Many of my formative off-road riding years were spent in a climate of heavy-handed regulation and restrictions.  As such, I developed a deep appreciation for all things singletrack, and I consider myself very fortunate that my daily commute includes legal, narrow trails.

Good trails don’t come for free.  It can take years of meetings, lobbying, and back-breaking work to get a trail approved and built.  But the work doesn’t end when the opening-day ribbon is cut.  Applying common sense and following a few simple rules goes a long way towards keeping trails in good shape, and even gaining access to new trails.

Whether you’re a seasoned rider or a just starting out, familiarize yourself with IMBA’s Rules of the Trail.  These six rules do a great job of explaining the basic do’s and don’ts of responsible and courteous off-road riding.  And if you’re one of the TL;DR crowd, you can just think of it as, “be excellent to each other.”