[Closed] Trail centre etiquette - Move out of the way or carry on...

a quick tyre buzz is polite, if you do it more than three times it's a touch rude though

"elite rider on your left"

If you want to pass, its your responsibility to let them know you're there and theirs to let you through when it's safe/practical to do so. Always give plenty of lead and don't shoot through unless invited.
Oh and say thanks FFS!

Run em down, who gives a **** about some slow, fat IT ponce on a fully-hung skill compensator!

😈

if its a downhill section then if they hadnt noticed I was there I would stop and give them 30 secs headstart or maybe more depending on the speed differential, and then restart again.

If its uphill/flat, then I'd cycle patiently behind ad wait for them to pull over. if they didnt pull over I'd politely request that they do.

I cant remember seeing that many 'passing places' at trail centres?

"Make 'em wait, who gives a **** about some, tw*t IT ponce on a fully-hung skill compensator!"

If you were hammering down ewer favourite trail balls out as fast as you could go and and Liam Killeen appears from nowhere on your tail, how would you like him to handle the situation?

block-pass, don't evar give them the opportunity to come back at you

I always stop and wait for 30 seconds or so, although it rarely happens. If they are going slower than me then the last thing they need is someone sitting on their wheel or trying to squeeze by.

Ooh, sounds as though I might have met you yesterday at Cannock...All you had to shout was "OUTTA MY WAY YOU 29er WEILDING **** I'M COMMIN' THRU!!!!" I woulda moved over and everyfing... 😉

The rider behind should wait. It's just a trail centre and IMO they're best-suited to beginners anyway. So coming screaming past is only going to alienate new riders. If you're that Elite that you're catching people up all the time, go ride some proper trails with rocks and stuff?

Hang back and don't pressure them. You were that slow once. But they should move over if they can.

I politely ask if I may pass. Conversely, I stop and let faster riders pass when I notice them.

"go ride some proper trails with rocks and stuff?"
Some trail centres have them. Less and less bridleways seem to have them as they get levelled?

let them draw level as though you were going to let them pass then knock them off. it's the only way they'll learn 🙂

A little of both, it's not always easy to let people pass - but it's a bit inconsiderate to be holding people up for ages.

Never really found this to be a problem, though. People tend to be pretty reasonable.

If you were hammering down ewer favourite trail balls out as fast as you could go and and Liam Killeen appears from nowhere on your tail, how would you like him to handle the situation?

For him to offer me lessons! 😆

IMV though it's a trail centre so definitely don't hassle people. I tend to reassure people and say "no hurry" so the rider in front doesn't get flustered. The 30 sec idea is a good one, but of course someone else then comes through and you're left waiting again! Where possible, I like to ride trail centres earlyish in the morning before everyone else arrives.

Hanging back is polite as is getting out of the way when someone faster than you wants to pass...

I politely ask if I may pass. Conversely, I stop and let faster riders pass when I notice them.

I move over to give them room, then clothes line them as they attempt to overtake me. By the time they have recovered I will be well down the track

I was wondering about this myself when I went to Glentress (with Ridelines) for the first time at the weekend. There weren't very many places to let people by though.

Only saw one person that looked much faster than the rest anyway and he was going uphill.

T-bone them on a corner and call them a "clipped in gay".......from the Nigel Page book of trail etiquette 😀

There weren't very many places to let people by though.

I cant think of a trail at GT that doesn't have loads of places to let people through 😕

That's why I have Pro 2 hubs! 😉

Smash them into the ground and make them feel like the dirt they are.

You must be thinner them me, legend. Passing never really came up though because my group stopped on the roads between every section.

yep, Pro2 hub alerts them of your presence
if you don't get a response, then a bit of backpedalling to noise it up
then maybe a gentle *cough*, *COUGH*
then an "excuse me"
then rubbing is racing as Rob Warner once put it; elbows out

Would love to see all 8 stone of you pull a block pass on any full grown adult 😆

A quick slap in their face from your willy being waved should give them a notification of your intentions.

