why do people rut stuff

[Matt756]

im new to atving i had a 300ex and in the woods and hills are rutted and the hills are wide and everyone goes up in the same spot i was just wondering why the do this

[Bill Fuller]

Most people follow the same path as other for a since of security........."If they made it,so can I".Some places actually require you to ride in the same path for erroision control.I personally look for new lines when I ride,always looking for a line to pass my buddies.

[exrider505]

Thats the one thing that makes me hate big hills, ruts. Smooth steep hills are bad***** though.

[zephead400ex]

Try riding dunes after buggies and jeeps tear up the hills. Try following these guys around...

[Woodsrider]

Originally posted by zephead400ex
Try riding dunes after buggies and jeeps tear up the hills. Try following these guys around...

are those rails? kinda hard to tell in the pic. I have freinds that have sand rails with Acura 3.2l typeS motors and long travel suspension. There is no way to keep up, but it sure is fun tryin!:D

[4punksdad]

Originally posted by Matt756
im new to atving i had a 300ex and in the woods and hills are rutted and the hills are wide and everyone goes up in the same spot i was just wondering why the do this

2 major contributing factors............... 4x4 atv's with giant friggin tires, and riding just after a wet period. If our fellow riders would use some common sense there would be far less ruts. I have no problem stopping some jackass in the woods and letting him know that he is ****ing up my trails. I suggest we all do the same and we might save some of our riding areas from being shut down.

[Quadfather]

Originally posted by 4punksdad
2 major contributing factors............... 4x4 atv's with giant friggin tires, and riding just after a wet period.




So, we're supposed to put our stock tires back on, and wait for a drought before we go riding? If someone stopped me during a ride, and used that tone of voice with me, they'd be wearing their ***** for a helmet.


Have you ever seen ruts on a motocross track? Are those from 4X4s with huge tires? No, they're from people following the same line, over and over. The state owned public ORV area where I ride will be glad to fine you if you travel off of the designated trails. Therefore, you are forced to stay on the trails, ruts are not an option, like death and taxes, ruts are imminent.



Saying that you like riding, but don't like ruts is like saying you love fishing, but you just can't put up with all that water.

[dannyboy20]

exactly

[zephead400ex]

Good point Quadfather.

[TCracin440ex]

go to the mx track during open practice when dirt bike and quads are on the track....them dirt bikes really mess up the turns...i got stuck in a dirt bike rut comming arroudn the turn at birch creek and flipped my quad...i like ridding on the track when there is alot of quads on there because they pack the turns and make um easier to take...

[TCracin440ex]

and far as rutting hills...they mostly come from rain...not quads....rain ruts hills worse than a quad ever will....there will always be ruts no matter where u go....i dont like to call them ruts because when some 1 says ruts i think of naturally caused ruts...i like to call the groves....

[4punksdad]

Originally posted by Quadfather
So, we're supposed to put our stock tires back on, and wait for a drought before we go riding? If someone stopped me during a ride, and used that tone of voice with me, they'd be wearing their ***** for a helmet.


Have you ever seen ruts on a motocross track? Are those from 4X4s with huge tires? No, they're from people following the same line, over and over. The state owned public ORV area where I ride will be glad to fine you if you travel off of the designated trails. Therefore, you are forced to stay on the trails, ruts are not an option, like death and taxes, ruts are imminent.



Saying that you like riding, but don't like ruts is like saying you love fishing, but you just can't put up with all that water.

so you get the point? I suspect your vinson is fitted with the deep lug swampers where their only use is trolling for mud trophies? I have seen perfectly smooth loamy trails turned into rutted mud holes in a couple of weekends from the disrespectful jerks who could give a **** less if anyone else has a place to ride. And if you see me in the woods you might get a chance to back up what you just said. All I am saying is people need to exercise good common sence. I know thats alot to ask these days.:rolleyes:

[Quadfather]

I guess I just fail to see what your definition of common sense is. So far, you've given the impression that your definition of common sense is to stay home on the couch unless you own anything but a quad with no torque with slicks on it. Most, if not all sport bike riders like to slide through corners, and throw roost at every chance they get. Doesn't that contribute to ruts?

The only way I see that we can all keep from contributing to making ruts, and riding in them, is to ride on the sidewalks.

I just find it odd that someone who obviously loves riding as much as you do, and is as knowledgeable about the sport as you are, can make a blanket statement such as the 4X4 quads are ruining it for everybody. It just doesn't make sense when there are so many other contributing factors.


I have Kenda BearClaws on my Vinson, by the way.

[250EXking]

a lot of trails around here get rutted by the big 4x4's. they usually make big ruts and mudholes at the bottom of hills.

