IMBA announced their list of 2011 Epic rides late last month and in case you missed it, here are the trails that made the cut. Two of the five new Epics are outside the US and, as IMBA’s Mark Eller notes, the new crop includes several backcountry trails. “For many years, the term ‘Epic’ was the only honorific IMBA used, so we started applying it beyond backcountry trails. Today, the variety of Model Trail categories provides more options, so it’s a good moment to go back to the original idea of an Epic ride.”

Brown County State Park (Indiana)

photo: MINiC.

With nearly 30 miles of singletrack, Brown County State park is a pretty solid pick for IMBA Epic designation. A couple quotes from singletracks reviewers: “the best trail system I’ve ever ridden,” and “if I could give this trail system more stars I would.” The trails are flowy and fast with rocks, boulders, and bridges to keep things interesting. And if great trails weren’t enough, Brown County State Park also offers fantastic views and scenery. As one reviewer put it prior to the IMBA Epic announcement, “I have ridden three EPIC systems and this is better than two of them!” Touché.

Kerr Scott Trails (North Carolina)

photo: plantme777.

North Carolina just bagged their third IMBA Epic trail with the addition of the Kerr Scott Trails this year. Dark Mountain was the first mountain bike trail built at Kerr Scott Reservoir back in 2002 and local volunteers have been working with the Corps of Engineers ever since to add more trails and more miles. Today, Dark Mountain is joined by the Overmountain Victory Trail and the Warrior Creek trail for a total of 35+ miles of singletrack. Sign up for next year’s BURN 24 Hour mountain bike race to get your fill of this Epic trail!

Mountain Hero (Yukon, CANADA)

Talk about a backcountry trail! Mountain Hero features 28 miles of hand-built singletrack crossing mining claims inside the Yukon, Canada’s westernmost province bordering Alaska. The IMBA description suggests bringing along bear spray if you attempt this one so bring your A-game.

Rattling Creek (Pennsylvania)

IMBA hasn’t posted a lot of info on this trail (system?) located near Lykens, PA but from the sound of it, this place is a hidden gem! There’s a 3/4 mile boulder field along the trail and riders say the trail flows well in either direction (a rare distinction among mountain bike trails). As best we can tell there are about 20 miles of trail at Rattling Creek, though we’d love some help filling in the blanks!

W2 Trail (Wales, UK)

Unlike most bike trails in the US, the W2 trail in Wales boasts a bike shop, showers, and bike wash right at the trailhead parking lot! The trail system itself features 27 miles of singletrack inside Afan Forest with a mix of tight, twisty stuff and clean jump lines. One ticket to Wales please.

For the US trails it looks like this year’s list is a sweep for states east of the Mississippi. Better luck next year left coast!

After a rough day of riding at Mont Sainte Anne, I was a bit worried that I would be embarking on more rocky trails for my second day of mountain biking in Québec. The 1 hour, 15 minute drive from Québec City through small towns, corn fields, and eventually gravel roads was actually quite nice. We arrived at the newly built reception office of Secteur Shannahan surrounded by trees and a parking lot full of bikers and other adventurers where I stepped out of the van giddy as a school girl. I met Gilles Morneau, my guide for the day. Gilles is responsible for laying out the 35k (and growing!) network of mountain bike trails at Vallée Bras-du-Nord.

Photo by: Gilles Morneau

I was stoked to see the Rocky Mountain Element 30 being loaned to me was actually the right size! Even better, I think it was a bit lighter than my Santa Cruz back home so I was hoping for some sweet singletrack. We sped down the road to the trailhead where we had to cross the Bras-du-Nord river via a narrow bridge. I was advised the best way to cross the bridge was to walk the bike in front of me with the front wheel up. The bridge swayed with my every step and my pedals kept getting caught up in the netting. When I stopped to get my bearings the bridge continued to sway and I remembered, knees shaking, how freaking scared of heights I am. Fortunately, the Canadians are gentlemen so a kind rider by the name of François took my bike across for me while I scurried towards a laughing Gilles at the end of the bridge. Thank goodness we didn’t have to ride back that way!

