Mountain biking

Mountain biking is the sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain. Mountain biking can generally be broken down into multiple categories: cross country, trail riding, all mountain (also referred to as “Enduro”), downhill, freeride and dirt jumping. However, the majority of mountain biking falls into the categories of Trail and Cross Country riding styles.

The sport requires endurance, core strength and balance, bike handling skills, and self-reliance. Advanced riders pursue both steep technical descents and high incline climbs. In the case of freeride, downhill, and dirt jumping, aerial maneuvers are performed off both natural features and specially constructed jumps and ramps.

Mountain bikers ride on off-road trails such as singletrack, back-country roads, fire roads, and often venture to ski resorts that stay open in the summer for such activities. Because riders are often far from civilization, there is a strong ethic of self-reliance in the sport. Riders learn to repair broken bikes and flat tires to avoid being stranded. Many riders carry a backpack, including water, food, tools for trailside repairs, and a first aid kit in case of injury. Group rides are common, especially on longer treks. Mountain bike orienteering adds the skill of map navigation to mountain biking.

Types

Cross-country cycling
Cross-Country (XC) generally means riding point-to-point or in a loop including climbs and descents on a variety of terrain. A typical XC bike weighs around 9-13 kilos (20-30 lbs), and has 0–125 millimeters (0.0–4.9 inches) of suspension travel front and sometimes rear. Cross country mountain biking focuses on physical strength and endurance more than the other forms, which require greater technical skill. Cross country mountain biking is the only mountain biking discipline in the Summer Olympic Games.

All-mountain/Enduro
All-mountain/Enduro uses bikes with a moderate-travel suspension systems and components that are usually stronger than XC models, but a weight still suitable for climbing and descending. While traditionally called All-mountain riding, this style has been adopted to the Enduro World Series.

There are two formats of Enduro racing. “Big-Mountain” Enduro is similar to a DH course, but is much longer, sometimes taking a full day to complete and often incorporates climbing sections. “Gravity” enduro uses roughly equal amounts uphill and downhill, but the uphill segments are not timed. Typically, there is a maximum time limit on how long a rider has to reach the top of the climb. There is also a third category called “super-D” which is similar to XC, but has sustained climbs followed by sustained descents, with the climbs less technical than the descents.

Enduro racing is seen as the “everyman’s” race in North America, and while there are still extremely high level riders such as Jérôme Clémentz that race enduro full-time, most enduro racers compete for fun.

Downhill
Downhill (DH) is, in the most general sense, riding mountain bikes downhill. Courses include large jumps (up to and including 12 meters (39 feet)), drops of 3+ meters (10+ feet), and are generally rough and steep from top to bottom. The rider commonly travels to the point of descent by other means than cycling, such as a ski lift or automobile, as the weight of the downhill mountain bike often precludes any serious climbing.

Downhill racers must possess a unique combination of total body strength, aerobic and anaerobic fitness, mental control, as well as the acceptance of a relatively high risk of incurring serious injury.

Because of their extremely steep terrain (often located in summer at ski resorts), downhill is one of the most extreme and dangerous cycling disciplines. Minimum body protection in a true downhill setting entails wearing knee pads and a full-face helmet with goggles, albeit riders and racers commonly wear full-body suits that include padding at various locations.

Downhill-specific bikes are universally equipped with front and rear suspension, large disc brakes, and use heavier frame tubing than other mountain bikes. Downhill bicycles now weigh around 16–20 kg (35–44 lb), while the most expensive professional downhill mountain bikes can weigh as little as 15 kilograms (33 pounds), fully equipped with custom carbon fiber parts, air suspension, tubeless tires and more. Downhill frames have anywhere from 170–250 millimeters (6.7–9.8 inches) of travel and are usually equipped with a 200 millimeters (7.9 inches) travel dual-crown fork.

Four-cross/Dual Slalom
Four-cross/Dual Slalom (4X) is a discipline in which riders compete either on separate tracks, as in Dual Slalom, or on a short slalom track, as in 4X. Most bikes used are light hard-tails, although the last World Cup was actually won on a full suspension bike. The tracks have dirt jumps, berms, and gaps.

Professionals in gravity mountain biking tend to concentrate either on downhill mountain biking or 4X/dual slalom because they are very different. However, some riders, such as Cedric Gracia, still do 4X and DH, although that is becoming more rare as 4X takes on its own identity.

