[Closed] Trail centre etiquette. Taking a slow child down a red route considerately.

Funnily enough the only people I have encountered that have been a bit funny about my then 3 year old being on the trails were older kids and their parents!

Is was one of those bike park places and the kids pushed (and were pushed) in front of my 3 year old so they wouldn't be "stuck behind the little boy"

He gave them plenty of space, then promptly caught up with them 😀

I have no problem with kids on trails at all.

I DO get pissed off with muppets who stop in the middle of the trail fixing punctures / mechanicals pretty much blocking the way. At least move over to the side that others can get past without having to squeeze by on the edge of the trail. I've had it twice recently, grips my shit it really does.

I DO get pissed off with muppets who stop in the middle of the trail fixing punctures / mechanicals pretty much blocking the way. At least move over to the side that others can get past without having to squeeze by on the edge of the trail. I've had it twice recently, grips my shit it really does.

just ride over their bikes.

njee20 - Member

Is anyone really that desperate to get a decent Strava time, or is it a complete urban myth?

Oh yes. Not just this, but complaining at us while trailbuilding because we'd part closed a trail and they were strava'ing. Or clearing brash we'd used to block off shortcuts off so they can go back to cheating. ON GLENTRESS GREEN ROUTE.

One that did make me smile... Riding at innerleithen I came up behind a feller on mince baby mince, he was getting down the trail ok but dog slow, I kind of assumed he'd pull over on one of the wee climbs but no... So no great stress, I just pulled over, carried on, did catch him again so stopped again, you know how that goes...

But what was weird was, at the bottom he said to me "Sorry if I held you up dude, it's just I think I was on for a personal best".

I think the 'go early' advice is poor.

You can go when you want.

If anything I would say avoid too early as this is when the 'heroes' are more likely to go. But ultimately if you and your fellow trail riders manage their ride well then everyone will have a great time.

If you bowl up to a trail centre in the middle of the day you should expect it to be busy and thus manage your trail ride accordingly - you are not going to get you KOM.

I take my two girls round Sherwood Kitchener and ride behind them.....no one gets past me until the end of a section or a decent opening and I ask the girls to pull over.

Kids on red trails! Sweet, I wish I had red trails to ride as a kid.

Wouldn't bother me, the trails are for everyone to enjoy. 🙂

Love seeing kids out on the trails. Always give them room and encouragement.

Wish I had trail centres when I was that age.

Hoping to get my two on bikes when they are a bit older.

Wish I had trail centres when I was that age.

+1,000,000,000.

Just on the strava thing, my most local trail is Cathkin and have recently seen loads of shortcuts developing, presumably to let folk 'cheat' and pinch a second or 2. The lines are actually not great and not much in the spirit of sustainable trails. Nowt as weird as folk I guess.... FWIW I have never tried strava so maybe I'm missing something 😀

On original question, I remember posting up about 3 yrs ago after getting pelters for holding people up on the GT blue with my 5 yr old on a trailgator. We were making good pace and it was a weekday...

Been riding on the trails for the last 14 years with our girls, Abigale is 17 next week and Katie a couple of years older. In all that time they have had nothing but encouragement from other riders. we tended to have me riding in front of them and Kevin bringing up the rear. Cant thing of any occasion when any one has ever hinted that they have been slowed down.
We usually just let them go now and meet up at the bottom as they are both far better and quicker than we ever were.
Taken them down some tricky stuff over the years, few bumps and bruises, loads of encouragement from everyone around always works as does loads of chocolate in the back pack.

When it all started age 4

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Verbier at age 6

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White room last year

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Rode Cafall at Cwmcarn just before the Easter weekend, it was pretty wet and miserable but there was a young lad there out with his mum and they were having a blast. Stopped for a chat a couple of times, both were trying out new bikes and had only been riding for a couple of years but the smile on their faces said it all.