Glad to be back on my bike, and on the ground for that matter, we started on a fairly easy trail called Beurre d’érable, or Maple Butter. Like the name implies, it was smooth like butter – swooping singletrack with dozens of banked turns. The trail name also references the maple trees that are tapped with miles of Camelbak-like hoses for collecting maple sap. The Provence of Québec is the world’s largest maple syrup producer. At Vallée Bras-du-Nord you’ll only find these hoses on the mountain bike trails – they are thought to ruin the view and overall experience for hiking trails.

While riding Beurre d’érable I learned that many of the mountain bike and hiking trails (over 70km total) at Vallée Bras-du-Nord were built with the assistance of local youth. Gilles designs and plans the bike trails following IMBA’s trailbuilding techniques and then empowers youth delinquents or those that may have had problems with drugs to perform the arduous manual labor. Along the way, these troubled youth learn their contributions are significant and appreciated and many eventually return to school or the job market, so their hard work has paid off in more ways than one.

There was a lot more singletrack to be ridden so we cruised towards another main trail intersection. The Barbe à Gendron trail, translated as “beard of Gendron”, a mountain biking legend in Québec, was windy singletrack along a stream. On the short extension trail, Coulée Douce, we caught a glimpse of the Typhon trail which is a steep downhill descent. From here, there is an alternate route to climb to the top of the mountain to Lac de la Hauteur, but that was way too much climbing for this city girl!

Photo by: Gilles Morneau

Exiting Barbe à Gendron trail I noticed yurts and cottages through the trees. This “Village of Yurts” is quite popular in the winter. Just a short trek from the main parking area, each yurt can accommodate 2-4 people. Even a southern gal like myself would appreciate this kind of cozy winter weekend getaway. The yurts have a rustic feel, but are much nicer and roomier than a tent. Like camping there’s no running water or electricity, but there is a stove for melting snow and firewood to keep it warm – after all it can get down to -10°C or colder in Québec! Vallée Bras-du-Nord also has many nice cabins and cottages, even hotels throughout the property.

Next we pedaled to perhaps my favorite trail of the day, Chute à Gilles. Proudly named after my guide, this trail is a must-do! The terrain changes to slightly rocky singletrack and the trail opens onto a beautiful chute – a waterfall to us English speakers. The rock outcroppings make a perfect spot to take a break and listen to the gentle sounds of the falls. Unfortunately we skipped the rest of this trail in a rush to get back for an afternoon canoe trip–just one of the many other activities offered at Vallée Bras-du-Nord.

Photo by: Gilles Morneau

We crossed the river and got some nice views of the mountains with their fall colors just starting to appear. The Grande Ourse, Big Dipper, trail was another smooth, fairly easy ride back toward our starting point. At times the trail would spit out onto a fireroad or along the river bank.

I was a little sad that our ride was coming to an end, but Gilles said they are looking to build over 100k of new mountain bike trails here in the next few years, so there is definitely reason to come back! One of the current trail projects is an epic, scenic trail along the Neilson river (splits from the main Bras-du-Nord river at the northside of the Shannahan area). Here is a preliminary shot of the trail that will be on the rocks directly beside the river.

Photo by: Gilles Morneau

I know what I described thus far probably sounds like an easy, scenic day in the mountains, but Vallée Bras-du-Nord also has a handful of more advanced trails to offer. Just 10 miles south of the Shannahan area is another major recreational hub called Secteur Saint-Raymond. There is another 15 km of more technical trail there with even more climbing and descending. Once a year the famous Raid Extreme Bras du Nord race connects the two areas by trail. This challenging event has options for a 70k race, 40k race or a 2-day stage race (80k-140k total) covering the most beautiful trails and landscapes in the area, plus a river crossing.

With so much to offer the beginner to advanced rider, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Vallée Bras-du-Nord trails bagging an IMBA Epic designation one day. And if you love the outdoors, stay a while and try some of the other activities in the area–overnight canoe trips, hiking and canyoning or snowshoeing, snowmobiling and ice climbing in the winter. Vélo de montagne!

