# Backyard Trails



## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

Hey.

Been getting fairly serious about biking this summer. I've got a very small patch of woods behind my house and i've been slowly putting together trails through it. I've been looking for inspiration and advice on what obstacles to add.

Mainly, i like to be able to get in a ride after work on weekdays, so having something in the back yard to run a bunch of laps on is nice. But I'd also like to improve my skills so i want to add some tech stuff. 

I built a small log-ride-bridge thing. It was a disaster. I recently rebuilt it and it came out a bit better. 

I tried to put together a banked turn but that didn't work out too well. Needs to be higher.

Anyone have any suggestions or links to obstacles that are easy to build and take up minimal space? I have a chainsaw, hand tools and a bad back  so i've got to keep the projects pretty small. I would also much prefer to maintain a pretty natural look, so anything made from logs, rocks, dirt, etc... would be great.

Thanks a lot


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

how about a rock garden? i made one in my old backyard trails. took about 3 hours to set up about 20 feet worth of extremely rough rocky terrain. just make sure to dig them into the ground a bit and cover them with additional dirt so they settle nicely over time and dont just roll around. extra points for putting them on a slope so you can work on your technical climbing and descending, or in an area with camber to work on your balance.

not the most back-friendly project, though, so find a friend to help.


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## Boulder Pilot (Jan 23, 2004)

Check out the IMBA website. They know a little bit on how to construct trails. 

Happy Trails.


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

Rock garden is probably a good project s4 (is that an audi reference?). I had a ton of good sized rocks in my woods, but i used most of them up. I had to cut a path into the side of a steep ridge to enable me to bike out of the woods back up to the house without having to dismount. I dug out a trench, but fearing it would erode immediately, i gathered up all the good sized rocks i could find and embedded them. Most of the rocks remaining in the woods are either too small to be useful or too big to move so i might have a challenge on my hands. Pic of work-in-progress from a while ago.

I've got a TON of logs stacked up doing nothing. How would a 'log garden' work out?

I'm so aggrivated... my back is an absolute mess after working on my log bridge last weekend. Hoping it recovers enough to get some riding in this weekend

Thanks for the reference Bouler Pilot. I just checked out the site. Looks like they offer a trail-building book for sale. I'll consider it:

Trail Building and Design | International Mountain Bicycling Association

thanks


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## robbiexor (Aug 22, 2011)

Looks good, but I would recommend blending your back cut just a bit more. Probably a minor detail here, especially with a rock tread, but you don't want water waterfalling down onto your tread surface.
edited picture link


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

Thanks for the tip and marked up image. I'll look into it. 

I'm due to run a little maintence on that rock path anyway. A few rocks shifted a lot over time and at the top of the path i got lazy... the transition from dirt to rock isn't as smooth as it should be. I need to continue the path another few feet to improve the flow.

Couple of pics of my little log bridge. Nothing special but it's a great learning obstacle cuz my balance is pretty poor. I rushed it a bit so it's not as well built as it could be. To improve stability i bored ~1" holes through the tread logs into the support logs and pounded in thin branches as pegs. That helped hold things together a bit. If a pro was building this sort of obstacle, how are things held together? Lag bolts? Railroad spikes? I'm a fan of going 100% natural, but admittedly, the wood pegs will be of questionable longevity.


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## robbiexor (Aug 22, 2011)

Professionals would probably use large nails (I think there's a name for them, but they're about 8" long), and larger logs, larger supports. For you though, this is probably fine. By the time it breaks down, you'll be ready to conquer something bigger.


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

The 1/2" fir (not treated) pegs in this are over 10 years old and still just as tight as the day I put them in. I consider this method as an art form and I use the argument that when it rots, there's nothing man made left in the forest. This bridge is very far out in the bush. I had a log bridge almost exactly like the one you built and I used 8" spiral nails like you used your pegs. It's portable and I dragged it all over my backyard to change up my "skills park". It's been holding up well for 2 years. Sorry, I don't have any pictures of it.


