[EDDIE JONES]

I went riding at Oak Mtn today and on three occasions I had to get off the trail or be ran over by riders bombing downhill. (I was climbing) :madman: Obviously these riders don't understand that if someone is climbing, the right thing to do is let them continue. I was riding a 29er SS. Trying to get going again uphill is pretty hard. This happens every week, without fail alot. I am always nice to them and greet them as they go by but have rarely ever gotten a reply to my greeting. (Not even a grunt or anything) Now I am a big guy and if I didn't move they would probably get hurt a lot more than I would.:rant: How do ya'll handle this short of standing your ground and risking a collision? And the sad part is that aside from a few rude regulars (Guy on a black enduro with gold lettering comes to mind) most times they are all different peoplerft: . Do they think it's cool to do that? I have thought about confronting one of them just to see what happens :nono:

 

[29Colossus]

Just stop one of them and ask if there is another way up the trail or something because every rider you happen upon seems to be oblivious to the generally known rule of the trail being that the uphill rider has the right of safety.

 

[EDDIE JONES]

Thanks

Thanks Colossus. I would probably be stopping every one . No fun in that

 

[bikingbob]

I am tempted to say hold your ground and keep climbing. Sounds a bit like they are being conditioned to continue bombing down the hill while someone is busting their butt to get up.

 

[Cleve Lansteamer]

When I go down the hills at Oak Mtn, I make a quick mental assessment of the person I am watching coming up the hill at me. I can usually see in their eyes/mannerisms exactly how confident they are and where they choose to place themselves in the pecking order. Usually, my assessment is correct and the other rider moves off the trail as they should.

 

[The SS Boz]

I make quick mental assesments as well, and there are new riders who will always just stop...but "rules" of the trail are for the downhill rider to yield...

To the original poster: Yeah, If I was riding my SS out there and had to stop on an uphill cause of some fool, I think the pure adrenaline alone would force me to confront the rider...If im topped out with one gear, the last thing I want is some moron stoppin my progress...:madmax:

Sad fact is trails located near a metro area will always be populated by more boneheads unfortunately...:madman:

 

[extrmtao]

We are having this problem at Paris Mountain in GVL SC. It is even worse because it is night rides where people are being rude.

I also ride a SS 29'er and the pitches coming out of the downhill run are really steep. They require all of my concentration and efforts to climb out of that thing. I had a group of guys blow by me the other day and I just yelled back at them at the top of my lungs while they passed me "UPHILL RIDERS HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY!!"

I find that if you ride in groups people will stop. Especially when they realize you are not moving. We even have posted signs signifying the "right of way" rules but some people just don't care.

The best thing to do is to talk to your local ranger, make sure there is signage posted. Some people just don't know better. Once that is done you just have to enforce by spreading the word that sort of riding will not be tolerated.

I trust people will get the picture after awhile.

Good Luck!

 

[Tebr73]

When I go down the hills at Oak Mtn, I make a quick mental assessment of the person I am watching coming up the hill at me. I can usually see in their eyes/mannerisms exactly how confident they are and where they choose to place themselves in the pecking order. Usually, my assessment is correct and the other rider moves off the trail as they should.

This is where it all goes wrong. There is no "pecking order". You are either polite and follow the rules (which benefit every one), or you are not. Maybe they don't want to bother with someone who feels the trails are theirs to do as they please. Rather than potentially be involved in an accident (I didn't say cause , because this would be the fault of the downhill rider), they yield the trail. Pecking order my ass, they are just being more sensible than some of their fellow riders.

I hope you don't make these kind of assesments with hikers, that's a great way to get bikers thrown off the trails.

 

[ChipV]

When I go down the hills at Oak Mtn, I make a quick mental assessment of the person I am watching coming up the hill at me. I can usually see in their eyes/mannerisms exactly how confident they are and where they choose to place themselves in the pecking order. Usually, my assessment is correct and the other rider moves off the trail as they should.

Wow...you must be a really, really great rider- being at the top of the pecking order and all.

 

[EDDIE JONES]

way to go

Thanks alot Tebr73 and ChipV. I am so glad that not everyone thinks in the terms of a pecking order when biking:thumbsup: But if it does come down to a pecking order would we judge it based on rider size, bike expense, speed, or some other unknown that Cleve Lansteamer is the only one that knows. I always try to be polite. I greet fellow bikers coming down or going up.:aureola: Even the people that blow you off the trail. I would hate to see our trails closed because some jerk asserted his "pecking order" logic and ran into a hiker. But applying his logic, if using the assessments I mentioned, I would probably win in the game of chicken that Cleve would undoubtably play. I am a clyde that is just hardheaded enough to hold my ground. It would be like the irresistable force hitting the immovable object:eekster: But, you know what? I have enough common sense to yield. I think Cleve has mistaken someone yielding as a sign of weakness and it could cause him problems someday:smallviolin: :ihih: :arf: :incazzato: :ciappa:

 

[EDDIE JONES]

Oh, by the way, if any of you want to ride, I'll be at Oak Mtn every Sunday about 1pm. I'll be the fat guy either on an Indy Fab 29er SS or a Titus Motolite with yellow Spinergy wheels

 

[iliketoridebikes]

how do the rules of the trail apply to dumbasses that are stopped to take pictures of their mtbr-approved poser-mobile

 

[ChipV]

how do the rules of the trail apply to dumbasses that are stopped to take pictures of their mtbr-approved poser-mobile

Dunno...are they posers because they are taking pictures, or because you dissaprove of their choice of bikes?

 

[iliketoridebikes]

disapprove

 

[Tebr73]

Damn man!! Don't disapprove, more of us means less of them! Now if they would only learn the rules (including : "Get off the trail, if you are taking a picture") who cares what they ride.

I'm happy to see someone out there on the worst piece of crap or the most high tech unobtanium bike going. More riders means more political power. Of course we are the most un-political group going, because we all have something better to do.

Now about Rider Rudeness (see thread title) that crap has got to stop...

 

[EDDIE JONES]

Why do you dissapprove of their rides? As long as they are riding........I love seeing a lot of people riding regardless of what they are riding. But we all still need to be courteous when riding and observe the rules.

 

[Tebr73]

You and me, EJ. You and me!!

 

[ChipV]

disapprove

So, what exactly it you dissaprove of? I mean, these days therea re XC guys, AM guy, FR guys, SS'rs, fully rigid guys, and on and on and on.

When I see someone on a different type of bike I just figure that is what they are into. My bike is an eclectic mix of parts and it aint winning any fashion contests, but it works for ME.

 

[EDDIE JONES]

I went riding yesterday and ran across a group of three riders. One was on a wal-mart Mongoose. The other two were on entry level Trek and Specialized bikes. They were extremely courteous and were having the time of their lives. They were just RIDING. That is whats important. If we could get more on the trails I think everyone would benefit. The guy on the Mongoose was riding just as hard as the other guys, giving no excuses when he couldn't clear an obstacle and grinning the whole time.

 

[Cleve Lansteamer]

Yeah, I saw those guys too, back at the trailhead. They were laughing about some dumbass posing his bike with unusual looking handlebars.