Québec is famous in the mountain bike world for hosting the challenging UCI World Cup Downhill race at Mont Sainte Anne, a ski resort just 40km – about a 30 minute drive – from Québec City. I had just one afternoon to spend at Mont Sainte Anne, so when I arrived my guide, Christian, had a Scott Spark 60 ready for me.

Riding the gondola to the top of the mountain seemed to take forever. On the way up I saw many rocky downhill runs I was relieved we wouldn’t be riding down. The pitch got steeper with about 1/3 of the way to go to the summit at 800m (2625 ft) where there’s a nice view of Québec City. We started our descent on one of the “easy” trails – it was a pretty rocky ride, with baby heads covering the wide singletrack. I was getting tossed around a bit since my bike was too big and the extra length seemed to be pulling me down the mountain and through rough lines.  The initial descent was a lot rockier and bumpier than most east coast trails I’ve ridden.  There’s an old saying about Mont Saint Anne – if you can ride at Mont Sainte Anne you can ride anywhere! I was determined to make it down this mountain, hopefully in one piece.

We headed southeast toward the base of the mountain to the cross country trails.  Twisting, swooping, and less rocky singletrack plus smooth doubletrack and service roads make up about 150km or just under 100 total miles of trails, including the trails on the back side of the mountain.  We even rode several newly constructed trails where it was tough navigating my long bike through the fresh dirt and tight switchbacks. A couple of falls off the bike were inevitable. When you finally pop out of the woods, there are some nice views to the south.

I got just a sample of what Mont Sainte Anne has to offer, and I have a new-found respect for Canadian mountain bikers! Your XC trails are tough, and your downhill trails are just plain sick.  By the time we got back, the gondola was on its last 4pm run and the downhill riders were cleaning off their bikes in the parking lot.  I was surprised that it wasn’t very crowded for a Friday afternoon.  The village and rental shop were shutting down too, so I headed back to Québec City.

The city was bustling with activity after a big bike race, the Grand Prix de Cliciste de Québec, which took place earlier that day. Québec City hosts many major cycling events and the excitement of this race and energy in the crowd was proof of the city’s fervent cycling culture.  This UCI World Tour competition consisted of 16 laps on a 12.6km course through Québec City’s historic district and along the St. Lawrence riverfront.

Québec City itself is bicycle-friendly and cycling is definitely part of many residents’ lifestyle.  It’s always refreshing to see bikes and cars harmoniously sharing the road. In fact, a bike tour is a great way to explore this city. Visitors won’t want to miss the downtown area of Old Québec and a bike is ideal since like most urban areas, parking is sparse and one way streets abound. From the famous Château Frontenac on the cliffs above the St. Lawrence River westward to the vast urban park the Plains of Abraham, there are dozens of historic buildings, monuments, and the like to peruse by bike.

I wish I could have stayed a few more days in Québec City to explore more surrounding mountain bike trails or the Route Verte, North America’s most extensive bike route covering over 4,000 km (over 2,440 miles) across Québec province.  If you’re a mountain biker or cyclist, consider a trip to Québec City. The city is like no other, its history and European charm combined with proximity to world-class bike trails and other outdoor adventures makes it a truly special place!

When trek7k sent me this assignment I instantly went into a panic. Not that it was difficult to come up with the top five in Ontario – it’s just that Ontario is so big (a bit more than double the size of Texas)! For that reason I’ll focus on the trails in  southern Ontario. There’s actually a ton of variety around here: everything from downhill parks to fast, flowing XC trails and almost everything in between. Because Ontario’s riding season really starts around the second week in April to about mid-November I’m also including an indoor venue.

5. Joyride 150

Joyride 150 is an indoor bike park that saves me from going nuts over the winter months. Located just northeast of Toronto in Markham, Joyride is the Canadian version of Ray’s with its own unique twist. Joyride has just about everything you could want – other than a real forest and that wonderful outdoor smell. With 80,000 sq ft of riding space you have a bit of everything.

There’s a dedicated XC loop which is decent enough to keep you in shape and along the loop you have rock gardens, wooden skinnies, and other obstacles to keep you interested. If you’re into learning a skill, there is a progression of skinnies that constantly evolve to keep even the best of riders on their toes. Heck there is even a gas pipe that you can ride (been there done it!). If you’re wanting to learn how to jump, Joyride really has you covered with three progressive jump lines, a foam pit, and when you really have it going on, a very well built vert park.

