protectionMountain and Desert Bike Safetyprotection

WARNING!
THE DREAMRIDE BOMB SQUAD

DEALING WITH ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOR ON THE TRAIL

We save the best for last Dreamride operates in an extreme environment. While we do our best to adjust daily to the skills and interests of our small groups, we do not permit inappropriate or unwanted interference with decisions concerning logisitics and safety. Reasons are obvious to most, but there are stupid people out there and some of them ride a mountain bike. Our guides, instructors and supervisors are in charge for your SAFETY. We are also in charge of getting Search and Rescue to fly you to the hospital if you do something stupid.

Ignorance is no excuse to do something stupid.
Frankly, if you are reading this, it is a good sign. But it is important that you know this and understand that if you bring an idiot with you, you will pay for it. If you or another member of your group is vacant enough not to listen to the guide, overestimate skills in our company paperwork, or try an inappropriate technical move on the trail, we will boot you so that we don't have to put others through hell. If you LISTEN to the guide, who is IN CHARGE for your safety, you will not have to witness or experience an unpleasant event on the trail. If you have a problem with authority, then ride on your own. If you misrepresent your skills when booking, there is no refund when your guide tosses you out of the group FOR THE SAKE OF SAFETY FOR OTHER RIDERS.

It's a place, not a race!

Most of our groups are made up of intelligent professionals who pride themselves on adept social skills and an attention to physical fitness that brings them joy in their business and personal life. That said, we have had a very small percentage of clients who seem to pride themselves in anti-social behavior, just plain ole lying, a less-than-subtle death wish, and/or the ability to bring out the worst in others. And then there are people who come out and eat a huge slice of humble pie, then try to blame us because this sport is more difficult than expected. These personality anomalies are somewhat rare in our groups (because we work to eliminate the possibility--hence this web page), but a "rotten apple" can ruin everyone's day.

During our booking and evaluation process we try to eliminate, or safely allow for, "rogue" behavior. If you are a jerk, or are bringing in a group of jerks, and you actually understand that you can be a problem in a sexually or racially mixed group of professionals, then book a private package, please. This way we can allow for anti-social behavior (or a really good sense of humor), but not for dangerous behavior, which will get you ejected really fast. We welcome the anti-social, especially those who love nature, who KNOW they can be a problem with some "types" when taken too seriously. We understand! Give us a chance to serve you the right way, and give others a chance to enjoy their vacation.

Some "buddy" (that includes women, by the way) groups come out with very different abilities. Some bring along psychological tensions caused by the stresses of survival in an urban environment that would lead a person to want to go on a mountain bike vacation in the first place. Ego is standard equipment for "buddy" groups, conciously or unconciously. While resulting behaviors can be quite healthy and entertaining, even food for the funnies, they can sometimes cause problems with other riders who are not party to the "clic." A mix of egos compounded by a desperate attempt to "have fun" can be dangerous. Our accidental studies of "strange mountain bike buddy behavior" led us to a separate tour business for couples only (Super Elite and private couple packages are now available). Two friends, male or female, mixed or no, usually facilitate additional guests in the group quite easily. Couples seem to be able to keep their "little secrets" to themselves and due to their "coupleness" are not competing for sex or a place in the natural order of the tribe.

A group of three to five "buddies", however, is a different animal. Testosteron and estrogen dares, jokes, threats, and even latent and repressed sexuality or hostility rise to the surface in inappropriate displays of cruelty and veiled mean ego-war-phalanx behavior that would have Freud saying, "I told you so." Groups of human beings can be lead by a Satan, a Lt. Calley, or a Fletcher Christian into shooting women, children and old men in a ditch, giving up the ship for a short life on Pitcairn Island, or cast out in the middle of nowhere with no protection from the wrath of natural law.

All this is getting to is: BE CAREFUL WHO YOUR BRING WITH YOU ON YOUR TRIP! If you and/or your buddies form a gang on the trail or are openly cruel and bigoted to others in a group, we simply cannot allow you to ruin the day for the other fine people we serve. If you are "crazy like this," no problem, just book a private package so that we can best serve you in your insanity.

Slickrock is hard. Some people don't get it until they hit it.

Maturity is the most important element of determining skill level. Even a ten year old can rank high on maturity. You can be 40 and ride like the wind, but if you are wreckless and inconsiderate, you are not an advanced rider, just a liability. We ask our clients to hold the line, the temper, racial or sexist slurs, and keep a lid on the homophobia or we simply cannot feel good about handing you the mountain bike goodies we hold so dear. We cannot take openly inconsiderate and careless riders into sensitive desert environments or on trips with sane, nice people. If you gauge the value of a ride by how much equipment you break, then ride with someone else, please. A vacation is not a race and riding with careless abandon in Moab is like Russian Roulette. Advanced riders utilize a thing called "finesse." Riding with finesse keeps riders from breaking equipment when they go fast. If you normally break stuff, are into hammering, with your head down, bashing every wall, daring your buddies to ride the edge, loudly hooting at the thrill, then Dreamride is probably not the tour company you want to ride with. Moab is Pearls before Swine to those who do not appreciate the mystery of life and the natural world, as well as mountain biking. There is a time to go fast and slam it, but there must be compromises for the sake of the safety of any single individual in a group, . . . and the environment, always.

Click on SKILLS INDEX for a section of the website dedicated to skills tips, technical information and more information on environmental concerns and ecological damage already done.

Moab guidebook "There are trail guides; and then there's the real deal." ~ Bike Magazine

"Mountain Bike America's Moab guide is setting a new standard for guidebooks. Lee Bridgers' first-hand accounts give the reader a sense that they have some behind-the-scenes information about Moab." ~ Brian Fiske, Senior Editor of Mountain Bike Magazine

Lee Bridgers' Moab guidebook is now available in bookstores around the world. To order a signed copy come by our shop in Moab or call 1-888-MOABUTAH.

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Call 1 (888) MOAB UTAH in the states.
If you are calling from foreign shores the number is 435-259-6419.
FAX number is 435-259-8196.
or write to:

Dreamride
P.O. Box 1137
Moab, UT 84532

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