"wiffleballtony" (wiffleballtony)
11/06/2015 at 09:32 • Filed to: None
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"wiffleballtony" (wiffleballtony)
11/06/2015 at 09:32 • Filed to: None | 1
| 21 |
One of the nice things about where I live is proximity to lots of nice hiking trails in the middle of nowhere. I took this picture last night whilst hiking. One of the less nice things is the other people who use these trails, namely bicyclists. Almost every single time there is a mountain biker coming you have to hurl yourself out of the way lest you’ll be run down. When the shoe is on the other foot, they have no mercy.
jariten1781
> wiffleballtony
11/06/2015 at 09:45 |
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Carry caltrops.
Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
> wiffleballtony
11/06/2015 at 09:52 |
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To be honest, I side with the cyclists here...
YOU can move off the trail. THEY cannot.
YOU are slow. THEY are fast.
YOU are there for exercise and scenery, THEY are there for exercise and terrain challenge. As such, they are focusing on not killing themselves while you are focusing a camera.
Slowing down is often not a good idea on a bike (source: experience) when you are tackling more advanced terrain.
As far as I'm concerned, Here's the rule. If you aren't actively using the trail (in your case, taking pics. Other examples might include a biker who's chain fell off or who stopped to wait for somebody), move off of it. If you are actively using the trail, look out (and especially listen, you can normally hear bike coming, unless the trail's covered in pine needles or something) for those around you. Kind of like pulling over to use your cell phone. Do one thing at a time.
Master Cylinder
> wiffleballtony
11/06/2015 at 09:55 |
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As a hiker/backpacker, I sympathize. But the worst are the horse people. With the cyclists, you only get callous disregard for your life and limb. Horsey folk give you that, plus a sneering holier-than-thou attitude, plus huge steaming piles of shit everywhere.
I’d actually rather share trails with dirt bikers, at least you can hear them coming.
Alfalfa
> wiffleballtony
11/06/2015 at 09:57 |
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It’s important to note that road cyclists and mountain bikers are rarely the same people. Their attitudes can often be very polarizing
Birddog
> wiffleballtony
11/06/2015 at 09:58 |
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You’re wrong! Cyclists always have the right of way and can never do wrong! They are the most honorable of vehicular traffic.
As pennance for your wrongness you must go out and hug a cyclist and tell them you’re sorry 10 times!
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wiffleballtony
> Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
11/06/2015 at 10:02 |
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I took one picture over the course of an hour or so. Honestly, I don’t care we both have equal claim to the trail, if you’re tearing down the trail at high speed and my only recourse is to jump into a cactus, the biker is in the wrong. They're moving faster than is reasonable. It’s equivalent to me driving too fast on an extremely twisty road and forcing a bicyclist off.
BobintheMtns
> Master Cylinder
11/06/2015 at 10:03 |
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This x 1000.... I’ve got to pick up my dogshit it, but don’t worry about that 10 lb pile of horseshit...
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wiffleballtony
> Alfalfa
11/06/2015 at 10:03 |
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True
JR1
> wiffleballtony
11/06/2015 at 10:04 |
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As someone who both bikes and hikes I am going to have to say the cyclist has the right away epically on that terrain. Odds are you can anticipate their movements way in advance anyway
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Master Cylinder
> Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
11/06/2015 at 10:10 |
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I get where you’re coming from, and generally, yeah, you’re right. It’s easier for a hiker to just take a step off the trail to make way for cyclists (assuming there’s space to do so) but cyclists also shouldn’t really be tearing down a trail so fast that they can’t see what’s ahead in time to stop or avoid it.
I’ve been on both sides of this, actually, although my speed on a mountain bike isn’t what anyone could call fast. All users of the trail have an obligation to share it safely and respectfully. For hikers, that means stepping off if possible. For cyclists, that means keeping the speed down to what your sightlines allow, and maybe announcing your approach on blind corners and such.
