I am usually calm but....

So I have been riding/racing on the mtb since 1996 and I would consider myself borderline old school. Being that I grew up in the sport when it was peaking or just after its peak in money/popularity (or could be called Pre Lance Craze), I feel like us mtbers from that era kinda have the grumpy old man syndrome now where they hate change and shit messed with when it doesn't really need to be messed with.

Its not bike technology that aggravates us. We can get over flimsy "toilet paper" carbon frames and all the different wheels sizes and trends. This isn't a problem cause all of the different styles have there place and who doesn't like buying new stuff and trying new ideas in an effort to being faster than your buddies.

What you don't screw with is our trails. "But it is to bumpy, slick, technical, fast and scary!" Then don't ride the damn trail. "No we should make them easier."" They are washed out and water just runs off." Whoopty fucking do is all I have to say to all that bull shit. I can remember growing up going to trails where people were scared of trails. Trails such as Hard Rock, Lakeland, Redick, and Gatorback would have people worrying/ dreading racing there. Though we still have Gatorback and few other old school trails, I feel like regulations and jackasses have control of our trails.

Yes trails do need reroutes and trail work after awhile but it doesn't need the jackasses.

Zak's Definition of Trail Jackass:

1. One who rides through trail on their own will/desire and crashes then find someone to sue.
2. One who finds that the trail they are riding to hard for them and goes back and "fixes" the problem.
3. One who thinks they know how to do trail work and doesn't know jack shit and makes it worse or more dangerous. 

Why am I just rambling about this now? Cause this morning I was on Secrete Singletrack riding towards Forest Meadows and crashed my brains out lol. I have been doing this directions recently and haven't really noticed anything other than some of the odd I can't climb a hill reroutes, till today. While going down the hill just before climbing out towards Meridian my pedal clipped a small skinny stump  going down the hill directing me into a tree. The handlebar and knee hit first followed by a chest and shoulder. While I was stumbling around trying to keep my knee loose and catch my breath since I knocked the wind out of me, I looked up and found the stump directly next to the edge of the trail and slightly covered with leaves. While I was trying to regroup and looking over my bike a recreational guy came by asking me if I was ok in wide eyes. I then watched him climb up the trails where I had fallen. It then hit me, that it use to be narrow little tree shoot before taking a right hander and going up again. Result of a Trail jackass? My guess is probably because the climb use to be pretty difficult. Either way it hurt and ended my ride which I was only like 20 mins into. Trail work that isn't done correctly can be dangerous and really hurt someone and its aggravating.

I usually try to keep my old man syndrome in but today I just had to vent.  And to be completely honest I erased a couple of paragraphs on our recent trail work trends of machines and clay use but I decided that might be a little much and would turn into a lot of cursing.

But on a positive note I am feeling good on the bike and its nice to know the speed is coming back. Being able to notice the speed coming back just adds to the motivation and desire to keep training.