Never heard of all this waiting at trail heads for slow people before. Seems a bit patronising.
Did you see the thread about the 'enduro warrior' who upset the slow poke OP? Can't be arsed with that. Easier to wait and leave a reasonable gap imo.
If it looks like they are ready to go ( helmet on and lining up on the trail)and part of a group already going down the hill ill stop and let them convoy.
If they dont look like they are making movements to go ( helmets on bars and off to the side) ill ride on through
If you shouted at me that i didnt wait in line at this point, id probably not hear you...and if i did you probably wouldnt hear my laughter.
Again this is trail centres. Ffs its like a conveyor belt, almost a job. Turn up follow the route, follow the signs, abide by what you should do.
Wheres the joy? Spontatity?
whatnobeer - Member
If someone is deliberately waiting to give someone space, is it not rude to go through ahead of them, causing them to wait longer?
No. It's their choice to wait, and getting to the top of a downhill first then choosing to wait doesn't give them any kind of control or right of way over a trail.
Spontatity?
I like your word you've made up.
Out of courtesy, I've asked groups waiting at descents if I can "play through*" but TBH I'd don't know what I'd do if they told me to wait...
Being English, I'd probably wait, and mutter and grumble to myself about it
😆
* to extend the Mountain biking is the new golf analogy to it's natural conclusion.
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* to extend the Mountain biking is the new golf analogy to it's natural conclusion.
My last two visits to Glentress have confirmed that biking is the new Golf for many.
That and the fact that SO MANY families now bike. Kids on bikes rock.
If someone I didn't know buzzed my wheel deliberately [more than once, shouted abuse etc] I'd slam on the anchors and endo in the ****'s face.
What is courteous about expecting people to live by rules that they didn't agree to or agree to allow you to make?
But that is the thing about courtesy though isn't it. Unwritten standards of behaviour the rude choose to ignore?
I think the one thing we can take form here is to be really aware of the chip on shoulder XC riders who like to sneer and others, won't compromise what they are doing for anyone and even if offered some helpful advice like there is a really nervous group just ridden down the trail like to exert their supreme right to catch and demand to pass rather than just chilling out for a minute.
I'm thoroughly English in my politeness but I'm also surprised to hear this is "a thing". I mean, I wouldn't nip in ahead of someone if they were obviously just about to set off, and in those occasional "No, after you" situations I'll suggest people go ahead of me if I reckon they'll be quicker.
But otherwise I'm with taxi25:
assumed the hanging around at the trail head was for having a breather/chat ect. If your waiting for a gap thats your choice but don't expect others to join your imaginary queue. If I catch someone, I hang back pass if its safe, but more normally unless the rider in front pulls over I wait untill the end of the section.
I think the one thing we can take form here is to be really aware of the chip on shoulder XC riders who like to sneer and others, won't compromise what they are doing for anyone and even if offered some helpful advice like there is a really nervous group just ridden down the trail like to exert their supreme right to catch and demand to pass rather than just chilling out for a minute.
Of course, an alternative we could take from this is to be aware of self-appointed guardians of self-chosen etiquette, who like to sneer at others who don't feel inclined to take direction from some random blokes hanging around at the top of the trail.
I'm kind of agnostic on this. If someone is behind me I let them go through. I'll wait til the trail is clear before moving off. If someone wants to ge ahead that is fine by me & I tend to go off-peak so it really isn't much of an issue. But in general terms. If I see someone obviously waiting in any sort of public space....isn't it rude just to push ahead of them, whether you are at a trail centre or at a bus stop? Maybe I'm just a bit old-fashioned.
I'm kind of agnostic on this. If someone is behind me I let them go through. I'll wait til the trail is clear before moving off. If someone wants to ge ahead that is fine by me & I tend to go off-peak so it really isn't much of an issue. But in general terms. If I see someone obviously waiting in any sort of public space....isn't it rude just to push ahead of them, whether you are at a trail centre or at a bus stop? Maybe I'm just a bit old-fashioned.
Same here - it normally seems fairly obvious to me if people are just chatting or whether they're posed for take off. If it's the latter I hold fire, if it's the former I'll crack on.
Oh what a shock, the complex and nuanced world of human interaction can't be codified in a forum post to the satisfaction of the internets. 😀
I think the one thing we can take form here is to be really aware of the chip on shoulder XC riders who like to sneer and others, won't compromise what they are doing for anyone and even if offered some helpful advice like there is a really nervous group just ridden down the trail like to exert their supreme right to catch and demand to pass rather than just chilling out for a minute.
If I were with nervous friends I'd be up close keeping an eye on them and protecting them from riders coming up behind and fending off riders that might 'hound them' by being on the trail. I wouldnt be at the top waiting and suggesting others compromise their day so my slower friends get a clean run and [u]I[/u] get a clean run. If i bring slower riders who need protection id accept that responsibility and ride with them, rather than send them on ahead.
If i were with others that are competent then we ride fastest rider first in descending order, adjusted for type of trail ahead and who is on what bike. So no gaps needed as we can all set together off chasing the wheel in-front.
I think the one thing we can take form here is to be really aware of the chip on shoulder XC riders who like to sneer and others, won't compromise what they are doing for anyone and even if offered some helpful advice like there is a really nervous group just ridden down the trail like to exert their supreme right to catch and demand to pass rather than just chilling out for a minute.
