Was out in peaks yesterday on a fave descent and met 4 riders coming up. Now when I am on the up (on singletrack this is...)i always pull over to let the descenders by. Was a bit miffed these 4 seemed to show no consideration for my grinfactor... and ploughed their way through me! Though they were 'friendly'. What do you lot do, trail etiquet and all....
Asceders should give way. Always. The descent is all about enjoying yourself, and the climb is just about getting there.
i always thought ascenders had ROW?
easier for descenders to get started again.......
depends - if its a tough uphill and the ascenders are near the top, then i stop to let them complete their personal challenge - and vice versa
I tend to give way to descenders just as an excuse for a rest!
Descenders should give way.
ascenders should get out of the way
pain should give way to pleasure
I tend to give way to the ascenders (as long as they're on their bike).
Once you stop it's often too difficult to get going again so I'll give them the chance to keep going.
I think descending is still great fun even if it is stop-start. Climbing is mostly only fun if you clear a challenging climb, and I'm not going to spoil that little opportunity for somebody.
allyharp - MemberI tend to give way to the ascenders (as long as they're on their bike).
Once you stop it's often too difficult to get going again so I'll give them the chance to keep going.
I think descending is still great fun even if it is stop-start. Climbing is mostly only fun if you clear a challenging climb, and I'm not going to spoil that little opportunity for somebody.
Descenders should give way and hold gates open for ascenders. If a descender can't stop they were going too fast.
Climbing has priority over descending
Yup, descenders give way.
Descender gives way. Same as if you were driving on a steep single track road. It's harder to get going again if you're going up!
If either party is pushing they should give way though IMO.
I'd say descenders should give way, all things being equal. I could imagine exceptions though.
Always give way to ascenders, although if I was just about to kick off on a climb and could see someone heading down fast I wait till they hit the bottom. If you're pushing either direction you need to just get out of the way.
Descenders should give way. If I'm descending on the same line as someone ascending, it takes so very little to drop off the line, pass the ascender and then re-join the line in the vast majority of situations.
Ascenders should give way as they are already going slowly while a desender will be travelling fast therefore take further to stop and in doing so may lose control in a effort to slow down and avoid the obstical.
Ascenders will be going slowly and as a result they can hear more so should be able to hear the on coming descender.
This has cropped up several times before on here. Assuming both parties are riding then the descender should give way. If one party is pushing or stopped at a gate etc then the rider has priority regardless of direction.
Definitely descender should give way if possible.
J0N - MemberAscenders should give way as they are already going slowly while a desender will be travelling fast therefore take further to stop and in doing so may lose control in a effort to slow down and avoid the obstical.
In which case they are going too fast?
Yes Crazy legs is correct.
There's nothing worse than some ****t coming the other way who nearly mows you down when you are trying to ride up a trail.
On a public right of way bikes MUST give way to all other trial users, if you are decending so fast you can't stop you are out of control and are riding dangerously.
Decenders should give way to acenders, unless you are pushing the bike up in which case no issue getting out of the way.
whoever's got it easy?
If someone was scrabbling up a steep loose section and i was decending on a flatter, wider easy section it'd be rude to push them off into the bushes.
Similarly I'd be pissed off if I was decending and some pillock started up some steep section I was mid way down.
If you start imagining unwritten rules you just pave the way for accidents, if neither party has "right of way" and both assume they have to slow down we'll all get along just fine 🙂
If you start imagining unwritten rules you just pave the way for accidents, if neither party has "right of way" and both assume they have to slow down we'll all get along just fine
+1 A good rule of thumb shouldn't overrule some common sense and consideration.
where was this was it me /us as I was in a group of 4 in Peaks yesterday?
We gave way three times to descenders on pi55 simple stuff where we could get going easily and they were flying/descending/enjoying etc. We did not give way on one steep technical/rocky bit as it was both a personal challenge to complete and we would never have got going if we had stopped.
We were spread out thinly on the ground to be fair though if it was us sorry
How about a bit of common sense? Whoever its easiest for? Just for info in the US down gives way to up.
If the decent its steep enough you dont have a problem with anyone coming up.This is a difficult one.
Down gives way to up.
I really don't think it's black and white - very much depends on circumstances
but if you're not going too fast downhill, you're not doing it right 😀
Ladies first in which ever direction I am riding.
Both parties should slow down and say hi, with the descender keeping out of the way of the climber, who has right of way.
On a public trail, an ascender has the right of way (This should also apply to walkers when bikes are ascending toward them and vice-versa).
IMO If you're moving too fast to slow down for another trail user, you're going too fast for the conditions and needlessly endangering others, exactly the same as on the road.
Purpose built stuff is different.
Descenders should give way / change their line as it's easier for them to get going again.
The bloke on the rigid singlespeed has right of way, because he's rock!
I tend to give way to everyone, whether I'm going up or down.
i find that riding straight at other trail users of any kind usually gives me right of way as they scarper.
seriously though, if i was approaching a group of walkers id slow in plenty of time, avoid giving us a bad name and all that. if it was bikers id be less inclined to slow down, hoping they had some idea of the fun involved in descending and wouldnt begrudge me my fun.
Scruzer that wasn't you dropping down the cobbled descent next to kinder res was it?
thanks for the replies. I will take note. For your information I was descending Hope Bank. This leads from Hope X and runs above the Roman Road down to Aston almost. It was just befor the flat section. Cheers folks
Surely there is neither has any right of way? Just keep to one side where possible
Why do people type this stuff as if its fact?
What's wrong with you people? You'd almost all let a climber ruin your DH? I know I'd always let someone relishing the DH go for it!
rolf - I will often let someone descending complete their run and get out of their way out of politeness - but the basic principle on roads and paths has always been downhill gives way to up for the simple reason its easier to restart downhill than up. If I am struggling to clean a climb I won't stop as i will not be able to restart
i hate downhills, i only do them to get to the next climb. So i could look at it as the downhiller is ruining my climb. So why give way?
God I hope we all don't meet on the same section of trail, theres going to be a right pile up 😀