group) that don't do their part some user groups do not ever see a need to participate in construction and others provide disproportionate damage. Most of the population thinks all the trails have always been there.

0 reply

Head Over Handlebars Tennessee // 2017
Oct 21, 2019

I've done both. I started making some stuff in my backyard a few years ago, and I've been building with a local group since last fall. We started construction on a skills park at a local park in May or June of this year. Since then I've been out there working almost every week and have had my hands on every feature we've built. I really enjoy building trails and technical features and am glad that I've got the opportunity to build the type of stuff that I want to ride. I've made some good friends in the process and we've made far more progress than I expected this summer. We don't have much elevation to work with so we have to get creative and it's been a lot of fun. And riding a feature that you built yourself gives you a great feeling of accomplishment. If you're in Oak Ridge TN, drop by the Dirt Lab at Haw Ridge Park, and show the great folks at CVTA some love!

0 reply

rmap01 Maryland // 2013
Oct 22, 2019

While I have not done so personally I support my local trail groups with annual donations/membership. Really appreciate the efforts of all those getting there hands dirty for the benefit of all of us!

0 reply

stormpeakco Colorado // 2010
Oct 22, 2019

Yes.
(Gotta have skin/calluses/blisters in the game) most seasons I volunteer 1-3 days on Routt County Riders (RCR)
trail work days.

0 reply

Tagged: advocacy, building, community, giving back, mtb community, opinion, survey, trail build, trail builder, trail builders, trail building, trail maintenance, trail work, volunteer, culture

First published October 20, 2019 @ 5:27:00