I was riding recently in a forest on a beautiful sunny and still morning and various phones were ringing in other riders packs or jacket pockets – arrrgh!

what do we think – should everyone at least have to switch their phone to silent while out on the trail?

No, if there is an emergency at home I want to know about it.

Nope. It’s no worse than noisy hubs and screachy brakes and folk shouting and squealing.

no*, you possibly need to find somewhere more remote to ride if it bothers you that much

*but then I have no mates so when the phone rings it’s normally important stuff not chitchat, if I was dead popular and it was permanently ringing I’d probably silence it.

I always set my phone to super loud when on me bike so i can hear it. I’ll see if there’s a louder setting after reading this.
😉

I usually put my phone on aeroplane mode, so that I can use the GPS on it without draining the battery too much and because I’m out for a ride and don’t want to be disturbed. Its my me time.

killwillforchips, you’ll be wanting bluetooth to this

everything about this photo is cool. the chopper, the pose, the little wheels..

or this guy

“HELLO?! YES I’M ON THE TRAIL. YES.. IT’S LOVELY AND PEACEFUL”.

The only time mine gets switched off silent is when I’m riding

everything about this photo is cool. the chopper, the pose, the little wheels..

The block of wood stopping the back wheel rolling backwards. 😉

Aye they get on my t1ts and not just in forests. I have started taking my phone in the last year or so but it’s in aircraft mode logging the ride.

I’m out on the bike partially to escape external contact – I do not feel the need to be connected 24/7. Can’t really envisage a home scenario where I’m going to be able to boot it home and save a life – we got by without them in them old days 😉

You might want to got with o2 or tesco then. You wont even get reception for the phone to ring. Other wise, your rides arent far enough if your getting reception on any network.

You wanna try cragging up at Stanage or elsewhere The Peak. I’ve not been for ages but in the olden days phones would ring in bags all along the crag, only the owners weren’t near their bags – they were halfway up Flying Buttress or whatever. I saw someone grab a particularly noxious unattended phone and fling it into the bracken once.

I can’t hack the idea that people are convinced they’re so important that the world can’t manage without them. Sure if your missus is in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy or one of about five other scenarios where you would still chose to go out then turn your phone on but don’t pretend that you’re so frickin important that the world’s about to grind to a halt.

Me – I prefer places where the phone doesn’t work – cut the apron strings ya big babies.

have to say that there is often better reception in the forest, or on top of a mountain than where I live

Phone goes on silent here. A mate does this, turns up to ride and gets calls every 15 minutes from his GF. Put the **** on silent FFS. No one cares if the cat fell in the toaster, it’ll be there when you get back! If anything is that serious that it can’t wait, eg impending death of a relative, birth of first child, you probably shouldn’t be on the trail.

Where is that photo taken?

It looks like Afghanistan or Birmingham. I cant tell. Tis’ cool tho’ innit!

First world problems.

you ride with other people? How quaint.

When I ride I take the opportunity to channel my inner hermit, and hone my antisocial skillz.

what do we think – should everyone at least have to switch their phone to silent while out on the trail?

If they want but I don’t think it should be the law. You need to get out more if it bothers you that much.

Anything else you want to ban that annoys you? Loudly coloured clothing? People speaking? Its the outdoors ffs, let people do what they want.

no it doesn’t bother me massively – its just the first time in ages I had ridden at a popular trail centre with a gang of friends, instead of plugging away on my own somewhere more remote. Sill had plenty of fun, just thought the phones sounded out of place

no it doesn’t bother me massively

Yet you’re seriously suggesting that everyone should at least have to switch their phone to silent whilst they’re riding their bike.

damn you people… this is golf! go back to your shanties!

oh hang on. it’s not. get over it.

No, if there is an emergency at home I want to know about it.

My phone’s got a ‘do not disturb’ thingy that diverts calls etc to voicemail unless someone rings twice… As they would in an emergency 🙂

Not fussed by the ringing as I’m always in front, and the whoosh of wind and crunch of small mammals beneath my tires masks the sound.

Its people stopping mid-ride to take a call which winds me up. One in particular, who frequents this forum. So does everyone else stop and wait at a discreet distance while he takes the call? Do we heck, we bog off down the narrowest, most unlikely trail and see him 2 hours later at teh pub 😀

My phone is ALWAYS on when I ride in our group. If someone has a big stack, or mechanical when the group is split, I want to be contactable to sort it out. I turn it up to max volume so I can hear it.

Maybe one day, someone’s annoying phone may save your life.

My phone is the source of all my business (via calls and email/text)

If I turn it off and don’t answer calls (or reply to emails/texts swiftly) I lose out on potential business to other companies who answered the phone/email and started a dialogue with the person before I got chance.

And I have customers contacting me 7 days a week at all times of day.

So. No. I won’t be turning it off.

Some people get wound up by the smallest of things.

I used to have my phone on a setting whereby it would stop ringing if I picked it up. Doesn’t work so well if it’s in your pocket and your legs are pumping up and down all the time…

@pebblebeach – no I’m not, I’m just asking what everyone thinks

How did we live before mobiles? Did anyone dare venture out without being contactable?

How did we live before mobiles? Did anyone dare venture out without being contactable?

From my point of view, mobiles phones and more recently mobile email have changed the way people bring in business. And changed a customers expectation of “response times”

I can choose not to move with the times and say “how did people manage before mobile phones”

But my business wouldn’t last five minutes if I did.

How did we live before mobiles? Did anyone dare venture out without being contactable?

We were restricted in how and where we could do business. If I can get out for a decent ride and still run my company well then thats great. I understand the most important call some of you may get is from the wife to let you know your tea will be on the table in 10 minutes but that isn’t always the case.

FWIW i know where OP is coming from. talk to the people you ride with and see how they feel about it, some may be happy to turn phones off and just forget, others can’t… if the phone means they can go out at all, that’s got to be good right? i can feel my phone vibrate on my back, but real issue is stopping to take calls..

pebblebeach – Member
If I can get out for a decent ride and still “run” my company well then thats great.

I like that 😉 Looking forward to that idea being incorporated at HBS!

Each to their own – but the joy of MTB for me (at least) is to take a break from the noise and distractions of life and enjoy the outdoors. People will be running and riding with headphones next! 😉

there are lots of baby boys who dont want to silent their phone…

I often sneak a cheeky ride in when I should be ‘in the office’ so I like to have my phone on, means I can still answer customer queries etc. I tend to turn it off for evening rides or when my boss knows I’m off.

I like that Looking forward to that idea being incorporated at HBS

Well it works for me and if I can get out for a few hours during the day then thats great. Its working well so far and I have some of my best ideas when on the bike. I think hbs are still stuck in the world of golf.

My ring tone is ‘Ride of the Valkyries’

I almost never pick up 🙂 🙂

i can feel my phone vibrate on my back, but real issue is stopping to take calls..

Hands free, anybody?

Works quite well for me, on the few occasions, that I’ve felt the need to use it.

if you can hear someone elses phone ringing you are not going fast enough 😀

dunno about phones but I was a bit surprised a few weeks ago at Glentress – Sun am, about 1030 and i was heading up the busy red. caught up with a group of about 8 late teenagers/early 20’s guys riding pretty slowly, to the accompanying beat of very loud music coming from one of the guys backpacks. Pretty odd, but hey, i’m old 😀