Hiking vs. Biking

Re “Hikers, Cyclists Refuse to Yield in Battle Over Mountain Trails,” May 27:

We Americans mistakenly assume that democracy obliges us to tolerate, negotiate and accommodate the views of every interest group that comes along. As a 38-year-old outdoor enthusiast, cyclist and hiker, I am willing to stand up and just say no to bikes on hiking trails.

I have never seen or heard of an injury accident resulting from two hikers colliding, but I have witnessed two hikers knocked flat and injured by errant cyclists in the past 12 months alone.

Our mountains, parks and trails have always been open to anyone with a water bottle, sturdy shoes and sense of enthusiasm. For the good reasons that city streets have sidewalks for pedestrians, and pedestrians in turn are banned from our bike paths, so should bicycles be banned from our hiking trails.

HOWARD BODNER

Tarzana

* I have a solution to the clash between hikers/bird watch- ers/equestrians and cyclists in the Santa Monica Mountains. Each trail or fire road that permits mountain bikes would do so only on one of the two weekend days. For example, bikes would be allowed in Sycamore Canyon on Saturdays, but not Sundays. Cheeseboro Canyon could adopt the opposite schedule.

As one who has logged over 10,000 miles on a bicycle, I can speak without prejudice. But I must say that mountain bikes have driven bird watchers from the one-time birding hot spot, Sycamore Canyon. If you want to know what it’s like now, just try looking through binoculars while standing on the Santa Monica Freeway. Cheeseboro Canyon’s trails are popular with equestrians who can enjoy them on weekdays, but risk their lives on weekends.

RUSSELL STONE

Westchester

* Instead of fighting about who gets to use the trails, the users should split them down the middle with the cyclists using one side and the hikers the other. If people are sincere about wanting to preserve the mountains they say they cherish, they would be willing to stay on their side and respect the people on the other side.

All of the money that is being spent on fighting each other could be use to maintain existing trails and building new ones.

SANDY MARTINEZ