SBT GRVL Runs Afoul of Local Ranchers & Residents in Colorado

[tommyrod74]

Originally Posted by EB

Ya’ll could probably stand to read this article. I promise it’s worth it!

“Beyond the Myth of Rural America“

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2...-rural-america

It's an interesting article; I read it a while back.

[spoonrobot]

Originally Posted by EB

Ya’ll could probably stand to read this article. I promise it’s worth it!

“Beyond the Myth of Rural America“

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2...-rural-america

Welcome back, had a nice work day?

Before you get too comfy go back and answer my post.

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by November Dave

In 2009 I promoted (with the monumental and monumentally critical support of NCVC, one of the country's bigger cycling clubs) a race in Lost River, WV.

I did that race, and it was absolutely brutal - race promoting is a thankless task. I've been back to lost river quite a few times staying in air bnbs and hike/ride, so it does work to draw people in and bring awareness to the area.

I'm not sure if you've kept up on things down this way, but the SM100 promoter has run into some big issues with the locals also, and they lost their permit to ride on the county roads and had to change up the race quite a bit. Its such a ridiculous thing when he has invested a lot locally and his events and campground bring money into the county year round.

[tommyrod74]

Originally Posted by .RJ

Signs or purple blazes arent going to stop someone from disrespecting your property or your person.

99.9% of the people that pass by a house/farm/etc out in rural areas are respectful, wont bother you and will probably wave. But instead people want to put up all of the signs and not so thinly veiled threats of violence for 100% of the people to see. It makes me scratch my head and wonder what it is they're afraid of out where there's 11 people in a square mile or they think everyone's coming by to steal something.

We used to joke on long rides that the likelihood of a home having "beware of gun owner" signs was inversely proportional to the likelihood of said home having anything anyone would care to steal. An uncharitable observation but it rings true.

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by tommyrod74

We used to joke on long rides that the likelihood of a home having "beware of gun owner" signs was inversely proportional to the likelihood of said home having anything anyone would care to steal. An uncharitable observation but it rings true.

And either way, the likelihood of anyone just walking into your house to steal stuff is so impossibly low, even living in a city let alone on a farm.

[tommyrod74]

Originally Posted by spoonrobot

Bicycle event participants going to the bathroom in someone else's yard, preventing an ambulance from navigating the roadways, disrupting residents in their daily activities - are exactly what rightfully create "NIMBYs".

How many people do you think you would have to poll in the general public before you found someone happy and accommodating to a stranger going to the bathroom in their yard and leaving behind soiled garments?

While your point is absolutely valid, we've all also seen examples of well-run events with a net positive impact to the community run off even though nothing like that happened - just NIMBY and nothing more.

Without question, we should all respect the property and communities of others as if they were our own.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by tommyrod74

Nothing wrong with preferring rural living whatsoever. I just don't understand resentment of others not from your backyard, nor general resentment of cities and urbanites.

Rural areas wouldn't have electricity and other infrastructure without the economic engine of the urban areas. Of course, rural areas provide farmland and other things needed by the cities. It seems silly to pretend that one doesn't need the other.

Here again....I don't remember any of us redneck hillbillies every talking about "city folk" much less spend our time resenting them.

Funny thing is where I live now I've only seen on of those "gun signs". It's up on old snowbasin road on the property of a mansion that looks like a small castle and has a gated driveway. "I have a gun...and a backhoe". So how does he figure into the stereotypical comments being made here? I just find the sign funny and the owner has waved and said hi on a couple of occasions as I pedaled up the mountain in the middle of a heart attack.

[Louis]

Originally Posted by tommyrod74

examples of well-run events with a net positive impact to the community

The issue with "net positive" is that it just takes a loud minority who don't benefit / are annoyed by something to stir up plenty of resistance. Sure, some folks (say, local B&Bs) love tourism, but often that isn't enough.

[tommyrod74]

Originally Posted by jamesdak

Here again....I don't remember any of us redneck hillbillies every talking about "city folk" much less spend our time resenting them.

Funny thing is where I live now I've only seen on of those "gun signs". It's up on old snowbasin road on the property of a mansion that looks like a small castle and has a gated driveway. "I have a gun...and a backhoe". So how does he figure into the stereotypical comments being made here? I just find the sign funny and the owner has waved and said hi on a couple of occasions as I pedaled up the mountain in the middle of a heart attack.

