+1 slow riders, buzz their rear wheel!

I ride trail centres lots I never ask to pass unless its very open normally after the single track. I’m quick but always say – ‘keep your line dont stop, keep going’. More often than not they let me pass when they are comfortable I never expect them to let me pass.

Seen most things – best/worse bunch were a group looking at their head cam play back in the middle of the single track and ignoring two riders waiting for them to move. Clearly not beginers. As the third rider queeing to pass them I asked if they would mind awfully looking at the video at the single track. So its not all beginers slow or Turner riders 😉

I don’t think I’ve ever let a descender stop so that I can keep riding up. If it was a fun descent I’d feel a bit hard done by if I had to stop for people plodding upwards.

Of course there’d be some sort of communication; like in most aspects of life, it is key.

I used to ride at GT and Inners, there’re plenty spots on the long climbs to pass someone, so it’s never been an issue there. On the DHs, if I get to the top and see a group getting ready to set off AND I want to stop, it’s fairly easy to judge how quick they’ll be through a section and set off accordingly. If I do meet another slower group, I normally stop entirely, hopefully before they’ve realised I’m there. I don’t then ‘waste’ a section by riding it slowly, they don’t get hassled/pressured by freewheels clicking away. This sometimes backfires, by them stopping 20 yards up the trail – meaning I’ve got to restart and get back up to speed with no rest – but it’s all good.

One thing that I do, and let others do, but seems to annoy a small minority of others – if I’m riding up to the summit (say, top of Spooky Wood) and I’m not stopping, I’ll ride through the folks hanging around beside the trail and keep going. Not people on bikes waiting to ‘drop in’ but the ones bimbling around getting ready to leave.

Opinions?

as long as if you’re walking, you give priority to the one with the feet on the pedals, i don’t really care. most trail centres are in sections and if i misjudge how much space i leave someone, that’s my downfall, and if someone does the same to me, they’ll have to wait.
although obviously if it’s possible to make room i will. common sense trumps all.

One thing that I do, and let others do, but seems to annoy a small minority of others – if I’m riding up to the summit (say, top of Spooky Wood) and I’m not stopping, I’ll ride through the folks hanging around beside the trail and keep going. Not people on bikes waiting to ‘drop in’ but the ones bimbling around getting ready to leave.

Opinions?

So you just carry on down the descent instead of farting about with you fork and saddle, followed by rummaging in you camelbak for a banana?

How very dare you, you must not be a proper mountain biker 😉

Militant_biker

So long as you don’t get in the way 50 m down the trail 🙂 It would be different if they were waiting to set off and waiting for a clear trail but just faffing – ride thru ’em

Thing is though… if you stop completely to let the slower riders get away from you, you risk…

A) Blocking the trail.

or

B) Having more slow riders come past you.

anyone doing a red or black should expect faster riders to come up behind them, unless they are of course riding gods.

The problem is often that most trail centres have at least some common sections of trail – ie you could be a beginner who’s just trying out a red trail for the firs time to find some stormtrooper merge from a black descent at full pelt.

It used to be such a friendly sport.

up hill has right of way as you can restart downhill very easily
Slower riders yields to the faster rider at a point of their choosing if they dont you choose it [ thisis unwise]
Dont take the grassy slope to the left of the deepish rut as it rises steeply and you then face a 5 foot drop into the rutty bit at speed. Dont accelerate to make sure you are in front of the rider you are tring to overtake
You may look skilled as you drop in to the gap but you will sacre the shit out of yourself and nearly die as you try and scrub speed to stop splatting the one in front of you that you had not even thought about who is also going much slower than you

When you stop at the bottom to chat off course you meant it and you knew the trail..dont let go of the bars they will see the shaking

I wait now

Descending rider has priority..

Unless its no biggy and you can see the rider coming up is climbing like a hero for the trail steepness- then I’d pull in and let him/her past.

uphill always has priority. Its would be polite to let the dh rider past but the DH rider can restart easily – the uphill one cannot

I tend not to let faster riders pass because I normally am going at the pace of the 11yo in front of me. They can wait until the section ends. In fact they normally give encouragement. They won’t catch the teenager who disappears 😆

Will always give way to people coming uphill, as they might not be able to restart and climbing is hard enough!

TandemJeremy – Member

uphill always has priority. Its would be polite to let the dh rider past but the DH rider can restart easily – the uphill one cannot

Spot on.

djaustin – you have highlighted an exception to the rule… kids always have the ROW!!

I agree with TJ.

As a descending rider I’ll just time my stop so I can track stand whilst a climbing rider goes past. If it’s too steep to stop then they won’t riding up it anyway?

No no no. All the above are incorrect.

As a STW we all know if the rider was female and relatively fit ALL STW males would stop, leer and attempt stilted-conversation.

