MotoSapiens.net Manifesto

OffRoadPolitik for the Sentient Being

Our Theology

I am an environmentalist. I am a conservationist. I ride a dirt bike. I ride a mountain bike. These statements do not have to be contradictory. In fact, the last two should imply the first two. Just like anyone who enjoys recreation in the backcountry, we have a vested interest in preserving as much backcountry as possible. Unfortunately, the terms "environmentalist" and "conservationist" have been co-opted by extremists who have made a mockery of the words, and have pushed many reasonable people out of environmentalism and into alignment with extraction industries such as mining and lumber. Sure, the extraction industries are important to our economy, but let's not kid ourselves and pretend that our interests as backcountry users are furthered by giving carte blanche to large corporations to make money off the land that belongs to American citizens.

Wheeled users have the same right to responsibly recreate on public land as everyone else. In support of that right, here are the most important commandments of sentient off-road recreation:

1. Wilderness should be open to all non-motorized use.
   This means bicycles. There simply is no resource-based justification for allowing horses and pack animals, or even foot-traffic while excluding bicycles. Until wilderness is open to bicycles, new wilderness designations that include trails used by bicyclists should be strongly opposed.
2. Motorized users are NOT second-class citizens.
   Historically, disagreements and conflicts between motorized and non-motorized trail users have been "solved" by lazy land managers by simply closing trails to motorized use. This is unacceptable. There is an unbelievably huge amount of public land that is already closed to motorized and/or mechanized use. It is not realistic for a handful of selfish hikers to demand absolute solitude on EVERY TRAIL.
3. Quality OHV routes are good for habitat and the environment.
   In some places, lazy land managers have designated graded dirt roads as "bicycle trails", or "OHV trails". These roads aren't any more fun on a bicycle or motorcycle than they are on foot. By creating and designating interesting and challenging trails for motorcycles and ATV's, land managers can remove the motivation to explore off-trail.
4. Motorcycles and ATV's are NOT the same thing.
   Motorcycles are narrower and lighter, and on sustainable trails, have impacts similar to bicycle, horse and foot traffic. All user groups tend to prefer the narrowest and most primitive trails they can safely navigate. Singletrack trails should be open to motorcycles and closed to ATV's. Likewise, it is important to create challenging and interesting ATV-width trails that are not open to jeeps or the new extra-wide 2-seat atv's.
5. Trails should be open to motorcycles and bicycles unless posted closed.
   Closing a trail to a particular group of citizens should be a last resort. Separating user groups makes sense in certain high-traffic areas, and this means having trails designated for various groups, not simply closing most trails to certain users. Wherever possible, closing a trail should be accompanied by creating or designating other opportunities nearby.

Our Responsibilities

Motorcyclists, mtn bikers, hikers, equestrians, jeepers, and atv riders are all after the same thing when we go into the woods; a primitive experience including scenery, solitude, open space, and challenges to physical ability and skill. We should all be working together to preserve open space from excessive encroachments by development, and to preserve access to the woods that we all own. We should also be courteous to other recreationists, so they can enjoy their backcountry experiences. However you access the backcountry, I feel the following principles are important:

Be Quiet

I think this is the single biggest issue facing motorcyclists. Maybe I'm oversensitive, but I like quiet. Whether I'm hiking, biking, moto-ing, or sleeping, noise bugs me. As a result, I understand how much it can bug other people. Reduce your impact on other people enjoying the woods:

• Don't hoot and holler on popular trails. Just because the clowns in Honda Element ads do it doesn't make it right.
• Be quiet in camp (don't crank your car stereo, or engage in loud drunken conversations). Don't be the dickhead doing donuts in the campground on your ATV.
• Ride a quiet bike. Not only does this annoy people less, but it can help you slide under the radar sometimes.
• If you must leave camp early for a motorcycle ride, push your bike to the edge of camp, and warm it up underway.

Tread Lightly

Almost everywhere, the worry of erosion is a red herring. All you have to do is go out in the woods in a hard rain to realize that almost everything we can do with our bikes is completely trivial to the earth. On the other hand, random tracks off-trail are ugly, so be careful:

• Stay on the trail. shortcuts are ugly, and show off your lack of skill.
• Learn how to use your rear brake. Mountain bikers without finesse who just lock the rear brake and skid down stuff make ugly trenches.
• Learn how to use your throttle and clutch. Unskilled dirtbikers who spin the rear wheels and dig trenches going up hills make the trail harder for everyone else. Save your roosting for the track.
• Don't do donuts to turn around on narrow trails. Just do a 3-pt turn, or lift the back end up. No one likes to see a deep trench in the soil.
• If you don't have the skills to ride a particular trail, STAY THE HELL OFF! Don't blaze your own trail through the woods, or dig a trench with your rear wheel trying to get around a switchback. Learn to ride, then come back later.

Be Courteous

For some reason, when stupid hikers cut trails and leave trash, people think "Oh, those pigs! How awful." When a stupid mtn biker rides too fast on a popular trail, people think "Oh, mountain bikers are a menace. let's ban them." Volvo driving extremist hiker types apparently lack the cognitive ability to see 2-wheel hikers as individuals, so go out of your way to counteract the image that a few dorks create:

• Slow down on multi-use trails, especially if you're the first in a group.
• Yield to other trail users. I generally pull over and immediately kill the engine when I come across hikers or equestrians.
• Take the opportunity to say hi. Greet others and wish them a pleasant outing in the woods.
• Be courteous when you're off your bike, but easily identifiable as biker, like when driving to the trailhead with bikes in the truck.
• To help yourself be courteous, take a hike, or even an overnight backpacking trip sometime. Understand what other users want in their woods experience.

Do Your Share

You're not likely to see too many Volvo drivers doing trail maintenance, but someone has to build and maintain trails, and you can be sure the government will mess it up if we leave it to them:

• Join your local motorcycle or mtn bike club, and show up for their trail work days.
• Call your local land managers (USFS, BLM, etc...) and ask about volunteer trailwork.
• Join Blue Ribbon Coalition, and tell them what issues are important to you.
• Consider volunteering on an event, such as an enduro, or bicycle race, or even a big non-wheeled event, such as the Western States 100 trailrun. Be sure to wear something that identifies as you as a wheeled recreationist when you're working.

Follow these simple rules, and you can make the woods a more pleasant place for all of us.

If you hate this page, don't email mark@motosapiens.net, just read something else.