How do you put singletrack through a field?

[EveryDaysANewDay]

Hello, I was wondering, what's a good way to lay singletrack through an open field? Do you mow it really close and then hope there's enough traffic to carve singletrack? Or do you take an ATV out there on a muddy day?

[wooglin]

Carve is such a dirty word. So is ATV. Just mow it and use it, and after 200 years or so it'll be perfect.....

[radair]

ATV = doubletrack.

Mow it and ride. Or burn it in with a dirt bike.

[namaSSte]

burn it in with a dirt bike.

ding, ding, ding!!! winna!!! that's how we do it whether its a field or in the woods. a dirt bike can cut a trail in very very quickly. as a bonus, its freaky good fun!

[fred3]

ding, ding, ding!!! winna!!! that's how we do it whether its a field or in the woods. a dirt bike can cut a trail in very very quickly. as a bonus, its freaky good fun!

although it's probably one of the faster ways it's not a very good way. Mow it in the field and then ride it. If it doesn't get enough riding it will grow back. That's not a bad thing. What is bad is using a dirt bike or an atv. While both are quick both do some damage. Doing it while wet is even worse.

But if it's your land do as you please.

[Casual Observer]

What is bad is using a dirt bike or an atv. While both are quick both do some damage.

How do you figure?

[namaSSte]

How do you figure?

let's get things straight...its ok to mow singletrack into a field then ride the snot out of it until it becomes sweet dirt ribbon but its bad to ride a dirt bike to accomplish the same thing. interesting theory. in the end you get some new singletrack but its better to get it one way vs another.

Fred, you got some 'splainin to do if you think this makes sense. A friend of mine has some good acreage that he wanted to use for mtb trails. We rode dirt bikes on it for about 2 weeks and bingo, we had the start of a nice trail system that was rideable on the mtb. Had we tried to track that in using only bikes, it would ahve taken forever and most likely would have found us getting frustrated and stopping in favor of hitting trails that were already established. Responsibly used, a dirt bike can cut a trail quicker than anything else I know of. The quicker its cut, the sooner you can ride it, the sooner and more often you ride it, the better it gets. Make a trail that is no fun since it's nearly impassable or just grass and then expecting folks to go ride it for hours upon hours until it becomes dirt just doesn't work. Then again, if you talked nicely to the deer, maybe they'd lend a hand.

Hope you see my point and don't take it personally, I simply don't agree with your POV.