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

robbiexor - larger logs proably would improve stability. there's a tree down on the edge of my property and i really want to snag it to build more obstacles  but it's right along the property border and it fell onto my neighbor's side so i'm reluctant to claim it. i asked him if he minded if i 'cleaned it up' for him, but he was kind of wishy washy... i think he's afraid i'll cut my arm off on his property and sue him or something. oh well.



Trail Ninja said:


> The 1/2" fir (not treated) pegs in this are over 10 years old and still just as tight as the day I put them in. I consider this method as an art form *and I use the argument that when it rots, there's nothing man made left in the forest. *


yeah, that's what i'm going for. if i get sick of riding or have to move or whatever, i want to be able to just leave everything as-is and be content that it will do no harm and eventually just disappear. :thumbsup:

i'm furious over how much garbage finds its way into my woods. especially the insane, preposterous amount of glass there is burried everywhere. after every rainfall, i have to do glass patrol along my trails and find all the newly uncovered pieces.

it seems in decades past people just threw all their old glass bottles and jars into whatever nearby woods were available. there was a very similar issue in the neighborhood where i grew up - the wooded lots near my house were full of glass - earned myself i nice gash in my hand when i was about 10 picking up a ball that happen to come to rest next to a piece of glass sticking out of the ground. still rocking the scar from that one. :madmax:

the dowel for the pegs seems like a good idea. i used a cordless drill + 4 batteries to get my ~1" holes drilled. i think the logs might be oak... whatever it is, it's tough to drill through. how is it working with that manual drill? a better bit probably would have served me well.


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

Trail Ninja - almost forgot - nice bridge pic. are those store-bought tred planks or sawn from logs?

i'm a little bit into woodworking outside of trailbuilding and the prospect of buying a chainsaw-mill setup and sawing my own lumber is very appealing. too bad it cost a fortune and my saw probably couldn't handle it (Husquvarna Rancher 450 or something like that).


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## ltfubar (Jul 10, 2012)

I have about 1 acre to work with, it has some nice features to work with and enough rocks to build 3 gardens. it does not have much of a slope so i am constructing some platforms and ramps that will go about 8 ft high. I just finished repairing my seesaw.

bike seesaw


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

that's awesome. i hadn't even thought about trying to make a see-saw.

i'm crammed into a tiny ~1/2 acre so it really restricts what i can do. i have a nice drop-in hill as pictured above and one pretty sweet giant rock in the ground that serves as sort of a drop. really looking to spice it up a bit with tech stuff. 

also looking to add banked turns so i can keep some speed through the tight turns i have to use to keep the trail within my property. i recently tried digging a curved trench, standing up some logs in a row along the trench, then backfilling to create a banked turn. i think i had the right idea but it has to be 2 or 3 times bigger for it to be effective. digging alone by hand makes it difficult though. any advice on that?


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## s4gobabygo (Sep 1, 2008)

this isnt really much, but you may also want to try a couple narrow "bridges". keep them as low as you're comfortable with... even a few inches off the ground is enough. go as narrow as you think you'll be able to manage, and work in a couple slight bends. i had a nice one at my old house that was only about 1-2 feet off the ground at the highest point, but it was about 40 feet long and made of 4x4, so it was quite narrow (though you can use 2x6, 2x8, 2x10, etc, depending on how good your balance is). it had 3 alternating bends in it at about 15 degrees each, 10 feet apart. i dont think ive ever ridden an obstacle that did more for my balance. unfortunately i dont have any pictures, but it was as simple as you could possibly imagine... just a few 10-foot 4x4s end to end, supported by large logs at each joint.


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## drew p (Jan 20, 2012)

Trail Ninja said:


> The 1/2" fir (not treated) pegs in this are over 10 years old and still just as tight as the day I put them in. I consider this method as an art form and I use the argument that when it rots, there's nothing man made left in the forest. This bridge is very far out in the bush. I had a log bridge almost exactly like the one you built and I used 8" spiral nails like you used your pegs. It's portable and I dragged it all over my backyard to change up my "skills park". It's been holding up well for 2 years. Sorry, I don't have any pictures of it.
> View attachment 719179


I'd like to try this kind of attachment. Care to offer up any tricks and techniques for making these connections?


