Mountain bike etiquette

[Chain-L]

Ok, so we all agree, down get ROW. I also agree

[Vinnydabutcher]

It seems that almost everyone on this tread rides a 5'' rear travel bike! 

[steelhearted]

Personally I think it is a matter of manners. (You know the ones your mom tought you, or tried at least.) If I encounter a faster rider on the trail I will give way. On the other hand when you are the faster rider a THANK YOU would not kill you.

 

Another thing that works on my nerves are the guys from a well known club in JHB who stop in the middle of the trail to build chats. Then we have ride around them.

 

Come on guys the trails are there for us all to enjoy. Just because you ride a R50 000+ bike does not mean you own the place.

[JohnnyReggae]

From a safety point of view, riders going down should have right of way.

[GLuvsMtb]

here we go again.... like the previous 934 threads about this topic ...

 

Riding up single track is perfectly acceptable all over the world. Only in SA riders seem to have a problem with the concept. One of the best work-outs you will have on the bike and does a lot for your skills. If you are not supposed to ride up single track, places like Hill Crest and Contermanskloof would not have loops where you... well .... ride UP the single track (in the trail direction). Nor will you have it in races (like this weekend's Robertson race)

Go read any book on MTB etiquette and you will find that the answer is that going up you have ROW. I agree that a bit of common sense sometimes dictates that the guy coming up can clear out, but this should not be demanded from riders coming down. The rider coming down has the biggest risk of injury, so for his own safety he needs to apply convention.

[quickdraw]

From a safety and sensible view - both riders should slow down and whom ever has the most sense and manners can allow the other rider the right of way.

 

Then we can all act in what is supposed to be the MTB spirit - greet and say thanks and carry on with whatever you were doing.

 

 

[mtbee]

In my case riding downhill wins - my weight and momentum the guy coming up gives way as a means of self preservation.  

[GLuvsMtb]

NEW rule just came in:

Guy on the Specialized ALWAYS have right of way. In the absence of a Spez rider, the BIGGEST / MOST AGGRESIVE rider has right of way.

[covie]

here we go again.... like the previous 934 threads about this topic ...

 

?

 

Riding up single track is perfectly acceptable all over the world. Only in SA riders seem to have a problem with the concept. One of the best work-outs you will have on the bike and does a lot for your skills. If you are not supposed to ride up single track' date=' places like Hill Crest and Contermanskloof would not have loops where you... well .... ride?UP the single track (in the trail direction). Nor will you have it in races (like this weekend's Robertson race)

 

Go read any book on MTB etiquette and you will find that the answer is that going up you have ROW. I agree that a bit of common sense sometimes dictates that the guy coming up can clear out, but this should not be demanded from riders coming down. The rider coming down has the biggest risk of injury, so for his own safety he needs to apply convention.

[/quote']

 

 

 

If there is a section in the single track going in a specific trail direction then I have never found people going the wrong way mate, 99.9% of the time people follow the trail and hence you generally dont have this problem at Hillcrest. Now jonkers is a different story, most people does the loop to get to the top, or the direct hill to get to the top to take the single track down, but invariably you get people starting at the bottom of the single track going up against the flow off traffic since there is no specific trail.

 

 

 

Then surely safety the laws of physics and the general flow of traffic defines right of way. The guy going uphill is the exception and hence should act accordingly and give way. Maybe we should define our own south African MTB book on etiquette.

 

[Vinnydabutcher]

Its only cause a Spaz ridercan not give way since his rear shock has just blown! - I agree on the Biggest/Most aggressive rule

[covie]

And as for the common sense i would prefer cast in stone rules about this sort of thing, so there is no confusion.

 

 

 

They can even declare it Marshall law.

 

 

 

Rule 1 always follow the track direction on single track rule 2 if there is no real track indicators people going down should have right of way.

 

 

 

Makes sense to me.

[MariusL]

I give way to the guys belting downhill... it just seems like the right thing to do. I would like to think that if I was belting downhill on a piece of single track and some guy was weaving his way up, he would couteously allow me right of way. Tit for tat scenario.

 

my 2c

[GLuvsMtb]

Jonkershoek is a popular training area for some of our most respected XC riders. You often see the likes of Stander and Sauser training there. They ride UP the single track, because that is what is required in the European XC and World Champs XC circuits. Please call me when you want to tell these world champs they are riding the wrong way  I want to take a picture of their faces.

[GLuvsMtb]

bottom line here is that this thread is not going to change international mtb convention, we are simply not THAT important. Its like trying to tell the americans that they are driving on the wrong side of the road and trying to convince them to change their ways by driving on the left hand side of the road...

[Bike Mob]

 

It seems that almost everyone on this tread rides a 5'' rear travel bike! 

 

I ride a HT but still love to cane it down the singletrack.

 

 

[quote=madaboutmerida]NEW rule just came in:

Guy on the Specialized ALWAYS have right of way. In the

absence of a Spez rider' date=' the BIGGEST / MOST AGGRESIVE rider has right of

way. [/quote']

 

I'll second that!

 

[messenger]

NEW rule just came in:

Guy on the Specialized ALWAYS have right of way. In the absence of a Spez rider' date=' the BIGGEST / MOST AGGRESIVE rider has right of way. [/quote']

There are going to be huge Hub ego's colliding in the near future.... coz ALL guys on the Hub are the biggest AND most aggresive....

Spez riders will in that case soon meet a whole bunch of "modified tools" normally saved for bike-jackings!