Rolling Hills Is Expected to Ban Mountain Bikes From Horse Trails

Rolling Hills is preparing to pull in the reins on mountain bicyclists who are attracted to the city’s 24 miles of equestrian trails.

City Council members, who say that horses are being frightened by bicyclists and that serious accidents could occur, are expected to pass an ordinance Monday outlawing bicycles and other wheeled vehicles on the trails. Motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles are already banned there.

“If you’ve ever ridden a horse, you know they can be pretty unpredictable and easily startled,” said Councilwoman Jody Murdock. “The trails were created for walking and riding and not wheeled vehicles.”

“The problem is that the trails are up and down and have a lot of blind spots,” said William Martin, president of Caballeros del Rancho Palos Verdes, the equestrian club that proposed the ordinance. “Mountain bikers come flying down these things and spook the horses.”

The rugged horse trails in Rolling Hills and elsewhere on the Palos Verdes Peninsula are a natural lure for mountain bike enthusiasts. For example, the Portuguese Bend area of Rancho Palos Verdes, next to Rolling Hills, is popular among riders, said Troy Braswell, who owns a Redondo Beach bike store and heads the BC Riders, a mountain bike club.

Braswell said that he does not ride the trails in Rolling Hills and that his club tries to discourage bicyclists from using the trails. He said the club’s code of ethics calls for bicyclists to respect equestrians everywhere.

“Basically, (the code) is to yield and be courteous,” Braswell said.

In Rolling Hills, city officials said the problem with mountain bikes is not of crisis proportions because the entrance to the community is gated and access to the trails around its perimeter is limited.

Nevertheless, they cited a noticeable increase in the number of bicyclists using the trails as the sport grows in popularity. “They’ll come in, 20, 30, 40 of them on the weekend, and ride the trails,” said Councilwoman Ginny Leeuwenburgh.

Although no injuries have been reported, officials said there have been some close encounters between horses, their riders and bicyclists.

The proposed ordinance calls for signs to warn mountain bicyclists that they are unwelcome. Scofflaws could be ticketed by sheriff’s deputies, who routinely patrol the trails on all-terrain vehicles, officials said. Offenders face a $500 fine or six months in jail.

Braswell said he wants the trails to remain open to bikers but understands the concerns of Rolling Hills residents. “I wish it was otherwise,” he said, “but they are a very horse-oriented community, and there is some sensitivity.”