Here’s another one from our sponsors, Shimano. This one struck a chord for me, because I’m currently tangentially involved in a local effort to build a pump track and small set of trails on a piece of town property. This “facility” is intended for the kids all over town who want to ride bikes, instead of or in addition to, playing soccer/hockey/basketball/baseball, etc.
As with any project that involves public property, the bureaucracy and process are exhausting, and there is opposition from a vocal group that is adamantly opposed to removing a single tree to make this project a reality. I’m sympathetic, and yet we’re about to celebrate a holiday that sees the joyful cutting of millions upon millions of trees, to be decorated briefly, and then thrown out. So…
The analogy with what’s going on in Madeira isn’t perfect by a long stretch, but gosh, it sure is beautiful there, and it does make you think about how we use land responsibly, or not, in pursuing a passion for mountain biking.