Viewing 26 posts - 1 through 26 (of 26 total)
  • Anyone also walk? Bike manners? Moaning content.
  • Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    Having been both avid cyclist and walker for most of life, can safely say have a foot in both camps (if such camps exist) – yet am increasingly imperiled by thoughtless bikers, especially up in the Hills. I always kept a personal courtesy right of way offroad code that goes – four legs: two legs: two wheels: four wheels, and I know many of us do so.

    But – increasingly find that 15st blokes on a 30lb mtbs come bollocking along at at 30mph plus, unannounced around a blind downhill bend on a gorse-obscured footpath or surfaced easy-access mutli-use path – nearly killing my dog or severely disabling my wife or self. Have had to literally sprint to push loved ones out of the way, as their untrained ears can’t read the approaching clanking sounds like wot I can). Even on a still day it’s sometimes difficult to hear them approaching until moving out of the way in time is nigh on impossible. I do hate this because I also love riding trails so much, but the FUuuuu mentality of the riders – is it a sign of my increasing age or just a sign of the times…?

    Can’t really legislate courtesy or thoughtfulness, but waiting until someone gets injured or killed (including the twot i once threatened to haul off his bike and give a ‘this nearly happened’ illustration) is a bit crap isn’t it? What to do…? Part of me knows it’s easier and safer simply to walk the dog in safer, flatter, open areas, but that makes me maaaaaad like a beatdown!

    Jamie
    Free Member

    Some people are just arseholes.

    Some of them ride bikes.

    handybendyhendo
    Free Member

    Agree – it is a people thing and not an activity thing.

    Sherwood with the family today and plenty of nobbers hare-ing around over cross sections, going the wrong way on the trail and past the kids making them wobble (more)……

    It is just people…..many are fools.

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    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    It is a people thing, no question of that, but metal hurts more, and it is an adrenaline-fuelled sport for many of us, so that is a big factor. Being a walker also makes me aware that i can’t see them approaching, and that walkers can’t hear me. Does one campaign to make certain trails bike free or push for signage, or just toddle off and leave it to the big boys? It’s worrying, and I see no easy solution 🙁

    Daffy
    Full Member

    More than once I’ve found that on group rides with mates of mates, that they’re remarkably inconsiderate. Even when you point it out to them, the comments are “we’ve got just as much right…”

    MTBing is the new golf, and is attracting similar asshats…sadly this time they’re not contained in one place.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    I don’t walk much but yes I see folk riding inconsiderately.

    I also see a lot of walkers who panic when a bike is present, jumping up and down, shepherding family to one side of the trail etc.

    Jamie
    Free Member

    BIIIIIIIIIIKEEEEE!

    pictonroad
    Full Member

    I’m thoroughly against inconsiderate behaviour to the point where I probably go too far to accommodate others, but… I can navigate past stationary or walking adults very easily at 10mph, however the over reacting panicking people jumping this way and that are putting everyone at unnecessary stress. I always come to walking pace for young kids though, they’re unpredictable and vulnerable.

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    More than once I’ve found that on group rides with mates of mates, that they’re remarkably inconsiderate. Even when you point it out to them, the comments are “we’ve got just as much right…”

    This is exactly the thing that originally put me off group rides, you become quickly unpopular or labeled a buzzkill granny. Obviously I’m talking about high population areas like the Malvern Hills,/Midlands towpaths and conurbation woodlands, not specified bike trails…

    Being a biker makes me more aware of blind bends,/hidden walkers etc, but being a walker makes me aware of same, so the panic has always been justified, and the approaching cyclist (at least the ones I hear) never sees us until whites of eyes time.

    suburbanreuben
    Free Member

    Had this last week on Puttenham Common, walking my dogs,one on lead,one off. Walking down a short descent, suddenly passed with no warning at high speed by a biker who doesn’t care that there are two old ladies with dogs in his way. I was just about to shout a warning when I hear another bike behind me, presumably intent on doing the same, so I block his way,and we have words…
    I suggest he tells his mate to slow down when passing old ladies with dogs.
    He suggests I tell him myself “If you’re man enough”.
    I suggest he goes and get his mate so I can do just that.
    He buggers off , getting an earful from the old dears as he passes.
    Strangely though, he wasn’t a young kid yet to learn some manners; he was in his late 50s/60s.
    I suppose he’s an arsehole off the bike too.

    akira
    Full Member

    Taking my young boys round swinley green there was a guy and his mate racing around. Had a word with the guy and he was apparently riding round with his daughter but unless she was pretty quick she wasn’t going to be keeping up.

    woodnut
    Free Member

    The bell ends are usually (sweeping generalisation coming) fatties who can only get any speed up downhill after supping a can of Monster.

    crashtestmonkey
    Free Member

    Rode chilterns on Friday so obviously lots of people out walking. Saw a few examples of cynic-als and pictons massive over reactions – we’d slow to walking pace and they’d be frantically herding kids/dogs into the undergrowth. Let munqe chick lead and its notable the difference in reaction to a girl, you could see them relax/deflate. Maybe their responses have developed from being inconsiderately and aggressively buzzed by blokes?