4. Blue Mountain

Not being blessed with the massive mountains of the west coast (think BC), there are just a few choices that require less than 4 hours of driving from Southern Ontario. Blue Mountain is one of those trails. At about a 2 hour trek north from Toronto, Blue is one of the largest downhill slopes around. With 13 trails serviced by a high speed lift ($35 lift tickets), the trail system is big enough to get a full day’s worth of riding in. Runs like O-Chute, Shot Glass, and Squeeker make for some fun runs. The tight and twisty trails screaming down heavily rooted and rocky terrain are a blast. Some of the runs are literally point and shoot because you really can’t stop along the way.

Blue has everything you need if you want to try out DH mountain biking without committing to a bike. Since Blue is a ski center in the winter, the central lodge has everything you need to rent. Typical run times are about 4- 6 minutes long and have enough variety to make for some fun, challenging days in the saddle.

3. Three Stages

Right next to Blue Mountain there is a large trail network called Three Stages. With about 80km of of very flowy trails this is a great place for riders of all abilities. Once you get to know the network you can easily plan a shortish type ride or something with a bit more bite to it. Part of the trail network involves a 700ft climb which is somewhat of a quad burner as it snakes along a dozen or so switchbacks.

For those of you with a GPS, bring it – you’re gonna need it. In the forest during the summer months the place can be disorienting and it’s easy to ride in circles if you don’t know where you’re going. I personally love the challenge and the terrain. The trails are clear and well-defined and the ground always seems to be slightly moist – just enough to keep the dust down and traction up. One switchback section in particular is a great spot for taking epic photos as well. Hopefully this year I remember to keep the camera in the bag. Cost to ride: free!

2. Buckwallow Cycling Center

At about 280km from Toronto, Buckwallow Cycling center ($10) is a super place to ride. Talk about manicured, this place has its trails cleaned and pruned so that the mountain biker can truly enjoy him or herself. Buckwallow is also one of the stops on the O-Cup. The network features 17 trails linking to a larger hoop which makes for some interesting encounters!

Buckwallow is also one of the most picturesque spots in Ontario. For one thing you’re riding on the Canadian Shield which is really ancient metaphoric rock (4.5 billion years) that’s exposed in large areas with thin layers of soil and trees on top in spots. The rock offers really awesome riding and incredible grip; using medium- to lower-sized knobby tires is perfect here for a fast rolling ride. Buckwallow has all the trails clearly marked for an idiot-proof system that easily identifies the difficulty as well as length of each singletrack trail. This place is a must visit if you’re up here. Right next door there’s a KOA which is highly recommended as a place to set up your tent and spend the night.

1. The DON

In the greater Toronto area the Don Valley (the DON) is the spot to go to. Three words sum this place up: convenient, ever-changing, and variety. Yep, over the past few years the DON has been undergoing constant improvements with proper drainage, armored corners, and improved flow on trail sections. Plus the number of trails in the network seems to be constantly expanding.

The Don has a bit of everything for everyone. If you want to hit the dirt jumps, there is a rather large and excellent pump track that a group of riders has gone and built. If you’re into technical climbs, there are a few of those. Speaking of which, there is a single climb called Quads (basically a very steep climb with a few switchbacks). If you’re into skinnies and wooded features they have those too. Just recently a new trail was built and I gotta say it really changes things up. This yet unnamed trail looks like it had a bunch of influence from IMBA, with triple bumps whenever things get rough to slow people down (or wake them up!). With a trail length of about 3km of twisty, tight singletrack riddled with bunches of switchback climbs and descents, this one is a lot of run.

The DON is also the only place in the GTA where you can find rabbits, squirrels, ground hogs, fox, raccoons, and deer. Ohh yeah that’s right – white tail deer. Just a few weeks back I ran into one. Again! Pretty awesome.

Well I have to say Ontario is a great place to ride with new trails popping up all the time. If you’re close by, grab you gear and your bike and head on over!

