[Closed] things that annoy you about mountain bikers?

SFB you'll have to make sure the group you ride with are all in a nice line just like a road biking club... 🙂

sorry but you are wrong Simon on most terrain has altered in the last 13 years, look at Longridge fell, altered massively in the last 3 years alone, riders cutting the trail in large numbers is not good

I'm talking about the places I ride, not everywhere else I cannot see. As for Longridge, I've been riding there for about 5 years. The only change I've noticed is the gully below Green Thorn which has widened from 12" to 8', but this is at right angles the the passage of bikes, so I think this is the effect of rain. I've also noticed devastation caused by felling.

SFB - You are the devil, I really don't know how you sleep at night. Riding in large groups is equivalent to genocide or abusing small kids. Are you responsible for swine flu as well?

The bitching and soap box's that seem to be on MTB forums in general.... Yes My bike, opinion and knowledge of Mountain biking is better than yours.... Oh and if you want Chocolate cake and tea after your ride.. There's a queue dont jump it!

quote]I'm talking about the places I ride, not everywhere else I cannot see
Simon, that why I chose Longridge fell not loads of people in the pics granted but this part of the fell has got loads worse due to large numbers of rider

jan

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sorry Simon but it is just irresponsible riding neither good for the fell or for mtbrs generally.
I do think people should be able to ride in a large organised groups but responsibly and with some respect for longevity of the surroundings.
Green thorn is that not a footpath? I admit to using it, Regardless opposite the farm the track to the left is now a quagmire due to overuse by bikers.
I've also noticed devastation caused by felling.

ahh yes management of the natural habitat, where has that had an ill effect on the fell?

 

Thank you hicksville -

Simon - as for the effect of rain - generally its damage to the vegetation from bikes, walkers and animals that means that water runoff rips the soil away. Without that vegitation damage the water runnof does not rip the soil away. Water damage does not happen in isolation - otherwise tehre would be no soil in those places

I am not suggesting you should stop taking the groups out - I think that is a positive thing - just think about the damage that [i]can[/i] occur and figure that into your route planning.

Cunning use of my pics 🙂 But that bit changes with the weather, sometimes dry, sometimes wet and muddy. It doesn't get worse on average. The very worst part on Longridge is [url= http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=366730&Y=441157&A=Y&Z=120 ]The Magic Porridge Pot[/url], which is a BW.

Regardless opposite the farm the track to the left is now a quagmire due to overuse by bikers.

ahh yes management of the natural habitat, where has that had an ill effect on the fell?

Well, apart from looking awful, the trails have been ripped up by 2' wide tyres 🙁 But it's a plantation, so 'natural' is stretching it.

Without that vegitation damage the water runnof does not rip the soil away.

yes, you keep saying this, but in the places I'm seeing erosion the vegetation is undisturbed

Surely it's not exclusively large groups of riders causing the damage though, but an increase in numbers generally. I'm not really sure how you could stop this. With reference to the farm track, is it not possible that the damage could be caused by farm machinery? In the woods near me some of the tracks are churned up by logging vehicles. I tend to avoid these until they have recovered a bit, mainly as they're no fun to ride in that state.

If someone were to continue bending my ear I would just say "Please stop talking to me, I'm not interested". But usually just ignoring them works fine.

Simon,pictures tell a thousand words 😀

places I'm seeing erosion the vegetation is undisturbed

Not large groups Hicksville, large numbers. People just like you...

Simon,pictures tell a thousand words

but the last time I was at the place in those photos (about 3 weeks ago) the mud had dried up!

edit - its no point continuing is it

its no point continuing is it

well, I don't mind a bit of mud, I'm a mountain biker :o)

SFB, it seems you had better stop riding all together - otherwise there will be no lakeland at all in years to come! What tripe! I wonder if the ancient cumbrians protested when the romans constructed high street, even after the industrialisation of the lakes - the old quarry trails that litter the fells don't seem to of had a detrimental effect to the long term flora and fauna.

SFB, it seems you had better stop riding all together

but in fact I shall carry on as usual, on tracks which are largely unchanged over the years

As said above, people who skid, widen trails by going round hard bits or shallow puddles, and moan about not being able to ride a section that someone else will clean easily. Basically riders who don't consider how the trail they're riding got there, and that someone might be going out of their way to fix and improve it for them. Might not apply to riders in Scotland or the Peaks, but certainly applies in places like Cannock and Bristol.

edit - its no point continuing is it

[b]TJ[/b] lost for words - is this a first ?

Those who, at the mere mention of Llandegla in a subject title on here, have to be first to use the words 'tarmac, bmx, shite, Glentress is better' in their replies.

Bikers who when they first meet you say with a mutual friend, tell you how great they are and list all the places they have ridden.

and list all the places they have ridden

isn't this just 'biking related conversation' ?

Those who complain about walker while illegal riding on footpaths. Even if said walker pushes them off.

while illegal riding on footpaths

it's not illegal, it's a tort, whereas assault is a criminal offence

Mud Nazis 😆

simonfbarnes - however you view it you and the bogmakers with you are selfish in your use of trails. You do not consider those that may want to come after you only your ride that day. You have thatcherite view of bike rides, "theres no such thing as other mtbers".

