Singletrack-up or down.

[covie]

its easy ,

 

in the 4x4 world its ALWAYS give way to the person coming up !

 

i do the same in mtb , if you going up its harder to get going again .

 

so i give way to those coming up .

 

Yeah iron in the 4x4 world, theres not peace of singletrack ive ever ridden where you cannot stop and start again. thats in my mind at least the most useless methodology ever conceived in relation to a mountain bike. I can understand it with a car since you need that momentum to get over rocks and boulders and you can get stuck in sand etc. Which at the end of the day involves wenches pullies and big headaces.

 

But that has nothing to do with MTB and does not take any safty measures into account. Hence if i ride up the ST i will ALWAYS give the guys comming down right of way. They got to the top before me, and they deserve the right to enjoy their ride. I simply have to clip back in start pedaling again to make it to the top so i can enjoy the ride down.

[Iron]

Yeah iron in the 4x4 world, theres not peace of singletrack ive ever ridden where you cannot stop and start again. thats in my mind at least the most useless methodology ever conceived in relation to a mountain bike. I can understand it with a car since you need that momentum to get over rocks and boulders and you can get stuck in sand etc. Which at the end of the day involves wenches pullies and big headaces.

 

But that has nothing to do with MTB and does not take any safty measures into account. Hence if i ride up the ST i will ALWAYS give the guys comming down right of way. They got to the top before me, and they deserve the right to enjoy their ride. I simply have to clip back in start pedaling again to make it to the top so i can enjoy the ride down.

 

 

We clearly not understanding the same ST . mine is like simple cross country where two routes may use a common line . I think you are referring to DH ST ? then you are talking about a different thing ( you give way to the man coming down )

 

For me I don't do DH or free ride ST. so in my world I give way to the man coming up . savvy !

[Bike Mob]

I have read the rules and I understand the logic... but I still think that courtesy towards your fellow rider should prevail.

 

By this I do not mean yielding..I mean - Choose to ride Up only when it's generally quieter on the trails, early mornings, mid week, late nights whatever. If you must practise your singletrack climbing then please do so out of rush hour.

 

I ride pre dawn, up the track when no -one is around, or coming down yet. Then when I do come down a few hours later I expect to have an enjoyable traffic free run, I've earned it...

 

Just because you only get up and on the trail at 9am on a Saturday morning, doesn't make you rule the trails according to some playbook, especially if you are not a skilled rider that can quickly avoid a rider travelling at 35kmph plus at you unsighted. If you want to have a fun run down then respect the other people like me too.

 

PLEASE do not invite 6 of your best n000b friends to ride up the singletracks on peak days at peak times, its just not cricket.

 

I will do my best to ride around you, but I am not going to yield if you cannot respect me and every other user trying to have a good time coming down.

[Hairy]

I have read the rules and I understand the logic... but I still think that courtesy towards your fellow rider should prevail.

 

By this I do not mean yielding..I mean - Choose to ride Up only when it's generally quieter on the trails, early mornings, mid week, late nights whatever. If you must practise your singletrack climbing then please do so out of rush hour.

 

I ride pre dawn, up the track when no -one is around, or coming down yet. Then when I do come down a few hours later I expect to have an enjoyable traffic free run, I've earned it...

 

Just because you only get up and on the trail at 9am on a Saturday morning, doesn't make you rule the trails according to some playbook, especially if you are not a skilled rider that can quickly avoid a rider travelling at 35kmph plus at you unsighted. If you want to have a fun run down then respect the other people like me too.

 

PLEASE do not invite 6 of your best n000b friends to ride up the singletracks on peak days at peak times, its just not cricket.

 

I will do my best to ride around you, but I am not going to yield if you cannot respect me and every other user trying to have a good time coming down.

 

That is just it Tarmac

 

Our Group of 14 (13 of whom are very proficient riders) were polite and moved over for riders coming down, and on Friday Jonkers was rather short on riders in the morning. We only met two groups out there the whole time.

 

General respect for other riders and in general life should be considered the norm.

Edited April 30, 2012 by Hairy

[Mr SingleTrack]

So the rule is for the person comming down to give way? And here I thought a good game of chicken is the way to go! :-P

[TYGA]

That is just it Tarmac

 

Our Group of 14 (13 of whom are very proficient riders)

 

 

Were you # 14?

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

So the rule is for the person comming down to give way? And here I thought a good game of chicken is the way to go! :-P

 

The correct approach is to give way to those coming up, unless the trail itself has a different set of rules for that specific destination. However, the PROPER thing to do is to treat all others with respect and if you come to another rider, slow down and make enough room so that you can both go. Don't just expect the other guy to pull off the trail.

 

Furthermore - you should not be riding UP DOWNHILL trails. Again, the clue is in the name. DOWNHILL trails are mono-directional, and nobody cming down is expecting to see somebody trudguing up a mono-directional trail.

 

By the same token, nobody should be going DOWN and UPHILL trail. Same reasoning.

