As the mountain bike season starts, more riders will get out on the trails, and inevitably, conflict will grow between certain trail user groups. In the past two weeks, a San Diego mountain biker found a trail trap made to look like a piece of the environment, and a rider in Colorado Springs, CO ran into a strung-up cord and left the scene with multiple broken bones.
San Diego
A San Diego mountain biker discovered a piece of barbed wire intertwined with foliage on a trail in San Dieguito River Park about a week ago, according to a San Diego news channel. Photos showed the trap set at handlebar height. The San Diego Mountain Biking Association posted the photos on their Facebook page after they became aware. The post said that local rangers and mountain bike patrol in the area were notified.
Steven Lennox commented on the post, saying that he was the one who found the trap and supposedly saw someone who might have set it up. Contact SDRP Rangers if you have any information.
Colorado Springs, CO
A Colorado Springs mountain biker ran into a cord strung across a bridge on a ride on the Rock Island trail. Nard Claar crashed after running into the cord and broke three ribs and a collarbone.
“If I wasn’t wearing a helmet, or even if a little bit different action, with the helmet I could have easily been killed,” Claar told a local new channel. Claar broke the cord when he ran into it, sparing the rider behind him, and believes he went over the bars. He says he was unconscious for about 20 minutes.
According to the report, Claar’s helmet shattered on impact. Claar, a painter, will reportedly have to take some time off to heal before he can continue work. Contact Colorado Springs Police Department if you have any information about the incident.
Wow, Rock Island Trail in COS is an urban trail frequently used by families. You often see young moms and dads with their children riding the trail. Also regular commuters use the trail back and forth to work. CRAZY. It would be hard to say that this trap was intended for mountain bikers specifically, but more like bikers in general.
WTF is wrong with people? How does almost killing this guy help any trail user group?
Wow! I’ve heard some guys talking about this stuff but this is the first time I’ve taken a moment a read some articles on it.
I agree! WTF is wrong with people and how does this help anyone?
This is really the lowest a person can get. Why would anyone want to hurt someone let alone a random person they don’t even know? People are going out of their way to hurt others and it is despicable. So what now, we need a security force on the trails? I am sad, mad and disgusted by lack of moral integrity that some people have these days. When I was growing up, about 40 years ago, I could ride my bike anywhere, in the city, in the country, in the woods, in the mountains.. anywhere.. and I mean anywhere, and never even considered or was concerned about traps because, it NEVER happened. Keep your eye out folks. Theses people need to be stopped.
This trail goes through the intersection of Union & Constitution, which is not a safe neighborhood. Neighborhoodscout.com has maps of high- and low-crime areas of Colorado Springs.