Out with the family at Glentress today, bumped into some folks we knew and were having a great time despite the rain. On our way down Good Game and I was bringing upo the rear as I had our youngest on the back. About a quarter of the way down I realised somebody was trying to barge past. He managed to squeeze past and I had to shout a warning to those in front, three adults and four kids. For f@cks sake all he had to do was stop and wait for a few minutes, its not like we were walking down the trail. He didn't even say hello or let me know he wsa wanting past. Thanks to the guys after that that stopped and waited for us to get down. I like to fly down there too but its a blue trail so you've got to expect all abilities. Still fuming 6 or 7 hours later.
ahh, you always get people like that... Don't take it to heart - d***heads do exist.
I can sympathise, was there a few months ago with some less than experienced riders, luckily didnt have any problems. The blue is a reet laugh to hit flat out though! but you must expect to meet less confident riders, most pulled out of the way for us though, Cheery hello/thanks is the correct greeting i find.
Did he have vw cycle top on if he had it's the same ass. Hole that shoved his way pass us as if he was trying win a race and if that wasn't bad enough practicaly barged a young girl of the track
If only you had to have a bicycle license.. Like a driving license, but idiots cant get one.
Yeah, been there.
GT does have more than its fair share of fannies
plenty idiots with driving licences too! There's always the hot shots that think they can barge past, karma will bite them in the ass some day.
I must say I have never met one of these idiots at GT but I look forward to someone trying to barge past us when we are on the tandem - they will lose guaranteed. nearly 30 stone all up weight 🙂
It's a shame, but as the 'sport' gets more popular there's going to be a share of c0cks. The population is littered with them, and as you've said anyone can buy a bike. Problem is, a nervous newcomer or youngster who gets bullied like that is likely to not come back.
I had a fair to-do with a wee prick on an On-One Ti 456 at 10 Under last year who was behaving in that way, and when I cycled past him later (what was his hurry earlier!?) he totally gobbed off at me. "You this, You that." Ersholes the lot of them. Even if they do buy good bikes sometimes!
Cheers, al.
This isn't specific to glentress, i'm afraid its creeping into the sport more and more, its maybe magnified at GT due to the sheer no of people that visit. i've had 'issues' with people at Llandegla too.
Has anyone considered this from the perspective of the rider who went past you? Maybe they didn't want to wait as the group rode down the trail. Just as he could have stopped and waited, could the group not also have stopped and let him past? Why the assumption that because you are in front that the other rider should have to stop to wait for you? Similarly, if it was a climb and someone was wanting to go past because they are quicker than you, would you stop to the side and let them past or continue on holding them up? Who makes the rules on this?
Lack of manners and not being able to say excuse me or a cheery coming through isn't acceptable but there appears to me that their needs to be a bit of come and go on both sides.
Interesting thread. It reminds me just why I prefer natural trails.
Boardin Bob
There is an irony in your posting. Was it not your good self who wrote to the Council complaining about the signage and use of the trails in Pollock Country Park in Glasgow by walkers arguing that you should be entitled to go as fast as you want without having to worry about walkers on the trail? 😆
Cheers
Sanny
Sanny its very much a case of manners just as you say, and your right in that there's give and take. But i've seen this going on for a while. I was riding round coed y brennin's beast trail and some riders were at the side of the trail repairing their bike, so as I was riding by I just asked if they were alright and if they had all the nessersary tools? they looked at me so strangely?
Attitudes on natural trails are so diiferent. I love trail centres I really do, but talking to people at them is vastly different to the people you meet on natural trails. Last time I did garburn pass a few months a go had a mint chat with a guy at the top, something i've seen lacking at the past few times i've done trail centres. I'm sure there are people on here who'll disagree, this is just something i've seen 😐
I think the relative friendliness or lack thereof is a feature of the numbers of people you get at trail centres. On my natural rides I rarely see other people, so am more likely to stop and chat. At a trail centre you might see loads of people so saying hi to everyone seems less natural.
by any chance were the Kids all on Specialized Hardrocks? Think I saw the group you are talking about.
As said before GT can be a killer for this. I had stacked it a few months ago and got told to f*** off out the road even though I was totally wipped out on the middle of the track and was injured. Nothing like stopping to see if you are ok. If I see anyone stopped in a strange place, wipped out, having problems with their bike I always stop to help. Just the deacent thing to do. Courtesy to families and kids is a no brainre. If you are using a trail you always need to be aware of others and gibve them the time/space they need. If you are desperate to get past, ask nicly. Its not hard.
Sorry Sanny but ther was no excuse for this guys behaviuor. He didn't say a word to say that he was approaching, just tried to barge right past. If he had said something then we would have moved past as soon it was safe to do so.
