Bike Unit Keeps the Peace in Mountains : Recreation: Volunteer patrol has helped keep trails open in the Santa Monicas by maintaining etiquette among the hikers, bikers and equestrians.

Thirty mountain bikers who want to save their sport from its marauding fringe element gathered in a Malibu auditorium Saturday to be indoctrinated into a volunteer patrol that polices the trails and back roads of the Santa Monica Mountains.

On this day, they were an eclectic mix of retirees, professionals and students. But by the end of March, they will emerge from a 40-hour training regimen as the members of a unit that authorities say holds the best hope for keeping the peace among bikers, hikers and equestrians in the increasingly crowded backcountry.

They are the Mountain Biking Unit, or to aficionados of the local foothills, the “Bumblebees”-- named for their distinctive florescent yellow jerseys and black shorts.

The group was founded seven years ago, when the gonzo behavior of a few mountain bikers caused park officials to consider closing some trails to cycling. Today, most routes remain open, but the biking unit finds itself trying to cope with crowds that come with an ever-burgeoning interest in the sport.

“There are two main problems out there now,” said Robert Heagy, a National Park Service ranger. “First, there are the people who are new to the sport. You see them out there every spring with their new bikes. They don’t realize what effect they are having on other people. Then there are the pro riders; they are practicing and they just want to go fast.”

Heagy told the assembly at the Malibu Community Center that mountain bikers now comprise the majority of users in the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area, in contrast to their fringe profile a decade ago. He told the future patrol members that despite the increasing demands, they should always treat their duty as recreation and to radio for backup if they ever encounter a truly unruly rider.

“Don’t get crazy out there, trying to control everything people do,” said Heagy, who is the Park Service’s liaison to the bike patrol. “Don’t forget, there are actually a lot of things people do out there that are legal. Just enjoy your time.”

Most of Saturday’s session highlighted the history and attractions of the Santa Monica Mountains. Future courses will include first aid, state and national park regulations and trail etiquette: There is a 15 m.p.h. speed limit throughout the region and bikers are supposed to yield to hikers and equestrians.

Members patrol in pairs, mostly on weekends. They carry water, maps, radios and first aid equipment--making them moving aid stations as well as a police auxiliary.

“We have to do whatever we can to keep these mavericks under control,” said Joe Dillman, 70, president of the group. “Just like the freeway, 90% of the people are great, but it’s the 10% that causes all the problems. You know those young guys--speed is everything.”

Peggy Devine of Newbury Park said she decided to come to the training in part because of an incident in which a couple of rogue twentysomething riders turned her into a sort of slalom cone, on an infamous stretch of Sycamore Canyon in Point Mugu State Park. “I said, ‘No. It shouldn’t be that way,’ ” Devine, 59, recalled. “I thought I can join the MBU, do my own thing and also help out.”

Rangers said the group’s work has helped keep trails open in the Santa Monicas, in contrast to many trails in the San Francisco Bay Area that were closed to riders after serious biker-hiker feuds.

“We have found that the most effective way of dealing with the problem is peer pressure,” said Ted Stout, a Park Service ranger. “That’s what this is all about.”