Stay on Roads and Trails Riding cross-country destroys vegetation and damages the soil. Always Yield to Others Trails are shared by hikers, horses, and bicyclists. Move off the trail to allow horses to pass and stop to allow hikers adequate room to share the trail. Your Speed Excessive speed endangers yourself and other forest users. This is a divisive topic.
Steep terrain is especially vulnerable to trail wear.
Locking brakes on steep descents, or when stopping, needlessly damages trails. If a slope is steep enough to require locking wheels and skidding, dismount and walk your bicycle. Likewise, if an ascent is so steep your rear wheel slips and spins, dismount and walk your bicycle. When you encounter a waterbar, ride directly over the top or dismount and walk your bicycle. Riding around the ends of waterbars destroys them and speeds erosion.