Bike
Bike
Mountain bike trail building tools, tips and tricks with Remy Morton
Australian mountain biker Remy Morton is no stranger to working on trails before zipping down them. Get his insights on the essentials needed for trail building right here.
For a 24-year-old, Morton has buckets full of wisdom and experience to share with the mountain bike trail building community, most of it gathered through his work with Flux Trail, a trail building company he co-owns and that played an integral role in athlete projects like Brook Macdonald'sDream Track.
The Australian has already described his seven steps to building a mountain bike trail here. Now he offers insight into the tools that you'll need, as well as other tips and tricks when building a trail.
01
Trail building tools
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work Morton goes
© Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool
Before you get started working on the dirt. You need to assemble tools to help you out, and for Morton there are seven tools that you can't do without.
- Square mouth shovel
- Round mouth shovel
- Nail rake
- Pick
- Hand saw
- Leaf rake
- Rock bar
1. Square mouth shovel
Use: Cutting roots, digging, moving, slapping, shaping and compacting dirt.
“If you’ve only got one tool, make sure it’s a square mouth shovel. If you really had to, you could literally build a trail from start to finish – it might be painful, but it’s the one tool you can do everything with. This is the tool you will be using the most.”
Morton is at ease with a shovel as he is with a mountain bike
© Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool
2. Round mouth shovel
Use: Shifting dirt.
“While the square mouth shovel is the best for shaping, slapping and compacting dirt, the round mouth shovel is far superior for moving dirt as it cuts through the ground easily.”
3. Nail rake
Use: Clearing vegetation, spreading dirt and creating a rough shape of the trail.
4. Pick
Use: Digging drains and trenches, creating bench cuts.
“The pick is essential for loosening up hardpacked dirt that you just can’t with a shovel.”
With a pick you can hack at almost anything on any terrain
© Adrian Berggren/Red Bull Content Pool
5. Hand saw
Use: Clearing necessary vegetation that the rake won’t cut through such as branches, roots or old logs.
6. Leaf rake
Use: Clearing vegetation and giving the trail a final buffer.
“I always use a leaf rake to give my trails a nice seal on the top layer of dirt. By carefully raking the trail at the end of the job, you can filter out all the tiny rocks, pebbles and tree roots that, if not removed, will flake out and create breaking bumps over time. It’s the ultimate final buffer.”
7. Rock bar
Use: Moving rocks.
“Essential for saving your back. If you have rocks on the terrain you’re building, the rock bar gives you the leverage to move them easily. At first it may seem like a pain to carry around, but when you can move a rock in five minutes compared to two hours, trust me, you'll be grateful.”
02
Tips and tricks to building mountain bike trails
Work hard first, play later
© Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool
Build with the terrain, rather than against it
“Use the land to your advantage. If you’re using the natural terrain, you will automatically be creating the sickest trail. It will also naturally drain well and therefore be sustainable.”
Learn to build as you learn to ride
“If you’re wanting to get better at riding, start building. By learning the two side-by-side, you can build trails at the level you think you should be riding, rather than using trails beyond your limit. It’s a safe way for riders to progress.”
Respect the land
“Some of the oldest existing things on this planet are trails and rock work. Trail building is adding a form of transport that will help a community in some way. I like treating it like an art form and respecting the land by making it look as natural and as beautiful as I can. It’s like a big painting on a mountain.”
Working on the land can be such a rewarding activity
© Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool
Look after your mental health
"I believe trail building is the biggest escape you can have from the world.
"If you’re having a bad day, sometimes riding won't fix that – you might not ride well or just feel a bit off. With trail building, you can do it no matter what. Whether it’s building a shape or clearing vegetation, you’ll always progress and walk away satisfied. It helps me overcome things and express myself. There are not many activities that can do that every time.”
Give back to the mountain bike community
“Trail building and maintenance is your donation back to the sport. If you believe a town, community or bike park is missing something, speak out and push to build it. Seeing your own ideas come to life is awesome. You can walk away knowing you’ve helped that community gain a new asset.”