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## pascale27 (Aug 26, 2011)

simple skinny over a low log PT 2x6 wood screwed into the log with undersupports. Simple and a confidence builder since it's low to the ground


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

@lopolyjoe, you want to have lots of time to kill if you're using hand tools like the brace & bit and a pocket knife for carving dowels. the advantage is weight, stealth & you never run out of fuel or batteries. the forstner bit I used on that project is a lot slower than an auger bit and there's no good reason not to use an auger bit. I carve the dowels tapered to wedge into the log below the plank. If the wood is all dry when you build, it will swell as soon as it gets wet and probably never competely dry out to the moisture level you built with. This keeps the pegs firmly wedged.

The planks were rough sawn by a friend & they are only 3/4". normally I would use much thicker planks but that bridge was designed to frighten equestrians and moto-riders. It will only handle about 300 lbs. On Vancouver Island where this bridge is, we are fortunate to have red cedar lying around in the forest & lots of people including me split planks from red cedar logs.

Saw mill: You don't need an Alaskan Mill. This little gadget works great.
Beam Machine® - Lee Valley Tools

Take your time cutting boards because you can strain your saw even with a rip chain. Give your Husky lots of rests & it will eventually do the job for you.


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

glad to see some good feedback. thanks guys.

Trail Ninja - great link to the beam machine. maybe i'll give it a shot. i need to get a rip-chain as well.

i was using auger bits to drill the holes for my pegs (bits of branches) but the bits are low quality and super dull so it took forever.


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## longms (Apr 10, 2012)

Trail Ninja- What hatchet is that in your picture?


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## pascale27 (Aug 26, 2011)

Trail Ninja said:


> @lopolyjoe, you want to have lots of time to kill if you're using hand tools like the brace & bit and a pocket knife for carving dowels. the advantage is weight, stealth & you never run out of fuel or batteries. the forstner bit I used on that project is a lot slower than an auger bit and there's no good reason not to use an auger bit. I carve the dowels tapered to wedge into the log below the plank. If the wood is all dry when you build, it will swell as soon as it gets wet and probably never competely dry out to the moisture level you built with. This keeps the pegs firmly wedged.
> 
> The planks were rough sawn by a friend & they are only 3/4". normally I would use much thicker planks but that bridge was designed to frighten equestrians and moto-riders. It will only handle about 300 lbs. On Vancouver Island where this bridge is, we are fortunate to have red cedar lying around in the forest & lots of people including me split planks from red cedar logs.
> 
> ...


How does that thing work? Do you need a certain size saw?


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

Sorry guys, I'm in and out of the hospital getting cancer treatments (all together now... Awwww... OK that's enough.). Bear with me if I disappear every once in a while.

@longms it's a Gerber Gator mini hatchet. the little knife fits in the handle. a very handy "survival" tool.
Gerber Gator Combo Axe at REI.com
Not perfect, but for $35 not a bad investment.

The Beam Machine clamps on the saw blade and slides along a 2x4 you nail to your log. It will work just fine on any saw. The saw is working very hard so use a better quality saw and give it lots of rests. Sharpen your chain lots.

A rip chain doesn't really help much. they tend to be expensive, wear out just as fast as a regular chain and don't cut noticeably faster in my opinion.


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## longms (Apr 10, 2012)

@Trail Ninja- thanks for the info. That thing looks sweet. I may have to pick up that one and the next size up.


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## pascale27 (Aug 26, 2011)

Trail Ninja said:


> Sorry guys, I'm in and out of the hospital getting cancer treatments (all together now... Awwww... OK that's enough.). Bear with me if I disappear every once in a while.
> 
> @longms it's a Gerber Gator mini hatchet. the little knife fits in the handle. a very handy "survival" tool.
> Gerber Gator Combo Axe at REI.com
> ...


thanks for the additional info. so it's still a lot of wear and tear on the saw. sounds like I'll stick to the "X" method for making log rides


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

Geez - sorry to hear it Trail Ninja. Wish you the best.

