Trail etiquette???



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Tcmedara

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The local city park has about 7 miles of dedicated mountain bike trail. Nothing spectacular, but fun
to ride and only ten minutes from my house. The trails consists of three loops of singletrack linked
by a fire road. All three loops are marked with entrances from the fire road, and the exits back
onto the road are posted with good-sized "Do Not Enter" signs. The intent is obviously to have one
way traffic on the singletrack portions of the trail.

Over the past few weeks, I've passed over a dozen riders coming at me from the wrong direction. The
first few surprised the hell out of me, then I started commenting on the way by, something like,
"Hey, this is a one-way loop," or "wrong direction," or "travel goes this way." Usually I just got a
blank stare in return. On today's ride, I just rode by without commenting as it seems I'm fighting a
losing battle.

I must say that most have has politely pulled off to the side to let me pass, a sort of tacit
acknowledgement that I had the right of way. None the less, it still irks me a bit. My biggest beef
is that I'm not expecting someone to be coming at me with a closure rate of 20+mph on a skinny
forest track. My assumption on a one way trail is that there wont't be any riders coming at me.
Everytime it happens it gives me a bit of a start, and several times I've been forced to brake to
make sure there would be clearance to pass. Not that big a deal, its just that I'm not expecting
other riders when coming around corners or pointing downhill.

Personally I could care less if the trails are uni- or bidirectional, I'm sure any safety benefits
are marginal as long as everyone knows what to expect. That said, as long as they are marked one way
I assume people should adhere to them or else constitue a hazard for those who expect the trail to
be clear of oncoming riders. Is riding backwards on a one way trail an etiquitte breach, a safety
issue, an annoynace, or all three? Or am I just too uptight? Intersted to hear other's opinions and
related experiences.

Tom
 
"tcmedara" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:m0wyb.26059$yM6.1163@lakeread06... <snip>
>
> Personally I could care less if the trails are uni- or bidirectional, I'm sure any safety benefits
> are marginal as long as everyone knows what to expect. That said, as long as they are marked one
> way I assume people should adhere to them or else constitue a hazard for those who expect the
> trail to be clear of oncoming riders. Is riding backwards on a one way trail an etiquitte breach,
> a safety issue, an annoynace, or all three? Or am I just too uptight? Intersted to hear other's
> opinions and related experiences.

We have a one way system here. Occasionally I'll ride it backwards but usually during the week when
I believe no one else it out there. I may encounter a rider and like the others you mention I yield
to the 'right' way rider. Perhaps it may be time for the management of the park to reverse the usual
riding direction. You could talk to the managers about it. It would seem the riders are bored with
riding it one way or find it 'easier' to ride it in that direction.

Mike
 
"Michael Dart" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
Perhaps it may be time for the management of the park to reverse the
> usual riding direction. You could talk to the managers about it. It
would
> seem the riders are bored with riding it one way or find it 'easier' to
ride
> it in that direction.
>
> Mike
>
>
A damn fine suggestion. Easier - no. Bored - probably (Like the Inuit people who have dozens of
words to describe white, we who live in the coastal plane can give you quite a few to decribe
flat!). I know just who to talk to. Thanks

