silentbutdeadly
has some good things to say
A troll and his mini-troll went out in the bush one day...
Seriously, GET OFF THE F*CKING TRAILS, you idiots.......
- Thread starter johnny
- Start date
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
Look fred Flintstone, time to stop wandering the bush with Barney walking your dog's together. We've moved on from the stone age and have bikes now! They are way faster than walking, so why would you bother?
Lazmo
Old and hopeless
Duane... no sweat... I loathe the strava-straightliners too, fucking morons think it's the TDF. My Darl and I are avid riders and we have three daughters, and we've all been there... with the super fast guy honking on through. Honestly, I'm not moaning about Lysty... as it's the closest significant trail to a shitload of Melbournians, so sure it's gonna be Bourke St on Saturday and Sunday. I live real close to it, and ride it a lot... I usually ride it late in the day, just before sunset, to miss the traffic. I agree, people need less agro and more patience... it is after all the bush and we get to ride bikes in it... a perfect scenario.
Happy days...
If you're incapable of stopping safely when an unexpected obstacle appears on the trail, then it sounds like you're not riding within your limits. It's not a UCI race - you should be prepared to give way to anything and anyone in front of you. You're in Canberra, where all the trails have not just less (and more) capable and experienced riders than you, but also dangers like an omnipresent roo population. If a rider stopped in the middle of trails is dangerous then a roo is even more so.
Maybe the issue here is a little closer to home than you're admitting.
teK--
Eats Squid
Wildlife and humans who are too dense to use common sense are a totally different animal.
mickeytg
Likes Dirt
I second this post. All trails no matter how much you ride them are unpredictable, the storm the night before may have parked a new tree around a left hander or a another rider may have had a spill or a technical issue causing them to stop in a place that may not be convenient to all and as above mentions, wildlife especially in Canberra!!
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
So you two are the kind of guys who stand in the middle of a trail and chat? The point isn't that unexpected obstacles shouldn't exist, it is that dickheads standing mid trail for no reason at all are an easily preventable danger...so use your brain and move to the side if you're pulling up.
Sure if there is an unpreventable danger ahead, blocking the trail at a safe spot and advising other riders is a great thing to do. Or attending an emergency. But these aren't the type of incidents being referred to. Trying to defend stupidity with such examples just makes it look as though you don't take common sense on the trails.
mickeytg
Likes Dirt
I'm trying to figure out where in my post I said I stand in the middle of a trail and have a chat?
Ultra Lord
Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
And here i am trying to figure out why your defending those that do? Making an irritating at best situation seem trivial and the fault of those riding because "GODDAMNIT CLETUS YOUR GOING TO FAST DAGNABBIT!' Rather than letting people blow off steam on a forum after they have to haul on the brakes, because people aren't recoving from a crash or there's a roo in the way, but standing around idly, having a yarn with the boys. When they could be off the track having a yarn withthe boys, and leaving the track clear so cletus can keep riding.
Spike-X
Grumpy Old Sarah
Yeah. In my experience, the wildlife is more likely to get out of the way when they see you coming.
I'm sorry, but I find this a little bit silly.
Secondly, I think you might need to give closer consideration to what I've been saying. I'm not just complaining about people who create danger by sitting in the middle of fast sections of trail but people who sit on the trail in general and force people to go around them. I've also mentioned people stopping on bike paths, specifically people who've stopped on the path forcing you on to the wrong side on a blind corner forcing you to act dangerously just to get passed. In these situations your argument is utterly irrelevant.
You're right, it's not a UCI race but surely you like to try and improve your times, sure you like to ride one-way DH trails fast (given that this is what they are made for and the bikes are manufactured for, right?)? What you're suggesting is that we all reduce our average to accommodate the inconsiderate and ignorant rather than try and raise the average behaviour. Dumbing things things down to fit is not a strategy I'd support.
Secondly, I think you might need to give closer consideration to what I've been saying. I'm not just complaining about people who create danger by sitting in the middle of fast sections of trail but people who sit on the trail in general and force people to go around them. I've also mentioned people stopping on bike paths, specifically people who've stopped on the path forcing you on to the wrong side on a blind corner forcing you to act dangerously just to get passed. In these situations your argument is utterly irrelevant.
