DNA and I were having a chat last night at the second annual Bozeman Meatloaf and Martini Challenge (I'm not sure if that's the official name, but there was a meatloaf competition and lots of martinis, you get the idea). One subject that came up was our responsibility to other trail users whilst out on a mountain bike ride. I'm not talking about IMBA's rules of the trail, although you should certainly obey those. I'm talking about rules of etiquette, which should govern your behavior towards the people you meet in your travels. This is both because we have obligations to treat our fellow man/woman with respect, and because I'm tired of being treated like a second-class citizen because of certain cyclists who scare the shit out of hikers and make us all look like speed crazed gravity junkies who spend all their time watching X-games and drinking Red Bull.
Be aware of the number of people that may be hiking or riding horses on a particular trail at a particular time, you may either have to check your speed in anticipation of meeting other trail users, or perhaps make some logical decisions about whether you should ride a particular trail at a particular time. Sypes canyon on a Saturday afternoon in June is a bad time to walk your downhill rig to the top and make a 20 mile/hour decent. Ride somewhere else at that time.
Acknowledge other trail users. Say hi. Be friendly. Don't just shoulder past a family of four and be on your way. We're supposed to be having fun out there, share a good vibe with the people that you meet. Leaving people with a good impression of cyclists is probably going to more than anything else to change the sometimes negative light in which we are seen.
Don't intentionally skid on the trail, and especially don't skid up behind hikers. It does trail damage and it frightens people. Again, sometimes you have the responsibility of preemptively slowing down in anticipation of meeting another trail user. There are downhill specific trails for your eight inch rig. Part of riding on a multi-use trail is being aware that other people will be present and adjusting your speed accordingly when you can't see far enough ahead to pass people safely and humanely.
I'm sure there are several other specifics that one could codify, but in general we simply need to apply some Golden Rules to our riding. It is our responsibility as mountain bikers to treat other trail users with respect. Part of the fuel for trail closures is the fact that cyclists appear as a threatening presence to others, we owe it to our sport and our fellows to change that.
Cheers,
C-Note
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5 comments:
"There are downhill specific trails for your eight inch rig."
Where? Big Sky is not open, and just like you we want to ride our bikes...
You tak about respect, but I bet you glare at guys pushing up with a full face on their back pack...
Big Sky will certainly be a challenge, but word on the street is that trails are being built in the area for the big bikes.
As far as your last comment:
Bullshit.
You want trails to ride (of any kind) work to get them built. You're not the only one who wants 'em.
-DNA
You 'bet' I glare at people? Don't be so over-sensitive, and quit taking things completely out of context just so you can express anger at someone who is on your side. I'm not saying don't ride your bike. I'm saying think twice before you ride Emerald Lake at one o'clock on a Saturday afternoon, and if you must, keep in mind there will be people there and that is just reality.
I hope you are right about the trails being built. Past attempts to build FR trails have al been destroyed by the forest service.
I may have misunderstood, I read it as share the trials, be friendly to everyone, but "there are downhill specific trails for your eight inch rig" so stay off our trails you red bull drinking speed juinkie...
Anon:
Well, as much I resist the cumbersome bureaucracy of going through the proper channels there are times when that has to be done. We have fairly mountain-bike friendly forest service management here and a group that's working hard at getting permission to build legal trails built of all kinds, including FR trails. Check them out at montanamountainbikealliance.com. It might be a few years, but with input, involvement, effort, and sweat from all mountain bikers we can build the trails we want to.
Personally I'd love to see more fr trails. My feeling on the current state of trails is that most of them are too smooth and that too many follow drainages. I'd love to see both steeper, more technical trails that actually benefit the rider with a 6+ inch bike and more level, lower elevation trails that follow contour lines and connect different trails.
Regarding your interpretation, I don't feel that that was the intent, unless you're trying to use a big bike to its full potential on a trail filled with hiking families. Or if you come at me when I'm going for a hike. Your full-face helmet will come in handy.
Basically, if you want to go fast, either go when there is little traffic (after work is best) or go to a trail that not too many people go to. My experience here is that most Bozeman residents (regardless of their type of recreation) aren't especially adventurous when it comes to which trail they're going to hike/run/ride, and they stick with the familiar trails. Check out Corbly Gulch or Fairy Lake 500 (shuttleable) for starters. You'll need to push or ride up, but you most likely won't see anyone else out there. Pick up one of Will's maps and pick a trail you've never ridden.
And make your voice heard. And say hi to hikers.
-DNA
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