A little of both

A whole lot of both IMO. Everyone should be trail savvy enough to know that they're likely to come across both slower and quicker riders, and how to deal with the situations. If somebody comes barrelling up behind me, I will let them past as the next available SAFE opportunity to do so. If I come barrelling up behind someone, I will back off a bit, and if they have a safe opportunity to let me through within say 5-10 seconds I will take it, otherwise I will just stop and give them a 30 second or so gap before I set off again. It's a trail centre, we're all there for the same reason, it's not fair to spoil someone else's enjoyment.

Where possible, I like to ride trail centres earlyish in the morning before everyone else arrives.

Made me LOL... 😆

I GUARANTEE that pretty much every man and his dog at every trail centre thinks like you do, which is why they're always ridiculously busy even by 9am. Conversely, I wherever possible, prefer to go as late as possible. If you go to a trail centre and rock up there at 2-3pm on a Sunday afternoon, you'll probably come across almost nobody on the trails as they've all got their fix and gone home already!

Out of curiosity (not having ridden much at trail centers), what does it say on the map / info leaflet / info board at the start of each trail?

IMHO whoever is ahead has right of way, and unless it's a sanctioned race, it's not a race. I'm sure most would pull over at a safe spot. If not, then pass them at the end of the section.

"elite rider on your left"

LOL going to use that to pi55 my mates off.....

Either ride behind them politely or stop and give yourself a gap. They have as much right to be on the trail as you, no matter how quick you think you are.

The faster rider should stop and wait. The last thing anyone needs is some asshat buzzing their back wheel, descending is challenging enough, jeez.

Don't do what I did once when i was young and foolish; rather than wait I kept bombing along. I was fast closing in on the rider in front. His friends had stopped further down the trail and warned him that I was coming through, and to stop and pull over. As I sailed past I nodded and thanked them for acquiescing to my superior skillz , misjudged how much space I had, clipped one of their pedals, sent two bikes flying and managed to deck myself."Rad".

bodge your way past and don't bother to say excuse me or thanks, then hold them up as you mince all the way down the next descent, braking to a stop for every small bump

I'm a cautious/patient passer, but when someone faster is behind my preference is a quick and concise 'on your left/right' and get it done. I don't really enjoy being tailed by someone faster who I know wants to pass.

Black/red trails are designated for 'experienced' riders, and part of this is acknowledging that you are sharing the trail and to give appropriate consideration to slower AND faster riders.

There's not going to be one right answer, is there... If I hear someone closing fast on me, then frankly they are shifting and it's no bother to get out of the way.

I do catch more than I am caught though, and all I do is approach once, see if they move over quickly, if they don't then I don't want to hover behind them and have my own pace knocked down so I'll stop for 30 seconds or so.

It's all just do unto others as you would be done to, really. Race-style passes aren't on though IMO, even when there's plenty of space to do it safely it's a crap thing to do to a less confident rider.

But it's not so simple... If you're, frinstance, a relative beginner on Glentress blue being bombed past by a horde of fast riders, that could be pretty damn frustrating. But being followed isn't much fun either.

And then there's the dreaded sandbagger... The tools who stand around at the top of a trail section waiting for someone to pass so they can chase them down. Used to get this a lot and frankly- screw 'em. It's easy to leave a gap between groups and you can usually figure out the pace of a rider quite easily. If they're choosing to be behind you then behind you they can stay IMO.

mboy - Member

If you go to a trail centre and rock up there at 2-3pm on a Sunday afternoon, you'll probably come across almost nobody on the trails

This, absolutely. I was amazed by the amount of people at Glentress on Sunday, then realised it was because I'd actually got out of bed before noon, and I was mixing with the civilised folks who routinely see 9am at the weekend.

RandomJ that's "rad to the power of sick"

It was totally gnar

You could be cheeky and shout

"much slower rider passing on left"

They might have to pull over and grasp that for a second.
That is your moment to strike!