This weekend I attended the 25th annual Toronto bike show and I gotta say the event is getting bigger and better each year. I had a chance to catch up with some friends from the industry and I was surprised at how things are coming together.

I spent some time chatting it up with Julien Papon from Vitess and learned they will be producing their first mountain bike soon. I actually spoke with Julien last year and he asked me for my thoughts on producing a high end mountain bike. How high end? Well, at the show they revealed their limited edition 007 road bike, which will be priced at about $30,000( it includes a 5 day VIP Tour de France tour). Yeah that’s not a typo. So needless to say I am wondering what the 29er bike they are set to reveal will look like. Only time will tell.

Intense, Opus, KHS, Shimano, and Trek were all there showing off the new rides for this year and there were booths set up for clubs and resorts as well. I even managed to pick up my season pass for Blue Mountain this year.

The photo above shows what Opus has in store for 2011 – mountain bikes for all disciplines. Starting at top left and going clockwise we have the Clutch, Crate, Nelson, and Stakh, all of which have been improved for 2011. The Stakh is completely new for this year and there’s also a new steel version of the Crate.

The show also had a ton of extras for everyone to enjoy. In addition to the familiar BMX jam competition, the show also featured a stadium-style mountain bike competition. The competition was basically a dual-slalom and freestyle stunt competition all on the same indoor course. Since it was a family show they even had a kids place where parents could test bikes with their kids.

Two of my favorite mountain bike destinations – Blue Mountain and Joyride 150 – were at the show as well and seemed to be doing good business. Both spots have something for everyone – challenging trails and features but also family-friendly stuff to do as well.

Although I didn’t need to buy anything this time, I did see a lot of people picking up bikes and tons of accessories including the GoPro HD, highly machined cranks, tires, and all kinds of jerseys. Other noteworthy items included handlebars, particularly the wider bars out there. I remember talking with trek7k at Interbike in September about the wide bar trend which now looks like it will be around for a while.

If you’re ever in Toronto during the first week of March, swing by the Toronto bike show. I’m sure you will find something you like!

photo courtesy krisholm.com.

If you’re a forum regular here you’re probably familiar with uni_geezer, the crazy mountain unicycler who posts his video exploits online from time to time. Apparently he’s not the only one who’s caught the bug for wheel on dirt: check out Kris Holm, a mountain unicycler who has ridden his muni everywhere from the Great Wall of China to White Rim in Moab to the top of Mount Orizaba in Mexico. Not content with that, Holm has signed himself up for the multi-stage mountain BC Bike Race from Vancouver to Whistler at the end of the month.

It’s hard to imagine the stamina and endurance this ride will take and we’re rooting hard for him to beat at least one rider on two wheels. One thing is for sure, if there’s a muni category in the race, Holm should certainly take first place!

Sidebar: Are we the only ones who think mountain bike races have gotten out of hand with sub-category winners? In the old days there were 2-3 divisions (pro/expert/beginner) and first through third at each level got recognized. Now there are age group winners, single speed winners, clydesdale winners, etc. Where does it end? Categories for the color of your bike? 1×9 and 29er divisions? FS vs. hardtail?

Anyway, we’re pretty sure Kris isn’t doing the BC Bike Race for the kudos – clearly he’s the kind of guy who is into pushing limits to see what he’s capable of. Stay tuned for the results!

If you’ve been following the Singletracks.com series on trailbuilding, you’ve read Choosing Your Line Part 1 and Part 2 and Trailbuilding 101. Congratulations, you’ve learned a lot about trailbuilding and you’re almost ready to head out and start digging. But you need something to dig with and some friendly people to help, right? Otherwise you’d just be that crazy guy digging alone in the woods with your hands. This article goes over the most useful trailbuilding tools and gives you strategies to expand your network of slave labor, er I mean friends.

Gather Tools and Building Supplies

Always use the right tool for the job to increase efficiency and reduce the chance of injury. Here is a list of tools I often use; I’ll provide details about what tools are needed for specific tasks in future articles.

