Mountain bike etiquette

[covie]

as madaboutmerida has said - internationally riders going up have ROW. but then again' date=' internationally there is greater respect for fellow people in general.

 

based on the argument presented by covie and company i take it they stop at green lights etc to make sure no busses or taxis etc are coming because according to them larger/faster/more aggressive entitles one to ROW?

 

i know SA is slipping into a state of anarchy, but i always thought mtb'ers claimed to be the "friendly and polite" side of cycling - clearly that is no longer the case.

[/quote']

From what i have been able to read, internationally the rider going up has ROW becuase in their winter seasons they ride on ice and snow, being the main motivational factor. And seems most people assume that should apply to SA.

 

Dont get me wrong I am as curtious as they come on the track, I am worried about an issue of saftey here. For saftey reasons it makes sense for the person going down to have right of way (not just for the pleasure of going down) as many people here have stated. And i think everybody agrees that single track is mostly used for downhill fun, with the occasional chap going up it to improve technical skill. So besides the saftey aspect, I would have assumed the norm would be for the exception to the rule to give way in any event.

 

I dont see why everybody makes a big fuss about what is exceptable internationally since they have different circumstances and different conditios that dictate their thinking. Before i posed the question it was just natural to me that I would give way when i rider comes down the track for all the obvious reasons I and others mentioned before. And no it doesnt look like anyone is about to agree on this topic so i guess a poll will be the way to go, and then even maybe even to approach all the various associations to put down a credo on acceptable etiquette that any newcomer can read and follow.

 

To me this wasnt about argueing about the up or down issue (although I did have some fun doing it ) to me it was about all the confusion that surrounds this, and to me it affects the saftey of the people and the sport. It would be much more enjoyable if you were relativly certain that someon will give you ROW, and yes then that should always be acknolwedged with a thank you. And if you still crash and nobody is hurt, the guilty party should be liable to buy the victim many many beers at the end of the trail.

[MeridaHFS]

I regularly climb Majik reverse way round(going up single track) and in my opinion I'm the one going against the traffic thus I need to move out of the way. I can also hear the guys coming down easier than they can hear me suffering uphill. Thus, they have ROW at all times - no exceptions.

Just my way of seeing this.

[Cheryl J]

 cut cut...  Now jonkers is a different story' date=' 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.
[/quote']

 

Errrr Canary was built to go uphill initially - as was the trail on the south side (for the xc a few years ago).  since the fire the downhill traffic on canary has increased dramatically (no neverending.. sigh) and its slowly being trashed by guys who insist on overbraking and dragging their back wheels.

 

Going up is singletrack is really fun.  So is going down.  I like doing both.

 

Its quite sad that most people seem to feel the need to get aggressive about all of this.  I find manners works really well and haven't had too many issues. 

 

Are South Africans really so immature and inconsiderate that we're going to have to resort to regulations and extra signage?

 

[slowpoke]

covie, surely then for safety sake it makes sense if you are in a car to always (even at a green light, stop street, etc) yeild to the potentially gun-wielding taxi/bus/whatever. also then for safety's sake you should also not defend yourself or your property if attacked/mugged/etc?

yours is one view on the matter.

 

another view is: the rider going up will have more difficulty to get going again. hence logic would say that they should be left to retain what little momentum they might have.

 

yet another view is: you have greater control of your bike going downhill so it is easier to take evasive action.

 

and another: if you aren't a good rider and you're belting downhill you are likely to endo if you try stop so you should have right of way.

 

i personally do move aside whichever way i'm going - i am capable of doing so if i'm riding uphill - if it's too steep i get off and carry / push so i'll be off the track anyway. if i'm the stronger rider i feel that that means i'm capable of doing so better than the other rider and i don't care to be rude and discourage weaker/beginner riders. if i'm the weaker rider then i feel like i don't want to block the other rider. either way i do it cos i can, even if it's my ROW.

 

but if you can't ride well enough to abide by the mtb code and generally accepted rules so be it. as you say the person with ROW will usually end up yielding anyway.