I certainly wasn't referring to you in particular, nor the majority of rural people. I've personally encountered it often enough, however, that I know it exists. And it's been reported on nationally as a driving force in politics (and has certainly been intentionally used as such by politicians) so I know I'm not making it up.

Perhaps our rural areas (mid-South) are different from yours, but "this property protected by Smith and Wesson", "We shoot first and ask questions later", etc. type of signs are everywhere here. Many of our rural areas are rather poor, maybe that's a part of it. YMMV.

[EB]

Originally Posted by spoonrobot

Welcome back, had a nice work day?

Before you get too comfy go back and answer my post.

Very nice in fact.

My mother taught me the importance of asking nicely.

[bigbill]

This has turned into a collection of anecdotes and generalisms about rural folk as if all people who choose to live away from the city are the same. Every event is cool until it gets too big. From grassroots to a lottery for an entry. Too many cars for road racing, mountain biking went from flowy trails to rock gardens, and now gravel is attracting the wrong attention.

[ridethecliche]

Originally Posted by redir

From the article title they, "want to protect their heritage."

I find that amusing on a lot of levels.

I was trying to figure out how to say this but... Here goes.

I snowboard and try to make it out west once or twice a season if time and funds allow. I'm Indian and grew up in Delhi moving to the US at 11 which makes me a huge outlier in many ways. Hilariously one of my friends whom I travel and ride with the most is also Indian, which is hilarious because we've only known each other for like two years, but we always point out all the brown folks we see on the mountain because it's rare.

We also spend time in town. I've been to steamboat twice. Jackson hole once. SLC a couple of times including one time when we did a road trip to the Idaho border to ride and even drove and ate a meal in idaho.

I'm saying all this because there were a lot of things I felt like I didn't belong in these spaces.

It hasnt escaped my notice how there's all this talk of heritage creeping up at an event that's going out of its way to be inclusive.

Fact is that these spaces benefit economically from these events. You're never going to have 100% buy in from a community which is fine but you need to build up good will and do things to help. If you're doing all that and have majority buy in then...

Fact is. Gravel events need the support of communities like this. There needs to be some leadville esque energy to help these things succeed.

[AngryScientist]

The more I read about big events like this that invariably attract the type A personalities, the less and less interested I am in participating. Riding alone or with small groups of like minded friends is so much better for me.

I think a lot of these "gravel" type of events have been allowed to get too big. Too many cyclists riding on what are intended to be rural farm roads is going to cause disruption and resentment, even if everyone acts perfectly, and we know the more people you accumulate, the more jerks will be present.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by bigbill

This has turned into a collection of anecdotes and generalisms about rural folk as if all people who choose to live away from the city are the same. Every event is cool until it gets too big. From grassroots to a lottery for an entry. Too many cars for road racing, mountain biking went from flowy trails to rock gardens, and now gravel is attracting the wrong attention.

Yep, The Ragnar Relay is a good example where I now like. They run right alongside my property as they pass through our mountain valley. A lot of the route they run is also part of my daily ride route. Yes they do bring money into the area for a day. But they leave trash all over the place, I mean really bad. They make a ton of noise supporting the runners which is what it is. But the worse part is how stupid and dangerous so many of the drivers are in the support vehicles. You'd think they'd be super careful with all the runners out on the roads but my experience has been different. First time was a huge Suburban pulling off the side of the road right into me as I pedaled by. I was able to push off the vehicle that time. Then the following year I had a stupid lady brush by me in a minivan, swerve over in front of me to pull off the road, and then she opened her door and jumped out. I braked but still banged into her and her door. And yes I didn't feel bad about my chainring totally chewing up her leg. After that happened I turned around and decided to try riding in a different area. About 3 miles later bumped again by a support van from behind as we all waited at a 4 way stop. That was it, I went home and since then never ride when that race is coming through.

We have very limited roads up here so they do disrupt everyone's lives. It probably wouldn't upset locals that much if it was the only event in a year. But it seems like each summer we have some kind of "event" every week where you have to figure out if it's even worth it to try to leave you house and do anything. Should anyone really have to feel like a prisoner in their own house? And yes, I am a hypocrite as I do try and do at least one ride event myself each year.

[contronatura]

Originally Posted by rothwem

Er, I'll go **** in your yard and block your driveway so you can't get to work and then we'll see how whiney you get.

I find it hard to empathize with whiny ranchers when this is a norm for living in a city where events happen and likewise as a complaint where there's cattle and horses at pasture. The amount of shoes I've had ruined on hikes and time I've had to spend cleaning horse **** off my tires is absurd.