The Elite mens DH rider should hold back. If I was suddenly startled and fell off I'd feed you your wing mirror back in the carpark.

No I wouldn't but you get the idea.

There was a post earlier in the week where I was criticised for saying how I'd not previously (now they are fast enough) let folk past when I'd my kids in front, and that at the beginning of a section (e.g. Spooky Wood) would say to the next rider "just give us a couple of minutes space, otherwise you WILL be baulked".

How hard is it to wait two minutes?

But at GT on Sunday a family set off on the downhill blue section (on the last decent from the fire road, before the red splits off), so my elder son and I waited. Two other guys said "aren't you going?", "no, that family will get in the way". "Oh, we'll go then". And off they charged.

If though I catch someone who'd I not seen before, I just let them know I'm there (Pro 2's). They either stop, or I stop.

And then there's the dreaded sandbagger... The tools who stand around at the top of a trail section waiting for someone to pass so they can chase them down. Used to get this a lot and frankly- screw 'em. It's easy to leave a gap between groups and you can usually figure out the pace of a rider quite easily. If they're choosing to be behind you then behind you they can stay IMO.

I've probably been unintentionally guilty of this.
Sometimes hang around to chat and stuff, and get reminded of that whole riding lark when people go past - and then misjudge how quick they are and end up catching them up.

Normally do try to put enough distance between to stop the leapfrog-chain, either by stopping extra-long the next time or keeping the pace on.

The easiest thing to do is ride early in the morning. Then you'll have ZERO issues.

Why go to a popular trail centre at peak time? Bad enough trying to find a car parking space.

I've not ridden one for a while but when I do it'll be a <9am start. That cuts out the families and not-bothered too much about riding types.

And then there's the dreaded sandbagger... The tools who stand around at the top of a trail section waiting for someone to pass so they can chase them down

I've had that in the past, even after asking them if they want to go through 1st as I'm not that fast

I simply slow to a crawl if they do it, it sort of destroys their strategy of catching up fast, dropping back and doing it again etc.

I find having a Pro2 or Bulb hub helps in the 'approach'...

I find a 'good morning' then 'oh no worries but thank you/just me' works for everyone including walkers. After all my hotlaps are hardly hotlaps however everyone in their own head thinks they are 'pinning it' (its all relative innit)

Riding with the likes of Chris Ball and Tom Braithwaite has shown me that a really good rider will find a way past without too much problem.

It's better if the slower riders do slow a little to give the faster riders room to pass. The problems come when a fast rider doesn't want to let an even faster rider past... when that happens the gloves come off and it's wacky-races time

however everyone in their own head thinks they are 'pinning it'

Not in my world - I strive for mediocrity 🙂

hang back discreetly until the end of the section

I think slower riders / newbies get put off or make errors under pressure when they hear skidding and braking behind from a faster rider.
If you want to pass, do it with plenty of warning in a sensible place and be polite. If I hear someone hooning up behind I move over, but some riders wobble and panic when you catch them as they're concentrating on the trail, not thinking about where to stop. Maybe I'm wrong, but I see TC's as a good place for confidence and skill building, less so for going flat-out unless they're quiet.

acknowledging that you are sharing the trail and to give appropriate consideration to slower AND faster riders.

Riding with the likes of Chris Ball and Tom Braithwaite has shown me that a really good rider will find a way past without too much problem.

Walkers have a right to be concerned- most riders coming towards them look barely in control.

I've only ever seen/ridden with two riders who I'd considered to be totally in control' and smooth-looking/effortless. Everyone else who can ride FAST looks like they are on their edge/a ball of fury with no margin of error.

Not a good thing when you share trails/space with other users.

I let an entire village of riders past on my first ride at afan years back, when it took me about 3 weeks to wobble my way to the bottom.
These days most people move over for me and I move over for most people.