Id be very surprised if you get anything but encouragement.

matt_outandabout - Member
Only once have we been given a lecture by a fellow rider, at top of Spooky Woods at Glentress. He was unhappy I was taking an Islabike riding, lycra clad 11 year old down there - he thought it irresponsible, and would slow everyone down.

When said rider, replete in body armour and 5" travel FS, pulled up to a stop at the bottom, he was squeaked at by the 11 year old, who had stuck to the back wheel all the way down, just to prove a point.

😆 good lad

I take my 6 year old to a trial centre. We move over if people catch up. The reaction from other rifers is pretty much always "well done, little fella", mever had anyone complain.

And frankly, if someone's so obsessed by strava times that they'd complain about a child on the trails, then I'd be delighted to hold them up.

all good stuff here, seems I was worrying unnecessarily.
So far, we have had nothing but encouragement especially from tired looking old riders (my age!) as he hoons up that long drag at the start of Llandegla. But there was room to pass so I thought all OK as he wasnt holding them up.

I'm thinking of Cannock now, follow the dog and monkey, not too hilly and the youtube vids suggest it is within his skill ability.

Go for it, enjoy it and to hell with what folks think. It's great the kids are getting out and riding, I ought to take mine a lot more. I usually ride behind them and they take it in their stride. Although not done a red yet. Ours are 7 & 9. Hoping the 7yo's broken leg has healed before Wales next month (wasn't a cycling accident, bloody scooters!).

Rockhopper watch out for those darn pebbles on off cambers 😀

Go when you want, it is holidays after all. Ride behind and give encouragement. Any decent rider will be very happy to watch one so young. I've had one or two who have tried to barge past. Nothing compared with a bit of track sprinting though 😈 .

Take chocolate bourbon biscuits. Kids that young run out of energy quickly. I used to feed ours one every three miles on the tandem. All the taste without the mess.

Surely lunch box size ready buttered individual soreen bars is the energy solution????

Trail centre etiquette. Taking a slow child down a red route considerately.

As others say, ignore the idiots, happens in all sports 🙄

They need more than lunch box size, Katie wont ride unless there is a full Soreen loaf in her back pack at the start

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Thats a nice fleet of bikes....and I've never seen a soreen eaten like that before!!

Thanks, only one of the bikes left, Katies blue one. Abigale has moved onto an Enduro and mine had to be replaced after an off mountain incident on last years Alps trip.

Eating it that way means no sharing.

Needs a block of butter to go with it (the soreen)

Loving all the positive vibes on this thread - I'm much the same. Love seeing kids out biking - reminds you how much fun it can be, and what a journey bikes can take you on.

However, veering slightly off the positive vibes, I did chuckle at this:

And frankly, if someone's so obsessed by strava times that they'd complain about a child on the trails, then I'd be delighted to hold them up.

Just to confirm what others have written really. I have been riding trails with my son for a couple of years, he is nine now. Mainly Swinley (as it is on our doorstep), but have just got back from a few days at Afan. I always let my son ride first, mainly incase some one faster approaches from behind. Also riding behind it helps to keep an eye on their riding and give them some pointers, rather than letting him watch me and hope he keeps up.

In all the riding we have done I can only think of one bloke who was very pushy when he wanted to get past. We had caught a slowish family on a short climb, he basically expected us, and them, to stop so he could continue riding past. To be fair he did say sorry to us at the bottom of the next descent, but still no need for his attitude.

Seven years ago age 2:
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Yesterday age 9:
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I've never seen a soreen eaten like that before!!

I have - but it was in a talent show. A whole loaf of soreen and a 4 pint carton of milk to the sound of the clock from Countdown. Quite a lose definition of 'talent' mind.

Just go for it, you're very unlikely to get any greif. My son is nine and he's been round the red at Bedgebury a few times and on Monday we went round the blue and red trails at Whinlatter. He really enjoyed it, we just pulled over when we could if being followed, and he enjoyed the encouragement given by others. You'll have a great time.

