Cheap Transportation In Mountain Biking

Earlier this year, the state adopted a policy that restricts mountain bikes to fire roads, unless otherwise posted, and restricts hikers to trails, unless otherwise posted.

John Schmill, a ranger at Malibu Creek State Park, said that incidents between hikers and bikers and between bikers and Mountain Bike Riding have occurred, but are rare because the park has enough space for everybody.

Schmill said he is seeing more and more mountain bike riders at his park -- more than two dozen on a good weekend -- and believes both hikers and bikers can use the park without problems.

"On extremely hot days," Schmill said, "There are no problems whatsoever. You'd have to be crazy to come out here on a bike. You'd get about half a mile before you passed out."

Schmill said that he has seen Mountain Bike Riding in hot weather and that he has never seen anyone pass out. But where the sun hasn't stopped cyclists, bureaucracy has.

In Pasadena a recent problem between horse riders and mountain cyclists led the county to close Eaton Canyon Park to cyclists. Since then, the state has initiated a study on mountain bike riding, hopeful of providing safe and accessible riding areas.

Chief Gordon Pearson, a community relations officer for the L.A. County Fire Dept., said his department encourages use of public land for riding. He added that cyclists may use any public road or trail that isn't restricted by the city or county. Signs are normally posted on restricted roads and the use of such a road is considered trespassing. Pearson stressed that smoking and open fires are forbidden.

"There are trails that may look like fire roads or fire breaks," Pearson said. "The public may use them if there are no signs posted. But, if a person goes around a gate, or over a fence -- whether on a public or private road -- it's trespassing."

The Los Angeles City Parks and Recreation Dept. has no areas designated specifically for mountain bikes. Most city and county officials contacted by The Times knew of mountain bikes but few were aware of their popularity. One spokesman for the county said that as popularity increases, so will riding areas.

DeBor, who said he doesn't own a mountain bike but rides a road bike to work each day, believes mountain bikes have another appeal.

Mountain Biking