[Closed] Giving way etiquette & lack of courtesy

Forget it mate she had a bell!!!

'Nuff said

rang her bell at us in an annoyed way.

How did she do that then 😆

I'd ring my bell and have a rant at anyone I thought was 'scoping new trails' as well, I'm afraid.

Couldn't you just 'ride round for a bit and see if you found any new bits'

[i]it the done thing to give way to riders that are climbing or vice versa.[/i]
Right of way with those going uphill. Unwritten rule, of course.

"I'd ring my bell and have a rant at anyone I thought was 'scoping new trails' as well, I'm afraid.

Couldn't you just 'ride round for a bit and see if you found any new bits"

Excuse me............ We were riding the trail in one direction and they in the other. As they were climbing we kindly got out of there way.

Judging by your comments, sadly it seems that they are not unique and there are other uncourteous idiots out there too.

we're all uncourteous idiots.

just because we're on bikes doesn't make us friends.

it was the phrase 'scoping new trails' I was mocking FM, not your giving way to other riders.

In reality, I'd have said thank you and 'having a good day?'.

As far as I'm concerned no-one has right of way, in any direction. Both should take equal care. If I'm flying down a trail I will attempt to get out of the way of climbers, if I'm climbing I'll attempt to get out of the way of descenders. If everyone did the same there's be no problems. If you choose to get out of my way and step right off the path etc I'll shout thanks, if you choose to stay in the way I'll ride around you as I see fit, or get off and chat.

//tannoy//

sense of humour to FieldMarshall in aisle 6, sense of humour to FieldMarshall in aisle 6

//tannoy//

i thought the unwritten rule was that the rider with the biggest ego had right of way

I'd ring my bell and have a rant at anyone I thought was 'scoping new trails' as well, I'm afraid.

Couldn't you just 'ride round for a bit and see if you found any new bits'

how can you tell the difference ?

Swinley's not waymarked at all, so it's pretty much fair game to ride anything in either direction - for instance I first found the Labyrinth by riding up it (fortunately mid week so nobody else around). For that reason I'll tend to make room/slow down for anyone coming the other way, up or down

"how can you tell the difference"

it's the rolled up MBUK in the back pocket of a pair of jeans being worn with the belt loops at knee level that's the decider, simon.

In the absence of that I'll assume everyone's just out for a ride looking for a bit they haven't ridden before.

what's all this 'give way to those climbing' about?

surely climbing is just getting to the top of the next downhill section, and then have fun blasting down. Getting stopped in the middle of a flowing DH section due to climbing riders 'all over the trail' would annoy me more than having to stop climbing for a minute to allow descending riders to pass uninterupted.

Swinley is funny like that sometimes, I've had/seen more inconsiderate cyclist "incidents" there than anywhere else, I think partly as it's very popular when everywhere else is knee deep in water and mud, and partly, as you suggest; the trails are un-directed. I've seen cyclists coming too fast out of built sections nearly mowing down a runner, had the same "You're going the wrong way, mate" on a section of un-marked trail. Had to ride through bracken around a group of blokes fixing a bike standing in the middle of the trail, they watched me coming along, made no move, watched as I went around them, made no move...It's frustrating, but hey, just let it try not to spoil your day.

I am with Andy - I give way climbing, its an excuse for a rest and a heckle... 😀 and heading DH I wanna keep going...

surely downhilling is just getting to the bottom of the next section of trail, and then have fun riding along, up and down. Getting stopped in the middle of a tricky uphill section due to descending riders 'hooning all over the trail' would annoy me more than having to stop descending for a minute, or even just slow down a bit and move out the way to allow climbing riders to pass uninterupted without having to stop, dab, and try to get going again.

or the rider with the biggest ego has right of way

Jo you just need to be scoping a bit more to get right of way...

Ok, fair point.

Is that why I stop so much? 😆

[i]or the rider with the biggest ego has right of way[/i]

How do you tell? The one that shouts, "Get out of the way, d'you know who I am?"

😀

Scoping is so over. I'd be, like, peeping the fresh trailage out instead. Well, really i'd prolly just shred it straight up, but i appreciate not everyone is as hesh as me.

"[i]or the rider with the biggest ego has right of way
How do you tell? The one that shouts, "Get out of the way, d'you know who I am?"[/i]"

it's "Get out of the way, d'you know who I wannabe?" usually

😉

nope, its the one in the most matching team kit 😉

"or the rider with the biggest ego has right of way"

I thought it was the rider with the largest beer gut as their brakes are likely to be less effective.

enjoyed the ego bit think that is spot on

i find that giving the appearance of being totally out of control albeit at slow speed along with gear that is not fashionable seems to result in people giving way out of caution and perhaps sympathy

quite often ride the flat track/road around Ladybower as its a good no brain workout - now that is a track wide enough for trucks (and buses) and is partly a real road - i can never understand why a significant number of people (not just kids) seem to think it reasonable to maintain a riding line on the right hand (wrong) side of the road - can't all be continentals

"quite often ride the flat track/road around Ladybower as its a good no brain workout - now that is a track wide enough for trucks (and buses) and is partly a real road - i can never understand why a significant number of people (not just kids) seem to think it reasonable to maintain a riding line on the right hand (wrong) side of the road -"

that is an interesting stretch on a busy sunday. Parents with young kids walking along the road in a line side to side when there is a footpath along the edge. They even look offended when you ask them to move to one side.

that is an interesting stretch on a busy sunday. Parents with young kids walking along the road in a line side to side when there is a footpath along the edge. They even look offended when you ask them to move to one side

generally avoid weekends except by going as its getting dark and it is quieter - yes walking to the car in the drive and walking round a shopping mall doesn't teach any road sense and many of the parents are that generation as well

like your trails slightly used and smelling of dead-mans wee?

