Dear mountain bikers.. from trail runners

[Davey_Jones]

People running on trails with or without dogs should all run in the reverse direction of cyclists.  Trails admins sould try advertise this by marking running routes in reverse.

That way runners see bikers and move out of the way easily and in time (and can keep their earphones in if they want)  Dogs dont get a fright when you appear from behind. Everyone wins?

 

 

Sorry if this as mentioned before.

[Eddy Gordo]

So yesterday morning we were charged by a lab. We were probably 300m from the dog or even the jeep track as we were exiting the trail. The dog charges from that distance and we hear it so instead of slowing down we take the bend and wait. By this time we further away from the dog, low and behold it is still extremely aggressive and charging. So with bike in hand I charge the dog and it kinda thinks twice. I was seriosuly about to hurt this dog when the owner chirps aagh dont worry he is not aggressive to which I reply, you required to keep it on a leash as per law. She igonores and then the other little mutt takes a dump on the trail. Owner does give a F and not too bothered to pick up the ****.

I dont understand how a dog in full charge aggressively growling and practically foaming at the mouth is not aggressive. Was a lucky day for the dog.

[Jewbacca]

People running on trails with or without dogs should all run in the reverse direction of cyclists.  Trails admins sould try advertise this by marking running routes in reverse.

That way runners see bikers and move out of the way easily and in time (and can keep their earphones in if they want)  Dogs dont get a fright when you appear from behind. Everyone wins?

 

 

Sorry if this as mentioned before.

It's pretty difficult when most mutual use trails are multi directional?

 

Also, on another note, this thread has basically become a 'we hate dogs and dog walkers' thread.

 

Essentially no better than the 'we hate cyclists because' threads on the 4x4 forums.

 

Like cyclists, not all dogs and dog walkers are douche bags. Some are, but unfortunately that is a human trait. Some PEOPLE are douche bags, regardless what recreational activity they do or how they earn money.

 

Lets stop with the 'dogs will frikkin die if' comments or take them to the 4x4 forums.... *Judo CHOP!!*

[Dirkitech]

Hope you will rather take the owner out who has to have his/her dog on a lead

You're literally encouraging criminal activity = not on.

 

Yes lets take it out on the dog that does not know better, let hit the dog because his owner is complete D005. Perfect human logic.

Who is more likely to change their behaviour? A dog owner that gets yelled at/beaten silly, or a dog that tastes pepper spray once or a kick in the head? That's rhetorical as only one is more likely than the other.

 

I know these are older posts of yours Quagga, but the succeeding posts of yourself and some others were of the same nature anyways.

 

I will gladly punch a dog in the balls if it attacks me, because that means it WILL change its behaviour and think twice next time, thus improving the chances of more vulnerable people (mothers/kids/etc) to be and feel safer in OUR society.

I find it contradictory that you call yourself a dog person and not seem to exhibit behavioural science behind dogs. It is in the long term much more efficient and safer "to teach the dog a lesson" (even if their behaviour is the fault of a clueless mouth breathing owner), because the dog's behaviour will improve and their aggressive attitude will diminish in spite of the owner's incompetence. Hate on me for being willing to stand my ground, but remember to thank me the next time you turn your back and one of these leashless dogs don't charge your dog/kid/wife and the morning's newspaper didn't have enough adverts to make a proper ball beating bat.

[porqui]

This fred has gone to the dogs.

Sjees such agro

Such entitlement.

 

One would swear all dogs have bulls-eyes painted 

on  their difficult to reach parts.

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

Our local Wolvespruit here in Pretoria now has trail runners.

Must say it is all still very civil.

The biggest issues come when signage isn't heeded. Granted the signage selected at Wolve is the same sign but one in green and the other in Purple so at speed, on a bicycle, it can hard to differentiate at times. 

I have also seen the earphones thing mentioned. It should be a strict ban on these IMO, purely based on the safety aspect. This is obviously easy to say in a bike park environment but out in nature it would be harder to implement.