Tom
 
tcmedara wrote:
> The local city park has about 7 miles of dedicated mountain bike trail. Nothing spectacular, but
> fun to ride and only ten minutes from my house. The trails consists of three loops of singletrack
> linked by a fire road. All three loops are marked with entrances from the fire road, and the exits
> back onto the road are posted with good-sized "Do Not Enter" signs. The intent is obviously to
> have one way traffic on the singletrack portions of the trail.
>
> Over the past few weeks, I've passed over a dozen riders coming at me from the wrong direction.
> The first few surprised the hell out of me, then I started commenting on the way by, something
> like, "Hey, this is a one-way loop," or "wrong direction," or "travel goes this way." Usually I
> just got a blank stare in return. On today's ride, I just rode by without commenting as it seems
> I'm fighting a losing battle.
>
> I must say that most have has politely pulled off to the side to let me pass, a sort of tacit
> acknowledgement that I had the right of way. None the less, it still irks me a bit. My biggest
> beef is that I'm not expecting someone to be coming at me with a closure rate of 20+mph on a
> skinny forest track. My assumption on a one way trail is that there wont't be any riders coming at
> me. Everytime it happens it gives me a bit of a start, and several times I've been forced to brake
> to make sure there would be clearance to pass. Not that big a deal, its just that I'm not
> expecting other riders when coming around corners or pointing downhill.
>
> Personally I could care less if the trails are uni- or bidirectional, I'm sure any safety benefits
> are marginal as long as everyone knows what to expect. That said, as long as they are marked one
> way I assume people should adhere to them or else constitue a hazard for those who expect the
> trail to be clear of oncoming riders. Is riding backwards on a one way trail an etiquitte breach,
> a safety issue, an annoynace, or all three? Or am I just too uptight? Intersted to hear other's
> opinions and related experiences.
>
> Tom
>
>
I am with you, I find it annoying. most of the trails where I live are bi-directional, So I try to
follow the up-down rule (if you are going uphill you have the right of way, those going downhill
should pull to the side, because they can start up easier.) Although I think I am the only person
who knows that rule. On todays ride, I was irked to see horses on a tight twisty singletrack. I said
something to my co-rider, and he shrugged it off saying it doesn't matter, I disagree, if 1500 pound
horses continue to use the singletrack, it will get wider and wider until it isn't a singletrack but
a horse trail! So the rules are there for a reason, and they should be followed. If riders continue
to pass each other in opposite directions, the trail will certainly get wider and wider.

--
Jerry [email protected] remove the nospam and the period to email me.
 
Hmm... Sounds like a trail I know in Philadelphia. Good luck teaching them.

"tcmedara" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:m0wyb.26059$yM6.1163@lakeread06...
> The local city park has about 7 miles of dedicated mountain bike trail. Nothing spectacular, but
> fun to ride and only ten minutes from my house. The trails consists of three loops of singletrack
> linked by a fire road. All three loops are marked with entrances from the fire road, and the
exits
> back onto the road are posted with good-sized "Do Not Enter" signs. The intent is obviously to
> have one way traffic on the singletrack portions of the trail.
>
> Over the past few weeks, I've passed over a dozen riders coming at me from the wrong
> direction. The first few surprised the hell out of me, then I started commenting on the way
> by, something like, "Hey, this is a one-way loop," or "wrong direction," or "travel goes this
> way." Usually I just
got
> a blank stare in return. On today's ride, I just rode by without
commenting
> as it seems I'm fighting a losing battle.
>
> I must say that most have has politely pulled off to the side to let me pass, a sort of tacit
> acknowledgement that I had the right of way. None
the
> less, it still irks me a bit. My biggest beef is that I'm not expecting someone to be coming at me
> with a closure rate of 20+mph on a skinny
forest
> track. My assumption on a one way trail is that there wont't be any
riders
> coming at me. Everytime it happens it gives me a bit of a start, and several times I've been
> forced to brake to make sure there would be clearance to pass. Not that big a deal, its just that
> I'm not expecting other riders when coming around corners or pointing downhill.
>
> Personally I could care less if the trails are uni- or bidirectional, I'm sure any safety benefits
> are marginal as long as everyone knows what to expect. That said, as long as they are marked one
> way I assume people should adhere to them or else constitue a hazard for those who expect the
> trail to be clear of oncoming riders. Is riding backwards on a one way trail an etiquitte breach,
> a safety issue, an annoynace, or all three? Or am I just too uptight? Intersted to hear other's
> opinions and related experiences.
>
> Tom
 
In my area, one of the only ways to get permission to build a trail is allow equestrian use. It
seems that the greenies will consider it "nature" use. It sucks, but we wanna ride.

