Is Strava putting other MTB Riders and the general public at risk?

M

m_g

Likes Dirt
scblack said:
For christ's sake, get your hands off it!

We ALL ride at high speed on public trails. If you think MTBrs don't you need to get your head out of your arse.

He is saying " the luck of the game" to mean he has lost the chance for that run to be a fast timed one. NOT that a walker should cop it.


GUESS WHAT PEOPLE! We had timers before Strava ever came along, so to think people are pushing harder because they have a new timing system is simply dumb. Yes, I know Strava compares times to many others, but times were being kept beforehand anyway.
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the fact that this system is on the net and broadcast and attracts public fame/notoriety means a whole lot more peopler are going to be doing it...yes there are some people who have always done it, but this will attract a whole lot more people to it...people use to keep in touch with emails and photos too, now 500 million of us do it via Facebook, same (but to much smaller degree) effect...


and no, i dont ride at high speed on the trails as you suggest "we all" do..I ride appropriate to the conditions so I dont have a head on with an angry stranger...whether you use strava or not, if you're racing to beat a time on a public (especially two way) trail then you are a tool...just like if you were racing a car on a road-no difference
 
RazeR

RazeR

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oldbean said:
I agree.

I always try and smile and say G'day to everyone I pass on the path or trail,
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Ditto - I thought that this was one of the points of MTBing. Getting out, having fun, and meeting other riders. Those that ignore other riders or blast past are just giving the game a bad name.
 
D

doosh

Likes Bikes
I'm guilty of the occasional "Strava Run". Mind you my times are all in the bottom 5% on all the segments so one of my Strava Runs would probably look more like a "I think that guy is about to have a heart attack" run to anyone else, as I ride slowly past. Yep, I'm a nerd on a bike, and for me Strava is a handy tool to show how I'm improving, not a wank-fest over who has the biggest Strava-dick.

Actually the thought of me yelling "Strava Run!!" at someone who is overtaking me is kinda appealing. Or even in the Youies carpark, maybe it can replace "Gday"?
 
markyh990

markyh990

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Faaaaarrrrrr out, since when have the fun police have gotten a hold of mountain biking!

P.S no one fast uses strava anyway
 
D

dusty_nz

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markyh990 said:
P.S no one fast uses strava anyway
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http://app.strava.com/athletes/202758

Put it into perspective

People are only going to be doing 50km/h on a downhill section if that section is capable of that speed and if the rider is capable of getting close to that speed.

Its not like a car where you hold the pedal down faster. You need to be regularly at the pace reach it.

I chase KOM's but I am miles off what people are doing in their sleep however I crash more when racing with my mates.
 
mtb101

mtb101

Likes Bikes and Dirt
markyh990 said:
Faaaaarrrrrr out, since when have the fun police have gotten a hold of mountain biking!

P.S no one fast uses strava anyway
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it's interesting you say that, thought the same but have been chasing a KOM on my favorite bit of trail, finally knocked off the top guy by 7 seconds - enjoy the moment I reckon won't be long before someone else knocks it off. Looking down the times/riders and then going into what each rider does, there's some very serious ks and times for some very challenging climbs & sections - even race data from events, if you google some of the names there are many elite level riders that come up.

The roadies have really taken to it - and really how else do you know how you are riding unless you are with people on the day.
 
akashra

akashra

Eats Squid
scblack said:
For christ's sake, get your hands off it!

We ALL ride at high speed on public trails. If you think MTBrs don't you need to get your head out of your arse.
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What we do and what we should do are two very different things. Some more responsibility and consideration should be applied across the board by a large number of riders out there. The public state park is not your own closed-off race track. If you can't stop in time for a rider coming the other direction, then you're not riding to the conditions - "the conditions" being "this is an open public trail being used by riders of all abilities in both directions (usually)"

The concept of climbing riders having right of way should always be kept in the front of your mind.
 
Anarchist

Anarchist

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Too much fun is bad for your health

markyh990 said:
Faaaaarrrrrr out, since when have the fun police have gotten a hold of mountain biking!
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Since people are not willing to take responsibility for their own actions, it seems. Nanny state. Everything should have a warning. I can see it now... "The air you are breathing may contain harmful particles that have been shown to cause serious health problems in some people". Hence, breathe at own risk.

I do see the roadies charging up (and down) some climbs in the Dandenongs in a "dangerous" manner (ie: 3 abreast or more up the 1:20, etc). This has been happening for years before Strava.
 
T

Timbers

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The concept of climbing riders having right of way should always be kept in the front of your mind.[/QUOTE said:
I have been riding riding off road for over twenty years, gotta say, I have never heard of ascending having right of way over descending. In fact I and everyone I know always adhere to the opposite, makes way more sense.
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B

Borizuka

Squid
I think it's the individuals responsibility for not being self centred and be a positive thing for the sport.

Yes I use Strava, yes I try to get KOM's but always have respect of other users of the path/trail. I would not hesitate to slow down and check if say a person needed help fixing that puncture. Overall I think Strava is a good thing. Because you can motivate your self to be a better rider over time and get to know fellow riders in a different way.

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do about egoistic people, apart from maybe not stopping to help when they crash... well not really..
 
caad9

caad9

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riderideride said:
I go the other way.... much easier to give way when you are climbing than make someone slam on their brakes with the chances of an OTB.
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In my mind it's always been the rider going downhill that gives way, only because it's much easier to resume going down than up.
This stems from motorbike riding as far as I'm aware.
 
mtb101

mtb101

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caad9 said:
In my mind it's always been the rider going downhill that gives way, only because it's much easier to resume going down than up.
This stems from motorbike riding as far as I'm aware.
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I think the most skilled rider makes the call, think its hard to have a black and white rule when we ride in such diverse terrain, I'm happy to compromise going up or down - there's always a b line somewhere and if I can keep the flow rather than stopping ... fine.
 
caad9

caad9

Likes Bikes and Dirt
mtb101 said:
I think the most skilled rider makes the call, think its hard to have a black and white rule when we ride in such diverse terrain, I'm happy to compromise going up or down - there's always a b line somewhere and if I can keep the flow rather than stopping ... fine.
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Don't get me wrong, I'll happily stop first, particularly when the other riders are not as skilled.
 
jaseh

jaseh

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IMBA rules of the trail say that the rider going down is to give way,
http://www.imba.com/about/rules-trail

My thoughts are if you are riding DH on a two way trail and you feel you won't be able to stop for a rider coming up, you are riding to fast for the conditions.

As for Strava KOM's, I try to get them but most of the ones here are either on the road or firetrail. We only have two ST trails here and they are both one way.
 
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