I'm getting my back fixed up via meds and physical therapy so i'm hoping to do a little more work on my backyard trail in the coming month or so. Haven't ordered the Beam Machine yet because i don't have any serious lumber to play with at the moment. Hopefully we get a big storm and a few trees fall over  Can't bring myself to cut any down for no good reason

I read some different views about rip-chains online. Bunch of people say you can just grind your existing chain at a different angle and improve it's rip characteristics. Maybe i'll give that a shot. 

I have a hand-file set and dremell tool attachments for sharpening. I know harbor freight sells that benchtop chainsaw chain sharpener but i haven't tried it. Any advice on sharpening - i just been winging it and haven't had any problems yet but i do very limited work with the saw


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

lowpolyjoe said:


> Geez - sorry to hear it Trail Ninja. Wish you the best.
> 
> I'm getting my back fixed up via meds and physical therapy so i'm hoping to do a little more work on my backyard trail in the coming month or so. Haven't ordered the Beam Machine yet because i don't have any serious lumber to play with at the moment. Hopefully we get a big storm and a few trees fall over  Can't bring myself to cut any down for no good reason
> 
> ...


I hardly ever use power tools. I just sharpen the chain at the angle it's already at, I don't even bother using a guide. I'm probably not the best person to ask.

This is my tool kit.


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## bayoulee (Aug 21, 2012)

Hello, Im not trying to hijack your thread, it is just the closest thing to my topic. Im building some trails on my property which is flat farmland with some timber, and pretty boring. The forum wont let me post to ask questions as I havent posted! I havent had anything to say until know, so Im kind of lost. Cool looking obstacles BTW!
Thanks,
Lee


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## bayoulee (Aug 21, 2012)

I''m new to trail building, but I have cut and burned wood most of my life. I've never heard of a "rip chain". I know a new chain will rip logs very well. Also, with a small hand file, give the guides 1-2 strokes to knock them down a little. Not too much, or it will jerk your saw out of your hand. I personally just use a small round file to sharpen chains, but I used to have the dremel and it workd good. You go through chains a lot quicker though, and also if your not careful, you heat up the teeth, and take out the temper or get the edge to thin and roll it.


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

great info, thanks bayoulee. i've cut up a bunch of trees to cleanup my yard and make some small obstacles, but my chainsaw skills are pretty limited. 

the dremel bit makes sharpening really quick but i am worried that i'm taking off too much material with it. 

when you use the round hand file for sharpening, how many strokes do you generally give per cutter? i think i read it only takes a few, but i always felt like it wasn't doing much so i would run 10-15 strokes. i had mixed results with the hand file, but a lot of the problem was my old chainsaw, which wasn't so great (an old ryobi that went out of production a while back). 

the husquvarna i got this past year is a much better saw. i've only sharpened the chain once.(with the dremel) and it's cutting pretty good.


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## bayoulee (Aug 21, 2012)

No,no, I only hit the file 3 strokes unless I have a jacked up tooth from hitting some wire or rock etc. Best thing is dont let it get too dull to begin with. If you have been sharpening that much, you probably need to hit the guides a lick or two. If your guides are higher than your teeth, you're spinning your wheels. You can tell if they are shiny and worn. I keep a couple of chains in case I bugger one up, then I jsut switch chains and keep going.


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

ah - thanks... sounds like i may have killed that chain with my last saw because i had it a few years and sharpened the chain (i only had one) a bunch of times with a lot of strokes. 

i'll be more careful with the chain on my new saw and watch the guides. i'll probably pick up a spare chain as well. 

i had to give up on the old saw cuz i hit a rock and bent the bar and couldn't find a replacement. it's sitting in my shed next to an old bike. i feel like i should be able to cobble the two together and get a moped out of the deal some how  heh.


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

bayoulee said:


> Hello, Im not trying to hijack your thread, it is just the closest thing to my topic. Im building some trails on my property which is flat farmland with some timber, and pretty boring. The forum wont let me post to ask questions as I havent posted! I havent had anything to say until know, so Im kind of lost. Cool looking obstacles BTW!
> Thanks,
> Lee


oops.. i didn't even see this post because it got stuck at the bottom of page1 and i jumped straight to page 2 today.

i think there's a 5-post requirement before you can start a new thread. annoying...being relatively new to the sport, i had a hard time finding 5 places where i could make any sort of relevant comment to make the limit. . looks like you're almost there now. i think the policy helps prevent spam posts for pills and stuff

did you build any obstacles yet or you just starting out? would love to see some pics. very cool to see what people are up to.