Looking at things from his perspective it seems we were highly inconsiderate being present on a blue graded trail and we deserved to be treated with complete contempt and shoved off the trail if need be. There's absolutely no place for beginners or slower riders on such a trail and if they want to ride anywhere, get off to the black where I'm not going to be blatting about with my full facer and body armour. Maybe he was working on a points system where you get more for taking out kids and folks with toddlers on the back.
On our way up the new singletrack climb we moved over several times, not that our five year old has to, he cycles past a lot of guys on all mountain or whatever you call those bikes, anyway if somebody was going faster we let them past. It is however much easier to do this on a climb.
Probably showing off.
I was at Glentress this weekend too (for the first time) and was amazed by how polite people were on the trails. The group I was riding with tended to pass more than be passed but on approaching other riders and particularly families we didn't like to shout rider up in case we caused unnecessary panic. Instead we just rolle dup behind and riders ahead were more than willing to let you pass when it was safe and everybody exchanged hellos when we passed. I thought the general atmosphere about the place was brilliant and can't wait to go back. You get muppets in every walk of life (try stepping on to a football pitch) and you shouldn't let one or two tossers ruin your day!
There is an irony in your posting. Was it not your good self who wrote to the Council complaining about the signage and use of the trails in Pollock Country Park in Glasgow by walkers arguing that you should be entitled to go as fast as you want without having to worry about walkers on the trail?
Sorry, I fail to see where the OP mentions anything about encountering walkers on the trail, so I fail to see the point you're trying to make?
My complaint to GCC was about the inherent risk and danger posed by crashing into a walker on a trail.
Nothing to do with basic trail manners around other cyclists. 🙄
Anyone remember that video of the bloke blatting down a trail and more or less barging slower riders out of the way?
Anyone remember that video of the bloke blatting down a trail and more or less barging slower riders out of the way?
He sounds a bit rude to me. It wouldn't have been too hard to pause for a while, or ask to be let by. I suppose from his perspective he may have taken a safe opportunity to pass where there was lots of room to get by as people's ideas of what a "safe opportunity" and "lots of room" are differ, but around kids you should be doubly cautious.
Normally I don't have any problems with other riders at Glentress. I've even had pleasant chats with complete strangers there, which apparently only happens to other people on natural trails! Maybe it's because I look like "one of them" (i.e., a Glentress mincer) so they don't fear me like they'd fear a proper mountain biker...
As for getting past people, I find that riding a bike with a Pro II rear hub has the opposite problem. People panic and dive out of your way before you're even remotely close to them!
IIRC that video was part of an advert for a bike company?
Did you not think about shouting at the rider who barged past and trying to teach them some manners? Doesn't have to be confrontational but explaining to someone acting like that out on the trails might make that person think more in future (blue trail, probably lots of families etc using it, better take it easy etc) and result in one less person acting like an idiot when its inappropriate to act in that way.
Complaining on an internet forum is just going to get lots of people saying "oo, what a ****t" etc and make not the slightest bit of difference.
That vid was a French descent wasn't it?
Well i've never ridden a trail centre before but from what i'm reading there seems to be a lack of community at some of them?? I've encountered mostly good, friendly people on the natural local stuff (apart from one occasion with a group of arrogant fellas on expensive specialized who were def in the category of all the gear no idea, very satisfying to smoke them on a downhill run, proving you cant buy your way into a life style). So please tell me i'm wrong about trail centres cos some of em look ok!!!
As for the fella barging past, total git. if your downhill run is really that important to you stop, turn round and do it again. Courtesy and manners cost nothing.
Trail centres DO offer community spirit but the numbers of people visiting them means you're always going to get a few idiots. To be honest, most of the ones we've encountered have been at Glentress.
When you 'smoked' them on the downhill, did you barge past them?
Glentress is a funny place.
Nah, choose my passing spot perfectly for max effect!!! I say passing spot it was more me going off a six foot drop and one of them doing the chicken run while the others stood at the top scratching their arses.
Probably thought he had loads of room.
Bell-end Frenchie descent vid
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2m62b_mondial-du-vtt-descente-de-venosc-c
While that descent isn't narrow, there isn't really room for two bikes to pass safely. Even if there was he should have shouted a warning first so we at least had an idea which side he was passing on. I did shout after he passed me but that was as much a warning to the others in our group, but I did make my feelings clear. And unfortunately I couldn't chase after him with the little one on the back. This isn't a complaint about Glentress as I've had loads of good experiences there and this is probably the only bad one. I'm not particularly sociable but I've had many a good chat with strangers and always offer help and advice when folks want or need it. Glentress covers a lot of bases, good for beginners and experienced riders, but if you are one of the latter then you need to appreciate that there are going to be lots of the former and they have every bit as much right to be there as anybody, especially as its a great place for kids to learn.
Idiots, but fast idiots.