Just wanted to say thanks for posting this. My kids are 6 and 8 and experienced BMXers. Will be taking them on their first blue run at swinley this week. I was in two minds about it before. 🙂

Why? The only thing I would object to are pets on a trail (centre) trail.

Does that mean I can't take my Guinea Pig?

Tracey: Your posts in this thread demonstrate perfectly why Singletrackworld needs a like button.

The problem in the UK is that a lot of MTB'ers do not know the correct trail etiquette!

Only on a black does a faster rider have priority. On green, blue and red, slower riders have the priority! However on a red, slower riders should be considerate to faster riders, (if the faster riders are being considerate too!) and let faster riders past at the earliest opportunity.

Yes youngsters should be allowed to ride whatever trail they are capable of, I know a lot of sprogs who can beast grown ups on some blacks, certainly if they have BMX experience, they are usually ace on the 'jumpy' trails. However, I would recommend that the parent/grown up acts as 'tail gunner' to protect them against the strava w4nkers.

At a lot of trail centres I often see grown ups walking past the first obstacle on black runs - if you can't do that feature, you shouldn't be riding that trail!!

Only on a black does a faster rider have priority

Never heard of this. Not even sure what it means or how it could work?

On any trail you should be considerate to faster people and move over for them when it's safe, and slower riders - let them know you're there and ask/wait to come past when it's safe. Try not to get stuck into a trail if you're going to be walking a lot of it.

The colour of the trail doesn't come into it, surely?

Mini Rippers are awesome! I spent my Saturday chasing this one!

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nedrapier - Member

Only on a black does a faster rider have priority

Never heard of this. Not even sure what it means or how it could work?

On any trail you should be considerate to faster people and move over for them when it's safe, and slower riders - let them know you're there and ask/wait to come past when it's safe. Try not to get stuck into a trail if you're going to be walking a lot of it.

The colour of the trail doesn't come into it, surely?

I agree, consideration is the key to it all - after all, we all share the same passion / hobby, we should be able to get along.

I'm not sure if it's a 'real thing' in the UK - In Whistler Bike Park there was a rule - and I don't remember if it was in writing, or 'unwritten' but everyone I saw stuck to it - on Black Trails the faster rider had 'right of way' which in real terms meant if you got caught up, it was your responsibility to pull over when you could to let them past - it didn't mean throw yourself at the scenery if some nutter came up behind screaming "straaaaaaava" just that you should let them pass when you could.

On the Blue Trails (there aren't any reds in WBP or weren't at the time) the slower rider had priority - so if you caught someone it was your responsibility to either stop and give them a gap or follow at their pace, and at a 'friendly distance' not snapping at their back wheel.

Despite the "I only ride park" video, I found less Egos at play in the Bike Park and more mutual respect, people fell and got hurt far more frequently than say at Afan so most people were friendly and accommodating - if someone got all pissy because some 'noob' ruined their run, they were reminded it wasn't a race-track and directly towards entry forms for Phat Wednesdays when it was.

As for the UK, I ride Trail Centres a lot, and I make no apologies for it - there's loads where I live and I like the riding - anyway, I've never encountered any sort of rules, written or otherwise and BPWales aside, how much actual black riding is there in the UK? a couple of short sections and the odd trail - usually graded as such because it's 40K+ long, not because it's full of big drops and jumps. Usually it's down to a bit of mutual respect - I catch riders and get caught myself most rides 90% of the people I catch pull over, some 'kick' and go for it, I'll follow them at a decent distance to see what they've got - everyone like a bit of a race, some just carry on as they were - I'll usually pull over than give them some space - they're usually the nervy ones who've not ridden that trail before - I'm not going to ruin anyone's day by making them ride faster than they'd like and crash.

Personally when I'm caught I always pull over, partly because I don't want to hold anyone up, and partly because I'm never confident of having someone I don't know and trust riding close behind me after someone smashed into me because they were braver than me, but didn't know the trail as well as I did - it was a big painful mess.