Freeride
Freeride / Big Hit / Hucking, as the name suggests, is a ‘do anything’ discipline that encompasses everything from downhill racing without the clock to jumping, riding ‘North Shore’ style (elevated trails made of interconnecting bridges and logs), and generally riding trails and/or stunts that require more skill and aggressive techniques than XC.

“Slopestyle” type riding is an increasingly popular genre that combines big-air, stunt-ridden freeride with BMX style tricks. Slopestyle courses are usually constructed at already established mountain bike parks and include jumps, large drops, quarter-pipes, and other wooden obstacles. There are always multiple lines through a course and riders compete for judges’ points by choosing lines that highlight their particular skills.

A “typical” freeride bike is hard to define, but typical specifications are 13-18 kilos (30-40 lbs) with 150–250 millimeters (5.9–9.8 inches) of suspension front and rear. Freeride bikes are generally heavier and more amply suspended than their XC counterparts, but usually retain much of their climbing ability. It is up to the rider to build his or her bike to lean more toward a preferred level of aggressiveness.

Dirt Jumping
Dirt Jumping (DJ) is the practice of riding bikes over shaped mounds of dirt or soil and becoming airborne. The goal is that after riding over the ‘take off’ the rider will become airborne, and aim to land on the ‘landing’. Dirt jumping can be done on almost any bicycle, but the bikes chosen are generally smaller and more maneuverable hardtails so that tricks e.g. backflips, are easier to complete. The bikes are simpler so that when a crash occurs there are fewer components to break or cause the rider injury. Bikes are typically built from sturdier materials such as steel to handle repeated heavy impacts of crashes and bails.

Trials
Trials riding consists of hopping and jumping bikes over obstacles, without touching a foot onto the ground. It can be performed either off-road or in an urban environment. This requires an excellent sense of balance. The emphasis is placed on techniques of effectively overcoming the obstacles, although street-trials (as opposed to competition-oriented trials) is much like Street and DJ, where doing tricks with style is the essence. Trials bikes look almost nothing like mountain bikes. They use either 20″, 24″ or 26″ wheels and have very small, low frames, some types without a saddle.

Urban/Street
Urban/Street is essentially the same as urban BMX (or Freestyle BMX), in which riders perform tricks by riding on/over man made objects. The bikes are the same as those used for Dirt Jumping, having 24″ or 26″ wheels. Also, they are very light, many in the range of 25–30 lb (11–14 kg), and are typically hardtails with between 0-100 millimeters of front suspension. As with Dirt Jumping and Trials, style and execution are emphasized.

Trail riding
Trail riding or trail biking is recreational mountain biking on recognised, and often waymarked, trails; unpaved tracks, forest paths, etc. Trails may take the form of single routes or part of a larger complexes, known as trail centres. There are “trail bike” designs for this activity.

Marathon
Mountain Bike Touring or Marathon is long-distance touring on dirt roads and single track with a mountain bike.

With the popularity of the Great Divide Trail, the Colorado Trail and other long-distance off-road biking trails, specially outfitted mountain bikes are increasingly being used for touring. Bike manufacturers like Salsa have even developed MTB touring bikes like the Fargo model.

Mixed Terrain Cycle-Touring or rough riding is a form of mountain-bike touring but involves cycling over a variety of surfaces and topography on a single route, with a single bicycle that is expected to be satisfactory for all segments. The recent surge in popularity of mixed-terrain touring is in part a reaction against the increasing specialization of the bicycle industry. Mixed-terrain bicycle travel has a storied history of focusing on efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and freedom of travel over varied surfaces.

Bikepacking
Bikepacking is a self-supported style of lightly-loaded single or multiple night mountain biking. Bikepacking is similar to bike touring, however the two sports generally use different bikes and the main difference is the method of carrying gear. Bikepacking generally involves carrying less gear and using smaller frame bags while bike touring will use panniers.

A typical bikepacking set-up includes a frame bag, handlebar roll, seat pack and backpack and typical gear includes lightweight and basic camping gear, and a bike repair kit.

Mountain bikes are generally used as many bike packing destinations are reached via forest-service roads or singletrack trails. Mountain bikes specific to bike-packing use a slightly taller frame to get the maximum framebag capacity. This is achieved by using a longer headtube, a more horizontal top tube and a reduced stem degree.

