|   Fairfield city council may close Rockville to cyclists... | TwoWheelinTim
Feb 20, 2003 8:18 AM | | This is an excerpt from an e-mail I received from BTCEB mailing list. If you ride Rockville and you want to continue to ride Rockville.
Councilwoman Farley questioned me sternly about the lawlessness of mountain bikers. She s seen the damage and called for bikes to be banned from the park. Councilman Bates said he likes her idea. Councilperson English doesn t want this to become a bike-only park, and said a wild area and space age, zooming bikes are incongruous. Although he was not ready to
ban bikes now, he said, Self-regulation is a must, otherwise that s it. Councilman Price said, Bikes need to be controlled. Mayor MacMillan wants teeth in enforcement, and said she d like to review the situation in six months Hearing all this, it s clear that riding at Rockville is in serious jeopardy. How can we turn this around?
1. Get a bike patrol going at Rockville. For now, those interested should work through the existing Park Ambassadors program. Contact park ranger Teri Geiger: 707 428-7614 or
tgeiger@ci.fairfield.ca.us.
2. Respect the trail network. There is lots of good riding at Rockville. Don t blow it by failing to respect the rules. If the trail is barricaded or signed closed, stay off of it. Never remove a barrier. If the trail is less than 12 inches wide, it s probably a social trail that should not be ridden. Better signs and maps are part of the management plan.
3. Let all riders know that off-trail riding, shortcutting and illegal
trail-building need to end. The alternative is a bike less Rockville.
4. Rockville has a reputation for drying out quickly. As this news has spread, many riders show up to ride when the park is too wet. There may be some hearty, rocky trails, but it s hard to miss the squishier ones on your way. The land manager asks cyclists to stay out of the park during the rain and at least for 48 hours afterward. Give the trails a break and save the trail care crew some head-aches.
5.Work to correct misperceptions about the lawless nature of mountain biking. It sounds like some council members think responsible mountain bikers are in the minority. A few bad but true incidents have painted all of us with a big, nasty brush.
Some bridge-building to these elected officials would go a long way. To repeat: are there any Fairfield residents out there who are willing to help with a letter and/or phone calls?
A lot of us love Rockville. Let s put some of that energy into maintaining the park and our riding there. We need to step up and show we re worthy of equal access. That may be unfair, but given the city council s impressions of mountain biking, it s a simple fact. |
| Well, that sucks... | Finch Platte
Feb 20, 2003 9:17 AM | | ...but it's not surprising. There are some real boneheads who ride there.
fp |
| Anyone you know? (nm) | Zonic Man
Feb 20, 2003 10:17 AM | | |
| It's usually that "Pete" guy. | Finch Platte
Feb 20, 2003 10:50 AM | | When confronted, he uses the old line saying his "...email is on the fritz."
i Riiiiighhhhht.
fp |
| Good post. Not just residents use the place | wg
Feb 20, 2003 10:07 AM | | I've been only a couple of times and it'd be a shame to loose it because of a few of yahoos who don't seem to care.
Keep us posted on needs etc. For example, is there a trail maintenance day in the works?
Werner
(thinking about bailing work at lunch and heading up for a ride) |
| Trail work days are very regular... | TwoWheelinTim
Feb 20, 2003 10:26 AM | | Trail work days are held regularly on the third Saturday of each month. My family and I typically go out in the summer a couple times a year. They still work there in the winter but I imagine rain would cancel.
They start at 9:00 am and usually work till around noon or so. Afterwards they throw down a bunch of pizza and soda pop for the trail workers.
There are always cyclists there working but the hikers seem to be the major constituent. It would be nice to see more cyclists out there.
It's annoying to be out there working and have a rider go bombing by without so much as an excuse me much less stop and offer to help.
For more information contact Ranger Geiger. The number is listed on the original message.
TooSickOfIrresponsibleRidersTim |
| Tim, is this a recent email? | Pete.
Feb 20, 2003 10:21 AM | | My email is on the fritz so I don't know what's been sent to the list.
The Counccil exerpts sound like the same ones that raised a flag a number of months ago. The President of the local club claimed that things were under control and a full on campaign (which we were ready to start) wasn't neccessary and would do more harm than good.