1. Spade
2. Square shovel
3. Buckets
4. Wheelbarrow
5. Cutting Mattock
6. Pulaski
7. Chainsaw with sharpening and filing tools
8. Hoe
9. Rake
10. McLeod (pictured above)
11. Axe
12. Hammer
13. Battery powered hammer drill with 3 batteries
14. Folding saw
15. Pruners
16. Gas powered trimmer
17. Dakine Trailbuilders Backpack

It’s always a good idea to use protective gear when building new trails. I wear long pants, 8” steel toed boots, safety glasses and gloves whenever I build because you never know when or where you’ll encounter a nasty thorny bush, poison ivy, poison oak or just plain crap falling on you.

Find Building Partners

Contact your riding buddies and let them know that you are building a new trail. In all likelihood they’ll be stoked and will want to help you build. Many hands make light work and it’s always good to have company on those long trail building days (plus there’s safety in numbers). Friends can also help you brainstorm new trail ideas too. Having others to bounce thoughts off of will help you decide which ideas to embrace and which to kick to the curb. Just make sure you bring along creative, positive helpers!

If you don’t know many people who ride, don’t worry! Just by getting out there building and riding you will meet people. Get the contact info of people you meet on rides and expand your network. Social networking sites like Facebook can help organize your contacts. Don’t be shy about talking to other riders on the trails. Mountain Biking is a sub-culture where the passion for riding breaks many social barriers and there’s always something to talk about when you’re with other mountain bikers. At the beginning of the season, I didn’t know most of the people I ride with and build with now. I regularly plan build and ride sessions through Facebook and expand my circle of friends nearly every time I ride. The Singletracks.com Facebook page might be a good place to start finding local mountain bikers in your area.

Friends help make trail building more fun and it’s up to you maintain the positive vibe. Keeping the conversation light and positive helps the time pass more quickly. Ideally you will establish a core group of friends that can bring their own tools and will help you build regularly. Be sure to clarify your plans for the trail and ask them to consult you before they make modifications to the plan. When people work on your trail they are investing time and effort so they should be likely come back to build or ride because they have invested “sweat equity”.

Call Before You Dig

The last thing you want is to cut through a fiber optic cable or be electrocuted while digging. You don’t know what lies underground until you call 811 (United States only) or your local “call before you dig” hotline. This is especially important if you live in an urban area.

What’s Next

Now you’ve learned to:

- Gather the Right Tools and Building Supplies
- Tell Your Riding Buddies What’s Up
- Expand Your Network
- Call Before You Dig

Now you’re ready to start learning how to build!

Stay tuned for the next article in the Singletracks.com series on trailbuilding. Next article will outline perhaps the most useful method of trailbuilding: benchcutting.

About the Author

Kevin Johnstone is an avid mountain biker from Ontario, Canada. He has been building trails across Canada for 4 years. He has worked with the worlds #1 bike park builder, Jay Hoots, to build a mountain bike park on the Sunshine Coast of British, Columbia, Canada. He spent 2 seasons improving the trails at Kelso Conservation Area in Milton. He is currently building downhill specific trails. Kevin can be reached by private message at Singletracks.com.

*Disclaimer*Kevin Johnstone and Singletracks.com will not be held responsible for the consequences of illegal trailbuilding. Always get permission and build legally.

Hey everyone, just a quick reminder that Joyride 150 opens tomorrow. In case you didn’t read my previous post, Joyride is Ontario’s (and Canada’s) first indoor bike park with something for everyone inside the 90,000 square foot mega-complex. Pack your bags and your bikes and get out there for some fun!

Bob_the_builder and I will be out there ASAP. The courses are well thought out and expertly built and this is the place where you can ride to your heart’s content all winter long. Check out the Joyrides website and get details. I’m sure once you check out Joyride you will be as stoked as I am!

Cheers

Last week I wrote about locating and planning for a new MTB trail and this is a continuation of that article. Click here to go back and get caught up.

Walk the Area

Walking the site is integral to choosing a line for your new mountain bike trail. Walking will help you decide which areas are most suitable and will help you see topography and land makeup at a closer scale. Look for natural features such as rock gardens, ridges, and humps. These features are useful for building technical sections, jumps, rollers, and berms and the best trails link these types natural features together. Take your “dream trail” list (see previous article) out with you to help you remember all the features you are looking for. Mark areas of interest on a map, GPS, or even mentally. If you have more than one possible build site, walking the area will help you decide which site to use.

