From: big jonny Subject: safe trails To whom it may concern, My name is Jon and I am the webmaster at drunkcyclist.com. I’ve a few bones to pick with you. I realize there may well be more than one "you" at safetrails.net, but I will write this as if I am speaking to one of you alone. First off, If you choose to use my letter in your "bikers respond" section of your website I ask only that you post it in it’s entirety. Do not try to cut and paste, misquote and misconstrue my email to try and make me look like some kind of an idiot. I assure you, I am more than capable of making myself look like an idiot without your assistance. I was forwarded an email today which includes this questionable phrase, "…the porn site "DrunkCyclist.com" which has in the past posted threats of bodily harm to us is especially objectionable to us and all civilized beings." I alone am responsible for all the content on drunkcyclist. At no time have I threatened you with bodily harm, nor can I find any reference to said threats posted on my site. I do not support violence towards any human beings. I may well have written something to the effect of "lets bomb Afghanistan into the stone age" on September 12th, but that was under duress and in no way out of step with most of America at the time. I may have a whole lotta naked girl pics on my site, but that doesn’t mean I’m violent. I did say, "You people are assholes." On November 14th. And I stand by that. The difference between us is that I know I’m an asshole. I find your attitude towards cycling distasteful, full of false assumptions and totally inappropriate. I don’t know what has happened in the past between you and cyclists out on the trail, but I can only assume it was traumatic and made one hell of a lasting impression. You mention on your site that cyclists have not only collided with hikers on many occasions, but have caused the death of hikers in these collisions. For example, "people have been killed by being hit by mountain bikes at speeds less than 10 mph." I’ve searched all the Arizona resources I can think of and have found no examples of anything like that happening around here in the last ten years. And we have hundreds of thousands of cyclist and hikers using the same trail systems each year. You simply cannot suggest that type of incident is commonplace. You cannot use a firearm where ever you damn well please. And you cannot drive a motorcycle, snowmobile or jet ski everywhere either. That is OK. We have rules for that sort of thing. Although I realize that some areas are not appropriate for cycling, as I can assure you many of my fellow cyclists agree, you just take it to far. I am not a fan of 'getting a ride to the top' and coasting down the hill. My pride will not allow me to do that. But, that is my choice. Where you really start to loose me is in your views on biker psychology. You say "We often hear from those who ride mountain bikes that they are on the trail for the same reasons that hikers, walkers and equestrians are. Both formal studies and informal sources show that that is not generally the case." You can only assume that to be true. You would have had to interview quite a few people, in many trail user groups, to ascertain why they are out on the trails. You did not do this. When you say, "…hikers are on the trail to enjoy nature whereas mountain bikers are on the trail to enjoy their sport", you are just making it up as you go along. You cannot possible know why I would choose to ride a bicycle up a certain trail on a certain day. My motivations are not that obvious and predicable. And, you somehow conclude that mountain biking is such a thrilling experience, that a rider will, "probably do not experience high levels of additional arousal even from almost hitting a hiker, because their level of arousal is already so high." You have got to admit you pulled that one right out of your ass. I mean, c’mon. You are actually suggesting that if I am riding one my bicycles down a trail, and I almost come into contact with another human being, almost hitting and potentially injuring someone, I won’t be the least bit upset, concerned, or "aroused" by that near collision. Why, the very idea is ludicrous. Furthermore, if what you say is true about the attitudes and that "there are differences in the personalities of mountain bikers and hikers that are at the root of their conflicts" , then explain this: How can I, as an outdoor enthusiast be able enjoy the same trail system on a bicycle, day hiking with my wife, and multi-day backpacking with my dog? How can I be a cyclist and an Eagle scout? How can I have ridden a mountain bike around the wilderness boundaries of the San Francisco Peaks in Arizona and hiked over the top on foot, enjoying the same area from different perspectives? How can I have ridden my bicycle to the Grand Canyon from Flagstaff, a distance of over 75 miles, all off road, and on a separate trip, driven to the canyon and hiked down, spent the night and hiked back out? How is all of this possible if your assumption is correct? You suggest the two activities are somehow diametrically opposed. That one goes against the other. That they will never mix, as if they are oil and water. "That is these very different personalities view the world differently and respond to it differently." Well, the answer is that your assumption is incorrect. One being can be both a hiking and cycling enthusiast. There is crossover between the user groups. You are grouping all cyclists together under one umbrella. And, it’s a dirty old nasty umbrella at that. I can enjoy the great outdoors as it were, in a variety of ways. It is your closed minded assumptions, backed up by a bunch of scientific mumbo jumbo babble to make it sound all believable, that led to you people being called Nazis. It is the very idea that you think you know who I am, the way I behave and conduct myself, and that you can predict all this with any kind of certainty that is reminiscent of the National Socialists herding up the Jews for the greater good. Your response is if I think you’re acting like a Nazi, it "is the sign of a person with no facts or weak logical thinking." Then, so be it. Let me tell you this much. You do not know me. And you have no idea why I ride bicycles. You go to great lengths to try and convince yourself that you do. You make me out to be less that you, somehow inferior. A thrill seeking junkie, forever in search of my next high. And that is wrong. You also suggest that, "Bikers have ingratiated themselves with the Forest Service by doing volunteer 'trail maintenance.' No!", "It looks like trail maintenance is quite similar to the education issue, 'exists on paper only and is nothing more than an advocacy tool.'" Here in Arizona, we have a mountain bike race series that goes throughout the spring at a variety of venues. In order to have your points collected for the series, you must perform an amount of trail maintenance. It is required, and has been for several years. You can see this yourself on the mbaa.net webpage. I’ve worked on trails. I’ve picked up garbage while out hiking. I’ve done my part. How dare you suggest otherwise. It is simply something you cannot possibly know anything about, and yet you persist. You say you took a "look at a copy of any of the top mountain biking magazines. Almost every photograph will have at least one mountain biker in it." and go on to assume it means something other than the magazines are trying to sell an image, advertising and as many copies as possible. You cannot possible judge as diverse a group of people as cyclists by the content of a magazine. It just isn’t possible. And, within the cycling community, there are many different factions, groups and ideas. Some ride road bikes, some ride only off road. Some ride on the big, motorcycle like downhill rigs you so prominently display on your website. And some, like myself, ride on single speed mountain bike. That’s right, my bike has one gear. And it often is fully rigid. No rear suspension, and I don’t always use the front suspension fork. Sometimes I run a rigid steel fork. It’s simple, it’s light, and it is dependable. And it costs, at full retail, about $800. A far cry from your figure of five thousand. And I don’t go all that fast. But, you suggest the isn’t possible, as the "speed and ensuing thrill and danger are, in fact, essential aspects of the mountain bike experience." I’m here to state otherwise. Explain this to me as well, on your site you state, "Whatever the hikers are seeking on the trails, it's certainly not thrills and danger." So why are people climbing Everest? People die on Everest. Every year. And still, they come. Explain that. No matter how much I disagree with what you are saying, you enjoy the right to that opinion and the right to speak it. In your own words, "I hope you grow up some day and learn the meaning of free speech and responsible communication." I whole heartily agree. I hope you can learn from your own advice.