Is it too hard to say "hello"

*and what is considered downhill is no more complex than the direction and landfall of the bit of track the people are on at the meeting point.
 
I'm not so sure about this stopping to chat/saying hello/making brief eye contact lark. There are a lof of freaky weirdos out there who will murder you and rape your corpse in a heartbeat and if you're not concerned by that then you're probably one of them!
 
floody said:
Give way to the descending party is pretty much standard practice for trailbike riders, 4WDers, walkers dude...
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Walkers give way to a descending walker?? what?? really. Are you sure?? Is there really a standard practice for walkers?? where can i read these rules???

My point is that if a rider is descending a trail that i am climbing, and i am busting my arse to climb, and that other rider cuts of "my flow" (funnily enough i like the flow of a good climb, but i guess climbers don't count) don't be surprised if i don't smile, chat about the weather and give you a high five to congratulate you on your radness on the way through

If i am busting my arse to climb, and a descender can see that it is easier for them to stop than me, then surely the descender should have manners enough to think to themselves, that guy is suffering, if i just touch my brakes, i can let the guy through, and then i can get my flow back. It's much harder for a climber to get momentom back than it is for a descender to get momentom back. That would apply for 4wd and moto i am sure.

My point was about manners. About letting the rider through that would have a harder time starting again if they had to stop.

On a rocky technical descent at spead, maybe that is the descender, but maybe that is the climber.

At the end of the day, if some goose busts through without even considering the other rider on the trail then the other roder is not likely to be willing to stop have a chat, and be best buds.

Thank goodness MTB is not about conformity
 
I'm with refreshinglygood....i'm if goin up....you give way to me...just like in a car, much harder to restart going up than comming down.

when was that never the rule anyway???

Ray
 
rdurrell said:
Took the young fella (9 years old) out for his first run around Kurrajong at Yowies a few weeks back. He's on a 20 incher and obviously not at the peak of trail etiquette yet:biggrin:. We did about 6 ks and he was absolutely blown away at the end of it - not because of the dirt trails, the berms, etc. Nope he was absolutely stoked because pretty well every person said hi, waved or encouraged him along. His exact words at the end of the ride were "Gee they're really friendly here." I honestly don't think he had experienced it anywhere else on a bike.
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That is great to hear, he'll end up running a club one day and he'll be loved!

I do a lot of different sort of riding during each week (commute, XC day and night, downhill, skids......) and I come across all sorts of different characters. I'm of the opinion that the general population is cruising along and they'll usually say G'day even if I've just frightened the stitching out of their pants because I yelled it while Iron Maiden is smahing my earballs in. The people that don't acknowledge your existence or your 800mm wide frame heading towards you are the ones who like to ride / walk in the middle of a cycleway and think they own it because their father knows a guy who used to work with a woman that rooted some dudes son who went on to work with a chick who helped open the A4 paper ream that printed the cycleway proposal. Those folks either get the bush hanky treatment or I show them who's boss the next day. The same attitude doesn't exist on the mountain bike trails for me unless you're a guy or girl who is one of those "I'm angry and not going to talk to anyone because I'm one of those people who thinks I ride better than you but I was never selected for my country because I'm not as good as I think I am" who you usually pass at speed and roost with dirt that is on a line that they're too afraid to ride.:whip:
I don't expect everyone to say G'day but it is nice to at least acknowledge someone cruising along who made the effort to enlighten your day with a simple "G'day".
 
I believe that the whole acknowledgement, make eye contact, nod head, grunt, smile, say hello (or whatever floats your boat) usually comes from the fact that one of the two parties involved has somewhat slowed or moved to give way and allow a safe pass on the trail.
Pricks who barrel on pass as stated ^^^ display a sheer c*nt like attitude to fellow trail users. A simple acknowledgement can go a long way in trail vibe and general mtb love for your fellow trail user.
 
Refreshinglygood said:
If i am busting my arse to climb, and a descender can see that it is easier for them to stop than me, then surely the descender should have manners enough to think to themselves, that guy is suffering, if i just touch my brakes, i can let the guy through, and then i can get my flow back. It's much harder for a climber to get momentom back than it is for a descender to get momentom back. That would apply for 4wd and moto i am sure.
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Gotta agree with this, Although single track climbs are rarely that hard, stopping mid climb and losing momentum sucks but you also get a much wanted break haha. I was more referring to the safety side of things, There's a hell of alot of people out there that aren't that good on the bike and will happily plow into you if you don't get off the track. Alot of the time people are "busting their arse" just trying to get to the bottom of the track safely.