 

EDIT: Case in point - Vasbyt / DH 3 (upper section) is a DOWNHILL ONLY trail. So is DH1 / DH 2 and a few others.

 

Yesterday, I caught a lightie riding up the berm, and told him in no way to ride up there again. Signposted as well, and he just chose to ignore it...

Edited April 30, 2012 by cptmayhem

[Hairy]

Were you # 14?

[Hairy]

The correct approach is to give way to those coming up, unless the trail itself has a different set of rules for that specific destination. However, the PROPER thing to do is to treat all others with respect and if you come to another rider, slow down and make enough room so that you can both go. Don't just expect the other guy to pull off the trail.

 

Furthermore - you should not be riding UP DOWNHILL trails. Again, the clue is in the name. DOWNHILL trails are mono-directional, and nobody cming down is expecting to see somebody trudguing up a mono-directional trail.

 

By the same token, nobody should be going DOWN and UPHILL trail. Same reasoning.

 

EDIT: Case in point - Vasbyt / DH 3 (upper section) is a DOWNHILL ONLY trail. So is DH1 / DH 2 and a few others.

 

Yesterday, I caught a lightie riding up the berm, and told him in no way to ride up there again. Signposted as well, and he just chose to ignore it...

 

Agreed .... Always respect signage on the trails.

[covie]

The correct approach is to give way to those coming up, unless the trail itself has a different set of rules for that specific destination. However, the PROPER thing to do is to treat all others with respect and if you come to another rider, slow down and make enough room so that you can both go. Don't just expect the other guy to pull off the trail.

 

Furthermore - you should not be riding UP DOWNHILL trails. Again, the clue is in the name. DOWNHILL trails are mono-directional, and nobody cming down is expecting to see somebody trudguing up a mono-directional trail.

 

By the same token, nobody should be going DOWN and UPHILL trail. Same reasoning.

 

EDIT: Case in point - Vasbyt / DH 3 (upper section) is a DOWNHILL ONLY trail. So is DH1 / DH 2 and a few others.

 

Yesterday, I caught a lightie riding up the berm, and told him in no way to ride up there again. Signposted as well, and he just chose to ignore it...

 

Mayhem actually youre incorrect most overseas countries apply that methodology, PPA and CSA actually has on some of their old MTB rule charters that riders going down have right of way. I cant find that bloody link now but i have posted it on one of these previous debates.

Edited April 30, 2012 by covie

[covie]

Though i do see now on the sanparks code of conduct it says

 

Always Yield Trail.

Let your fellow trail users know you are coming. A friendly greeting or bell is considerate and

works well; do not startle others. Show your respect when passing by slowing to a walking pace

or even stopping. Anticipate other trail users around corners or in blind spots. Yielding means

slow down, establish communication, be prepared to stop if necessary, and pass safely.

 

And thats taken from PPA/CSA so they obviously not think that both riders should yield regardless of direction.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Though i do see now on the sanparks code of conduct it says

 

Always Yield Trail.

Let your fellow trail users know you are coming. A friendly greeting or bell is considerate and

works well; do not startle others. Show your respect when passing by slowing to a walking pace

or even stopping. Anticipate other trail users around corners or in blind spots. Yielding means

slow down, establish communication, be prepared to stop if necessary, and pass safely.

 

And thats taken from PPA/CSA so they obviously not think that both riders should yield regardless of direction.

 

Exactly... My main point was that we should all employ some common sense and decency. None of this "outta my way i have ROW and I am bigger/better/smaller/faster than you" but rather a common goal of enjoying the trail...

 

When I'm SHUTTLING down I call out if there's anyone coming up - essentially saying "COMING THROUGH!" if it's a portion where it would be impossible for me to stop. If not, I do generally slow down and go off-trail so that I effectively bypass the problem.

[forkie]

To me the person who would find most difficult / dangerous to stop or slow down should have right of way. This would normally be the person going the fastest, which would normally be the person going down.

[Zook]

I'd probably lean towards the international rules. If you're caning it, it shouldn't be up to others to deal with your speed. Riding at your own limit doesn't make it someone else's fault when you can't stop. In sailing the faster boat yields to the slower or less-maneuverable boat. Makes sense to me that riding is similar, although I wouldn't get too uptight if someone acted differently.

 

I generally always give right of way, and thank anyone who gives it. I guess if someone was coming down the trail I'd happily give way. If they get aggro and demand the trail, different story.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

To me the person who would find most difficult / dangerous to stop or slow down should have right of way. This would normally be the person going the fastest, which would normally be the person going down.

 

Yeah, bro - but would that mean that you refuse to get off the trail if someone else is coming up?

 

These are international rules, remember - and the PROPER thing to do is to accommodate all, and be courteous to all...

[forkie]

Yeah, bro - but would that mean that you refuse to get off the trail if someone else is coming up?

 

These are international rules, remember - and the PROPER thing to do is to accommodate all, and be courteous to all...

 

Not at all. Courtesy and goodwill to all must prevail. But if we are looking for a rule of thumb, this is the way I see it as it is the safest.