[img] [/img]

get Scoping, there's some bargains to be had

AndyP - Member

Right of way with those going uphill. Unwritten rule, of course.

Unwritten because it doesn't exist.

Why would you perpetuate such stupidity? Obviously it depends on the trail but it makes absolutely no sense for people who are moving at great speed to make way for those who are virtually stationairy. Try cycling up Fortbill DH and see how many people give way to you.

[i]Try cycling up Fortbill DH and see how many people give way to you. [/i]

Point well missed. Fort William DH has a slight clue in the name. Same as somewhere like Spooky Woods, Glentress, it's designed to be ridden one way and anyone trying to ride up it rightfully deserves abuse.
On a normal bridleway in the woods, a trail which can be ridden both ways, the [b]general[/b] rule is that the descending rider gives way to the ascending one since it's much harder to get going again on a climb than a descent. It's the same in the Highway Code, a person driving downhill should give way to a person driving uphill.

Obviously when riding other factors come into play - if one of the riders is walking/pushing then they should give way to the person riding, regardless of direction.

I think it's great fun playing trail chicken, why would anyone change that? No, seriously!

But looking at it from a boring perspective, it makes more sense for the uphiller to give way, as in almost all situations, it is the most vulnerable and least manouverable that gets the right of way. Supertankers get right of way over anything - they cant stop, sailing boats get right of way over power boats (they can't change direction too easily). The person going down has less ability to change direction/stop, more to lose if there's a crash due to changing lines etc. The uphiller generally just has to dab and continue, and don't give me the "its too hard to get going again" moan - tittle tattle.

Or the person struggling going up has less ability to change direction and will find it harder to get going again once stopped. The downhiller generally just has to slow down a bit, change line and continue, with a little common sense both riders can continue with minimal disruption.

but it's nice to see that my "ego" point has been so nicely proved
😉

this came up when I googled bicycle scope.

utterly irrelevant, utterly fabulous;

[img] [/img]

wtd: yellow fork, must have long steerer.

Or the person struggling going up has less ability to change direction and will find it harder to get going again once stopped.

Going up its no harder to change direction, give over, and there's no need to stop!

The downhiller generally just has to slow down a bit, change line and continue, with a little common sense both riders can continue with minimal disruption.

but it's nice to see that my "ego" point has been so nicely proved
[;-)]

Well that was what I describe as trail chicken, both keep going and try to work round the situation - its the common sense situation.

Ego? Me? **** off! 😆

"[i]Going up its no harder to change direction, give over, and there's no need to stop![/i]"

you must ride easy climbs then

🙂

you must ride easy climbs then

[:-)]

Caught out. IGMC. But in all honesty I dont mind getting off on climbs a) for a break and b) because I know I'd hate someone to screw up my fun descent. Only masochists like climbs.

surely it's just a basic safety thing? If you're going down, you shouldn't just barrel into people at high speed.

and you obviously have less ability to change direction, because you are going slower, if you turn your bars to the left a teeny bit, you'll be on the other side of the trail in a couple of seconds, whereas if the downhilling rider does the same, they'll get to the other side in a fraction of a second, on account of going faster.

Joe

crazy-legs - Member
Point well missed. Fort William DH has a slight clue in the name. Same as somewhere like Spooky Woods, Glentress, it's designed to be ridden one way and anyone trying to ride up it rightfully deserves abuse.

Do you see what I did there?

JoB - Member
person struggling going up has less ability to change direction and will find it harder to get going again once stopped. The downhiller generally just has to slow down a bit, change line and continue, with a little common sense both riders can continue with minimal disruption.

If the person climbing has to give way, they suffer a mild interuption, they can simply resume their climb. If the person descending has to give way to the climber they may have to get off line, possibly crash and suffer a serious injury.

joemarshall - Member
surely it's just a basic safety thing? If you're going down, you shouldn't just barrel into people at high speed.

You may not see or hear them.

joemarshall
and you obviously have less ability to change direction, because you are going slower, if you turn your bars to the left a teeny bit, you'll be on the other side of the trail in a couple of seconds, whereas if the downhilling rider does the same, they'll get to the other side in a fraction of a second, on account of going faster.

Where are all the guys who can "unclip in a fraction of second"? Not all trails have an alternative line which can accomodate someone descending at speed, and someone climbing at the same time.A small input into the bars is amplified at speed and can result in crash, going off line and clipping a tree, root rock stump etc can result in crash. The person climbing is essentially a stationairy object blocking the trail. Common sense alone should tell the climber to clear the trail if at all possible.

joe - I disagree, I reckon its far easier to get out of the way when climbing, when descending you generally have picked a line and paced yourself for that line, a change of line would take a panic and out-of-control situation. Now some may say you shouldnt be going that fast on a dual direction trail, I say "if you're not willing to accept others may be hooning along you shouldnt be using a dual direction trail". Swings and roundabouts, personal opinion. Means nothing, so we should all just get out and ride and take equal care to move aside whether you be climbing or descending,

"[i]If the person descending has to give way to the climber they may have to get off line, possibly crash and suffer a serious injury.[/i]"

you're right, you've made me change my mind, all people going downhill are out of control idiots, a danger to themselves and others and should be given way to at all times

JoB -
you're right, you've made me change my mind, all people going downhill are out of control idiots, a danger to themselves and others and should be given way to at all times

Works for me.

which bit?

[i]Which bit?[/i]

Not the sarcasm bit obviously... 😉

From what I remember there arn't too many technical climbs at Swinley. 😀
Annoying steeper than-you-think ego deflating efforts usually failed (regularly) due to poor gear choice and an even smaller ego. 🙂

note to self; GNARGNAR is dangerously out of control, get out of his way. Unless, climbing, then clearly the vitriol after watching him fire off into the undergrowth, would be worth it.