[4punksdad]

Originally posted by Quadfather
I guess I just fail to see what your definition of common sense is. So far, you've given the impression that your definition of common sense is to stay home on the couch unless you own anything but a quad with no torque with slicks on it. Most, if not all sport bike riders like to slide through corners, and throw roost at every chance they get. Doesn't that contribute to ruts?

The only way I see that we can all keep from contributing to making ruts, and riding in them, is to ride on the sidewalks.

I just find it odd that someone who obviously loves riding as much as you do, and is as knowledgeable about the sport as you are, can make a blanket statement such as the 4X4 quads are ruining it for everybody. It just doesn't make sense when there are so many other contributing factors.


I have Kenda BearClaws on my Vinson, by the way.

quadfather,
nothing personal, just speaking from my experience. You are right, I love to ride. I have ridden the same trails for years before the large 4x4's became popular. Never more than a small berm established in the turns (unless some jerk went out of his way to play in a mud hole).

After riding with a few 4x4 guys (with stock tires) I noticed their tendency to rut the corners. I believe this is partially due to their inability to slide and their front wheels pulling through the turns. The 4x4 quad actually uses less real estate to carve a turn where we normally slide through and "smooth" things.

Now, add to all of that deep lug tires and the typical 4x4 attitude to see how much mud we can traverse and you have an instant mud hole where there used to be a puddle.

Not saying we should stay home on rain days..............but if we ride in the wet we should use additional caution and better judgement.

for the guy who said that water is the largest contributor to erosion, he is right. However, we quad riders are the guys who remove the ground cover (grass & shrubs) and allow the water to create ruts. Add to that a good ride on a rain day and you can witness the damage.

We are all guilty to some degree............all I am saying is that we can help prevent it with our own actions.

P.S. I too own a 4x4 quad and I love it. I just don't use it to pretend I am a mud bog champion. Good day.

[TCracin440ex]

i guess im the lucky one because no 4x4's ride in my trails.....but i do have groves cut in all my turns from commming in the turns and punching it and making the assend whipp arround...after doing that for a while.....dirt piles up in the center..and my quad will high center sometimes...but thats when i take and spin it back into the rut or get a shovel...i have rode with 4x4's and they do mess up a trail more than a sport quad or 2x4 would....but i like to call them ruts..my groves....because once you get in them groves its like ridding thru the woods with wider a-arms...it makes the turns eazier...imo...but then again i dont ride on rainy days because having

front plastics shaved+rain and mud=hella muddy me and quad

[Quadfather]

I can see where you're coming from. And I don't want to give the impression that I like riding or enjoy riding on trails that are heavily rutted. I'm sure everyone enjoys riding on smooth, groomed trails, I would rather ride on them myself. Fact of the matter is, anyone and everyone that rides on any trail contributes to making ruts.

I'm no mud bog champ, either. Nothing worse than being wet and muddy on an all day ride. I tend to avoid mud puddles at all costs. My utility quad gets ridden about 10-20 miles a year at deer camp, that's it.

I used to hate it when people with big utility fourwheeler would dig bit ruts on purpose, by putting on the front brakes and giving it, and digging 2 huge holes, my buddy hit on of those on his bike and went flying over the bars and his clutch lever was cut off and pointy and it went into his leg and he had to get 15 stitches, people that make those really really really piss me off to the max. Its really not peoples faults when ruts happen, deal with it.. It sucks on bikes becuz you gotta "decipher" which side is less muddy and deep if there is water in them, and sometimes if you have a low foruwheeler you get all caught up on them.

[4punksdad]

Originally posted by Quadfather
I can see where you're coming from. And I don't want to give the impression that I like riding or enjoy riding on trails that are heavily rutted. I'm sure everyone enjoys riding on smooth, groomed trails, I would rather ride on them myself. Fact of the matter is, anyone and everyone that rides on any trail contributes to making ruts.

I'm no mud bog champ, either. Nothing worse than being wet and muddy on an all day ride. I tend to avoid mud puddles at all costs. My utility quad gets ridden about 10-20 miles a year at deer camp, that's it.

Thats part of what angers me. My buddies and I spend a few weekends a year doing nothing but clearing trails. We trim the low hanging branches, cut fallen trees, shovel trenches to drain mud holes, pick up trash...........etc. Then others take it for granted.