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

bayoulee said:


> I''m new to trail building, but I have cut and burned wood most of my life. I've never heard of a "rip chain". I know a new chain will rip logs very well. Also, with a small hand file, give the guides 1-2 strokes to knock them down a little. Not too much, or it will jerk your saw out of your hand. I personally just use a small round file to sharpen chains, but I used to have the dremel and it workd good. You go through chains a lot quicker though, and also if your not careful, you heat up the teeth, and take out the temper or get the edge to thin and roll it.


They make rip chains and sell them to somebody.
OREGON brand 95R Ripping chain saw chain

I've never used one but the people I know who used them couldn't see a lot of difference between a good sharp regular chain and a rip chain.


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## bayoulee (Aug 21, 2012)

I'm taking a beer break, so I Thot Id post. I snapped some quick shots bfore I went to the woods
Well, I took some pics of the saw and file angles to show you, but can't figure how to post pics now!


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## bayoulee (Aug 21, 2012)

Do you have to send them to a photobucket or such first?
I'd like to try that rip chain for my beams on my bridges. The bridges and retaining wall around one of my little ponds are the only obstacles so far. Will pic later. Racing the sun.


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

I think posting pics has a required min post count rule. Might be 5 or 10. I can't remember. Don't need photobucket once you pass that post count

Drinking anything good?


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## Dan K. Farmer (May 13, 2012)

Thanks to the op for this thread....been meaning to build a section of trail on my 21 acres for awhile and this inspired me to get my arse in gear and make it happen. Here's a pic (a crappy one at that) of my 24' skinny, I also have a 8' ladder bridge to drop. Only the start of what eventually will make a decent loop around my property, but it's a start.


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## bayoulee (Aug 21, 2012)

Ninja, that's some old world craftsmanship. You ever build any timber frame structures w brace bit and dowels?


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

bayoulee said:


> Ninja, that's some old world craftsmanship. You ever build any timber frame structures w brace bit and dowels?


Yes. No houses, but barns, sheds, porches and furniture. Squared my own timbers and everything. I shop for tools in antique stores.

The framing for that bridge is all compression fit, round mortis and tenon, hand carved, and it's free standing. It takes forever to build that way but like I said, for me it's an art form and a passion.

I'm self taught out of necessity. For a long time I lived WAY off the grid. No gasoline or electricity for 50 miles. 20 miles to the nearest road. Not anymore though. When they clear cut my "home" I decided to move into town.


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## bayoulee (Aug 21, 2012)

That's really cool. I helped a buddy tear down an old barn his great granpa built several years ago and we saved the beans out of it to put in his house someday.


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## bayoulee (Aug 21, 2012)

Ten. I'll post those pics of the file angle/stroke.


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## bayoulee (Aug 21, 2012)

I tried to show the progression of the file stroke. Also, make sure you have the right size file. You want to be sure and keep your angle nice and straight, and just take a long, even forward stroke. You should see some filings rolling off the tooth. move the chain around and do the next tooth. When you finish one side, go to the next! If you look at the tip of my screwdriver, it is sitting on one of the guides. Take a small flat file, (or your dremel) and LIGHTLY, take a small bit off each guide. Its easier to go back and take more off if needed. Good Luck!


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

Dan K. Farmer said:


> Thanks to the op for this thread....been meaning to build a section of trail on my 21 acres for awhile and this inspired me to get my arse in gear and make it happen. Here's a pic (a crappy one at that) of my 24' skinny, I also have a 8' ladder bridge to drop. Only the start of what eventually will make a decent loop around my property, but it's a start.


Good stuff Dan. Jealous of your 21acres. Extra points for dog in the pic :thumbsup:

Curious, what was your method on that? Cross-cut 1/2 way through then rip cut each segment with a chainsaw? Or can you knock out those segments with an axe or pick when you make close cross-cuts like that?