I do recall a day out once when we stopped to give a bunch of newbies on a training day a few minutes head start and told the weirdybeardy guy behind why we'd stopped, he just blasted down anyhow nearly taking each of them out in the process. (perhaps he was going into labour)

You need to stop and wait unless the rider really wants to let you though. Its not a race is it ?

But if it is a race tire buzz, rider on your left, a quick elbow etc etc are fair game 🙂

"elite rider on your left"

You joke, but I've heard that one. I had someone shout that at me and barge past whilst I was freewheeling back from nervous riders on a descent to give them some room.

Best thing was, he did the same to those riders, and as he barged past he managed to go OTB and 2 people rode over the top of him, que broken glasses, helmet and crease in his Spesh Epic.

"elite rider on your left"

You joke, but I've heard that one...

Try not to accidentally do this to strangers, thinking they are actually part of your group, like I did. It was ages ago now and I've never heard the end of it 😀

I tend to reassure people and say "no hurry" so the rider in front doesn't get flustered.

I'm sure it's meant to be sincere but I think if I heard that I'd think 'sarcy git.'

I'm more likely to be passed than passing, and try not to hold people up where possible; I'll make space when I can, stopping if necessary, to let people past, as I don't really want the distraction of someone being impatient behind me. Similarly, with slower riders I'll wait at a transition to let them get away, then pass them at the next one.

You do seem to get all sorts, though. I've met some lovely courteous people on trails, and some right asshats.

If they are slower they should move out the way, its polite and common sense.

Try not to accidentally do this to strangers, thinking they are actually part of your group, like I did. It was ages ago now and I've never heard the end of it

T'husband occasionally shouts "Elite rider passing on your right, sugar tits". Hopefully only to me...

If they are slower they should move out the way, its polite and common sense.

Have you ever been down a trail and been 100% concentrating? Not everyone is a trail god. I for one aren't one.

Repeated tut'ing and sigh-ing, followed by the very british look-back-and-then-head-shake when finally passed them.

Have you ever been down a trail and been 100% concentrating?

Yes I have, I'm also not blind or deaf, and quite capable of telling if someone is behind me or not.

Its a trail centre so imagine you've been riding for 6months, you are enjoying yourself but you are slightly cautious/still nervous. Would you REALLY be 100% aware?

Not a trail centre but my first time down Blue Pig in Hebden I went down and I 😡 abit- a local rider went up and round and we were banging bars. God knows how we both didn't come off 😆

My point is I was overwhelmed and was bricking it too much to concentrate on moving out of the way whilst eeking.

MTB should simply copy skiing:

[b]FIS Skiing Rules[/b]

[b]You are responsible for your own safety and that of other [/b]skiers and snow boarders. [b]Be aware of people around you [/b]and [b]take necessary action to avoid [/b]skiing dangerously or [b]causing a hazard to yourself or others.[/b]

[b]Control your direction and speed of travel[/b], taking account of the terrain, snow, weather and traffic conditions.

[b]Select an appropriate path. If you are skiing behind someone [u]it’s your[/u] responsibility to [s]ski [/s] ride around them without causing any danger to them.[/b]

You can over-take from either left or right but you must leave enough distance between yourself and other skiers to allow them to manoeuvre properly.

[b]Before starting off or pulling out you must look up and down the slope and choose an appropriate moment to execute your manoeuvre,[/b] so as not to endanger yourself or other skiers.

[b]Avoid stopping at blind corners or narrow or enclosed places unless you have to[/b] i.e. you’re injured. In the case of an injury you must vacate the spot as soon as practicable, to avoid further danger (to yourself or others). You should always stop at the side of the piste.

You must always use the side of the piste to walk up or down, whether with or without skis on.

Pay attention to and follow the signs, markings and notices on the piste.

You are obliged by law to offer help and assistance in the event of any accident.

You are also obliged by law to give your personal details in the event of an accident, whether you caused it, witnessed it or assisted at it.
SAFE SKIING/RIDING!!

Simples! Especially rule 3 - effectively says it all. Uphill rider has responsibility to avoid any accidents.

