E Bikes exploding

[mtbikernate]

Saying excuse me doesn't tell you what side they're on. Saying that I could've stepped right into their path. Also it's kind of hard to say it from a distance when the wind is blowing and others are talking/walking. You just seem hell bent on mountain bikers having the right away for everything instead of sharing the trail. The trails, roads and walkways are meant for everyone and 99% have always said "on your left" when approaching.

no, it doesn't tell them what side you're on. but understand that ppl are going to look, anyway. and a LOT of them are going to step straight into your path. giving that person the time to assess the situation and deal with it safely is the way it's supposed to go. And if a trail is narrow, crowded, unsafe, whatever, it DOES give them the ability to say, "please wait to pass until there's a better chance"

further, the passing rider isn't the one that gets to dictate where the slower person goes. that person is in front of you and they get to dictate when and where it is safest and most prudent for themselves. that person has the right of way. doesn't matter who they are. hiker, slower rider, horse rider, rollerblader, dog walker, whatever. the faster rider DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY and does not get to command other people around on any trail.

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[myothercarizahearse]

no, it doesn't tell them what side you're on. but understand that ppl are going to look, anyway. and a LOT of them are going to step straight into your path. further, the passing rider isn't the one that gets to dictate where the slower person goes. that person is in front of you and they get to dictate when and where it is safest and most prudent for themselves. that person has the right of way. doesn't matter who they are. hiker, slower rider, horse rider, rollerblader, dog walker, whatever. the faster rider DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY and does not get to command other people around on any trail.

what do you mean? it's the perfect reason why they command the trail with no helmet or brakes

 

[SigOris]

I don't see what's wrong with saying "on your left"? We were walking on the path around the lake yesterday and when a biker came up behind us they'd say that. I'd rather that then a horn going off and scaring the ? out of me.

But I kind of get it that mountain bikers don't like e bikers. It's the same when I was still skiing and snowboarding was taking off. I (we) all hated them as they took up the whole slope and carved deep grooves into them. But it's inevitable they're coming just like the snowboarders so you have to get use to it.

If he was was a member here, the prediction would be " this thread will be closed in 10 more posts "

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

….the faster rider DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY and does not get to command other people around on any trail.

Well, with the exception of my favourite trail of all. It’s part of Maricopa County’s Estrella Mountain Regional Park and you actually get to be that way. Here’s what you’ll find on their website and on a sign at the trailhead…

Estrella Mountain Competitive Track
Caution: This TRACK is for high speeds, challenging one's skills, and racing. Use TRAILS elsewhere in the park for leisurely traveling.

I love the first two bullets under Track Etiquette and Safety:

• Slower uses yield to faster uses
• Call out before passing

With the above said (all true but quoted here tongue in cheek), most people aren’t flying dangerously past folks on other trails or bike paths. They’re slowing their speed and calling out warnings or ringing bells early. They don’t necessarily hold some notion that they have the right of way. They’re not commanding anyone’s movements or dictating where they are to go. Mostly, they’re riding slowly behind the other trail user until it’s safe to pass.

But yeah, a few are not so caring because there’s always one in every crowd. I get it, you’ve run into too many of these folks. Sharing trails can be challenging and frustrating but it doesn’t have to be adversarial. Me? I’m sticking to that Golden Rule.

 

[Dr_Strangelove]

I need to pass really slowly anyway so people have enough time to read all of my sponsors.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

I need to pass really slowly anyway so people have enough time to read all of my sponsors.

The back is even better.

 

[AzScorpion]

The back is even better.

My God you're like a walking billboard!

 

[mtbikernate]

Estrella Mountain Competitive Track
Caution: This TRACK is for high speeds, challenging one's skills, and racing. Use TRAILS elsewhere in the park for leisurely traveling.

Yeah, that's certainly the exception to the general rule regarding multiple use trails (and as you see, your example is highly explicit with the rules that differ from the more broadly established status quo).

I've been referring to more general use public trails. Some dirt. Some gravel. Some paved. This is especially true on really busy rail trails. It doesn't matter how clueless the slower trail users taking up the full width of the trail are. Faster users MUST slow down and yield to them.

It is actually my job to know this stuff and teach it to beginners. There's a lot of nuance involved with various exceptions, and each exception is going to have unique elements. But it's pretty clear cut how you're supposed to comport yourself otherwise. My instruction to the beginners I teach is always to be courteous and to communicate. HOW I say things on a trail is at least as important as what I'm saying, which is why I teach the way I do. I am hyper aware of how I am perceived by others on the trail, both as a cyclist and as a professional working on public land under permits. If I am not absolutely perfect, the consequences for me personally are very high.

It is my observation that the vast majority of trail conflicts are failures of communication first and selfishness second. Sometimes those get flipped, but it's the same two, and they are kinda linked together.

Seriously, try saying "hello" and/or "excuse me" when you want to pass someone sometime. it really does work. People can actually determine your position based just on that sound, even though you're not telling them explicitly where you want to pass. they'll still know you want to and the vast majority of the time, they won't have any problem letting you go where you think the best spot is. but you also give them more of an out so they don't feel pressured to jump into poison ivy/oak, cactus, off a steep embankment, play with a rattlesnake or gator, etc.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Yeah, that's certainly the exception to the general rule regarding multiple use trails (and as you see, your example is highly explicit with the rules that differ from the more broadly established status quo).

I've been referring to more general use public trails. Some dirt. Some gravel. Some paved. This is especially true.….

Exception for sure! There are a few others out there as well and they are great to ride, for sure.

I get it when it comes to most trails and paths, especially on managed land. And it’s such a grey area for the vast majority of trail users. Trail builders and access advocates usually know the rules better than the bureaucrats who enact them but the average citizen is much less informed. There’s a lot of confusion out there and a lot of speculation.

I’m reminded of a criminal case where an angry hiker Karen in Vancouver’s famous North Shore was booby-trapping trails because of all the “crazy mountain bikers” were ruining the trails that she’d “been hiking for years”. (shakes walking stick into the air for dramatic effect). People got hurt.

She was eventually caught on game cameras, arrested, and convicted. Saddest part was that the trails she was claiming as walking trails were built, maintained, designated, and marked as mountain bike use only by the local governing body. ?

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