It's like a Semi going up a steep hill met with a freight train coming down. Truck doesn't want to stop but the train can't stop.



Refreshinglygood said:
I'm thinking the DH orientation of this forum influences the give way to the descender attitude.
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No not really, Whilst this forum has quite a big DH influence, Most XC clubs (In SEQ) promote the "descender has right of way" attitude, but what happens pretty much all of the time, both parties stop anyway and then the descenders go through because it's quicker for them to get past.

But it doesn't really matter at the end of the day who gives way, as long as someone does!

Plow King said:
I prefer the adage 'sarp cunt?'
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:clap2:
 
ray said:
I'm with refreshinglygood....i'm if goin up....you give way to me...just like in a car, much harder to restart going up than comming down.

when was that never the rule anyway???

Ray
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When you got off the road!!

I think it depends on whether its a designated bike trail or not, as to whther you should give way to the descender or not, If you are on proper legal single track chances are they're going alot quicker than on shared trails and its ALOT harder to pull up quickly. Common sense really.

Come on you Little Red Engines, its not that hard to restart :whip:
 
"4. Yield Appropriately: Do your utmost to let your fellow trail users know you're coming — a friendly greeting or bell ring are good methods. Try to anticipate other trail users as you ride around corners. Bicyclists should yield to other non-motorized trail users, unless the trail is clearly signed for bike-only travel. Bicyclists traveling downhill should yield to ones headed uphill, unless the trail is clearly signed for one-way or downhill-only traffic. In general, strive to make each pass a safe and courteous one." -IMBA Rules of the Trail
 
I'm always the one on the trail to pull over and let riders pass, on several occasions people have done the same to me, and it deserves acknowledgement by a simple hands up or 'thanks'. On several occasions I've stopped to let people pass and they've kept riding on without looking, I find this rude. You have gone outta your way, stopped your own flow, so that someone else could keep theirs and they keep on riding like they deserve it. Having said that, if you see the person is obviously struggling to keep their wheels spinning, it would be selfish to expect them to say hello, but it doesn't take much to nod or raise two fingers as a thanks.

At the end of the day you can't hurl down or pin up a trail and 'expect' people to move for you, fact of the matter is, everyones ideas and beliefs of who should give way will differ, and all it takes is a bit of common sense to think "geez he's coming down fast maybe I should move" instead of insisting on your rights and going "well he should give way to me, I'm the one going UP/down" - if this is your attitude you're probably the same kinda person who goes "well, he shouldn't be walking on the road, if I hit him it's his fault, it's my right to drive here"

It's hard not to get offended at times, but at the end of the day, people are different. As many people have said, some just want their own space and just want to escape. Others go out there to socialize.

I know I've been caught off guard a few times when someones said hello and I had a dry throat and nothing comes out, I feel like an absolute cawk. Some other times I've got my head down and I'm busting my balls trying to climb up a hill and didn't realize someone had pulled over and they say "keep on going mate" and I try and say something but end up farting instead. Don't assume everyones a cawk :)
 
Too Hard

A mate and I commute to work ( on a MTB and Cyclocrss ) and have noticed the local roadie communitee are too uptight to say g'day or even acknowledge you as they go past, although of late with more available light they can see you now and the odd one does sometimes wave, nod or murmur something. There are a few singular riders that do acknowledge our presence but the odd ignoramuss rides past. We do the big loud hello or morning as we go past from time to time just to get the wind up them. But even on the track we still get the arses that are too good to say hi as they go past, and seem surprised that it isn't too hard to say hello.
 
Way to true

its even more annoying when say your riding on the bike path and there are some people walking the other way
anyway when there like 20 metres away from you they just start staring at you and dont look away so you acknowledge it and say "Good day" or "hey mate" and then they just look away as if you dont exist anymore
its really annoying
 
interesting that on today's errand run across town and back, the only cyclist who didn't at least nod and/or grin at me was a lycra-clad fat b*stard on a roadie. perhaps he was too busy concentrating on staying upright?
 
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