Thanks,
Pete |
| It there when I checked my e-mail this morning... | TwoWheelinTim
Feb 20, 2003 10:28 AM | | I'll forward a copy to you if you don't have it. I won't be able to do it until after work.
Tim |
| Ok, got the email, it's a rehash. nothing brand new. | Pete.
Feb 20, 2003 11:38 AM | | It's a rehash of the December 17 meeting that caused the hullabaloo.
Still an issue, but not a new facet thankfully. |
| I must have missed the earier one... | TwoWheelinTim
Feb 20, 2003 12:57 PM | | but it doesn't hurt to get it out to as many riders as possible. Thanks for the iformation Pete. Do you know what, if anything is being done? Even though I'm moving from here in the summer it would still be a shame to see it closed to cyclists. The sad part is the few irresponsible riders don't see themselves for what they are and they will be crying the loudest when it's closed.
Tim |
| I don't have an update but I'll find out tommorow. | Pete.
Feb 20, 2003 1:05 PM | | Mike (who wrote the synopsis of the meeting) and I are spending a LOOOONG time in a car together tommorow on our way to see your crazy sibling, among others, so we'll have plenty of time to catch up. |
| I'm feeling a touch of envy... | TwoWheelinTim
Feb 20, 2003 2:19 PM | | how I'd love to go to Colorado to ride for a spell. I haven't seen my crazy sibling for way too long. Maybe you can convince him to come out here for a visit. Have fun.
Tim |
| check your email, ya goof | J.D.
Feb 20, 2003 6:53 PM | | I zapped you a note last night about a possible visit to the GB. |
| rode there for the first time last weekend | rpet
Feb 20, 2003 10:26 AM | | Is there a "trail network" though? The map on the ancient wooden sign seemed to have little in common with the actual trails. Sure looked like a free-for-all to me, compared to most other parks around here.
There seemed to be a fair amount of hikers & delinquent 40-carrying teenagers too; didn't seem like they were scared of bicyclists.
I hope it doesn't get closed. It's a fun little XC park, especially with the tight technical parts (dab-city for me alas).. kind of absurd if people are showing up there in armor with long-travel.
-rob |
| armor and long travel | J.D.
Feb 20, 2003 11:58 AM | | Sometimes I find that element beyond ridiculous. I actually saw one of them at Chino Hills SP, where the trails easily accomodate rigid bikes and there is a 15 or 25 mph speed limit. Ridiculous is an understatement in that case. It may even be considered derogatory. "Lookit me! I'm riding free, I'm a freerider!" |
| Screw Them! | Photo-John
Feb 20, 2003 1:19 PM | | I would never, ever, ever stop in Fairfield and spend any money if it weren't for Rockville. If they ban bikes, I will make it a point to never stop or spend any money there again. And I'll tell everyone else to do likewise. Gotta move out of this crappy state. They want to make laws about everything. SUCKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| Fairfield DOES suck! | rpet
Feb 20, 2003 2:06 PM | | I had the misfortune to spend a little time there a few years back. It's an armpit. Thankfully Rockville is West of the city center, so I don't have to go through there on the way to ride ha ha.
We've got major overcrowding issues in the Bay Area though... that's the real issue behind most of our trail troubles around here, imho.
-rob |
| Over crowding issues... | TwoWheelinTim
Feb 20, 2003 2:23 PM | | are not an issue where I'm moving this summer. The population of the entire COUNTY of Humboldt is only a little more than the city of Alameda. I can hardly wait. Closing escrow on a house in Eureka next week!
Tim |
| just don't get shot | moschika
Feb 20, 2003 6:11 PM | | by the local pot farmers, especially those NOT interested in the medical mary-j debate.
last time i was in Eureka there was a KKK sticker on my motel room door too. let's say that was the last time i was in Eureka. |
| Pot encounters are greatly exagerated... | TwoWheelinTim
Feb 21, 2003 10:01 AM | | I lived and rode up there for four years. I never once encountered any illicit agriculture. Of course I kept to legal trails. Once off legal trails all bets are off. The dope growers are careful to keep their stash from even the little used trails...at least that's what I hear...
Tim |
| Bike jihad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | Ahmed
Feb 20, 2003 6:08 PM | | |
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