Do animals build trails?
.blitz
Posts: 6,197
I was riding along a stretch of quality Chase singletrack the other day, figuratively scratching my head.
On one hand, I was wondering what kind of animal makes a handlebar-width trail down a hillside, avoiding drainage gulleys and making best use of the contours, while on the other hand, what kind of person builds a handlebar-width trail down a hillside, avoiding drainage gulleys and making best use of the contours without any tree-felling, branch-lopping, bench-cutting, steps or woodwork?
I couldn't imagine someone had actually gone to the trouble of building it but it seemed too good to be all-natural. How can I tell if trails like this are the work of the trail fairies/pixies?
On one hand, I was wondering what kind of animal makes a handlebar-width trail down a hillside, avoiding drainage gulleys and making best use of the contours, while on the other hand, what kind of person builds a handlebar-width trail down a hillside, avoiding drainage gulleys and making best use of the contours without any tree-felling, branch-lopping, bench-cutting, steps or woodwork?
I couldn't imagine someone had actually gone to the trouble of building it but it seemed too good to be all-natural. How can I tell if trails like this are the work of the trail fairies/pixies?
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Comments
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sheep also make good trails.Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I believe in the future of the human race.
H.G. Wells.0 -
its well established that bike handlebars are sized to match the width of a deer's @rse
It's a sign of the times and the shocking levels of obesity amongst the deer population that 700mm wide bars are becoming the normEverything in moderation ... except beer
Beer in moderation ... is a waste of beer
If riding an XC race bike is like touching the trail,
then riding a rigid singlespeed is like licking it
... or being punched by it, depending on the day0 -
I follow a deer track on my local loop, but I used to detour round a section that was too low for me. Now I notice the deer follow my route and their original line has grown over.
A truly symbiotic relationship between biker and nature.Northwind wrote: It's like I covered it in superglue and rode it through ebay.0 -
i rekon it could be dogs trying to repair thier tainted reputation with cyclists, my Lurcher has a Zesty and woops my ass on any DH.0
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Badgers - well known for it - expensive and difficult to deal with but always deliver to contract0
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I think you lot just like following sheep... :shock:
Beavers are dab-hands at building raised boardwalks.0 -
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Deer, boar, sheep.
Boar runs are pretty good. you just have to avoid the occasioal VERY low branch, extremely large alpha males and the wanabee alpha males with guns trying to shoot them.
(sorry, its pig killing season here (France) and weekend rides are getting fewer and fewer cos of these tools)0 -
So if we get the right team of animals together we could have a pretty awesome trail built with zero effort?
:idea:0 -
As an asides and because of your name and photo Llamafarmer,
I ride past a golf club quite often where they use alpacas/llamas (I'm no expert when it comes to South American native fauna) to keep the fairways in check. They should be good for trailmaking too, right?0 -
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supersonic wrote:Snails do.
We hit a deer in a Land Rover. It's back was higher than the bonnet. I fancy having a go on the trails that would make. It was rock'ard as well. Just shrugged and ran off after doing £900 worth of damage. I'd have needed a race prepped XC bike to keep up with the thing. No venison to pay for the dent that day
..................................................................................................................................................The road is long...so take a shortcut.0 -
Have you never heard of freeriding badgers?!This is a block of text that can be added to posts you make. There is a 255 character limit0
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Clum84 wrote:Have you never heard of freeriding badgers?!
You sick, sick, man....0 -
Kiblams wrote:Was Sherwood Pines built by beavers? :shock:
Snigger. You said beavers.0