    Whatever activity I’m doing I consider myself an ambassador, and hope to leave a positive impression. A few extra seconds on a multi hour ride isn’t much of a sacrifice.

    somafunk
    Full Member

    I’ve been up at Aviemore the past week and the amount of prick$ on bikes is going to throw a spanner in the works with regard to trail access in the Rothiemurchus estate and surrounding area, everyone has the right to ride where they like but not at full pelt round popular walking trails such as Loch an Eilein/Loch Gamhna, as noted above i have to agree with the fact that the main culprits were the age groups of 30-40-50 somethings out on their big-boys-biking-holiday, every single day when out on the trails i witnessed idiots honing past walkers and quite often without a warning shout or otherwise. Perhaps if these tufty-tufty bikers dared to venture out in the actual hills away from signposted paths then we could have a cull through natural selection, D’ya think that could be a possible solution? 😉 . I had a conversation with a group of 4 who stopped me in Inshriach forest who were without a map, they thought they were only a couple of miles from Aviemore, the look of despair on their face when i showed them where they actually were was priceless.

    You get selfish prick$ in every walk of life but unfortunately mtb’ing is becoming more popular and as such the amount of dicks on the trails is increasing.

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    At the other end of the scale, an unseen, off lead dog ran out of the hedge today and nearly took out youngest_oab, and I did catch it’s head with my foot it as it ended up between us on a track. I stopped to tell owner as I was concerned for the dog, and just got an earful for riding on the ‘walking track’…..

    There are chumps in all walks if life.

    Makes me glad we are up in Scotland and can choose to easily be away from the crowds.

    IanW
    Free Member

    Too many people, if there were half as many people there’d be half as many idiots.

    Onzadog
    Free Member

    One mountain biking in the white peak with the wife this morning and had similar. We were climbing on a narrow bridleway when a number of “riders” came down the other way. The cries of “argh” from them and the locking up of back wheels pretty much confirmed they were riding beyond the limits of the location and their own abilities.

    Some folks don’t realise that the countyside isn’t a great big trail centre.

    muddydwarf
    Free Member

    For balance, i met lots of walkers today & the odd mtb’er. Without fail we all smiled, slowed down/stepped aside for each other, had a little chat etc. Great day to be out & great to share it with others – regardless of their mode of transport.

    ratherbeintobago
    Full Member

    MTBing is the new golf, and is attracting similar asshats

    Fortunately, MTBing is in an unfashionable phase, and it’s road cycling that’s the new golf, which means MTBing isn’t attracting quite as many asshats as would otherwise be the case.

    Suggsey
    Free Member

    Interestingly enough I was in around Aviemore last week too and was go smacked by the lack of MTBers on some of the tasty technical riding that I was walking up and down but equally during the entire walk up and down Cairn Gorm we only saw lazy arses going up and down on the furnicular ( except those skiing down of course).
    Next time I will go back up there with a bike whilst the good lady watches the world go by I’ll go explore further afield!

    project
    Free Member

    Rode a lot of Sustrans trails today and yesterday an over the year, and most people are polite and move over, when i slow down, or ring my bell,got told a few weeks ringing my bell at a walker was being agressive and showed a sign of speeding.

    Strangely one group of users stands out as being a get out of my way brigade and thats the fat 40 somethings, and another group that always usually says thanks if i say hello or ring a bell is teenagers.

    And why do some middle aged women turn in statues when you pass or even approach them,just standing still and making no eye contact,even on 12 foot wide paths that are tarmaced.

    iain1775
    Free Member

    Maybe we all need wireless Bluetooth speakers on our handlebars with some 5am Mozart blaring out 😉
    Unfortunately I think this is the trial centre effect, a new generation of bikers with no experience of riding outside the consumes of a dedicated trail, no awareness or appreciation of the ‘great outdoors’ be that other users, map reading or bike maintenance

    iainc
    Full Member

    Somafunk +1.

    I ride that area a few times a year, either solo early am or later with my boys. Too many jumped up riders for sure. That said, the area has become a fairly affluent playground overall so not much of a surprise. Also, I suspect that the Estate likes all the cash coming into the area, just look at queues at The Druie for lunch, snacks etc…

    butcher
    Full Member

    It’s a funny thing. You’d think cyclists in general would better understand the the need for a bit of consideration to the people they share their space with. But in my experience, the proportion of inconsiderate riders is probably the same as (if not more than) the proportion of inconsiderate drivers on the road. Which just confirms it’s a human thing, I guess.

    I wouldn’t say it’s the odd weekend warrior, or some kind of pretend cyclist either. Just people who think they have more right of way than someone else, or people who don’t think at all. I also notice that most of them are very open about it and don’t see it as a problem. Everyone else is always at fault…

    muddydwarf
    Free Member

    People who don’t think.
    +1

    its a simple lack of consideration – I’m faster than you, get out of my way.

    Malvern Rider
    Free Member

    Maybe their responses have developed from being inconsiderately and aggressively buzzed by blokes?

    Undoubtedly in some instances, but I’m going to say that trail users on foot don’t have to justify their caution or over-caution, whether perceived correctly (from experience) or not (from inexperience). What is unjustifiable is putting other people’s safety at risk. Still no suggestions what to do on the paths in question, other than shouting at dangerous riders, which pretty much ruins the outing for me, and seemingly does nothing other than increase the angry alpha male in both of us.

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