MTB Trail Closures — Riding the Fine Line Between Sanctioned and Illicit Trails [RNL S2, Ep 5]

Ever ridden an “illegal” mountain bike trail? Has one of your favorite trails or features been recently shut down?  How do we deal with closures and rogue trail building?  This week, we dive into the wild world of mountain biking’s gray areas — from rogue builds and red tape to trail shutdowns and the passionate advocates fighting to keep the stoke alive. Whether it’s sketchy lines or battles over building rights, we’re covering all things MTB, on and off the map.

Plus, the boys explore more MTB topics on this episode — from brainstorming Strava titles mid-ride to chasing flow and letting go of expectations. Dan and Sage get real about self-worth, fear, music, body position, and finding freedom on two wheels. It’s all about trusting your skills, riding with intention, and maybe… building a new bike park for every trail that gets shut down!

MTB Gratitude of the Week:

Dan: Shoutout to listener Jason - Jason took inspiration from the R&L podcast and crushed a gnarly tech climb he once thought was impossible. The skills were there all along — he just had to believe it. We got this. You’re stronger than you think, and Jason’s proving it out on the trails!  

Sage: Big thanks to Keeton and Jose - two super skilled riders who shared tips and trail wisdom with Sage at Blue Mountain Bike Park. Riding behind talented folks takes the guesswork out of the game. Just trust the speed, trust your skills… you’ve got this!  

MTB Tip of the Week:

When the trail’s muddy, ride through it, not around it. Getting your bike (and legs) dirty is way better than widening the trail by going off-path. Trust us, land managers and trail builders will thank you!  

Featured Riders:

Arturo - https://www.instagram.com/byclas_mtb
Jeff Jackson - https://www.instagram.com/jeffjacksonmtb
Jeff W - https://www.instagram.com/jwinsor20
Keeton https://www.instagram.com/rideandshred
Jose https://www.instagram.com/jose_el_tp_chavez

Additional Links:

Hawes Trail Alliance https://www.instagram.com/hawestrailalliance
Berks Trail Works https://www.instagram.com/berkstrailworks  
Bamba https://www.instagram.com/berksareamba
Frederick Watershed https://www.instagram.com/frederickwatershedtrails
Blue Mountain Bike Park https://www.instagram.com/bikepark_blue_mountain
Phoenixville Bike Park - https://www.instagram.com/phoenixvillebikepark 

The video version of this episode is also available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/NRFUG_IlTxk

The Ride and Laugh MTB podcast is hosted by Dan @the_ride_abides and Sage @TrailSage.  Join us as we discuss all things mountain biking!  Riding technique, MTB gear, bikes, nutrition, fitness, mindset and more! Feel the gratitude. Flow on the trails, Flow in life!  Please enjoy the content then like and subscribe.  Join the Ride & Laugh community in the comments and/or rideandlaugh1@gmail.com.

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