Right of way on the trail

[SLINX]

Hey guys don't know how many times this has been posted but will start a new topic regardless.

 

So I read this article and I'll post the link below that I found pretty interesting. It's about who has the right of way, riders going up or those going down. I hope this won't spark WW3 but I was under the impression that riders going down would have right of way since...well...they going down much quicker than those going up. So I'm definitely relooking my stance just based on the comments but I don't necessarily want to considering it would obviously result in a loss of adrenaline slowing down continuously for riders coming(selfish I know but I'm a once a week Sunday weekend warrior lol...I need the adrenaline fix).

 

I know gspot has a one way up one way down and hoogekraal does too but I remember having a couple of run-in's at tokai back then with guys not giving way coming up. There was no board at the time stating riders coming up/down has clear right of way.

 

 

What's the general census or sentiments in this regard from the hubbers out there?

 

 

http://forums.mtbr.com/colorado-front-range/have-people-forgotten-uphill-riders-have-right-way-981780.html

[Eddy Gordo]

I will always yield slow down or stop for the other rider on a trail. On the jeep track I just keep left.

Last thing I would want is to knock someone

[Uni]

I had my first close encounter last week. For the Jhb ppl - taking the bridge route to the start of the tar climb at modderfontein - just before the waterfall - guy coming up on his right - it's wide section, I assumed he would move left with me coming down but he quite adamantly stuck to his line and I veered off to my left off the trail ... In that instance it's 2 way traffic I think he should've moved, but not really sure. At the end of the day self preservation takes precedence over ego.

[deanbean]

I'll always yield to the rider coming up, thats what the IMBA rules say.

[popcorn_skollie]

Assuming we are talking about an unmarked or bi-directional marked trail. The general rule of thumb is that ascending riders have right of way. Its in the pledge of allegiance or something. This rule never made sense to me either for numerous reasons except for the fact that a descending rider generally has a much better view of whats in front of him that the guy coming up. Rules are rules.

 

To me, even if you give way while I'm bombing down, I'll instinctively brake the second I see you. I can't risk assuming the next guy knows or thinks he knows the rules or that he will do whats necessary to prevent an accident. In many instances collision prevention is scenario based and while the rules are there to prevent accidents, they still happen despite riders knowing and/or adhering to said rules. Follow the rules but not at the expense of common sense when its called for.

 

Different trails also have different rules. I remember hearing or reading somewhere that in Tokai descending riders always had right of way. I may be wrong or it may just be a rumor I started. 

[raptor-22]

 

Different trails also have different rules. I remember hearing or reading somewhere that in Tokai descending riders always had right of way. I may be wrong or it may just be a rumor I started. 

 

 

That is because in Tokai the riders who moan the most are the crowd who call themselves All Mountain or Down Hill Riders.

The convention in Tokai was always to yield to asxcending riders no matter where you were.

Now its closed so its a moot point

[Smiles]

The theory is that it's harder to get going again for the rider going uphill, so therefore the rider going down needs to give way. 

 

Use common sense though - if it's a heavy downhill trail, mainly with downhill riders and bikes bombing it, then I wouldn't expect them to stop (and I wouldn't be riding up that trail) 

[marko35s]

That is because in Tokai the riders who moan the most are the crowd who call themselves All Mountain or Down Hill Riders.

The convention in Tokai was always to yield to asxcending riders no matter where you were.

Now its closed so its a moot point.

The rule at Tokai was to yield to descending riders not ascending and it had nothing to do with who 'moan the most'.

Please do publish the comprehensive statistics that you clearly have showing moaning rates per discipline at Tokai because the rest of us would like to see them.

[SLINX]

I must say I always gave way to riders doing down simply because I would like the same privilege to be afforded to me. I like the idea of up and down trails but like popcorn_skollie I tend to also slow down now (mostly) only cause I don't know what the ascending rider is thinking..."enduro" riders might be a bit over ambitious and those xc riders can be almost as brutal as roadies juiced up on usn nrgbomb ????...I don't want no beef

[popcorn_skollie]

That is because in Tokai the riders who moan the most are the crowd who call themselves All Mountain or Down Hill Riders.

The convention in Tokai was always to yield to asxcending riders no matter where you were.

Now its closed so its a moot point

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/y21r6jrNDJM/maxresdefault.jpg

[camelman]

Is it not supposed to go to the guys trying to set a new personal best on Strava, putting them in 100th place?

[Wally39]

I always assume guys going up have right of way buy like popcorn_skollie says whenever I see someone on the trail I slow down. If they are grinding up the hill and their head is down I will whistle or give a hoot just to let them know I am there.

 

What really gets my goat is when you have muppets coming up on clearly marked down trails.

Had on in a nice sharp berm just below the lower road jump on Helderberg the other day.

[Mojoman]

I had my first close encounter last week. For the Jhb ppl - taking the bridge route to the start of the tar climb at modderfontein - just before the waterfall - guy coming up on his right - it's wide section, I assumed he would move left with me coming down but he quite adamantly stuck to his line and I veered off to my left off the trail ... In that instance it's 2 way traffic I think he should've moved, but not really sure. At the end of the day self preservation takes precedence over ego.

I have experienced this in Magalies heading up and out of town along the railway line, its a service road and a group of weekend riders who were heading into town could not (would not?) keep left so I had to stand on the embankment as they passed. Even the motorbike guys do this! Muppets.

[KingTJ]

I think common sense is the trick here, unfortunately not everybody has it, especially the Strava gods..

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

That is because in Tokai the riders who moan the most are the crowd who call themselves All Mountain or Down Hill Riders.

The convention in Tokai was always to yield to asxcending riders no matter where you were.

Now its closed so its a moot point

No, it wasn't. Rule of the trail in tokai was to yield to descending riders. It's in the rules of the trail on the website.

 

That may have been YOUR convention, but if you were doing so you were doing it in contravention of the trail rules (like a certain bianchi rider I remember)

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I think common sense is the trick here, unfortunately not everybody has it, especially the Strava gods..

Yep.

 

Regardless of who may have ROW, you should never just carry on barrelling up or down when another rider comes up in a bidirectional trail. Slow down and pass properly even if the ascending rider has pulled off the trail