Mtb'ers getting stick … again

Anyone seen this:

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/forummessages/mps/dt/4/UTN/41332/last/1/V/8/SP/

Reckon we should all join up and present argue our case. I nominate Elf, TJ and MrNutt to represent us. 8)

It’s the same suicidal thing to trust bikers and step aside at first notice.

My favourite. Much safer to play chicken with bikes.

But apart from that, they’re not that bad. There’s no burn all the cyclists in the world people on there. You should try a car forum.

Yeah! But some memebers of that Forum are so bloomin’ anti-bikes. And they won’t belong to the Rambers either!

High-profile PR me thinks. 🙂

Is it OK to admit to having a bell on a couple of my bikes? 😳

I have bells on all my bikes. My hybrid has four (I’m collecting enough to play a scale).

If someone came out with a carbon fibre off-road allmountain bell, it would probably sell well. If it had a Ti pinger.

OH dear worrying part was when the person says When I am in charge
then the cyclist can pass 😯
Just step to one side and everyones happy! No one is going to know what the other person is going to do or react, well until now

But I do agree with the comment re large groups of walkers. They just seem to be in their own world and take up the whole width of a track.

A lot of anger on that thread.

A lot of anger on that thread.

Really? I didn’t think it read that badly, there were a couple on there who were a bit anti bike, but nothing really unpleasant. I’m sure if I check it again tomorrow it will have got a whole lot worse!

I tend to go for a cheery hello, haven’t ever had a problem.

Horses though……

There just seems to be the one selfish nob on there, the rest seem sensible enough.

For the record, the bell went straight off both of my bikes, for many reasons, one of the more minor ones being, I think they’re a little rude. Who am I to expect people to move out of my way when I ding a little bell? I’m much rather wait till theres space then say “Excuse me” and then smile and say thanks.

It’s the same suicidal thing to trust bikers and step aside at first notice

That really is a weird one; I’m going to be planning to go round him just as he steps into my intended route – great ! 🙄

(agree with lewis, not that rabid on there – in fact “GT” is probably coming across just as anti-walker as any of them are anti-biker)

I have a bell on my trail bike the tossers still don’t move…

think i’ll get an air horn.that should make them hear you and move.had a group of walkers in the middle of the hills on sunday growling at us for trying to pass them and one woman says”no bells lads” if id came up behind her and started ringing my bell she’d have jumped out her skin.why not just move to one side and let us pass without making a fuss!!its not THEIR path!!

Andituk / hainman – walkers expect a bell and used properly they are a great help. A polite “ting” from a distance away. You can alert them to your presence from further away than if you shout.

Not having a bell puts you straight in the wrong.

I agree its odd but thats the way it is.

I was riding out the forest and family fat were walking 4 abreast along the track from the car park to the ice cream van. I was riding slowly as there were quite a lot of people around and said ‘excuse me, on your left’.

Mr Fat jumped a bit as he was in a world of his own and then started screaming at me. Apparently I was a homicidal maniac speeding through crowds of people, trying to kill his children.

The grand finale was when he turned with a flamboyant gesture and said ‘READ THE FCKING SIGN!’

I did. It said ‘CYCLE PATH’.

He went a bit quiet at that point.

he turned with a flamboyant gesture and said ‘READ THE FCKING SIGN!’

I did. It said ‘CYCLE PATH’.

Classic 😆

Don’t these people realise that they’re making more agro for themselves by not letting cyclists through? I’m not saying they need to jump out of the way, but diverting to one side of the trail removes the issue for everyone.

It’s a bit like drivers who go to extraordinary lengths to prevent somebody merging from another lane and in doing so completely choke up the traffic and cause everybody aggravation all for the sake of losing one car length 🙄

I find a loud “HOW DO” in a broad Yorkshire accent and a slightly glazed happy expression/smile gets a result when I meet other trail users these days…..

roaring like a dinosaur works

agreed tj i should have my bell back on but its such ashame you come across some ignorant people though,it spoils your enjoyment!

retro83 well daid.i hate they motorists.god knows why people do that as you say it doesnt or shouldnt matter to them where you merge into traffic!think its their way of a power trip!!

Come on you know someone was going to ask ? Which bell for ringing when wanting to warn walkers of your approach ?

I found that when I had a bell, walkers turned around all grumpy looking and would complain that I only had to ask rather than pinging a bell at them….

Can’t win either way. Some people just don’t want to like cyclists and frankly they’re not worth worrying about. Ignore them or smile in an OTT way to them and say Good Morning/etc. Pisses them off no end.

Bell? I thought half the idea of Hope hubs being loud & clicky was so you didnt need a bell. Wary of the Fashion Police me

think i’ll get an air horn.that should make them hear you and move.had a group of walkers in the middle of the hills on sunday growling at us for trying to pass them and one woman says”no bells lads” if id came up behind her and started ringing my bell she’d have jumped out her skin.why not just move to one side and let us pass without making a fuss!!its not THEIR path!!

I remember them.
I was at the front, and had slowed right down. I was about 20 feet away from them and called out “excuse me, on your left,” only to have the nearest 2 walkers jump right over to the left of the path!
Everything was friendly enough though, we all said hello etc, it was just that one comment about the bell that made me chuckle.
Whats the difference between ringing a bell and calling a polite warning of your presence?
Weird.

Bells get ignored by everyone 100% of the time.

Hope pro2 and “bike on your right/left” works 100% of the time.

These are facts.