You do not consider those that may want to come after you only your ride that day

correct, I'm only responsible for me and mine. But I usually take the time to converse with or at least say hello to other trail users and the response is overwhelmingly positive

... and you shouldn't confuse my abrasive style with that of the club's other members, who are all nicer and more friendly than me

TJ lost for words - is this a first ?

No - just given up talking to someone who wont listen.

simonfbarnes - Thatchers child.

I try and ignore him, seems to be the easiest policy.

He confuses making up his own mind with refusal to accept that anyone else has a valid point of view.

He claims to love discussion, but you cant discuss from a fixed viewpoint, you can only pontificate.

It's hard to ignore him and the his boggy crew due to the damage that they do. He's an enviromental distaster.

The problem with group rides is they go on regardless of weather and trail conditions. We've seen this happen in Calderdale with the deterioration of sensitive trails.

Local riders have a reason to preserve the quality of the riding so will adapt to the weather, if it's wet we stick to rocky tracks and keep off the peat. Groups don't do this and subsequently damage the trails.

just given up talking to someone who wont listen.

I'm listening TJ, it's just that your arguments don't seem to apply to much of the terrain I ride

simonfbarnes - Thatchers child

that is very hurtful 🙁

but you cant discuss from a fixed viewpoint

I'm willing to change if proved wrong

It's hard to ignore him and the his boggy crew due to the damage that they do. He's an enviromental distaster.

I think you're guessing, or do you have actual evidence?

I used to really like his posts on here - I thought he was amusing.

He then decided to ride up Stoodley Pike in Calderdale on a sunny summer Sunday a couple of years ago with all his crew tagging along behind him.

I'm not so keen now.

He then decided to ride up Stoodley Pike in Calderdale on a sunny summer Sunday a couple of years ago with all his crew tagging along behind him.

wrong, I have never led a ride including Stoodley Pike, it's always a local.

simonfbarnes I know that you'll be fed up hearing about trail damage but there was a time when the climb from the ford to the Gate via the hairpin bend on Jacobs Ladder was all grass (I was young fit and good looking then). That's long gone now due to the amount of mtb traffic it gets (walkers use the steps near by). In the same way that parts of the Pennine Way are having to be surfaced due to boot traffic us mtbers must acknowledge the damage we do. We are human and we make a mess, it's how we respod to the damage that will keep us on the trails.

The Thatcher jibe should not be taken as to much of an insult, you did write "me and mine" after all.

Chaps, this thread is falling into what we might call the "Simonfbarnes Pit" in which each post increases exponentially the probability that the answer to the Great Question of Life, The Universe and Everything is in fact "SFB". Before you know it you will be engaged in a detailed and ill-tempered argument about whether Simon is in fact autistic, Hitler or a pan-dimensional space-lizard with personal grooming issues and VPL while he goads you into putting forward ever more deranged theories about his ego. This is never a great use of bandwidth. 🙂

us mtbers must acknowledge the damage we do.

I didn't say we cause [b]no[/b] damage, but that TJ's dire predictions were unfounded (as confirmed by the park ranger)

The Thatcher jibe should not be taken as to much of an insult

no, it was funny :o)

while he goads you into putting forward ever more deranged theories about his ego

actually, it doesn't need much goading, it's pretty much free running!

Bigdummy - that's it, sfb autistic.

Riders at events who come screaming up behind you shouting "Pro rider coming through!". If they are that 'effing profesional they should be able to get past without all the abuse.
It's even worse when they come blasting past on an uphill section and then I overtake them on the down hill.

that's it, sfb autistic.

I think there may be a higher level of intentionality...

it's not illegal, it's a tort, whereas assault is a criminal offence

Illegal means the same as unlawful. A tort is, therefore, both: it's a civil, rather than a criminal, wrong. Assualt is both a criminal offence and also a tortious act.

I do believe SFB has just solved the big bang theory. Or created a black hole. Not sure which.

Anyway, [b]back ON TOPIC[/b], the primary things that annoy me about MTBers:

1. [b]Faff[/b]. My god, just how long does it take to get you and your space craft ready for a couple of hours up a hill.

2. [b]Eye contact[/b]. Or the lack of it. It may be because they all work in IT and already have borderline personality disorders, or it may also be that they'd rather asses your conversaiton value on the basis of how "good" your bike is. It's the legs, numpties - they're what get you up the hills.

3. [b]Mountain biking[/b]. Apparently in some way a superior pastime than just "riding a bike" or "cycling".

🙂

Everything about them annoys me!

I am the only person I don't get annoyed with, but even I can't tolerate myself now and again.

When a lose-group starts becoming a clique.

Illegal means the same as unlawful.

OK I was imprecise. It's not unlawful to be on private property, but if there is no right of way one is liable for damage caused to the ground etc, and THAT would be the tort. Also there is a possible question over the bike itself, which I believe is not held to be a reasonable thing for a person to have with them, unlike say clothes or a pram or a walking stick. I think this is moot, but for instance say a washing machine WOULD be unreasonable ...