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wiffleballtony
> JR1
11/06/2015 at 10:11 |
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Not when it’s a twisty trail with blind corners. The terrain isn’t even that bad.
lunr
> wiffleballtony
11/06/2015 at 10:16 |
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I had a similar thing happen a few weeks ago. I’m a volunteer Firefighter / EMT, and we got called out to a biker down about 2 miles into the trails. These trails are about 2 ft wide, so my partner and I are being guided by another cyclist on foot, and we’re carrying bags of medical equipment and wearing FD shirts with “FIRE” all over the back of the shirts.
And no joke, the other cyclists came right up on top of us or sped right past us with inches to spare and gave us nasty glares because we were in _their_ way.
Sure, cyclists, I’m just tromping through the woods on my day off for my health, definitely not here to help one of your own.
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Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
> wiffleballtony
11/06/2015 at 10:22 |
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If they were coming that fst you should have heard them, and moved out of the way. While there are clear sight lines, the responsibility is shared, but where you can’t see each other, the only alternative is sound. A biker can’t hear a hiker. A hiker can hear a biker, so the responsibility is on the hiker to move out of the predicted path of the bike.
As far as I’m concerned, a reasonable speed for a bike is determined by where the rider feels comfortable. And no, I think it’s more like a slower driver (talking about those with an excuse here, eg pulling a horse trailer) pulling over onto the shoulder for a few seconds to let somebody that can travel faster to get by. You will come to no harm by moving off the trail for a short time. If you would (ie that part of the trail is a bridge over a river) then yes the biker should be watching for spots like that, and to be honest if they know the trail well enough to come down that fast they probably are.
This is coming from somebody who does both btw.
Gamecat235
> JR1
11/06/2015 at 10:25 |
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As someone who still hikes and used to trail ride in Southern Arizona (which judging by the pictures, is roughly the same region as the OP), if you’re going fast enough on a hiking trail that you need to worry about others anticipating your movements, your ability to stop around blind corners, or your general inability to see what’s 50’ ahead of you, you’re doing it wrong.
Ride fast when and where it is safe to do so. Don’t when it isn’t.
Just like driving.
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Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
> Master Cylinder
11/06/2015 at 10:26 |
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I've been on both sides too. See my second reply here, the bikers can't hear, the hikers can. therefore, in my mind, the responsibility is on them to move. Ringing your bell is always a good idea, but 8/10 hikers don't give a shit about bells.
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wiffleballtony
> Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
11/06/2015 at 10:31 |
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Wow, ok. Clearly it’s my fault.
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Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
> wiffleballtony
11/06/2015 at 10:34 |
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Maybe not, after all I didn’t see the terrain or the rider. I’m pointing this out as general rules. Obviously there are exceptions. It just seems to me that if "every" rider was like this, the common thread etc.
And I've got Scotch blood in me... I made a point and I've got to stick to it :)
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wiffleballtony
> Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
11/06/2015 at 10:37 |
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I’m basically annoyed at the people who ride these trails like they are on some BMX time trial. There’s plenty of riders who ride at a reasonable speed and that’s fine. To me it’s like driving down a country back road like you’re a WRC champion and to hell with everyone else.
RallyWrench
> wiffleballtony
11/06/2015 at 13:07 |
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I’m sorry to hear that, and apologize on behalf of conscientious mountain bikers. I primarily bike and build trail but hike as well, and we go out of our way to avoid conflict on multiuse trails. I know that’s not common, unfortunately. Part of the problem is Strava, and folks who chase KOMs at any expense. There are solutions though. We have a bell and signage program for bikes ( http://www.bells4bikes.org/ ) that has been very successful, and is universally appreciated by hikers, runners, equestrians and cyclists, and has been very helpful in reducing conflict on local trails. Worth bringing up if you have a local trails group.
(not my picture, this is from my local trails group at the top of one of my favorite trails)
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wiffleballtony
> RallyWrench
11/06/2015 at 14:13 |
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The hiking area near my house pretty much has one sign. It says no motorized vehicles, and no shooting (usually gets ignored).
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RallyWrench
> wiffleballtony
11/06/2015 at 14:33 |
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Yeah, signage doesn’t always do much. We had a gate and sign torn down by offroaders not too long ago. Straight pulled out of concrete anchors. Some people are dicks. A little education on trail etiquette goes a long way though, and overall the bell program has been great for us because just about all our trails are multiuse.