Generally, bikepackers tend to cover anywhere from 25 to 75 miles (40 – 120 km) in a given day as the riding can be technical.

Other disciplines

Dual slalom
it’s a race for two, in short parallel circuits with jumps, curves and obstacles. It was included in the UCI calendar of the world cup from 1998 to 2001 and was combined with downhill events. The world championships took place on only two occasions, in 2000 and 2001. It has been replaced, both in the cup and in the world championships since 2002 by the four-cross.

Dirt jumping
abbreviated as a DJ, it is the practice of covering ramps of earth built in succession in order to stay in the air as long as possible. The aim is to perform aerial acrobatics, so small, light and simple vehicles are preferred, provided they are sturdy: in fact, falls are frequent and generally from considerable heights.

Urban / Street
it is essentially the same freestyle in BMX, where acrobatics are performed in the urban environment. The bicycles are the same used in the DJ, with 24 or 26 inch wheels. They are simple and light, and at most have a 100 mm front excursion.

Singlespeed
generally applied to the XC and the AM, it can not be defined as a discipline in itself, but rather a current of thought within mountain biking, according to which it is preferable not to have the thought and complexity of many transmission relationships, they gain in simplicity, robustness and lightness. The singlespeed requires an excellent management of energy by the biker and some dedicated competitions are dedicated to him. Not to be confused with the fixed gear bicycle.

24 hours and endurance
they are team-based races on a mostly dirt track. The team that in the set time runs the most number of laps wins.

Orientation
also called MTBO, it foresees the use of so-called mute maps, with which we must orient ourselves to cover a path identified by precise points of passage (lanterns) on land that can be both urban and natural.

Equipment

Bike
Mountain bikes differ from other bikes primarily in that they incorporate features aimed at increasing durability and improving performance in rough terrain. Most modern mountain bikes have some kind of suspension, 26, 27.5 or 29 inch diameter tires, usually between 1.7 and 2.5 inches in width, and a wider, flat or upwardly-rising handlebar that allows a more upright riding position, giving the rider more control. They have a smaller, reinforced frame, usually made of wide tubing. Tires usually have a pronounced tread, and are mounted on rims which are stronger than those used on most non-mountain bicycles. Compared to other bikes, mountain bikes also tend to more frequently use hydraulic disc brakes. They also tend to have lower ratio gears to facilitate climbing steep hills and traversing obstacles. Pedals vary from simple platform pedals, where the rider simply places the shoes on top of the pedals, to clipless, where the rider uses a specially equipped shoe with a cleat that engages mechanically into the pedal.

Types of suspensions
Elastomers: set of rubber rings on top of each other.
Springs: it is a very simple system. The springs are located on the inside of the arms of the fork or in the center part of the frame.
Hydraulic cartridge: composed of an oil cartridge, oil system.
Air cartridge: cartridge sealed and adjustable by a valve (located on the outside of the valve).

Accessories

Tools
Loose or combined into a multitool, they can include, in order of importance, the tire and pump, allen wrenches, screwdrivers, chain breaker, and spoke.

Spare parts and supplies for repairs
One or more air chambers, patches and vulcanizing, a gear dropout, chain pieces, sturdy adhesive tape and / or electrician straps, brake pads, a cable for the gearbox, a tire. In large groups and long excursions it is very convenient to bring also mechanical spare parts (gearbox and controls, brake lever, brake discs), distributed among the participants. In general it is still important to know how to arrange.

Orientation tools
In cyclo-hiking and in the mountains in general it is very important to know how to orientate. Part of the equipment of a mountain biker often includes a cartographic GPS, and in other cases or as a map, compass and altimeter reserve.

Emergency clothing
Weather in the mountains can change suddenly, so a biker must consider wearing windproof, rainproof and spare parts.

Clothing
With the development of mountain biking, the clothing of the biker has also specialized which, also considering the adventurous nature of this sport, can face very variable conditions. In fact, in addition to the classic weather variations, tends to make considerable effort at low speed uphill and suffer great downhill wind. This is why clothing is designed in general to be a compromise between breathability, wind and cold protection. The same clothing of road cycling is widespread in cross country. In the more technical disciplines it is common to wear less adherent clothing and in particular sturdy nylon pants, resistant to abrasions and tears.