ALL STW males would stop, leer and attempt stilted-conversation.

sfb would just unpack his camera and wait until she was past him.

uphill always has priority. Its would be polite to let the dh rider past but the DH rider can restart easily – the uphill one cannot

Restart easily maybe, but what about stop? If i’m wanging it down a good section then I may find it very hard to stop for an unexpected party of uphill bikers. If you are riding up a section of trail that looks good for blatting downwards, then I’d suggest keeping your wits about you and being ready to move aside.

This rarely happens anyway ime as trail centres are one-way and in the real world you are usually aware that other people exist riding bikes and so are ready to move aside for someone descending fast on perhaps a rocky and loose path.

As a STW we all know if the rider was female and relatively fit ALL STW males would stop tell them we’re hora online and watch them race off into the distance

+1

sfb would just unpack his camera and wait until she was past him.

The Asian lady rider? :smokin:

kayak23 – Member

If i’m wanging it down a good section then I may find it very hard to stop for an unexpected party of uphill bikers.

Then you are going too fast for a two way trail. Or you need to learn to use your brakes. Its always your responsibility to stop in time. Always

1. on foot give way to anyone still riding.
2. up vs down give way to those going up, easy to start again heading down – also see point 1
If I hear someone catching me up I’ll normally pull over if possible, if it’s a downhill I’ll speed up and hope I don’t land on their line when I crash.

Dont take the grassy slope to the left of the deepish rut

where was that?

I may find it very hard to stop for an unexpected party of uphill bikers

it could be a childs face, though!

Then you are going too fast for a two way trail. Or you need to learn to use your brakes. Its always your responsibility to stop in time. Always

Sorry, still don’t agree. If its a ‘trail’, as in a mountainbike track, then obstinately expecting everyone coming downhill to casually stop, doff their cap and allow you to pass is likely to result in a little Darwinian education. No, etiquette may be on your side, common sense however I fear is not.

where was that?

nan bield 😉

TJ is absolutely correct. A rider going uphill cannot be expected to dive for his life because someone is hooning around a blind bend. The faster rider has a responsibility not to harm anyone.

And on the subject of etiquette… what about those dicks you stop to let past you on the downhill who then are found hanging around on the fireroads in between the singletrack. I’ve seen me stop for ages waiting for them to take off again (seems little point in going on ahead of them when they are clearly faster than me) but they never go out in front. Invariably, I end up having to go in front of them and yes, within a couple of minutes, there they are again, right on my wheel. Drives me mad. The point is????? 🙄

Correct is not the same as sensible. I’m always aware that there may be people coming up a track, but much more aware that there may be people coming down one!
Anyway, each to their own.

I’m sure Jesus had something to say about this, though it may not have been specifically aimed at MTBers…

Bearded, sandal-wearer – must have been a single speeder 😉

Anyway, each to their own.

no not each to their own, on trail centres it’s tempting to go balls out fast but, just as on BW (not sure what “a mountain bike track” is if isnt a trail centre as you seem to imply) there could be ramblers, horse riders or just the guy infront of you who has crashed and is unable to move, just around that blind bend. Make sure you can stop in the distance you can clearly see. I’m a pushy rider, I have unfortunatley scared a few people by riding fast round a corner (too fast in their view) but I’ve always been able to stop and I certainly don’t expect people to jump out of my way.

I struggle with long sentences

I’d give way if there’s room and expect him/her to do likewise, it’s pointless saying the faster rider has ROW if the slower rider is coming up a narrow bit of trail and the faster rider is coming out of a wide bit for example.

Make sure you can stop in the distance you can clearly see

What about if there’s a blind drop?

I am in agreement with you though and wonder how many people have been involved in a crash with another rider (especially at a trail centre) because they’ve not been able to stop?

Make sure you can stop in the distance you can clearly see.

Yes,I do thankyou.

in which case kayak

If i’m wanging it down a good section then I may find it very hard to stop for an unexpected party of uphill bikers.

does not apply.

The Southern Yeti

What about if there’s a blind drop?

You stop and scope it out or one of you goes first to make sure the trail is clear

What, even at a trail centre TeeJ?

what about those dicks you stop to let past you on the downhill who then are found hanging around on the fireroads in between the singletrack.

Going fast downhill and hanging around on the boring climbs? Total dicks, obviously.

+1 for common sense, and a bit of patience. It’s supposed to be fun, right?

When i’m wanging it down a good section my bike makes a hell of a racket. You’d need to be pretty hard of the hearings not to know I was coming. Same applies when pushing up with other riders coming down. Stop. Look. And listen.

The Southern Yeti – Member

What, even at a trail centre TeeJ? Thought we were talking about two way trails? don’t really know about on a trail centre – there is one and only one bit at GT I can think of where yo cannot see if someone is on the landing on a dropoff. Dunno really

Euro – Member

When i’m wanging it down a good section my bike makes a hell of a racket. You’d need to be pretty hard of the hearings not to know I was coming. Same applies when pushing up with other riders coming down. Stop. Look. And listen.

And if you are deaf?

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😛