Bicycle Network Victoria: Behaviour

The Info Sheet (right) outlines how we can do the right thing when riding in the bush.

Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA) and the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) also have similar guidelines for sharing the trails.

MTB and fire safety

Given our hot Australian climate and propensity to bushfires, mountain bike riders can play an important role in fire safety and precautions.

Tips from MTBA and IMBA

1. Mountain bikers must respect trail closures in burned areas. The closures will often be used to help the wildlife, already stressed from the fires, to get used to a new environment. Having to deal with people with no where to hide simply adds to their stress.

2. Mountain bike groups should volunteer for land restoration projects. We should do this even if they don't involve mountain biking trails. Building relationships with land managers will gain their respect far into the future.

3. Start talking to land managers early to work for new trails in damaged areas. Burned areas offer an opportunity for new trail design and construction. As we all know, many existing trails are not properly designed. Severly damaged areas can be approached with a 'clean slate' attitude. Forget the old trail, and work to create a well-planned new route that will last.

4. Partner with other trail users in these 'clean slate' trail system rebuilding projects. Doing this will help break down the 'them and us' mentality from both sides. We have found a huge degree of commonality in the needs of seemingly disparate user groups and by working together to re-establish 'on the ground' assets it will be a 'win win' for everyone and the environment.

5. Lastly, when the trails are opened make doubly certain that you stay on the trail. While the land is recovering it is very important to ensure that impacts do not occur all over the place. We can help prevent this by riding on designated and established tracks only. The Australia bush is amazingly resilient but while the ground cover is colonising it is at a very fragile state. Riding over emerging grasses only makes this important process more difficult.