"MTB Lover" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> tcmedara wrote:
> > The local city park has about 7 miles of dedicated mountain bike trail. Nothing spectacular, but
> > fun to ride and only ten minutes from my house. The trails consists of three loops of
> > singletrack linked by a fire road. All three loops are marked with entrances from the fire road,
> > and the
exits
> > back onto the road are posted with good-sized "Do Not Enter" signs. The intent is obviously to
> > have one way traffic on the singletrack portions
of
> > the trail.
> >
> > Over the past few weeks, I've passed over a dozen riders coming at me
from
> > the wrong direction. The first few surprised the hell out of me, then I started commenting on
> > the way by, something like, "Hey, this is a
one-way
> > loop," or "wrong direction," or "travel goes this way." Usually I just
got
> > a blank stare in return. On today's ride, I just rode by without
commenting
> > as it seems I'm fighting a losing battle.
> >
> > I must say that most have has politely pulled off to the side to let me pass, a sort of tacit
> > acknowledgement that I had the right of way. None
the
> > less, it still irks me a bit. My biggest beef is that I'm not expecting someone to be coming at
> > me with a closure rate of 20+mph on a skinny
forest
> > track. My assumption on a one way trail is that there wont't be any
riders
> > coming at me. Everytime it happens it gives me a bit of a start, and several times I've been
> > forced to brake to make sure there would be clearance to pass. Not that big a deal, its just
> > that I'm not
expecting
> > other riders when coming around corners or pointing downhill.
> >
> > Personally I could care less if the trails are uni- or bidirectional,
I'm
> > sure any safety benefits are marginal as long as everyone knows what to expect. That said, as
> > long as they are marked one way I assume people should adhere to them or else constitue a hazard
> > for those who expect
the
> > trail to be clear of oncoming riders. Is riding backwards on a one way trail an etiquitte
> > breach, a safety issue, an annoynace, or all three?
Or
> > am I just too uptight? Intersted to hear other's opinions and related experiences.
> >
> > Tom
> >
> >
> I am with you, I find it annoying. most of the trails where I live are bi-directional, So I try to
> follow the up-down rule (if you are going uphill you have the right of way, those going downhill
> should pull to the side, because they can start up easier.) Although I think I am the only person
> who knows that rule. On todays ride, I was irked to see horses on a tight twisty singletrack. I
> said something to my co-rider, and he shrugged it off saying it doesn't matter, I disagree, if
> 1500 pound horses continue to use the singletrack, it will get wider and wider until it isn't a
> singletrack but a horse trail! So the rules are there for a reason, and they should be followed.
> If riders continue to pass each other in opposite directions, the trail will certainly get wider
> and wider.
>
> --
> Jerry [email protected] remove the nospam and the period to email me.
 
"tcmedara" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:92xyb.26063$yM6.4860@lakeread06...
>
> "Michael Dart" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> >
> Perhaps it may be time for the management of the park to reverse the
> > usual riding direction. You could talk to the managers about it. It
> would
> > seem the riders are bored with riding it one way or find it 'easier' to
> ride
> > it in that direction.
> >
> > Mike
> >
> >
> A damn fine suggestion. Easier - no. Bored - probably (Like the Inuit people who have dozens of
> words to describe white, we who live in the coastal plane can give you quite a few to decribe
> flat!). I know just who to talk to. Thanks
>

Cheers! I hope it all sorts out. I'm right on the 'fall line' here in Richmond Va and know all about
coastal plains and vertically challenged.

Mike
 
"Michael Dart" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> snip< Cheers! I hope it all sorts out. I'm right on the 'fall line' here in Richmond Va and know
> all about coastal plains and vertically challenged.
>
> Mike
>
>
I'm just down the road on the peninsula. Normally don't venture much past Williamsburg when out for
a ride, but I want to check out Pocahontas one of these weekends. Some of the better rides are still
closed down here from the storm, so I'm sure that's why the knucklehead brigades are more prevalent
on the trails that are open.

