mountain bikers blocking the trail

I wouldn’t ride around, as a) they won’t learn and b) it will just widen the trail. I would just ride up to them and stop and say excuse me you’re blocking the trail. I don’t care what response I get. If need be I’d push my way through.

Why would you struggle past…? Don’t get that at all.

I think it is double annoying as it is cyclists, I kind of expect it from 4x4s and pedestrians

We had something of the opposite a while back at Cannock. We were stopped on fire road at the entrance to the next bit of singletrack, waiting for the last bloke to catch up.
We had ridden past the turn for the singletrack and stopped, so were in no way causing an obstruction to anyone wanting to ride past. A bloke came chundering up on an S-Works Epic or similar and shouted that we were ‘on the line’ as he went past huffing and puffing……he must have had a very odd line choice for us to be obstructing him.

“its the law to stand blocking the beginning or end of a section.
And it you are in a big you can all try a ride off at the same time when you see some else trying to start the section”

😆 Only its not funny anymore.29″ wheels do roll over bikes better than 26″ ones tho.
Next best is catching someone whilst climbing,politely saying “rider/on yer left-right” and they block you and decide to speed up…surely if they were capable of riding at that pace I would never have caught them!!!!This happens ALL the time to me….is it the ignomy and shame of being pawned by a middle aged beardy on a ss clown bike or just ignorance??

You do get some funny types at trail centres.

I’m always polite but you’ve got to say something or they won’t learn. Most people are overly apologetic to be fair.

People waiting in big groups at start of a section then deciding to set off just as I pedal up are my bugbear too.

The answer? Stop riding with the crowds; buy a map and use your mountain bike for biking mountains.

People who stop for a chat in doorways and don’t bother to move before you have to push past/shout annoy me… interestingly it’s worse in Spain/South America, cultural differences I assume.

I have studied this phenomenon in detail.

The conclusion I have come to is that the Spanish don’t have a personal space bubble like the brits and don’t care if they/you invade. The same applies to driving.

The answer? Stop riding with the crowds; buy a map and use your mountain bike for biking mountains.

Ah yes, never thought of that. Thanks for the tip.

Have had it at Chopwell where three riders were blocking the trail, with just enough room between them to squeeze past, but wasn’t possible due to their three wenches coming up the fireroad behind them three abreast.
I did ask them if it was necessary to block the road completely and if they had to ride three abreast, but they ignored me.

Couple of weeks back at Hamsterley on the iced over roads, I stopped at the little bridge before the steep climb having lost traction. I pulled right into the right to decide whether to push or not.
A big group of riders came up behind me but had plenty of room to get around the corner and up.
The youngest of them still managed to go really wide and clip me with his bike, even though he had three metres or so of road to play with.

Hence a nice shrill bell on your bars solves all the above. Anyone ignores that then its fair game

i hate mountain bikes leaving innertubes everywhere the last few times ive been out ive come home with about 5

I don’t get the inner tubes thing, they’re a fiver FFS 😀

This has happened to me twice, funnily enough at trail centers:

The first time was at the Marin, just as we were flying down the last switch-backy-bit before the car park there were 3 people stood on the inside of one of the corners fixing a puncture, thankfully I managed to stop in time otherwise it may well have been a bit nasty.

Second time was at ‘degla, a lady and a couple of kids on the blue finish under the bridge, thought the middle of the berm was a great place to stop and wait for hubby/daddy. Just as well there’s plenty of space there 😯

On a riding over people note, my mate did come off in front of me on one of the descents on the Pont Scethin route, we were descending along a bit of single track that was like a mini rut, about 12″ wide and a few inches deep – not enough time to hop out of the rut and faced with a decision of squishy human or Orange 5, I chose the latter and rode straight over his back wheel/swing arm.

All of us escaped unscathed, I only had to justify that the bike was inevitably less likely to be damaged than him considering his glass back 😆 😆 🙄