A public service announcement to mountain bike opponents:
Be fair to yourself and others: learn about the subject before taking a side
When it comes to opponents of mountain biking trail access (such as in the situation with Watchung Reservation in Union County, NJ) there tend to be two types of people.
Type one is the person who might not have anything against mountain bikers, but, not engaging in mountain biking themselves, or knowing of the subject, has some general concerns about trail interaction, safety, etc.
Type two is the zealot, the person who simply thinks bikers are reckless, bad, evil, that we consume human souls or eat babies.
Obviously there is not much you can do with the zealot -- his opposition is essentially ideologically driven, so addressing any specific concerns he raises will not convince him. And in some cases he may flat out dismiss facts that he does not like or finds inconvenient to his narrative or ideology.
The first sort of person, however, is essentially not anti-mountain bike, but merely lacking in knowledge and context. And that is something that can be addressed.
If you are someone who has what you think are actual concerns about how mountain bikers can safely interact with other trail users, or if they will ruin the trails, or any similar concerns, then please, be fair to yourself and to mountain bikers: learn about these issues before taking a side!
I realize not everyone has time to research every issue. But if you care about mountain biking enough to take an opinion on it, please learn about it first -- and not just from the bike hating zealots. Talk to actual mountain bikers -- many of them are also hikers or road cyclists or engage in other activities, so chances are you may already know some and not be aware of it; you may just know them as roadies or fishermen or something else. Or stop by a bike shop. Mountain bike groups like JORBA have web sites with information, as well.
Generally speaking, if you don’t bike yourself, or hang out with bikers, what you are likely to hear about mountain biking is only the anti-biking side, so take some time to investigate the other view on the issue. It may put many of your concerns in context, and you may come to the conclusion there is no reason to oppose mountain biking trail access after all.
Again, I realize not everyone can research every issue. But if you care enough about it to take a side, please have the respect for others and yourself to learn the facts.
Thank you.