Spot on Nick! Like so many other mountain bikers from Lincoln, I advocate for us to be allowed on most trails in town. We ALL pay our Trail fees.
This has been argued on this platform ad nauseam. The naysayers say mountain bikes damage trails, and they're operators are rude and disrespectful. I'm sure there are exceptions where this is true but in my humble opinion, those are exceptions. There are also exceptions where walkers, hikers, horseback Riders and dog walkers are rude and break the rules. I cannot tell you how many times per ride I stop to remove dog feces from the trail. Several years ago, an out of town dog walker had his dog off the leash and his dog came on our property and killed six of my daughters chickens and maimed four others in a matter of minutes. In my 25 years of residing in this town and having ridden on most every trail, I have never witnessed any rudeness by a biker and at most the worst damage I've seen is some tire ruts in the mud. Coming from an equestrian family, I love horses, but you want to talk about damage to Trails with a multi thousand pound animal with 6-in round hooves... During these 25 years of riding, skiing, snowshoeing and hiking Lincoln trails, I have had three rude encounters with walkers who gave me a hard time about riding my bike on the trails. Nothing rude or provoking on my part in any way as I always slow down or completely stop and give way to walkers and horses when on my bike. I would ask these people where they are from - one was from Lincoln, and I said I pay my trail fees just like you and the other two were from out of town and I said I pay property taxes so you can enjoy our trails. I understand that the RLF/LLCT play a big part. Bottom line, ALL of my mountain bike friends are incredibly respectful and diligent stewards of the trails and conservation land. Kind Regards, Scott Clary 617-968-5769 Oak Knoll Sent from a mobile device - please excuse typos and errors On Sat, Sep 2, 2023, 8:38 AM Nick Maynard <[email protected]> wrote: > Building on Bob’s suggestion, currently cycling is officially prohibited > on the majority of Lincoln’s trails. Wouldn’t allowing bike riding on these > paths: > - provide alternate commuting/errand routes that are safe from cars for > adults and children? > - provide local cyclists with an option to road riding and thereby ever so > slightly reduce congestion. > - free local trail riders from the guilt/frustration they feel every time > they go out on the trails whether they are riding or not (what’s with all > the signs? No this, no that?) > - if you are vehemently opposed to it, please reconsider your assumptions > or the circumstances that lead to your opposition. All my trail > interactions over the last 19 years have been pleasant though one rarely > encounters other trail users. > > Nick Maynard > > On Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 8:24 PM Bob Mason <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Anne, >> >> Roughly speaking I consider the “spine” of Lincoln the trail(s) that >> start at Rte 126, go towards and over the train tracks, along Farm Meadow >> (behind Lincoln Station), toward the schools and then to Sandy Pond Road. >> As roughly illustrated in the attached annotated map. >> >> I believe one important part of changing “car culture” is to get people >> of of their cars and consider biking or walking, even for errands to >> Donelans, going to school, etc. Regardless of the aspirational hope that >> drivers will change their behavior and be more aware of cyclists, I think >> we won’t get more cyclists on the road until we have dedicated, protected >> infrastructure for efficient travel. >> >> Personally, I think Lincoln would be a more enjoyable and desirable town >> if we could all get around without the need to be in a car. >> >> Having moved a few years ago from Weston Road to Old Concord Road, my >> relationship to the town has become much better for the simple fact I can >> walk on a sidewalk or ride my bike from my home to Codman Farm, Donelans, >> Twisted Tree and the Post Office. I wish many more of my fellow citizens >> could do so feeling safe and protected. >> >> Bob >> >> >> >> On Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 2:37 PM Anne Warner <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> What is meant by "the trail that goes up the spine of Lincoln"? >>> >> >>> On Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 2:12 PM melinda bruno-smith < >>> [email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> Yes, many roads in Lincoln are in dire need of repaving. >>>> >>>> Melinda >>>> ------------------------------ >>>> *From:* Lincoln <[email protected]> on behalf of V >>>> Saleme <[email protected]> >>>> *Sent:* Friday, September 1, 2023 10:30 AM >>>> *To:* Bob Mason <[email protected]> >>>> *Cc:* [email protected] <[email protected]>; Alida >>>> ZweidlerMcKay <[email protected]> >>>> *Subject:* Re: [LincolnTalk] Bike lanes >>>> >>>> ….. which also implies that the majority of the roads in this town will >>>> have to be repaved first in order to accommodate- >>>> >>>> It’s important to note that many cyclists spend a great deal of time >>>> navigating around broken or missing pavement, well jutting out into traffic >>>> lanes as a result-it’s extremely dangerous. >>>> >>>> Vic >>>> >>>> On Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 10:24 AM Bob Mason <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>> Bob, >>>> >>>> I agree with the sentiment that we need to change the cultural >>>> relationship between drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, but having >>>> dedicated infrastructure for cyclists/pedestrians is also a very important >>>> components of creating safe and accessible multi-modal transportation >>>> links. Hence dedicated bike lanes with physical barriers, rail trails, etc. >>>> >>>> bob >>>> >>>> On Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 9:57 AM Bob Kupperstein <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 9:44 AM Bob Mason <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>> I’ve wondered and suggested to some that we consider enhancing the >>>> trail that goes up the spine of Lincoln so it can be used more by cyclists. >>>> >>>> It’s currently designated as a bike trail, but is really only suited >>>> for mountain biking. Such an infrastructure investment would allow greater >>>> connectivity, including to the schools with riders and walkers not even >>>> being close to a road. >>>> >>>> Bob >>>> >>>> >>>> Bob, I feel, as a cyclist, that this only avoids the growth that we >>>> need to take as a society - where we all *really* share the roads. >>>> >>>> We've been car-centric for so long, the mentality that only cars/trucks >>>> *really* belong on the road is hard to shake. But, we'll get there >>>> with more awareness. >>>> >>>> >>>> On Fri, Sep 1, 2023 at 2:13 AM Alida ZweidlerMcKay via Lincoln < >>>> [email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>> Amen to this: >>>> >>>> as a conscientious driver, I hate a day when all the cyclists are out - >>>> I pray my way through Lincoln and Concord. I wish they had dedicated bike >>>> lanes. >>>> >>>> >>>> I want bikes to be out on beautiful days in our gorgeous town. But I’m >>>> terrified to pass them and end up following forever until I feel like I can >>>> get around them safely. I’m sure I annoy both the cyclist and the cars >>>> behind me. >>>> >>>> Bike lanes seem unlikely, given the land they require, but I sure wish >>>> we had them! >>>> >>>> Alida Zweidler-McKay >>>> 25 Birchwood >>>> -- >>>> >>>> >>>> Alida, I have to admit as a cyclist I get annoyed by cars that won't >>>> pass, though I know they're just trying to be careful. I also get very >>>> concerned when cars cross into the oncoming lane to pass - I've seen a >>>> number of close-calls when that happens. >>>> >>>> I suggest keeping in mind the 4' law/rule - if you're leaving 4' and >>>> driving within the speed limit, the cyclist should be/feel safe. >>>> >>>> -- >>>> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >>>> To post, send mail to [email protected]. >>>> Browse the archives at >>>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >>>> Change your subscription settings at >>>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >>>> >>>> -- >>>> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >>>> To post, send mail to [email protected]. >>>> Browse the archives at >>>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >>>> Change your subscription settings at >>>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >>>> >>>> >>> >>> -- >>> Anne Taubes Warner >>> [email protected] >>> >> -- >> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >> To post, send mail to [email protected]. >> Browse the archives at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >> Change your subscription settings at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >> >> -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to [email protected]. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > >
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