Tom
 
"tcmedara" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:WOyyb.26081$yM6.22389@lakeread06...
>
> "Michael Dart" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> >
> > snip< Cheers! I hope it all sorts out. I'm right on the 'fall line' here in Richmond Va and know
> > all about coastal plains and vertically challenged.
> >
> > Mike
> >
> >
> I'm just down the road on the peninsula. Normally don't venture much past Williamsburg when out
> for a ride, but I want to check out Pocahontas one
of
> these weekends. Some of the better rides are still closed down here from the storm, so I'm sure
> that's why the knucklehead brigades are more prevalent on the trails that are open.
>
> Tom
>
>

Oh right. I knew that! Email me direct when you come up I'll give you a 'Tour de Richmond.' We've
seen a lot of Peninsula riders coming up here too.

Mike
 
On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 19:35:17 -0500, "tcmedara" <[email protected]> wrote:

.The local city park has about 7 miles of dedicated mountain bike trail. .Nothing spectacular, but
fun to ride and only ten minutes from my house. .The trails consists of three loops of singletrack
linked by a fire road. .All three loops are marked with entrances from the fire road, and the exits
.back onto the road are posted with good-sized "Do Not Enter" signs. The .intent is obviously to
have one way traffic on the singletrack portions of .the trail. . .Over the past few weeks, I've
passed over a dozen riders coming at me from .the wrong direction. The first few surprised the hell
out of me, then I .started commenting on the way by, something like, "Hey, this is a one-way .loop,"
or "wrong direction," or "travel goes this way." Usually I just got .a blank stare in return. On
today's ride, I just rode by without commenting .as it seems I'm fighting a losing battle. . .I must
say that most have has politely pulled off to the side to let me .pass, a sort of tacit
acknowledgement that I had the right of way. None the .less, it still irks me a bit. My biggest beef
is that I'm not expecting .someone to be coming at me with a closure rate of 20+mph on a skinny
forest .track. My assumption on a one way trail is that there wont't be any riders .coming at me.
Everytime it happens it gives me a bit of a start, and .several times I've been forced to brake to
make sure there would be .clearance to pass. Not that big a deal, its just that I'm not expecting
.other riders when coming around corners or pointing downhill. . .Personally I could care less if
the trails are uni- or bidirectional, I'm .sure any safety benefits are marginal as long as everyone
knows what to .expect. That said, as long as they are marked one way I assume people .should adhere
to them or else constitue a hazard for those who expect the .trail to be clear of oncoming riders.
Is riding backwards on a one way .trail an etiquitte breach, a safety issue, an annoynace, or all
three? Or .am I just too uptight?

You expect MOUNTAIN BIKERS to obey the law?????????????? ROTFL

Intersted to hear other's opinions and related .experiences. . .Tom .

===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to humans ("pure habitat"). Want to
help? (I spent the previous 8 years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
 
"Mikey spewed:
> You expect MOUNTAIN BIKERS to obey the law?????????????? ROTFL
>
.
>
Wow! An honest-to-goodness unsolicited Mikey V response to one of my original posts. I've only been
posting here for a few months, so it feels almost like a right of passage. Its one thing to feed the
troll, but its another to actually draw him out of his delusional cave and have him comment on a
real conversational thread. I'm so proud!

BTW Mikey -- I am a mountain biker and I do obey the law (okay....there have been a few speeding
tickets over the years.) Are you now going to call me a liar? Please!!! Then I'll really feel like
I'm part of the club! I figure I can't really call myself a true citizen of AM-B until my character
has been denigrated by the resident whack-job.

Tom
 
tcmedara wrote:
> "Mikey spewed:
>> You expect MOUNTAIN BIKERS to obey the law?????????????? ROTFL
>>
> .
>>
> Wow! An honest-to-goodness unsolicited Mikey V response to one of my original posts. I've only
> been posting here for a few months, so it feels almost like a right of passage. Its one thing to
> feed the troll, but its another to actually draw him out of his delusional cave and have him
> comment on a real conversational thread. I'm so proud!
>
> BTW Mikey -- I am a mountain biker and I do obey the law (okay....there have been a few speeding
> tickets over the years.) Are you now going to call me a liar? Please!!! Then I'll really feel like
> I'm part of the club! I figure I can't really call myself a true citizen of AM-B until my
> character has been denigrated by the resident whack-job.
>
> Tom

All I can say is congratulations and of course tell you how envious I am.

