Each patrol group is a little different. Some are active in remote, backcountry riding areas in parts of Utah and Colorado. Some are active in heavily used urban trail systems in Boston or New Jersey. Patrols are active in places as diverse as Ontario, Canada to El Paso, Texas to Tokyo, Japan to Frankfurt, Germany. Patrols typically operate as a volunteer group for the local land management agency.
Patrollers provide assistance, education and information to mountain bikers and other trail users.
They also provide important feedback to the land manager about such things as trail conditions and visitor use patterns. When budget cuts sometimes force local land management agencies to consider closing trails, bike patrols can come to the rescue and keep trails open. Patrollers can provide a wide range of assistance to mountain bikers and other trail users. Everything from emergency medical care and mechanical assistance, to advice on linking trails for a longer ride or the easiest way back to the parking lot, to giving water or sunscreen or an energy bar to an ill-prepared rider or hiker. Enforcement is not a function of mountain bike patrols. .