The Marines' war on mountain bikes

[Angel Eyes]

Well, not really.  Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, near San Diego, has been having problems with trespassers, so they started cracking down.  45 bikes have been confiscated and 50 tickets issued.   As the USMC does live fire on that land, there is an obvious safety concern as well as a security issue for the base:

http://www.grindtv.com/bike/u-s-marines-crack-down-on-trespassers-confiscate-45-mountain-bikes/

Hiley said he and his group were forced to hike two miles back to their vehicles, wearing cycling shoes. He described to GrindTV that the trek was like a “the walk of shame.”

Oh, the horror . . .

[dm1333]

As a mountain biker who has done my share of trail maintenance I have no sympathy for these idiots.  I do feel sorry for the SDMBA president.  The value of their advocacy and hard work gets diminished by every *expletive deleted*che who rides past a no trespassing sign.

As a military member?  Trespassers on a live fire range seems like a self correcting problem!   

[mtnbkr]

I'm with DM on this one.

This isn't the early 90s where *legal* places to ride were far and few between, we're flush with good, legal, and supportable trails in most places (the DC region has some of the best mountain biking outside the actual mountains I've ever seen).  There's no real need to poach, but some like the "outlaw" lifestyle.

Chris

[K Frame]

"The encounters were somewhat intimidating, as the Marines wore flight suits and toted weapons."

ZOMG! They's wearing flight suits! RUN!

aholes.

[wmenorr67]

Maybe next time the Marines do a strafing run with Cobras.

[Mannlicher]

bike riders, whether these guys or others, are more often than not, 'the problem'.  Get more than two of them together, and they suddenly think that no rules apply to them.

[Ron]

Mountainbikers have a large segment of their ranks that relish poaching illegal trails.

[mtnbkr]

Mountainbikers have a large segment of their ranks that relish poaching illegal trails.

My perception is probably skewed because the Mid Atlantic region has a very large and active advocacy group that discourages poaching, trail abuse (riding wet trails, etc), and performs regular trail maintenance, clinics, etc.  I don't see much active poaching these days.  Just the opposite, folks will warn others away from illegal trails or even formerly legal trails that get closed for various reasons.  The mountain bike community here is pretty ethical and works hard to improve the trails we have as well as relations with interested parties.

Chris

[Fitz]

cyclists act like superdouches and *expletive deleted*it all over everything. news at 11.

Up next, water is wet

[Ron]

My perception is probably skewed because the Mid Atlantic region has a very large and active advocacy group that discourages poaching, trail abuse (riding wet trails, etc), and performs regular trail maintenance, clinics, etc.  I don't see much active poaching these days.  Just the opposite, folks will warn others away from illegal trails or even formerly legal trails that get closed for various reasons.  The mountain bike community here is pretty ethical and works hard to improve the trails we have as well as relations with interested parties.

Chris

There has been so little to ride here that is legal that poaching was the only way to ride single track.

With a very successful IMBA chapter now flourishing in Chicagoland the tide is turning and change is coming.

But there is a segment here who hate the legal sanctioned trails as they consider them a sanitized version of what they once were.

Of course anything sustainable is somewhat sanitized. Most fall line trails have disappeared or been replaced with switchbacks.  

[vaskidmark]

The Marines have a reputation as baby killers.  Some idiots without the cognitive ability of a 6-month old put their lives in danger.  The Marines ride out to save these idiots from themselves.

Given the likelihood of the base also being a route of undocumented long-term vacationers from foreign lands, the carrying of weapons makes sense above and beyond the fact that military and civilian police carry guns so what's the fuss?

Hope the jerks also get charged with trespass and destruction of federal property.

stay safe.

[MechAg94]

Seems to me they could set up some mortar tubes targeting the area.  If the trespassers manage to get away, they won't be back.

[mtnbkr]

FWIW, some bases allow and even encourage mountain biking.  I know for a fact Quantico has sanctioned trails (have ridden them).  IIRC, so does Ft Bragg, though it's been 20yrs since I was in that area with a bike.

Chris

[Ben]

It's not mountain biking douches doing this, it's just douches. When we used to fly range clearance security sorties for Vandenberg, half the time it seemed we'd be calling in surfers who snuck on base to catch a gnarly.

[mtnbkr]

It's not mountain biking douches doing this, it's just douches. When we used to fly range clearance security sorties for Vandenberg, half the time it seemed we'd be calling in surfers who snuck on base to catch a gnarly.

This.  Douches are douches regardless of their hobbies.  We have them in the gun arena as well (people who shoot garbage at public ranges and leave it there, slob hunters, open carry neckbeards, etc. 

Chris

[K Frame]

FWIW, some bases allow and even encourage mountain biking.  I know for a fact Quantico has sanctioned trails (have ridden them).  IIRC, so does Ft Bragg, though it's been 20yrs since I was in that area with a bike.

Chris

Yep. You can even hunt on Quantico. So it's definitely not the Marines at war with anyone just for the sake of being at war.

[Hawkmoon]

FWIW, some bases allow and even encourage mountain biking.  I know for a fact Quantico has sanctioned trails (have ridden them).  IIRC, so does Ft Bragg, though it's been 20yrs since I was in that area with a bike.

Probably not downrange at the firing range, though ...

[KD5NRH]

We have them in the gun arena as well (people who shoot garbage at public ranges and leave it there, slob hunters, open carry neckbeards, etc.

This is why I shoot the sort of garbage that won't be there the next morning.  Ever seen how fast a family of raccoons can clean up a dozen exploded rotten oranges and 30 pounds of cream cheese sprayed over a ~50 diameter area?  I swear they were sucking the cheese off the juniper branches like a bunch of celery sticks.

[KD5NRH]

"The encounters were somewhat intimidating, as the Marines wore flight suits and toted weapons."

Marines carrying weapons and being intimidating...isn't that sort of the whole purpose of Marines?

[Scout26]

The Marines in the pictures look like Forward Air Controllers.  IIRC, they are pilots whose "turn" it is to live down in the mud with the grunts for a while.

Hence, the Flight suits and "weapons" (sidearms), these aren't 18 year olds fresh from Infantry School, being all Billy Badass.

[dm1333]

I'll admit a bias here.  In the picture the mountain bikers were wearing lycra and what looked like roadie shoes.  The biggest douches I run into in MI all seem to be dressed like that.     Remember when roadies wore tight lycra and goofy looking jerseys and mountainbikers wore baggy shorts?  Now it's all lycra and goofy jerseys.  Flame on roadies!   

[Perd Hapley]

"The encounters were somewhat intimidating, as the Marines wore flight suits and toted weapons."

ZOMG! They's wearing flight suits! RUN!

aholes.

The encounters were somewhat disturbing, as the cyclists wore spandex.

[just Warren]

Marines just can't avoid IEDs* anywhere they go.













*Irritating Entitled Douchebags

[Andiron]

Marines just can't avoid IEDs* anywhere they go.

*Irritating Entitled Douchebags

Close.  These are VBIEDs

[roo_ster]

Marines carrying weapons and being intimidating...isn't that sort of the whole purpose of Marines?

Not anymore.  Their mission has changed to trans-sea-mammal outreach.