MTB Trail Rules - Do ascending riders have right of way?

[rouxtjie]

You might like it that way, but it goes against the general conventions and MTB bodies views as quoted earlier.

Jip, rules are rules and most(I use this loosely) knows this is the way it works. To change it on its head now will just create choas.

[DR ◣◢]

I just want to tell the two assholes that decided to push me off the trail and into a drainage ditch yesterday...

 

Good luck picking up your teeth with broken fingers. You two muppets clearly think that you own the spruit and that you can keep right when and where you want.

 

Sad part is the shop branded shirts they were wearing. Feel sorry for a the shop.

Edited January 14, 2013 by S.I.R Maxxis

[RocknRolla]

after reading these topics i have the rule squarely set in my mind...downhill off the trail..uphill has right of way.

 

then i get to kingskloof, and tearing down the bi-directional trail at the beginning/end of the ride, every single biker going uphill gives me right of way, well before i can even slow down or move off the track...this has happened more often than not.

 

maybe going uphill they were gratefull for the little rest stop they are "forced" to take...

 

(a little piece of useless info right here )

[Mojoman]

rule is as old as the hills.newbies to the sport will disagree those of us who have done it for 20 odd years will know .

 

always give way to those coming up . simple it's easier to get going again if you going downhill not so easy if you climbing .

 

this is the same as the off road 4x4 rule .

 

also rode the spruit this weekend and it would be so nice if people would keep left and approaching riders keep to their left .

 

but hay this is not a perfect world we live in and most of the spruit riders don't know the basic etiquette rules.

It would be nice when shopping at month end if our fellow shoppers could keep left as well!

[patches]

Ascending may have right of way according to most written and unwritten trail rules, but be smart!

 

Some of those trails on the spruit were designed to be ridden one way. Also, in some instances it's safer for the climber to pull aside and stop, than the descender.

 

Safety and common sense should be priority when making the call. Not who's cadence, strava, and average pace will be affected the worst.

[Mojoman]

after reading these topics i have the rule squarely set in my mind...downhill off the trail..uphill has right of way.

 

then i get to kingskloof, and tearing down the bi-directional trail at the beginning/end of the ride, every single biker going uphill gives me right of way, well before i can even slow down or move off the track...this has happened more often than not.

 

maybe going uphill they were gratefull for the little rest stop they are "forced" to take...

 

(a little piece of useless info right here )

after reading these topics i have the rule squarely set in my mind...downhill off the trail..uphill has right of way.

 

then i get to kingskloof, and tearing down the bi-directional trail at the beginning/end of the ride, every single biker going uphill gives me right of way, well before i can even slow down or move off the track...this has happened more often than not.

 

maybe going uphill they were gratefull for the little rest stop they are "forced" to take...

 

(a little piece of useless info right here )

West Rand Rules!

[BushGoblin]

if only to be ridden one way, than that is pretty clear - otherwise riders going up that right of way, there nothing worse than losing your cadence up a steep hill.

[kandui]

I say descending riders have right of way for many reasons and this topic has been flogged to death but here is my 2 cents.

 

MTB is most enjoyable tearing downhill on ST and it sucks to have your rythmn broken for dudes coming uphill. I am very happy to yield for guys going down when i go up as i know when it comes my turn to descend i can rip it up.

 

Secondly when u going downhill you generally cannot hear or see or sometimes even stop in time for someone coming up as you are generally totally focused on the track, thus the guys going up whom are moving slower have time and have the control and space to move out the way.

You can bomb down any ST to your heart's content ,if it's designated "Downhill Only". If not, I think you should consider other cyclists coming towards you, if, as you say yourself, "you generally cannot hear or see or sometimes even stop in time".

I for one prefer to ride up a ST (if it's open for up and down use) and test my stamina as well as my technical skills. Why should I stop and break my forward momentum when climbing? My enjoyment is impeded just as much as yours.

In this case, the rule is on my side. When the trail is for DH only, it's on yours. That's how it is.