 

I also had one incident where the runners cross the cycling trail. It is on a bit on an incline and I am not very fit so when we merged I was in a world of pain and honestly almost died of a heart-attack thinking I was about to be attacked!!!!!!! It was quite frightening at the time, believe me.........

[HDW]

I will gladly punch a dog in the balls. 

 

My movement has begun.

[Ferro]

Geez I hope the wrong people don't stumble across this thread.  So much premeditation here.

The moment a cyclist (even in self defence) injures or kills a "furbaby" on a trail we can probably kiss our local trails goodbye.

[DirtyFrank]

Just for laughs! I have had many run-ins with dog owners over the years..... I also believe that everyone who shares open trails must act responsibly be they cyclists, runners or dog walkers, funny though that the dog walkers are always the first to whinge and the last to accept liablity when their `furbabys` bite another dog/person or cause an accident/fall, then they somehow manage to get out of Dodge in a huge hurry without as much as a goodbye.

[Jewbacca]

DirtyFrank (thanks, I see a Pearl Jam day today)...

 

That post just shows how perspective is the real winner and loser.

 

Why should dogs, runners and walkers have to give way to cyclists? Why shouldn't the cyclist stop and get off and wait for the dog to run past?

 

If I'm cycling on the road and someone buzzes me or passes me really fast in a car, my immediate reaction is to get annoyed. This is how dogs feel when cyclists come zooming past them. Dogs are also dogs and have no real ability to rationalise. 

 

That dog owner post is no better and no worse than all the posts on this thread about how the dog nearly took out a cyclist. 

 

SHARED trail means you share it. With dogs, runners, walkers, porcupines and other things. It doesn't mean cyclists allow other users to be there.

 

If that means you have to get off and walk while an excited doggo runs about in circles than that's what it means.

[babse]

Put your dog on a leash and I'm happy to do whatever it takes for us to both share the trail comfortably.

[Dirkitech]

My movement has begun.

Haha it definitely has. It reminded me of the video where a bear pulls off a pvc pipe or something and it snaps, snapping at its balls and then they lie-down-try-not-to-die ensues.

 

DirtyFrank (thanks, I see a Pearl Jam day today)...

 

That post just shows how perspective is the real winner and loser.

 

Why should dogs, runners and walkers have to give way to cyclists? Why shouldn't the cyclist stop and get off and wait for the dog to run past?

 

If I'm cycling on the road and someone buzzes me or passes me really fast in a car, my immediate reaction is to get annoyed. This is how dogs feel when cyclists come zooming past them. Dogs are also dogs and have no real ability to rationalise. 

 

That dog owner post is no better and no worse than all the posts on this thread about how the dog nearly took out a cyclist. 

 

SHARED trail means you share it. With dogs, runners, walkers, porcupines and other things. It doesn't mean cyclists allow other users to be there.

 

If that means you have to get off and walk while an excited doggo runs about in circles than that's what it means.

So in summary, don't be a carton cube, be lekker  

There's unfortunately a huge amount of short-fused people (or even extremely patient people that were pushed to their limits over time) that even benign things tend to cause a caustic commotion. I suppose these discussions are good, because if there is someone out there like I was 8 years ago and turns their salty hatred into compassion, then its a win! 

 

The dog walker post above has a slight flaw though, because they explicitly stated the dog chased after the cyclist and got hit. If a kid decided to literally chase after a cyclist, then that's why the word accident exists.

 

I recently saw a quote from a speech on human rights or something and the person said "where do people get the time to hate, when there isn't even enough time to love fully"

 

edit: I also need to fix delicious spelling and gremmir sometimes

[Jewbacca]

Haha it definitely has. It reminded me of the video where a bear pulls off a pvc pipe or something and it snaps, snapping at its balls and then they lie-down-try-not-to-die ensues.

 

So in summary, don't be a carton cube, be lekker  

There's unfortunately a huge amount of short-fused people (or even extremely patient people that were pushed to their limits over time) that even benign things tend to cause a caustic commotion. I suppose these discussions are good, because if there is someone out there like I was 8 years ago and turns their salty hatred into compassion, then its a win! 