Look for Natural Features

Natural features play a key role in how I personally build trails. Making use of natural features saves you lots of time and effort when building your trail and it usually makes it more fun too. Different features are desirable for different trail types and uses. If you are building an XC trail, look for natural benches and humps to help you make a fast, flowy benchcut trail with many grade reversals. If you are building a FR/DH trail, look for ridges and humps with proper spacing to build jumps and berms, rock slabs, rock gardens and natural benches that make full use of elevation changes. Spotting natural features takes practice and a trained eye so next time you’re out for a hike or slow paced ride, look around and try to identify a few natural features and envision what you might build with them if you were building a trail there. Here are some natural features which are useful for trail building:

1.    Ridgelines: Staying atop ridgelines allows for trails with reasonable grades and good drainage.

photo by AK_Dan

2.    Benches: These are natural steps. Building trail along these is easy and creates well drained trails with suitable grades.
3.    Humps and bumps: These deposits of soil from 1-20 feet tall can be turned into rollers, gap jumps, tabletops and berms with just a little shaping. A short, steep incline or decline is often useful as the lip or landing of a jump.
4.    Rocks: Deposits of rocks can be used for rock gardens or rock armouring.

photo by trek7k

photo by RowdyREBEL

5.    Rock Faces: Slabs of various clines are useful for a high grip, zero maintenance, permanent, and fun trail features.
6.    Exposure: Building a trail relatively close to a steep hillside or cliff gives the user the sensation of speed. Just be careful not to build your trail too close to the edge!
7.    Scenery: Building your trail next to lookouts, streams, big trees or other aesthetically pleasing features enhances user experience.
8.    Building materials: Building a trail close to useful materials such as rocks and rot resistant wood such as cedar decreases the amount of materials you need to haul in and makes the trail building process faster and easier.

This picture shows a big rock garden some friends of mine built. The rocks were found close by then rolled and dug into place.

It’s tough to see from this angle, but this is a BIG tabletop. The lip is on the bottom right and the landing is on the bottom left of the frame. I saw a big ridge and thought it would make a good tabletop. I carved out a lip on one side and smoothed out a transition on the other. I envisioned this line and it turned out better than I expected.

It’s also a bit tough to see on this one, but the launch ends on the upper log on the right side of the frame and the landing is on the bottom left. This is the set up jump for the tabletop in the previous picture. Again, I envisioned this line and the final product vastly exceeded my expectations. The downed log provided a natural backing for the jump. The length to the naturally steep transition also works perfectly. All I had to do to build this line was benchcut and add some dirt to the lip. For those who aren’t familiar, a benchcut is a trail cut into the side of a hill and I’ll expand on the benchcut method of trailbuilding in a future article.

Next Up: Choosing Your Line Part 2

About the Author
Kevin Johnstone is an avid mountain biker from Ontario, Canada. He has been building trails for 4 years across Canada. He has worked with the worlds #1 bike park builder, Jay Hoots, for a number a build sessions spanning 2 years. He spent 2 seasons improving the trails at Kelso conservation area in Milton. He is currently building downhill specific trails. Kevin can be reached by private message.

Before the Shovel: First Steps

As a trailbuilder with 4 years experience, I have worked on more than my fair share of mountain bike trails. I believe it’s every mountain biker’s responsibility to get involved with trailbuilding at some level plus it’s great exercise, you’ll meet cool people, and you’ll be giving back to the mountain bike community. Best of all you, and your friends get to ride your new creation! Getting involved with trailbuilding is easy if you look in the right places. I intend to show you the quickest and easiest way to start building the trail of your dreams. This article identifies the steps you need to take before you put a shovel in the ground.