I have one skinny tree that fell during a storm a while back - maybe i can make something similar out of it.. might be too thin tho.


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

bayoulee said:


> I tried to show the progression of the file stroke. Also, make sure you have the right size file. You want to be sure and keep your angle nice and straight, and just take a long, even forward stroke. You should see some filings rolling off the tooth. move the chain around and do the next tooth. When you finish one side, go to the next! If you look at the tip of my screwdriver, it is sitting on one of the guides. Take a small flat file, (or your dremel) and LIGHTLY, take a small bit off each guide. Its easier to go back and take more off if needed. Good Luck!


Great - i appreciate the info and pics. I had the right hand-file for my last chain but i think the new saw has different size cutters... the dremel kit i bought had 3 size bits and one of them fit perfectly in the new chain. i'm a little worried about taking too much off so i'll see about getting in the habit of running a small number of hand-file passes more frequently. Thanks a lot

Glad to see you got your thread up and running... definitely will be following that.


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## bayoulee (Aug 21, 2012)

No prob, hope it helps! All these obstacles are too cool. Nice job on that pole Dan. looks like a great way for me to break an arm! lol I may have to try one of those.


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## Dan K. Farmer (May 13, 2012)

Thanks guys, Yeah I just used a chainsaw to score the log to about 2/3-1/2 of it's original diameter. Then I took a good hatchet and hammer and just pounded the hatchet in like a wedge. Worked pretty slick throughout most of the log, but had to do a little chopping where knot's were located.


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## prooperator (Jan 31, 2007)

*Use a vice...*

when sharpening a chainsaw. It makes the jobs much easier and holds the bar still so you dont have to wrestle the saw. Also, apply a little pressure upwards while sharpening for the best results.:thumbsup:


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## luket666 (Sep 13, 2012)

lowpolyjoe said:


> Hey.
> 
> Been getting fairly serious about biking this summer. I've got a very small patch of woods behind my house and i've been slowly putting together trails through it. I've been looking for inspiration and advice on what obstacles to add.
> 
> ...


You should build a pumptrack, they are good fun.


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

thanks for the tip prooperator - i'll keep it in mind. is that busted ankle avatar from biking? i've fractured both mine, but those were skateboarding injuries. tweaked my ankle biking last weekend for the first time ever (falling off trying to ride a round log - my balance is terrible). i'm hoping my bad ankles don't haunt me in this sport as well.

luke - good suggestion. i've never ridden one, but that does sound like fun. i have pretty limited stright-line distance so i'm not sure i can pull it off. there is one straight could be a good candidate. i'll scope it out this weekend and see if i can make it happen. i see some pump-track threads in this forum so i'll do some reading. not sure what the period of the wave is supposed to be, etc...


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

did some recon in my woods and realized there was a section of fallen tree-trunk that was a good candidate for a low log-ride. 

my back wasn't happy about it, but i dragged the sucker to a good location and set it up.

it's very narrow for my current skill level but it's short so it's a safe learning obstacle. Maybe ~10ft long

Unsure yet if i'll leave it round or break out the saw and flatten the top. Pretty much all the log-rides on my local trails are round, so i'd like to practice that. Can't believe how aweful i am at it. Should get a good amount of practice with this little addition.


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

lowpolyjoe said:


> did some recon in my woods and realized there was a section of fallen tree-trunk that was a good candidate for a low log-ride.
> 
> my back wasn't happy about it, but i dragged the sucker to a good location and set it up.
> 
> ...


12" diameter, scored about every 3 inches with a bowsaw and the pieces were removed with the heel of my boot.









I flatten everything even if it's only a 2 or 3 inch wide surface. Wet and round is very hard to ride unless you have a huge wide log.


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## bayoulee (Aug 21, 2012)

Cool vid! ! My luck, I'd land across that log w my teeth!


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

It took that kid 26 tries to ride that log. Once he did it he never came back. The forest took the log ride back years ago.


