What Do Trail Builders Drive?
When I show up for a dig day and pull into the parking lot at the trailhead, most often, the three things I unintentionally notice and pay attention to are (1) what people are driving, (2) how they're carrying their bikes, and (3) what bikes they brought.
I know, call me weird.
It's only been recently that it finally dawned on me that this is something I observe. I love seeing all of the vehicles that trail builders drive.
Old rugged beat-up pickup trucks to brand new sleek electric ones.
Fully kitted-out conversion vans to janky old ones.
SUVs that are primed for off-road exploring to ones that seem to leave the pavement rarely.
So, why am I writing about this? As I've shared previously, trail building touches on many topics. That ranges from the actual trails themselves, but it often goes beyond that. We talk about writing grants to fund trails, advocating for more trails, bidding jobs, managing relationships with land owners, interacting with the government, selecting the right tools, and so much more.
The vehicles that trail builders drive to the trailhead and work sites are just as much part of trail building as the topics mentioned above.
There are two main reasons why I've been stewing on this topic lately. First, as I continue to work on and upgrade my 1995 Chevy Sportvan (also known as "Nacho the Van"), I'm looking into all kinds of accessories like roof racks, retractable awnings, beefier tires, security systems, attachments to carry tools, etc. It's a work in progress and fun! This personal journey makes me feel more connected to the topic, and I hope it does the same for you.
Second, we have a growing spreadsheet that lists all of the different brands we are reaching out to. That could be for collaborations, reviews, ads, etc. The potential for these partnerships is exciting. While we have lists of companies that make tools, packs, or helmets, it dawned on me that since vehicles play a significant role in trail building, why not explore this more?
My goal? To connect brands with you. So many amazing companies are out there creating fantastic products that I want to showcase before you. Whether they're focused on making accessories for Overlanding, creating bike or roof racks, or designing brilliant in-vehicle storage systems, these are the things I know many of you geek out about. I know I do.
So how about you? What do you notice when you pull up to the trailhead? More than that, what do you want to see us review regarding vehicles and all of the cool and fun attachments, upgrades, and accessories? What would be helpful content for trail builders, whether we're talking about getting to and from work sites or camping/vanlifing, which is also part of mountain biking?
Use the discount code TBM#3 for 15% of two or more BST tools at Tools for Trails.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean Benesh
Sean is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Trail Builder Mag. He is also the Communications Director for the Northwest Trail Alliance in Portland, Oregon. While in grad school, he worked as a mountain biking guide in Southern Arizona. Sean also spends time in the classroom as a digital media instructor at Warner Pacific University.