Sure, I think that's a good point and I definitely agree that we all have to do our best to fit in with each other, but that's exactly my point. People just sitting in the middle of the trail are not doing that at all. But also, we ride bikes, sometimes we ride fast and we all know that we risk crashing and getting hurt. There are inherent risks to our sport and wildlife like roos, snakes, maggies, etc. are all something we accept. But these are animals that largely don't understand that they are hanging out on a fast section of a mountainbike trail - they cannot be blamed for their actions. People who are riding these trails themselves, on the other hand, are (supposedly) rational beings who very much do get the situation but have either lapsed in concentration and/or situational awareness for a moment or are just plain stupid/arrogant. Why should that be an acceptable standard of behaviour? Sure, I get that we should accept that there are always going to be people that forget themselves, are new to the sport, etc. etc. - it happens. But what your sound like you're doing is saying that it should be an acceptable standard that everyone using the trails and the bikes for their intended purposes should adjust to, which reduces the ability of the people using the trails for their purpose to enjoy them.
My take away from your post is that you like to sit on fast sections of trails. :boink:
Yeah, I get what you're saying and agree. However I don't think that's the same situation as people hanging out on the trails rather than moving to the side so others can enjoy them for their intended use.
pink poodle
気が狂っている男
I'm drawing a conclusion from your empassioned defense of the indefensible, while trying to muddy the waters with valid examples.
Ultra Lord
Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
And dodging boar dick polishing duties by spending time on a forum better spent rolling around the desolate 3am streets of sydney.
slippy
Likes Bikes and Dirt
This thread has morphed into many closely related, but subtly different topics. Riding within your limits, unpredictable trail conditions, Mum's pushing prams on shared use trails and people sitting on the landing of a huge set of doubles at the bottom of a DH track and having a chat are all different things.
If you lie your bikes down and have a male bonding session on Jacob's highway then you're a tool, no doubt. If you take your 5 year old child for a ride (or walk) on a shared use trail then what you are doing is perfectly normal behaviour and we as mountain bikers need to be aware of this and ride accordingly.
If you lie your bikes down and have a male bonding session on Jacob's highway then you're a tool, no doubt. If you take your 5 year old child for a ride (or walk) on a shared use trail then what you are doing is perfectly normal behaviour and we as mountain bikers need to be aware of this and ride accordingly.
"We all"? Everyone isn't like you - plenty of people ride at speeds that allow themselves to stop without danger to themselves or others when such issues arise.
Your point wasn't that we need to fit in with each other, it was specifically that people stopped on trails were dangerous - and it seems that you're not interested in riding in a manner that means they (or a roo, or a downed tree, or whatever) are not a danger. Bruce Ridge isn't full of blind corners - it is, for the most part, quite open. If you're locking up the brakes at the sight of an on-coming rider (be it big man or little girl), you're probably doing it wrong.
And of course you've overlooked me having made no statements as to my behaviour trail-side, nor endorsing anything that you have a grudge against. Your take-away from my post is a reflection of your prejudices only.
Time to re-read the IMBA Rules of the Trail? https://www.imba.com/about/rules-trail
Ultra Lord
Hurts. Requires Money. And is nerdy.
Not all trails allow you to stop safely. Ever tried pulling up midway through a jump? Halfway through a chute? People stop in weird places. The worst is features that require full commitment to clear.
Not everything is as easy as 'slow down'. And johnny's rage at riders stopping for no reason and blocking trails is warranted, regardless of how you try to paint him.
Not everything is as easy as 'slow down'. And johnny's rage at riders stopping for no reason and blocking trails is warranted, regardless of how you try to paint him.
slippy
Likes Bikes and Dirt
While I agree we need to ride within our limits on shared use trails, the day I look for validation from IMBA is the day I hang up my bike and pull my eyeballs out through my nostrils.
Flow-Rider
Burner
Mtb only as far as I knew.
Would people stop their car dead smack in the middle of a highway and have a chat ? It's no different to me, just smaller vehicles and lower speeds.
slippy
Likes Bikes and Dirt
You're quoting me out of context. You forgot I said "this thread has morphed into many ... different topics."
Stopping with your bike and blocking a MTB only trail is stupid. Does any here actually disagree?
Berating a walker enjoying nature with their family because they slowed you down for 2 seconds on a shared use trail is equally stupid. I hope you don't disagree, but it's hard to tell.