Shoes stand out in clothing: in addition to those specially designed for pedals with automatic attacks, similar to those for the road if not for a more tessellated sole, there are on the market of traditional (for flat pedals) that have a more robust structure to protect against knocks and falls and a sole that adheres better to the pins. There are also hybrid solutions.

Protective gear
The level of protection worn by individual riders varies greatly and is affected by speed, trail conditions, the weather, experience, fitness, desired style and numerous other factors, including personal choice. Protection becomes more important where these factors may be considered to increase the possibility or severity of a crash.

Helmet
The helmet is the first protective element, so essential that it is not considered part of the “protection” group. The lightest of cross country leaves face and neck uncovered, they are in polystyrene with a plastic cap and have large openings to let the air flow. All-mountain ones are similar, but better cover the nape and may have a detachable chin guard. In freeride and downhill, full-face helmets such as motorcycling helmets are used. In the disciplines oriented to the evolutions, so-called “bowl” helmets, similar to the all-mountain ones, are more widespread, without any openings or visors.

Glasses and mask
The glasses prevent not only that splashes of mud or earth may end up in the eyes, but also any damage due to bumps with branches and other, especially in the event of a fall. In the fastest disciplines (enduro, freeride and downhill) in particular the masks are used, more bulky and condensation prone at low speeds, but more effective and protective.

Gloves
Protect from scratches and bumps that shrubs and trees can cause to the fingers (especially the knuckles). Hands are among the first points of support in the event of a fall. The gloves prevent annoying abrasions on the palm of the hand, which can affect the activity. Often they have padding under the palm that mitigates the problems due to pressure and vibration, and have rigid knuckle protection for the fastest disciplines. Finally, when appropriate, protect from the cold.
Knee-pads and elbow pads
Their use, particularly of the knee pads, is widespread in all disciplines except for the cross country. The knee is among the first to touch the ground by falling, and mild and moderate abrasions to the forearm are common. Elbow damage is less frequent. The level of protection can vary: there are soft protections (more suitable for pedaling) or with hard shell, limited to the joint area or prolonged on the leg and forearm. It is common practice to wear them only at the time of descent.

Chest and back protector
The back protector protects the spine, the harness also the rib and shoulders. Being intrusive and warm, their use is widespread only in freeride and downhill, but it should be noted that there are backpacks that incorporate a back protector.

Collar
Also called neck brace or leatt brace (from the name of the main producer) and also popular in other sports, serves to limit twisting and crushing of the neck, but only if used with full face helmet: without, it can be counterproductive. Because of the obvious encumbrance it is used only in the fastest disciplines, but the damages it prevents also happen in the enduro.
The protections have a strong psychological effect. Feeling safe can in fact prevent errors due to delayed exhortation, but an excess of security can be counterproductive.

Driving technique
In the aspect of driving, the mountain biker must learn the following techniques:

Keep the bicycle stopped for at least 20 seconds. Without moving.
Lift the front wheel without falling to the asphalt (wheelie), necessary to overcome obstacles such as streams, potholes.
Lift both wheels off the ground without stopping using the ‘bunny hop’ technique taken from the BMX.
The “Fondeur”, term used in the DH (Downhill) that refers to the push your body down activating the suspensions before a jump either on ramp or on a plane.
On slopes with a lot of slope, put the weight of the body to the back of the bike. To remove weight from the front wheel.
It is essential to maintain a great concentration when overcoming obstacles, since otherwise you can find your body on the ground; even in small obstacles because of an excess of confidence. Also having an adequate degree of physical preparation: you suffer from continuous rhythm changes producing great fatigue. But that is compensated with the fun of the activity, which gets to hook all kinds of people regardless of age.

It is extremely important to use protective equipment (helmet) no matter how well it is handled “do not trust”.

Risks
Injuries are a given factor when mountain biking, especially in the more extreme disciplines such as downhill biking. Injuries range from minor wounds, such as cuts and abrasions from falls on gravel or other surfaces, to major injuries such as broken bones, head or spinal injuries resulting from impacts with rocks, trees or the terrain being ridden on.

Protective equipment can protect against minor injuries and reduce the extent or seriousness of major impacts, but may not protect a rider from major impacts or accidents. To reduce the risk of injury, a rider must also take steps to minimize the risk of accidents, and thus the potential for injury; by choosing trails which fall within the range of their experience level, ensuring that they are fit enough to deal with the trail they have chosen, and keeping their bike in top mechanical condition.