If I were with nervous friends I'd be up close keeping an eye on them and protecting them from riders coming up behind and fending off riders that might 'hound them' by being on the trail. I wouldnt be at the top waiting and suggesting others compromise their day so my slower friends get a clean run and [u]I[/u] get a clean run. If i bring slower riders who need protection id accept that responsibility and ride with them, rather than send them on ahead.
If i were with others that are competent then we ride fastest rider first in descending order, adjusted for type of trail ahead and who is on what bike. So no gaps needed as we can all set together off chasing the wheel in-front.
I wouldnt be at the top waiting and suggesting others compromise their day so my slower friends get a clean run and I get a clean run.
How exactly is it compromising your day? This instantly implies that your day is more important than others, otherwise wanting to cover every possible situation but somebody could already be following the nervous rider, just people are letting you know about the slow rider and suggesting that if you don't want to follow them down slowly you could wait.
I always shout "DROPPING" as I ride past the queues.
Those few seconds when they look around for a camera crew ,give me just enough time to stay in front. 😛
depends, doesnt it.
Did you see the thread about the 'enduro warrior' who upset the slow poke OP?
I've seen this one referenced a few times in this thread but have somehow missed it - could anyone point me in the right direction (please)?
EDIT: Ta AlexSimon
I thought this thread was about being made to wait because the person at the top wanted a gap? not because person at top is worried poor XC might have to ride slowly following others down.just people are letting you know about the slow rider and suggesting that if you don't want to follow them down slowly you could wait.
There is a lot of assumption put there and we all know what assumption makes us.
If you are waiting at the top of a trail for a 'clear run' then you are clearly looking to hammer down the track as fast as possible...fair enough, but then you need to accept that you may have to wait around for a while...
If you aren't prepared to wait then accept you may need to ride the trail a bit slower.
If someone told me to wait as they wanted to go on a 'strava' run, i'd tell em to f off in no uncertain terms.
we all know what assumption makes us.
Does it make an ass of ump and tion? 🙂
Did you say go or did you say no
Feedin' off each other
Anyway I'm calling house on the thread
Strava
Enduroists
Mtb is the new golf
Tld pj suit
Gnar
Oh you mean trail centre's I'm too much of a proper mountain bike to go there
Bloody hell. What a load of cobblers.
To a couple of the posters on here - Onemankylung and Glasgow "Kiss" Dan in particular - I think you're somewhat missing the point. Nobody is trying to say that there are hard and fast rules on this, just that common sense and a bit of courtesy should apply.
I normally ride with one or two others max. Numerous times I come to the top of runs to be presented with group(s) of riders hanging around. For all I know they're about to set off so I always just say do you mind if I go down? It's just polite. I mean you could just ignore them or fart in their face or whatever, but that just makes you a bit of a **** really. All this "Why should I yadda yadda yadda" just makes you come across as not particularly nice people, maybe the jobsworth type - bit like the guy who started the original thread that spawned this comes across.
I'm sure you're lovely people really, but at the point where attitudes like these are being spouted it makes me think of those big groups of roadies you sometimes pass who won't give you the time of day..
But that is the thing about courtesy though isn't it. Unwritten standards of behaviour the rude choose to ignore?
Yes that is correct. Why are people being so rude as to impose their imaginary queuing system on people? If I want to continue along a trail without stopping and I'm not riding up the arse of anyone then that is exactly what I will do. Nobody gets hurt, and if people get offended then that's their problem not mine. People are often just looking for an excuse to get offended - the can suck my plums.
How about I put it a slightly different way - if there is room for me to safely ride down the trail I'll not be waiting for anyone to give me permission to proceed.
This thread is still going then?
the can suck my plums
I'm probably rather reserved, but even [i][b]I[/b][/i] think that is carrying courtesy a bit too far.
Sometimes I'll warn someone coming up that the people that just headed off were going very slow so might want to leave a gap, but sometimes they just bomb down anyway.
Ho hum, up to them. Maybe they can get past, or maybe they'll just ride up their arse and scare a newbie rider, or maybe they just want to shout Strava! at them.
Personally I leave a little gap. Though if a bunch of gnarcore types rock up while I'm waiting I might decide to get my run in instead 😛
Blackflag - Member
This thread is still going then?
Someone is about to post slowly, so we're just waiting for them to finish and we'll quickly get our word in. 🙂
^ lol I'm not waiting for them to post slowly, I'm coming straight through at my own pace with this post 😀
the can suck my plums
Not an offer I've ever received, sounds like you are over compensating for something... Still amazes me how up tight some people seem to get about what should be fun.
As some local tassie observations
People seem to think that riding in a tight line on each others arse is fun. It's not, I'll sit and wait as long as it takes.
The XC training groups are worse than any ones daily mail perception of Strava [s]immigrants[/s] riders. Been rode off the trail by a few now.
Last bad UK experience was a guy who set off just behind me and the ex at Penmachno loop 2,there is a long flattish section that goes over a lot of rock rolls, he was right behind saying nothing. I wanted to let her ride stress free as it needed that at the time to clear through it all. Trackstanding on the tops of all the roll overs worked.
Never an issue for me. Ride a mile away from the visitor centre, and the trails are nice and empty 🙂