[patches]

if only to be ridden one way, than that is pretty clear - otherwise riders going up that right of way, there nothing worse than losing your cadence up a steep hill.

 

yes there is. there are a thousand things worse that can happen on a bike than losing your cadence, especially if it's more dangerous for the decender to pull over than the climber.

 

Cadence-schmadence... that very word is the cheif excuse used by roadies jumping red lights too! Screw cadence!

 

Again people... just be smart!

Edited January 14, 2013 by patches

[DubbelBuys]

rule is as old as the hills.newbies to the sport will disagree those of us who have done it for 20 odd years will know .

 

always give way to those coming up . simple it's easier to get going again if you going downhill not so easy if you climbing .

 

this is the same as the off road 4x4 rule .

 

also rode the spruit this weekend and it would be so nice if people would keep left and approaching riders keep to their left .

 

but hay this is not a perfect world we live in and most of the spruit riders don't know the basic etiquette rules.

 

Has anyone tried to put up a sign at both ends / starts to state some basic rules? Ie: climbing riders have right of way.

[Ryanpmb]

As long as you stop at a red light...

 

... and don't wear lumo green...

[rouxtjie]

yes there is. there are a thousand things worse that can happen on a bike than losing your cadence, especially if it's more dangerous for the decender to pull over than the climber.

 

Cadence-schmadence... that very word is a cheif excuse for roadies jumping red lights too! Screw it!

Buuuuuuut why are you descending on a piece of trail that is:

 

A. Heavily congested

B. BI Directional

 

If you are going like a rocket on the spruit, you are looking for ***...end van prent. If you want to be hardcore, go do it at a place where you don't have the traffic.

[patches]

Buuuuuuut why are you descending on a piece of trail that is:

 

A. Heavily congested

B. BI Directional

 

If you are going like a rocket on the spruit, you are looking for ***...end van prent. If you want to be hardcore, go do it at a place where you don't have the traffic.

 

I'm not even talking heavily congested, or WC DH winning speeds.

 

Take the bombhole or the hurlingham line for example. If a rider drops in while another rider is climbing, it's far safer for the climber to pull aside, than for the descender to manoeuvre around.

 

Yes, trails like the above mentioned should be one way, but the fact is it is the Spruit. Nothing but common sense can dictate.

[peerie]

The thing to keep in mind is that the Spruit is not a dedicated mountain biking facility, it's a public space with all sorts of traffic. This means that you should assume that people aren't always going to be aware of the standard rules like keeping left, yielding to ascending riders etc.

 

I enjoy my Spruit rides a lot more when I slow down for dogs, give pedestrians a wide berth and get off my bike when there's too much traffic on the narrow bits. Otherwise it just becomes super frustrating for everyone.

 

When I want to go all out, I'll fork out a few bucks and go to a proper mountain biking park like Van Gaalens where everyone is required to obey the rules.

[BushGoblin]

 

Cadence-schmadence... that very word is the cheif excuse used by roadies jumping red lights too! Screw cadence!

 

Again people... just be smart!

 

agreed, but like rouxtjie said, if you going lighting blitz down a bi-directional trail, you looking for ***.

 

Next time i wont use the word cadence, i'll just use ***-OFF spinning them cranks on a 20% climb where i am more than likely going 4km an hour... But yes - be smart.

[DR ◣◢]

Take the bombhole or the hurlingham line for example. If a rider drops in while another rider is climbing, it's far safer for the climber to pull aside, than for the descender to manoeuvre around.

 

 

I waited for a trail runner to complete his slog up through the bombhole before I dropped in yesterday. Took about 10 seconds and it didnt put me off at all.

 

Spruit is the best riding you will find in the middle of JHB. If everybody just chills the **** out and let everybody live it will be a grand place to ride.

 

Oh and there is not a single climb on Spruit where you have to cadence your ass up.

Edited January 14, 2013 by S.I.R Maxxis