Identify a Need

Chances are you have trail envy. You’ve seen or ridden trails far from home that you love, and you want to bring the best elements together into one super-trail close to home. Don’t be afraid to dream big when you picture the ideal trail. Grab a pen and paper and list all the features you’re looking for. Start with the genre of trail you want to build and then add more specifics. Here’s an example:

New Downhill Trail
-    Road to shuttle/ride/hike up
-    At least 500ft elevation drop
-    Flowy
-    Rock gardens
-    Lots of jumps: step down, step up and gap
-    Some berms
-    No uphill
-    Some pedalling
-    Some steep sections
-    Within 30 miles of home

These are just some examples of characteristics you might want in a trail. I will expand on definitions in article 2 entitled Choosing Your Line.

Now that you’ve identified the key features of your trail, contact people in your community with extensive knowledge of existing trails.

Contact the Local Experts

In order to find an area to build trails, contact your local mountain bike club. If your town doesn’t have a mountain bike club, go to the local bike shop and find out who knows the trails best. Once you’ve found your local expert, tell him about your riding interests and what your area is lacking. Say that you would like to get involved and build a trail to suit the needs of yourself and other riders like you. This is a good way to find out if there are already trails in your area that meet your needs and can help identify areas that are good for building.

Be open to helping the club meet their existing trailbuilding goals, especially if you are a novice trailbuilder. Often mountain bike associations will host trail build days. Attending these build sessions will help you maintain a good relationship with your local club, meet other people with similar interests, and learn basic trailbuilding skills. If you’re unsure as to whether you are ready to build a whole new trail, sponsored trail build days will help you decide. Mountain bike associations appreciate suggestions for trail improvement. Maybe they will use one of your ideas in their next build day.

Once you’ve attended some build days and improved your trailbuilding skills, ask your local association to give you some projects pertaining to your interests. Many mountain bike associations have long lists of trail maintenance jobs that need to be done as well as volunteer hours to fulfill. For many people, involvement in local build days is all the trailbuilding they want to do. For others, trailbuilding turns into a passion matched only by their enthusiasm for riding. These impassioned builders need a trail to call their own.

The desire to build trails comes from an unfulfilled need. Your local expert might not show any interest in pointing out areas on existing trails suitable for the modifications you have in mind. It is common for mountain bike clubs to hesitate in allowing trail features such as jumps, berms and steep sections, features that many riders enjoy. A good solution to this problem is to ask to build a new trail specific to the needs of riders like you. Now you must find a suitable place to build your dream trail.

Identify a Suitable Area to Build

First, ask your local mountain bike association if they can recommend an area to build in that will suit your needs. If there are trails in your area similar to the one you have envisioned, ask if you could build in the same area. This keeps trails centralized and allows others to more easily enjoy your work. If you don’t get an answer from one person, look for someone else who can help and be persistent. Ask your local mountain bike club, bike shop, riders and perhaps the best resource, other trailbuilders.

It is very important that you don’t build a trail anywhere you don’t have permission to. This includes private land and protected areas. Unless I have permission from the land manager, I only build on crown land. Crown land is a Canadian term meaning “taxpayers land” owned by the government. Crown land is public land with certain laws governing its use. Find out where the government owned land is in your area by going to library or geography department of a university and looking at zoning maps. You will likely find a number crown land areas suitable for your new trail. (note: US laws are often more strict regarding public land uses) It is always a good idea to contact the crown land manager in your area before building. Crownland.org is an excellent resource if you live in Canada. Google maps is another good tool to use to identify forested areas and topography using the satellite and terrain tools. Remember, illegal building hurts our sport and can lead to jail time!

Now that you have identified one or more areas suitable for your new trail, it’s time to brush up on your trailbuilding knowledge.

Review IMBA Trailbuilding Strategies

IMBA has a number of books packed with useful trailbuilding strategies. These books will help you envision your new trail. It’s good to read this before you go scout out the area because you will have a better idea of what natural features to look for.

Now that you have one or more possible places for your new trail, it’s time to lace up the boots!

Stay tuned for my next article: Choosing Your Line.

About the Author
Kevin Johnstone is an avid mountain biker from Ontario, Canada. He has been building trails for 4 years across Canada. He has worked with the worlds #1 bike park builder, Jay Hoots, for a number a build sessions spanning 2 years. He spent 2 seasons improving the trails at Kelso conservation area in Milton. He is currently building downhill specific trails. Kevin can be reached via private message.