If they are slower they should move out the way, its polite and common sense.

As someone else said, it's not a race
Easy enough to pass at the end of the section, they're not normally too long

The polite and common sense thing to do [as again] someone else said is to wait at the start of the section for a couple of minutes in order not to have to compromise one's awesomeness

If they are slower they should move out the way, its polite and common sense.

Yes I have, I'm also not blind or deaf, and quite capable of telling if someone is behind me or not.

MTB should simply copy skiing:

Why mention ski'ing? Seriously? Why?

Do you normally ski off piste through woodland keeping within a 1-2metre (max) wide ski path?

Totally different things.

Unless of course you ride mountain bikes down meadows.

Before starting off or pulling out you must look up and down the slope and choose an appropriate moment to execute your manoeuvre, so as not to endanger yourself or other skiers (riders).

THIS

The only bad experience I've had at a trail centre involved an absolute tool riding up behind me when I was relatively new and still very cautious and yelling at me "stop f-ing braking"

People should ride within their limits and it is irresponsible of faster/more able riders to push people beyond them and endanger safety.

 

Hora - for the very simple reason that the rules are simple and common sense and obviously applicable. This issue really shouldn't even need to be debated. The first principle should be that the uphill rider must always give way.

Of course, it is possible to ignore such simple advice and focus instead of irrelevant differences. But that would be silly, wouldn't it!!

I tend to reassure people and say "no hurry" so the rider in front doesn't get flustered.

I'm sure it's meant to be sincere but I think if I heard that I'd think 'sarcy git.'

😆

Not meant that way, but I can see your point. Tis meant more of a "I'll pass at the next safe point but chill as I'm not hassling you".

Just apply common sense. The person infront might not have heard you- wind, noise, chainslap, concentration.

Plus if you are THAT quick why would you ride at a busy time anyway?

In Whistler Bike Park the rules are:

On blue trails the slower rider has priority. On black the faster does.
Obviously both have to have a suitable passing place.
Maybe we could have the same for red vs black?

Thing is Canadian blue trails, would be UK uber black ones. So I should imagine the faster has priority rule over there has a lot to do with gravity.

Quite happy to be passed when I'm mincing my way down the techy bits of a trail centre and will happily fling myself into the inside side of the trail at an opportune moment if I hear anybody else's clicky-hub/bell/breath hoving into earshot behind. I don't want them crashing into me any more than they want to crash into me. Commonsense, innit?

Passing someone else? I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. 😀

Thing is Canadian blue trails, would be UK uber black ones.

Nah IMO they're more like harder red to lower black ish UK grading wise

if the slower rider is tail end charlie of a mixed group, mow em down regardless as you can guarantee that come the start of the next singletrack section his faster mates will set off as soon as tail end charlie appears..
Single riders doin their own thing ill wait, groups of mixed ability ive no time for..

I'm always patient with a slower rider upfront and hang back unless there's an obvious place to pass coming up. Always wary of holding others up as well, usually lycra clad XC skinny boys chasing each other(who usually don't want to bother with a simple 'thankyou' on the way past)

What really grips my poo though- large groups standing about blocking the trail start/ends, pick your bike up and GTF out of the way!

This is commonly asked question and I think the answer is so simple. Yield to the faster rider. I always yield if a faster rider comes up behind me. I don't want to spoil their run. I expect others to yield for me and they usually do. It's just manners. Lots of "thank yous" are shouted and often at the bottom friendly banter exchanged. Just don't pass when its not safe even if they do yield as causing a crash is not on.

Hanging back don't often work as you soon catch them up again or you wait so long that others come flying past you and you sit there all day 'waiting for a clear run'.

The ultimate solution of course is to ride when its quiet of course.

No queues or worries here...

[img] [/img]

.... so please keep visiting your trail centre's and leave the real trails silent 8)

play it by ear, sometimes best to stop and wait for a while to give em room (beginners, families, big groups).
it's a bike ride, you're at a trail centre, what's the rush?