[Oliver Williams]

Riders coming down singletrack always have right of way end of story - as far as I'm concerned singletrack is designed to be ridden down! and if you obstruct someone bombing down singeletrack you are spoiling the track and are simply in the way. I do ride up sections of singletrack in Tokai, mainly because everyone else is doing it! and of course it's more interesting and good practice. But I'm still conscious of being 'in the way' of downhill traffic. Some singletrack I consider off-limits for climbing e.g. Vasbyt or whatever it's called - that top section.  

[Nojo King]

Of course Going DOWN has ROW - what a stupid argument !

 

Other riders (i.e. going up) can either see I am out of control going down or would have heard me shout : GET THE FUKC OUT OF THE WAY - OR WE ALL GONNA DIE ..... followed by aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..........splat

 

 

When I go UP I and suddenly a Kamikaze rider appears in front of me - I shxt myself and don't mind stopping to adjust my shorts...  I needed the stop anyway to get my HR and breath back

 

...but, maybe thats just me. I have seen some guys who can keep a straight face going downhill... almost as if they were suggesting they are in control....and would have been able to stop IF they did not have ROW

 

.

 

 

[AndreZA]

as far as I'm concerned singletrack is designed to be ridden down!

 

 

 

what if there is only 1 way up and 1 way down? I say play chicken. The guy with the most expensive bike will always swerve out.

[Oliver Williams]

as far as I'm concerned singletrack is designed to be ridden down!

what if there is only 1 way up and 1 way down? I say play chicken. The guy with the most expensive bike will always swerve out.

 

you mean the guy with carbon bike

[covie]

Maybe the answer then is a carbon bull bar for the bike

[manbearpig]

Manbearpig ALWAYS has right of way.

[Daft Vader]

Of course Going DOWN has ROW - what a stupid argument !

 

Other riders (i.e. going up) can either see I am out of control going down or would have heard me shout : GET THE FUKC OUT OF THE WAY - OR WE ALL GONNA DIE ..... followed by aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..........splat

 

 

When I go UP I and suddenly a Kamikaze rider appears in front of me - I shxt myself and don't mind stopping to adjust my shorts...  I needed the stop anyway to get my HR and breath back

 

...but' date=' maybe thats just me. I have seen some guys who can keep a straight face going downhill... almost as if they were suggesting they are in control....and would have been able to stop IF they did not have ROW

 

.

 

 

[/quote']

 

Now that is one of the best contributions to this discussion I have read. 

[Clint Adams]

 

Everybody makes a valid point! Everybody should just be civil and give each other a fear chance of Passing.

Ride SAFELY and be considerate. We all want to come back the next day and ride again.

 

So reading through all this : all beginners should stick to the jeep tracks for UPHILL/Climb and go Down the ST if they want to ride the ST!

 

I think i'll stick to Stellebosch mountain as the tracks there is wide enough for everybody!

 

SO Play NICE NOW Guys!!!!

 

 

 

clintadam2010-06-10 12:39:10

[GLuvsMtb]

What really irks me is watching beginners trying to go down single track at blind speed and locking up on every switchbacks, dragging their wheels through all of them. And then they want your comment afterwards on their technique. Wish that these riders could realise that single track is all about being as smooth as possible, rather than wanting to be as fast as possible.

I miss the good ol days when you could safely and securely ride up the canaries, cruise across to neverendingstory and float down to just do it all over again.

[DownhillingKing]

Okay right  if the track says DH above it. . . Such as DH 3 at tokai, don't stop and talk to your friends in the middle of the track. Make sure you jump and dive to the side if you see someone coming down and your going up.

[Slowbee]

What really irks me is watching beginners trying to go down single track at blind speed and locking up on every switchbacks' date=' dragging their wheels through all of them. And then they want your comment afterwards on their technique. Wish that these riders could realise that single track is all about being as smooth as possible, rather than wanting to be as fast as possible.

I miss the good ol days when you could safely and securely ride up the canaries, cruise across to neverendingstory and float down to just do it all over again.

[/quote']

of course you are the perfect beginner. You did everything perfect and fast just like the pro's on your first ride.

 

Why dont you take your irks, and help someone ? Help a beginner and spend some time to show that merida riders are actually nice people. Yes they want your comment because unlike other people beginners are wanting to learn - but then in the good ol days you never had beginners did you?

[scotty]

Common instinct, if i see a Kobus Wiesse look alike heading towards me i give way, if i see a skinny heading towards me i dont.