 

The dog walker post above has a slight flaw though, because they explicitly stated the dog chased after the cyclist and got hit. If a kid decided to literally chase after a cyclist, then that's why the word accident exists.

 

I recently saw a quote from a speech on human rights or something and the person said "where do people get the time to hate, when there isn't even enough time to love fully"

 

edit: I also need to fix delicious spelling and gremmir sometimes

hahahaha without grammar, little can be conveyed!

 

Dogs will seldom chase anything that isn't moving really fast or has a motorbike engine!

 

My point is more that if those 'speeding' cyclists had looked, seen an excited dog, slowed down and then sped up again when they were passed, they probably could have avoided hitting the dog.

 

If you were driving and you saw a bunch of kids riding their tricycles  next to the road you would slow down in case one of them rode out into the road because, well, they are kids who don't understand that they will die. Much like hounds.

 

Personally I don't take my dog walking anywhere near where I know cyclists will be because I am afraid she will be hit. She likes to run and climb rocks and roll in fynbos and be free.... 

[Eddy Gordo]

Why is the dog not on a leash? There are signs everywhere stating that they should be. 

Not too mention its the law, but people love not following the law

[Eddy Gordo]

Why is the dog not on a leash? There are signs everywhere stating that they should be. 

Not too mention its the law, but people love not following the law

[Headshot]

hahahaha without grammar, little can be conveyed!

 

Dogs will seldom chase anything that isn't moving really fast or has a motorbike engine!

 

My point is more that if those 'speeding' cyclists had looked, seen an excited dog, slowed down and then sped up again when they were passed, they probably could have avoided hitting the dog.

 

If you were driving and you saw a bunch of kids riding their tricycles  next to the road you would slow down in case one of them rode out into the road because, well, they are kids who don't understand that they will die. Much like hounds.

 

Personally I don't take my dog walking anywhere near where I know cyclists will be because I am afraid she will be hit. She likes to run and climb rocks and roll in fynbos and be free.... 

 

I think you have ignored the point about the unleashed Collie chasing the cyclist which appears to have been the trigger for the whole incident.  You didn't see the incident, like the rest of us, but are imputing all sorts of interpretations and motives to the parties  involved. Not to mention telling us how a doggie feels when it was "buzzed' by a cyclist. This really made me smile. You don't even know the dog was angry - maybe he was just having a jol? I think he was feeling full of fun and wanted to have a game with the spinning wheels of death :-) 

 

IMO Its a given that no cyclist wants to crash so the claim that the rider hit the dog on purpose is probably nonsense. I once had a dog run straight in front of my bike from the side and it got stuck between the front wheel and the chainring. Somehow i didnt crash and the dog ran off unharmed. Dogs are tough beasts and beat eachother up in play all the time, a fact which owners conveniently ignore.

 

The dog chased the rider but somehow this turns into an issue of riders going too fast past the dogs. There is no basis for that conclusion in the dog lover's post. 

 

To me its simple, the dog owner had a hyperactive breed of dog, unleashed in a multiuse trail area and it chased someone. She/he conveniently turns it into a "speeding cyclists" issue. The speed of the cyclists is in no way something we can tell from the post - the opinion of the dog owner does not count. All we know for sure  is that  darling dog chasd some bikes and got hit. 

 

As an aside, I was out on my MTB a few months ago and as I crossed a busy main road, saw a couple and their large retriever exit a trail system to my right, onto the pavement. The dog was unleashed and there was a lot of traffic about. The dog suddenly ran into the street and was hit and rolled under the chassis of a small white car. I had already crossed the road and immediately dumped my bike and told the man and the driver to help me lift the car up to release the dog. It scampered away to be attended to by its owners but appeared to be able to run on all fours. 

 

Whats the difference between this ^^ and the unleased dogs in the park chasing cyclists? Other than in the park the cyclist could get injured while the car driver would not?