You need to have your tag displayed EVERY TIME YOU RIDE. Why though? The short version: not displaying your tag jeopardizes our access to the land our trails are built on. Read on for the long version…
Here at MTB Kingston, we are incredibly lucky to have a first class trail network available to us for a minimal cost. Our trail networks are built and maintained by an amazing team of volunteers. Whether through help with trails, event planning, or community building, it’s the enthusiasm of members like you that make our club such a special thing to be a part of. But there’s one other group that is absolutely crucial to the success of this club: our land owners.
Unlike other trail networks you may have visited, which may be on municipal land, MTB Kingston is entirely on private property. Over the length our our trail network, we have 9 different land owners who have generously allowed their land to be used for our single track. In return, all they ask is that our members be respectful and follow the trail rules.
Mountain biking is a risky sport. We all know this. The club holds insurance to mitigate those risks, and members sign liability waivers when signing up. A big part of your membership fee goes to insurance! Properly insured riders allow our land owners peace of mind, knowing that they aren’t at risk from all this crazy mountain biking happening on their property.
So what does this have to do with tags? TAGS INDICATE THAT YOU ARE A MEMBER, AND THUS INSURED. If a land owner sees you riding without a tag on their property, they have no way of differentiating you from a trespasser (and a liability risk). If this happens too much, we may lose the privilege of using those trails.
Don’t let that happen. Always ride with your tag displayed!