Rider etiquette sticky?

[tony1234]

There are always exceptions, but I think the idea of giving way to uphill riders is not the right thing to do anymore.

I didnt want to see this turn into an argument, but feel I need to make a comment on the previous posts. My thoughts on why downhill riders give way to uphill riders is mainly to keep their speed in check. Doesn't mean they have to ride at walking pace, but at a speed where they have control over their bikes. Whether this is right or not, it's universally accepted that this is the way things are, everybody knows that (or so I used to think). So for someone to think it's 'not the right thing to do anymore' concerns me a little. In the interests of everybody's safety, we all need to know who is going to give way if you're in a situation where you both can't move to the side pf the track and pass safely. If a few riders aren't going to abide by what is commonly accepted, the potential dangers are failry obvious I think....

[JK81]

Couldn't say in the context of racing as I've only ever been out there for fun, but why wouldn't someone get out of the way if there's another person barreling up your jaxie? It's the same on the freeway (although I don't get why Sydneysiders love sitting in the fast lane going 5ks under the limit). Ultimately, we're all out there for a cruise and a good time and if your fat, out of shape ass is preventing a load of people from enjoying their one day off work, do the decent thing and get out of the way for a few seconds. The pair of you will have a better session for it. Ultimately, you just can't put a price on common sense...

[DaviB]

In for the Husky 100 again this year, and my gut feeling is it will be wet again.

Can I ask the guys up front not to use the water at the feedstations to wash their bikes.
Not sure what the etiqutte is, but we get thirsty at the back also, and riding the last 30km without water is just not cool.

Spare a thought?

[DaGonz]

Can I ask the guys up front not to use the water at the feedstations to wash their bikes.
Not sure what the etiqutte is, but we get thirsty at the back also, and riding the last 30km without water is just not cool.

Spare a thought?

First time I've ever heard such a practice. If they're stopping long enough to wash their bikes, I doubt they're up the front though...

...does it actually happen? has anyone seen it?

Cheers
Spoon

[mtb5150]

Here is a bit of a dumb question I am sure. I seem to be a perpetual beginner, racing XC with WSMTB, I used to generally finish at the rear of D grade. Lots of fun, not much fitness or skill. As a result I am VERY well versed at getting out of the road of faster riders 95% of which are curteous and polite and call rider and say thanks as they pass.

Recently I bought a "proper" bike and have improved fitness & skill and the strangest thing has started to happen, I've overtaken a few guys. Now this usually happens when they have stacked or at obvious occassions however my question is.....in a race, if you are both in the same grade and you catch someone and would like to pass/beat them and they obviously would like not to get passed, what is the ettiqette? Do you just call rider and they are expected to get out of the way? In my grade and my level it is less of an issue as by the time I catch someone or I am caugth by someone in my grade, one or both of us are so out of breath it almost doesnt matter, but how does it work at the pointy end. Do you just have to wait for a fire trail or similar wide section?

[go to bed jessica]

I've always thought that if you are racing for position then it's a case of wating till you have an oppertunity to pass. For example at Yarramundi if I get caught behind someone who is slower in singletrack than myself but whom I'm racing directly against, that's my tough luck until I can work out a way to get past. Equally if I'm the slower rider and I've got someone right behind me challenging for position I'm not moving, it is a race.

I've found that some of the most satisfying races I've had are the ones where you are up against a rider with completely different strengths and you both end up swapping position several times per lap anyway, without letting each other by. If it was as easy as just calling track that would take a lot of the enjoyment and tactics out of racing, we might as well do a time trial.

That said, I'll never baulk a rider that is clearly miles faster than me, I'd rather just move aside as it's only screwing their race and it certainly wont get me anywhere, unless it's with 200 meters to the finish of course!

Anyway, that's my take on it, hope that helps.

Big Dog.

[wilddemon]

^ I've never heard of that before, not that I've done a lot of racing or that I'm very competitive, but every rider brief I've been to has said exactly the opposite, that if someones up yer clacker and they call track, regardless of position the leading rider allows the faster rider through when rider in front feels it is safe to do so. Happy to be proven wrong :)

[swanny81]

^ I've never heard of that before, not that I've done a lot of racing or that I'm very competitive, but every rider brief I've been to has said exactly the opposite, that if someones up yer clacker and they call track, regardless of position the leading rider allows the faster rider through when rider in front feels it is safe to do so. Happy to be proven wrong :)

I think you actually answer this a little bit yourself - the key is that you let 'faster' riders past.

If someone is clearly faster then the etiquette 99% of the time is to let them past (with a few exceptions such as if it is unsafe to do so, if there is not room etc) but if you have someone behind you, that you are in the same grade as/racing for position, there is no reason you need to let them past you. Its a race?

If they didn't want to be behind you, they should have ridden harder earlier in the race to be in front of you ;)

[wilddemon]

I think you actually answer this a little bit yourself - the key is that you let 'faster' riders past.

If someone is clearly faster then the etiquette 99% of the time is to let them past (with a few exceptions such as if it is unsafe to do so, if there is not room etc) but if you have someone behind you, that you are in the same grade as/racing for position, there is no reason you need to let them past you. Its a race?

If they didn't want to be behind you, they should have ridden harder earlier in the race to be in front of you ;)

I understand what you"re saying but that's not my take ;)

[go to bed jessica]

^ I've never heard of that before, not that I've done a lot of racing or that I'm very competitive, but every rider brief I've been to has said exactly the opposite, that if someones up yer clacker and they call track, regardless of position the leading rider allows the faster rider through when rider in front feels it is safe to do so. Happy to be proven wrong :)

For sure, at every race these days the rider breifing always has something about overtaking, and the actions the riders involved should take. I was always under the impression that this was aimed at situations where a rider is being lapped or similar, not at two people racing each other.

Endurance racing is a bit different, it's harder to know who you are racing for a variety of reasons so I can understand why organisers really hammer the passing etiquette into everyone as often as possible, it's needed. But if you know that the person behind you is racing for position or vice versa, and you are of a similar lap speed, I don't see why the leader would have to pull over, kinda sucks the fun out of it for me.

I can't really prove anything because I don't have a copy of the tech regs and I suspect they don't cover this anyway.......