If a mountain biker wishes to explore more dangerous trails or disciplines, such as downhill riding, they must learn new skills, such as jumping and avoiding obstacles.

Where a rider lacks the fitness required to ride a particular class of trail, they may become fatigued, putting themselves at an increased risk of having an accident.

Lastly, maintenance of the rider’s bike needs to be carried out more frequently for mountain biking than for casual commuter biking. Mountain biking places higher demands on every part of the bike. Jumps and impacts can crack the frame or damage components or the tire rims, and steep, fast descents can quickly wear out brake pads. Since the widespread adoption of hydraulic and mechanical disk brakes on most mountain bikes from the late 1990’s, the issues of brake pad wear, misalignment with, or slippage of rim brake pads on rims designed for rim brakes or “V brakes”, has become a non issue. Thus, whereas a casual rider may only check over and maintain their bike every few months,a mountain biker should check and properly maintain the bike before and after every ride.

Self-regulation codes
Mountain biking is an activity that is mainly carried out in natural environments that can be affected by the practice of this sport. The International Mountain Bicycling Association has drafted six simple rules that the mountain biker should always keep in mind, and even the Italian Alpine Club has done something like this inspired by the IMBA code and also by the US National Off -Road Bicycle Association. These rules are dictated by common sense, respect for the environment and for others, and by the consideration that the behavior that the mountain biker will have will influence the reputation of the entire sport, especially in the future. Prescribe, in short, of:

travel only on paths where cycling is permitted and do not leave any obvious traces (including waste);
be sensitive to the ground under the wheels, avoiding in particular to follow it when muddy, to use driving techniques harmful to the environment (eg: drifting), to get out of the paths, let alone open new ones, and above all avoid paths that can induce to any of these practices;
to tackle the routes with caution, avoiding to put yourself in risk conditions according to the own capacity and the vehicle, which must be efficient and in good condition, as well as having the necessary protections;
give way to pedestrians, and in any case warn of their presence without frightening and without dangerous overtaking;
do not scare the animals, neither the wild ones nor the domestic ones, and in case of passage in private enclosures close the gate, to prevent possible escapes of livestock;
plan the exits carefully to avoid risky or lonely adventures, warn of your intentions and expected time of return, and equip yourself so as to be independent during the ride (food and water, clothing, tools and spare parts, navigation tools, equipment emergency);
In particular, the CAI specifies that it is not part of its philosophy to use lifts. It should also be noted that during 2013 the CAI abandoned the web domain mtbcai.it, on which it was proposed to promote the responsible practice of mountain biking.

Difficulty scales
As in hiking and mountaineering, even in the context of cyclo – excursionism, ladders have been defined that indicate the difficulty of a particular path. The best known is Singletrail Skala, which has six levels:

S0: not very steep paths, simple turns, accessible to anyone;
S1: more demanding paths but with no slippery ground and no steps;
S2: presence of slippery tracts and some steps;
S3: mostly slippery ground, higher steps (on which they could touch the crowns), challenging turns;
S4: steep and slippery terrain, challenging turns that require trial techniques;
S5: usually not passable, only a few can deal with these sections in the saddle.

The CAI has also developed a similar scale, which however condenses the S4 and S5 levels in the last EC level, and provides some rules to make it more expressive:

TC: (touristic) route on dirt roads with a compact and sliding bottom, of a carriage type;
MC: (for cyclists of medium technical capacity) path on unpaved roads with little uneven or irregular terrain (tracks, carrarecce…) or on paths with a compact and sliding bottom;
BC: (for cyclists with good technical skills) path on very uneven roads or on mule tracks and trails with a rather rough but fairly flowing or compact but irregular, with some natural obstacles (eg rock steps or roots);
OC: (for cyclists with excellent technical skills) as above but on very uneven and / or very irregular trails with a significant presence of obstacles;
EC: (maximum level for the cycle excursionist but possibly to avoid in social outings) path on very irregular paths, characterized by steps and obstacles in continuous succession, that require trialistic techniques.
By convention, the determination of the abbreviation to be associated with a path must not take into account any non-cycling routes and must be carried out taking into account the optimal conditions.

