Mountain bike trail builders have always made the best of what’s available but Kitsap MTB seems to have come up with a new one: the Tractor Tread. It’s difficult to tell exactly what’s happening in the video (and the blog post offers scant details) but I’m assuming we’re looking at the metal treads from some kind of track vehicle (a bulldozer perhaps?) draped over some logs. For some reason the riders are having a tough time making it across which makes me think this is a technical challenge unlike any other. One rider does make it across in the end so I guess it just takes practice.
At Legend Park in Clayton, NC I’ve seen air bridges spanning concrete sewer pipes and at Arrowhead Park in Macon, GA the mountain bike trail actually goes through a barn (though I wouldn’t really classify this as a technical trail feature (TTF)). Of course plenty of mountain bike trails have stunts made out of wood: teeter totters, skinnies, ramps, and bridges – but it takes a truly creative trail builder to use discarded junk found in the woods to make a gnarly trail feature. I know of quite a few trails with old appliances, junk cars, etc. that, with a little work, could become fun TTFs. It’s all about recycling 😉
