An evenhanded account of the issues surrounding conflict and etiquette on the trails was published on the front page of the July 25th issue of the Thousand Oaks Acorn.
The article starts with an account by an equestrian in Ahmanson Ranch who felt threatened by mountain bikers who sped by and shouted expletives when asked to slow down. The equestrian also has been charged by unleashed dogs on other outings.
Mark Langton, CORBA board member and past president, is quoted extensively on the need for mountain bikers to show speed restraint when passing other people on the trail.
Another cyclists is critical of people who take poorly trained horses on trails where they can expect to encounter mountain bikers.
An equestrian from Agoura Hills says the vast majority of mountain bikers show appropriate courtesy. “This is pretty much a nonissue with all but a tiny handful of jerks on bicycles and nervous equestrians who are afraid of their horses and probably should not be on the trails in the first place.”
Finally, there are some quotes from representatives of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, including Superintendent David Szymanski.
You can read the full article here.