Advocacy organizations
Mountain bikers have faced land access issues from the beginnings of the sport. Some areas where the first mountain bikers have ridden have faced extreme restrictions or elimination of riding.

Opposition to the sport has led to the development of local, regional, and international mountain bike groups. The different groups that formed generally work to create new trails, maintain existing trails, and help existing trails that may have issues. Groups work with private and public entities from the individual landowner to city parks departments, on up through the state level at the DNR, and into the federal level. Different groups will work individually or together to achieve results.

Advocacy organizations work through numerous methods such as education, trail work days, and trail patrols. Examples of the education an advocacy group can provide include: Educate local bicycle riders, property managers, and other user groups on the proper development of trails, and on the International Mountain Bicycling Association’s (IMBA), “Rules of the Trail.” Examples of trail work days can include: Flagging, cutting, and signing a new trail, or removing downed trees after a storm. A trail patrol is a bike rider who has had some training to help assist other (including non-cyclists) trail users.

The IMBA is a non-profit advocacy group whose mission is to create, enhance and preserve trail opportunities for mountain bikers worldwide. IMBA serves as an umbrella organization for mountain biking advocacy worldwide, and represents more than 700 affiliated mountain biking groups. The group was originally formed to fight widespread trail closures. In 1988, five California mountain bike clubs linked to form IMBA. The founding clubs were: Concerned Off Road Bicyclists Association, Bicycle Trails Council East Bay, Bicycle Trails Council Marin, Sacramento Rough Riders, and Responsible Organized Mountain.

Environmental impact
According to a review published by the International Mountain Bicycling Association, the environmental impact of mountain biking, as a relatively new sport, is poorly understood. The review notes that “as with all recreational pursuits, it is clear that mountain biking contributes some degree of environmental degradation”. Mountain biking can result in both soil and vegetation damage, which can be caused by skidding, but also by the construction of unauthorised features such as jumps and bridges, and trails themselves. Several studies have reported that a mountain bike’s impact on a given length of trail surface is comparable to that of a hiker, and substantially less than that of an equestrian or motorized off-road vehicle.[unreliable source?]

A critical literature review by Jason Lathrop on the ecological impact of mountain biking notes that while recreational trail use in general is well studied, few studies explore the specific impact of mountain biking. He quotes the Bureau of Land Management: “An estimated 13.5 million mountain bicyclists visit public lands each year to enjoy the variety of trails. What was once a low use activity that was easy to manage has become more complex”.

The environmental impacts of mountain biking can be greatly reduced by not riding on wet or sensitive trails, keeping speeds modest so as to minimize cornering forces and braking forces, not skidding, and by staying on the trail.

Mountain biking has been demonstrated to act as a human-mediated form of seed dispersal. Due to advancements in technology mountain bikers have begun to move onto trail networks once only accessible by hikers. The nature of their movement patterns also plays an important role as a vector for seed dispersal. Mountain bikes are not bound to any specific type of infrastructure and can therefore move freely between ecological environments acting as a connecting dispersal vector between habitats. Combined with their relatively long range and speeds they also contribute to long-range dispersal. In an effort to understand and assess the socio-ecological consequences of mountain bikes as a vector for seed dispersal Fabio Weiss, Tyler J. Brummer, and Gesine Pufal conducted an environmental impact study on forest trails in Freiburg, Germany. The results of the study found that although the majority of seeds detached from tires within the first 5–20 meters; small portions of seeds were still present after 200–500 meters contributing to moderate dispersal. The potential for long-distance dispersal was found through the transport of seeds on areas of the bike that did not come into frequent contact with the ground. The study also found that the majority of participants only cleaned their bikes on average every 70 km or every two rides. Rides executed in two different areas have the potential to connect previously unconnected habitats creating the potential for unwanted plant invasions.

To mitigate the accidental dispersal of an unwanted invasive species, the authors of the study proposed the following measures to support conservation:

a) Clean the bike between rides in different habitats, before traveling and especially before entering sensitive natural areas and regions.
b) Control weeds and non-native species at trailheads and trail margins.
c) Educate mountain bike riders about the potential dispersal of different species (good stewardship begets riding privileges).
d) Encourage cooperation between mountain bikers and managing authorities (avoid condescending regulations, establishment of monitored designated riding areas).

Source from Wikipedia