Bringing an Old Feature Back to Life
I created this design in Trimble’s SketchUp as a starting point for replacing a popular expert-level mountain bike trail feature at Backyard Trails in Charlotte, North Carolina. The original feature was unsanctioned and built by sawyers using fallen cedar harvested from the surrounding woods. While that approach gave the feature its character, the replacement presents an opportunity to improve its functionality, durability, safety, and long-term maintainability.
Original Structure & Condition
These photos provide some context for the proposed replacement. The feature is currently not rideable and ongoing maintenance efforts were abandoned years ago.
~ 2018
2026
Design Methodology
- Modern Mountain Bike Geometry: Mountain bikes have gotten longer over the years, so the new design incorporates a longer entry ramp and platform to better accommodate modern bikes and improve the riding experience. The feature is also wider, increasing from approximately 3 feet to 4 feet to provide riders with a little more room to work with while adding only a slight price increase.
- Structural Support: The design incorporates additional vertical support posts to reduce the span of the structural members and the tributary area supported by each post. This distributes loads across more supports, reduces stress on individual components, and is intended to improve the feature’s durability and safety.
- Material and Construction Efficiency: The feature was modeled using readily available dimensional lumber, with material sizes selected to balance cost, efficient cutting, and transportation. This includes maximizing usable cuts from standard lumber lengths, minimizing waste, and accounting for the challenge of transporting materials by vehicle and then by hand into the woods. Modeling the feature in SketchUp also allows for more accurate material estimates and a more efficient construction process.
- Long-Term Maintenance: Harvesting fallen logs at this location is not a practical approach to rebuilding this feature. Using standardized dimensional lumber makes it easier to source replacement materials, repair individual components, and maintain the structure over time.
Replacement Design
What’s Next
The design work is complete, and I’ve prepared a detailed materials list covering lumber, hardware, and other supplies, along with cut sheets and installation instructions. The next step is turning the plans into a finished structure. Because this feature was designed specifically for its location on this trail, I’ve chosen not to publish the full construction drawings and specifications.
For now, the renderings provide a look at the initial design and what I hope to bring to life on the trail in the near future.