Have you ever cruised down a freshly cut mountain bike trail and wondered how it was built? These days more and more mountain bike trails are being constructed using heavy equipment and we were interested to learn a bit about some of the tools of the trade. If you thought your mountain bike was the most powerful tool on the trail, think again!
SWECO 480 Trail Dozer
photo courtesy oregon.gov.
The SWECO 480 Trail Dozer is designed specifically for trail construction and as such it can be a little pricey (we found used 2008 models selling for as much as $70K online). The SWECO 480 features a 4 cylinder, 80HP @ 3,000 RPM Isuzu Diesel engine and has a max travel speed of 5 mph. A 48″ dozer blade, 3-shank ripper, and side brush screen come standard.
Ditchwitch SK 500 & SK 650 Mini Skid Steers
photo courtesy ditchwitch.com
The SK 500 and 650 mini skid steers from Ditchwitch are the Swiss Army knives of trail building. With more than 70 compatible attachments, this work horse is highly maneuverable (just 36″ wide) and is powered by a 24 HP Honda engine.
Toro Dingo TX427 Narrow Track Utility Loader
photo courtesy machinerytrader.com
Much of trail work involves moving dirt around and this is where a narrow track utility loader like the Toro Dingo comes in handy. For around $12K you can get a used Toro TX 427 featuring a 27 HP Kohler engine. This tracked vehicle produces just 5.1 psi ground pressure to keep damage to a minimum while digging and hauling during trail work. By our calculations that’s less than the pressure many mountain bikes put on the trail!
Bobcat 418 Compact Excavator
photo courtesy bobcat.com
Narrow trail corridors call for mini versions of much larger construction equipment as the Bobcat 418 demonstrates. Excavators can be used to dig drainage ditches alongside trails, remove stubborn rocks, and even grade trails. At just 28 inches wide, the Bobcat 418 can fit just about anywhere.
Muck Truck
photo courtesy mucktruck.com.
This super small mini-dumper can fit almost anywhere and is a workhorse on many trailbuilding projects, even those that don’t involve a lot of heavy machinery. The Muck Truck is gas-powered, four wheel drive, and can carry just over 500 pounds up 30-degree slopes! Best of all, most trailbuilding budgets can afford one of these to keep around for future trail maintenance and repair.
Of course this list isn’t meant to be exhaustive – there are literally dozens of different types of equipment (both powered and non-powered) used in mountain bike trail building. For more info be sure to check out the Professional Trail Builders Association website.
Thanks to seenvic of Long Cane Trails LLC for helping put this list together.