I have repaired the neighbors property twice with my skid loader after others have trashed it, JUST to keep the peace so we can keep riding "through" there to get to the trails. Another neighbor has asked us to stay off their gravel driveway (which we do) but nobody else does. Sooner or later that neighbor will tell us to stop riding their property all together. The problem is all the MUD getting tracked onto their driveway. I am contemplating buying a few loads of gravel to repair their driveway. Thats around 800.00 out of my pocket not to mention a skid loader to re-grade it.

common sense is just that. Some folks have it, some don't. Problem is, all of us will get thrown out...................not just the dumb guys.

[TCracin440ex]

i believe speed is the reason for rutting also...people coming thru the trails and take turns that fast makes the ruts....well my friend took and dropped trees across his trails that away cant no 1 come thru his trails ballin *** they gotta slow down to make the detour......

4punks i feel sorry for you if you have to spend 800 bones.....we get all our gravel free, all our construction equiptment free too...


step dad works construction, and they give him gravel free, and let him bring home construction equiptment.....im waiting for the weather to break now so me and him can make me a nasty mx track


but try dropping a few trees across the trail and make a detour so u cant speed u have to slow down...if they wreck its their own fault....

[4punksdad]

Originally posted by TCracin440ex
i believe speed is the reason for rutting also...people coming thru the trails and take turns that fast makes the ruts....well my friend took and dropped trees across his trails that away cant no 1 come thru his trails ballin *** they gotta slow down to make the detour......

4punks i feel sorry for you if you have to spend 800 bones.....we get all our gravel free, all our construction equiptment free too...


step dad works construction, and they give him gravel free, and let him bring home construction equiptment.....im waiting for the weather to break now so me and him can make me a nasty mx track


but try dropping a few trees across the trail and make a detour so u cant speed u have to slow down...if they wreck its their own fault....

not talking about ruts in the turns so much, although that is a problem in some places...............In my situation the guys have literally turned a straight flat smooth trail into a 50' long x 20' wide x 2' deep mud hole and in more than one location. Its a shame that we have a ton of trails to ride but these turds prefer to sit in one location with a dozen quads just for the purpose of "roosting" each other with 4x4 machines. I have watched them play this game and it disgusts me. We have simply taken to the deeper woods where the hills are steeper and the terrain is dryer to avoid the mud. But we shouldn't have to. Heck, we blazed and groomed the trails they are trashing. As I said before, I have NO problem letting them know they are out of line. Doesn't seem to phase them. They are obviously too stupid to care.

[TCracin440ex]

drop trees across the hole....if it was my property id drop trees across it.....and throw nails in the hole....i have my own designated area for ppl that want to play in the mud with the 4x4's....u kno its a shamed these days no 1 has respect for any1's property or stuff....i hate it when i see kids on back of my property w/o permission and tearing shyt up with their 4x4's....my neighbor and his friends have 4x4's and they was ridding at 1 in the morning...i went and got on my 400ex and chased them down and im like wtf u doing on my property, and what are you thinking ridding at 1 in the morning...people here have to work...

[4punksdad]

Originally posted by TCracin440ex
drop trees across the hole....if it was my property id drop trees across it.....and throw nails in the hole....i have my own designated area for ppl that want to play in the mud with the 4x4's....u kno its a shamed these days no 1 has respect for any1's property or stuff....i hate it when i see kids on back of my property w/o permission and tearing shyt up with their 4x4's....my neighbor and his friends have 4x4's and they was ridding at 1 in the morning...i went and got on my 400ex and chased them down and im like wtf u doing on my property, and what are you thinking ridding at 1 in the morning...people here have to work...

its not my property..............and I still have enough sense not to disrespect it.

[4wheelboy]

just be glad its 4x4 quads and not 4x4 trucks on 40s" tearing ur trails up:o :o :(

[brandonpeake]

i never realized what a problem the 4x4 quads canbe a buddy of mine has a rincon w/ mud lites on it, im not bashing on him its just this thing digs in, we got some trails on some reclaimed land and there are these hills some of like rock and some are dirt , kinda like a dirt pit but w/ like 20 different hills you can go up one side and down another , well some of them has trails going from one top to another and one of the main trails i cant get up the hill no more w/ ot bottoming out why, rain and people spin while going up it but mainly b/c my friend w/ the rincon went up it a few times , it just digs in a ruts it out he wasnt trying to rut it he felt bad when i could not make it up it w/ out bottoming out but i made a trail up a real steep side of it he wont go up, probaly wont anyone from around there go up it its lke strait up but its smooth, so its alright

yeah i got trails and we keep them up also, and when we are riding people will say how did you get in, to the area we are at and ill say the main way everyone uses and they know i didnt come in that way . but i got people who let me ride on or by the land who i know that dont mind b/c i go slow by their house and dont mess up the land but others might and they are not messing it up for me