http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/us/19bikes.html

Mountain bikers, now barred from most backcountry areas in national parks, could have thousands of miles of trails opened up to them under a rule change proposed Thursday by the Interior Department.

The proposal raised tensions between hikers and bikers, who face off against one another on dirt byways all over the country. Each group is burdened with a stereotype that is part true and part myth: thrill-seeking gear heads on one side, plodding leaf peepers on the other, each group accusing the other of not fully appreciating the great out-of-doors.

http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=4036

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Van Abel, who said the association has pushed for more mountain biking access in national parks since 1995. “The existing regulation treats bikes like they are motorized,” he said. “[The new rule] puts the decision at the level it belongs, which is with the Park Service.”