Don’t curse their roots next time you’re out riding — mountain bikers need trees like fish need water. Here are five reasons why.

>>> 10 videos of riders smacking into trees

1. Need for speed

The final section of White’s Level at Afan Forest felt fast and close… until they felled all the trees and it suddenly felt pedestrian and slow. Proven fact: trees make trails feel faster and more fun.

Raling the berms at Afan Bike Park

2. Symbiosis

Forests are the reason mountain biking exists in the UK. The trail centres grew up there because they work well with forestry operations. The best secret trails are almost always hidden in the woods too.

3. Loam factory

Soft dirt comes from leaf matter. Simple as that.

4. Old soaks

Tress can provide a protective canopy to shelter you from the worst of the wind and rain. Plus, it’s not just warmer weather that cleans up the water from the trails. In summer, trees coming into leaf suck up tons of the wet stuff.

5. In praise of roots

Roots are hard and sometimes horrible, but by crickey they focus the mind, and they’re pretty amazing trail features you can use to jump off. Besides, we don’t ride trails because they’re easy.