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

good stuff Ninja. 

i agree a round log is unfriendly in wet weather. unfortunately, it seems none of the obstacles in my nearby park trails ever get flattened. if i hope to ride them on the fly, i'm thinking maybe leave my back yard stuff similar so i can practice with the closest relavant experience. 

frustratingly, more back problems may put me off the bike for a while so i won't be able to play anyway :madmax:


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

wow, crazy storm near me last night (north jersey).

the wind pushed one of the trees in the woods so hard that the root ball rose ~3' out of the ground and it almost came down. i saw the makings of a nice new 30' log ride  but it came back to rest in place when the gust settled. i went back inside after that 

not sure how much damage that did to the root system. it happens to be one of the nicest looking trees in my yard so i would hate to see it go. i live on the top of a small 'mountain' so there is very little soil before you hit solid rock. causes a lot of problems for the larger trees maintaining a solid footing. if we have another crazy snowstorm in october like we did last year, i have a feeling this guy is gonna come down


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## edgeyforsure (Aug 15, 2012)

wow i wish i had the space some of you guys have, looks great fun


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## rdd1986 (Mar 13, 2012)

I just bought a house and am moving this weekend. It happens to be 5.5 acres on a big hill and this is giving me all kinds of ideas!


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

My entire property is/was (I gave it to my wife) 1/4 of an acre.
Fortunately it was attached to millions of acres of private forest land. I have permission to build anywhere on that land.

The trail in my backyard.









200 miles of trails connected to my backyard. No, I didn't build all of it.









My backyard now.


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## lowpolyjoe (Mar 7, 2011)

I picked up a Beam Machine recently. I had a bunch of trees down from hurricane Sandy and wanted to make the most of them.

Right now i'm just cutting boards to use for some projects inside my house, but i'll probably end up using it to make some planks for obstacles on my backyard track.


The Beam Machine works pretty well but it has some shortcommings if you're trying to cut long, straight, true boards....It was my first attempt at any saw-mill work so maybe others will have better luck. 

Just figured i'd share some pics


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

Much discussion of "skinnies" but none about log overs. If you haven't already, put a log across your trail to learn to cross them _without_ having smaller limbs piled beside it to form a ramp. Increase the log size as you progress. The same skill is used to get over large rocks or up ledges.

I'm frequently surprised by new dead fall or blowdowns across the trail. Rarely am I forced to ride a skinny.

Make sure the log is large or long enough to stay put or stake it down. A small log can roll with the back tire and send you OTB. I only took that ride once when I first set up my own trails.


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

lowpolyjoe said:


> I picked up a Beam Machine recently. I had a bunch of trees down from hurricane Sandy and wanted to make the most of them.
> 
> Right now i'm just cutting boards to use for some projects inside my house, but i'll probably end up using it to make some planks for obstacles on my backyard track.
> 
> ...


I love the Beam Machine. It's no Alaskan Mill but it's easy to carry with you.:thumbsup:


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## Trail Ninja (Sep 25, 2008)

gmcttr said:


> Much discussion of "skinnies" but none about log overs. If you haven't already, put a log across your trail to learn to cross them _without_ having smaller limbs piled beside it to form a ramp. Increase the log size as you progress. The same skill is used to get over large rocks or up ledges.
> 
> I'm frequently surprised by new dead fall or blowdowns across the trail. Rarely am I forced to ride a skinny.
> 
> Make sure the log is large or long enough to stay put or stake it down. A small log can roll with the back tire and send you OTB. I only took that ride once when I first set up my own trails.


I think the lack of discussion on single log ride-overs is because there isn't really any "building" involved. On the trails I've built and on most trails I ride there are plenty of them.

Here's a thread discussing log rideovers. Mostly about ramping them but a pretty good read anyway.
http://forums.mtbr.com/trail-building-advocacy/log-ramps-good-bad-how-best-build-them-811664.html


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

Trail Ninja said:


> I think the lack of discussion on single log ride-overs is because...


I probably should have worded it differently. I intended to make a case for the skill needed to ride a simple log-over as being important for many aspects of mtbing. I think it is often overlooked in the "backyard" skills area and as you pointed out, one of the easiest to include.


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