--
Perre

You have to be smarter than a robot to reply.
 
"tcmedara" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:9MSyb.29352$yM6.13764@lakeread06...
>
> "Mikey spewed:
> > You expect MOUNTAIN BIKERS to obey the law?????????????? ROTFL
> >
> .
> >
> Wow! An honest-to-goodness unsolicited Mikey V response to one of my original posts. I've only
> been posting here for a few months, so it
feels
> almost like a right of passage. Its one thing to feed the troll, but its another to actually draw
> him out of his delusional cave and have him
comment
> on a real conversational thread. I'm so proud!
>
> BTW Mikey -- I am a mountain biker and I do obey the law (okay....there
have
> been a few speeding tickets over the years.) Are you now going to call me
a
> liar? Please!!! Then I'll really feel like I'm part of the club! I
figure
> I can't really call myself a true citizen of AM-B until my character has been denigrated by the
> resident whack-job.
>
> Tom
>
>

Hehehe...wait until you've been made "An example of...".

http://tinyurl.com/xch4

or a "Death Threat" like this one...hehehehe...it still cracks me up!

http://tinyurl.com/xchm

Mike
 
"tcmedara" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<m0wyb.26059$yM6.1163@lakeread06>...
> Is riding backwards on a one way trail an etiquitte breach, a safety issue, an annoynace, or
> all three?

If they must ride it opposite the suggested direction, they must yield.

JD
 
Quite simply find out who is in charge of the trail and let them know. Riding the wrong direction on
a trail marked as such is poor etiquette.
 
On Mon, 1 Dec 2003 21:28:55 -0500, "tcmedara" <[email protected]> wrote:

. ."Mikey spewed: .> You expect MOUNTAIN BIKERS to obey the law?????????????? ROTFL .> .. .> .Wow!
An honest-to-goodness unsolicited Mikey V response to one of my .original posts. I've only been
posting here for a few months, so it feels .almost like a right of passage. Its one thing to feed
the troll, but its .another to actually draw him out of his delusional cave and have him comment .on
a real conversational thread. I'm so proud! . .BTW Mikey -- I am a mountain biker and I do obey the
law (okay....there have .been a few speeding tickets over the years.) Are you now going to call me a
.liar? Please!!! Then I'll really feel like I'm part of the club! I figure .I can't really call
myself a true citizen of AM-B until my character has .been denigrated by the resident whack-job.

In my experience, yes, 100% of mountain bikers lie. CONSTANTLY.

.Tom .

===
I am working on creating wildlife habitat that is off-limits to humans ("pure habitat"). Want to
help? (I spent the previous 8 years fighting auto dependence and road construction.)

http://home.pacbell.net/mjvande
 
Mike Vandeman wrote:
> In my experience, yes, 100% of mountain bikers lie. CONSTANTLY.

Sorry mikey boy. You are the lier and the above statement proves that beyond any doubt. I
believe most sane people would agree with me that it is not realistically possible for 100% of a
group of people to constantly lie even if they tried to. Whooooops. I forgot, you're not sane.
Never mind mikey

--
Perre

You have to be smarter than a robot to reply.
 
"Per Elmsäter" <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:

> Mike Vandeman wrote:
>> In my experience, yes, 100% of mountain bikers lie. CONSTANTLY.
>
> Sorry mikey boy. You are the lier and the above statement proves that beyond any doubt. I believe
> most sane people would agree with me that it is not realistically possible for 100% of a group of
> people to constantly lie even if they tried to.

Everything I say is a lie.
 
"Mike Vandeman" hallucinated:
> In my experience, yes, 100% of mountain bikers lie. CONSTANTLY.
>

Constantly? Damn, don't let my wife find out.

Actually Mikey, a statement like that just proves you need to get out more and interact with real
people rather than just your therapist. And no... squirrels, chipmunks, whipsnakes, and you're
imaginary hand-puppet don't count. C'mon buddy, put down the can of cheeze whiz, shower, change
you're stained batman briefs, put on something besides your footie pajamas and go try and meet some
real people.
 
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