😉

The most annoying thing is when people decide to walk on the Timberland trail in Bristol and then don’t get out of the way and tut when you ride past at speed. Its a flaming mtb trail you brain dead halfwits.

Bells get ignored by everyone 100% of the time.

I tend to find that using a bell normally gets a smile and a positive comment from walkers. I think its because its the last thing people expect to hear these days.

I’ve found that you just can’t win – ring a bell and you get told it’s rude/we heard you coming/we were going to get out of the way.
Don’t ring a bell and you get told that you should.

I just use a polite greeting although nothing works for the ones walking along in a daze, texting or with earphones in.

I have a bell on my commuter. I use it a lot. Most people will move out of the way quickly (I usually don’t need them to, I just like to warn people I’m approaching), but some will give me an angry look and hold their ground, which is fine too, as I say, it’s just a warning.

I really like it when I approach some teenage lads/young men. I ring the bell and because it’s such a childish little sound they’re not allowed to drop the macho act and have to remain stern and hard looking while I’m popping a big smile and ring a linging my bell.

creep up silently behind them (having a deadly silent freewheel helps this) and slow right down…. eventually when they feel your unearthly presence behind them they’re usually too embarrassed at not noticing you (and you not being, in their eyes, rude enough to ask them to move)and they then jump out the way apologising 🙂

always say thanks and throw them a grin 😀

The long and the short of this is that if cyclists had from the beginning of mtb-ing always slowed to walking pace (or walking pace plus walking pace in the same direction) and always passed courteously and considerately, being prepared to stop if need be – if we had all done that from the start then these tensions would not exist (for the most part).

All we can do now is take it seriously and try and repair the damage. Pass slowly. Really really slowly. Or just stop when people are walking towards you and the track is at all narrow. The benefits are several – it is ultimately more relaxing for everyone, you get to say hello to more people, they realise that we’re not just a bunch of adrenaline fuelled nutters, and we get a clear run once the walkers have passed.

I wonder how loud a bell actually is? I’ve always thought Pro2’s are way more effective.

I go for the ‘approach as quietly and as fast as possible and see how high they jump’ method

seriously though, there is no winning. If you shout bike, they get annoyed, if you say excuse me they get annoyed, if you say nothing but give them a wide berth they get annoyed

went past a group of around 50 old gippers near the shooting cabin the other day, its a fire road, so plenty of room for everyone, and we were facing them, so they could see us approaching, but they still took up the whole width of the path. No attempt to move whatsoever. I was first through. Apparently one of the walkers said to my mate who was about 3rd in line ‘it’s hardly the place for a bike is it?’

good job she hadn’t said it to me, because I don’t think she would have liked my reply very much

seriously, why can’t people just get along, its like skiers and snowboarders hating each other, load of bollocks, just get on with it

Skiers & snowboarders nooooooooooooooo !!!!! Walkers and Mtber’s getting along, ermm might just happen but skiers and snowboarders never ever will the two become one…..We boarders are just way to cool and laid back to ride with skiers 😉

glenP you are spot on. I hate it when there’s talk of “walkers” or “bikers”.
They are all people. Some are rude, grumpy, ignorant and others are chilled, happy go lucky and pleasant.

It’s alright saying people are away with the fairys when they are out and about, at the end of the day most people head out into the country to chill out and empty their heads etc. whatever they are doing.

I pretty much assume nobody’s heard me coming, if i’m coming up behind them, and show a bit of courtesy so as not to spook them. If they’re coming towards me, I pull up, say hello or whatever and carry on when they’ve passed. It might not be what I wanted to do at that point especially if there’s a good bit of trail, but there’s always another day.

Andituk / hainman – walkers expect a bell and used properly they are a great help. A polite “ting” from a distance away. You can alert them to your presence from further away than if you shout.

Yeah, but wheres the fun in that. Nothing better than watching a bloke leap out of the way dragging his kids and wife into the undergrowth, fearing for his life, despite the fact you’ve been gently cruising along at walking pace for the last 5 minutes behind them.

Seriously, I’m in no rush.

I wonder how loud a bell actually is?

Had to find out so jesus phone app to the rescue.

Silent/very quiet room = 30db
Outside (rural with no traffic but a bit of wind) = 65db
Bike bell (‘ting’) = 70-75db max
Hope XC freewheel = 70db max
Hope Pro2 freewheel = not got one but I’d guess at 75-80db
Me saying ‘hello’ loudly (not shouting) = 75db

So a bell is no more effective than a voice.

Skiers & snowboarders nooooooooooooooo !!!!! Walkers and Mtber’s getting along, ermm might just happen but skiers and snowboarders never ever will the two become one…..We boarders are just way to cool and laid back to ride with skiers

LOAD OF CRAP

Getting huffed at on the Marin Trail a few years ago was funny though! They’re in cloud bloody cuckoo land sometimes!

I guess we’ve all had the experiences of people stepping in our way – deliberately, who knows?

Such discussions support the need to ride appropriate routes and not use cheeky routes in tourist honeyspots, it is very righteous to be able to tell a well informed redsock that the “footpath” is actually a bridleway, especially when it can be backed up with the route clearly marked on a decent scale OS map.

In life if you’re breathing, someone will get annoyed at you for it at some point or another, best to make a game of annoying the people who deserve it and treating the good people like new friends.

Always and I mean always, have your insults and finger jestures ready. You never know when you will need to fire one off and no one wants to let a rambler or shoe jockey, get the upper hand!

Ridefree!