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Posts
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New rider here, and first post.
2nd time out riding and found some nice trails in Valley Forge while on this site.
Came across another rider headed the opposite way on the same trail. No room for both of us so I pulled off the side. Big mistake. Found a nice trench the size of my front wheel. Went right over the handlebars and right onto the top of my head. Luckily had a helmet.
The other rider asked a few times if I was okay, which I was.
What is proper etiquette when approaching another rider on the same trail headed the opposite direction? I wont be pulling off the trail anymore, thats for sure.
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Most trail systems are one way to avoid such an instance. On most of the single tracks reviews of parks they post the proposed riding direction.
If you have to pass someone on single tracks I usually just pull over or ask to pass first if behind someone. A lot of times when you come up behind someone they don’t even notice you are there until you say something.
If you have to pass someone head on I usually just stop and let them pass me.
Welcome to single tracks though, hope you get good use out of this site. The mountain bike park network alone is awesome. It makes for easy searching when trying to find a new place to ride.
happy trails
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First, if you are on multi-use trails, hikers and horses have the right-of-way. Move off to the side for them. If motorize vehicles are also allowed, get the H out of the way long before they get to you. No use risking a serious collision. Second, if you meet a fellow biker heading in the opposite direction, the general rule of thumb is that the rider going up hill has the right-of-way. Third, I think the best rule of thumb is to always seek to let whoever you meet go first. A little courtesy and kindness go a long ways to making everyone’s day. I always try to be the one to move out of the way. However, there are times when I am flying through a section of trail and the other rider or hiker has seen me first and gotten out of the way, for which I still slow down and express abundant appreciation (acknowledge their alertness and kindness).
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All in all, no matter what happens in a passing on the trail, offering greetings, thanks, well-wishes (have a great … (day, hike, ride, etc)) are all much appreciated and represent the mountain biking community well. Try to make any passing a nice exchange. I have met countless really nice people on the trail (bikers and hikers alike), simply because I have taken the time to say a simple, hi, and made a couple of extra friendly comments. Finally, in Colorado I often come across women hiking, often in pairs or small groups. My favorite line is, “Hikers and ladies first.” I add a friendly smile, and it works like a charm every time. They appreciate the courtesy and respect. If a hiker has a dog, I always try to pull off and stop so as to not possibly scare the pup. Then I always insist that the hiker and pup go first. I tell the owner, “It’s the pup’s trail too,” (they love that line) and then make some genuine comment about the pup or pups in general. If the pup is friendly, I love on the pup a little, and everyone is happy. With a bit of good attitude one can not only enjoy the trail but also other trail users.
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I’ve never ridden on a posted unidirectional trail, so I run into people coming the other way all the time. I typically just pull over to the side of the trail, far enough to let the person by. Most of the time, that’s just on the edge of the singletrack — sometimes it’s slightly off the trail. If they look really noob, I’ll give them a little extra room. That being said, like mongwolf said, all hikers get the right of way, and all uphill bikers get the right of way to bikes going downhill. A lot of people currently disagree with that, because they’re too busy ‘shredding the gnar’ to slow down, but that’s the etiquette.
Oh, and double what mongwolf said… make it a nice exchange — goes a long way towards keeping our community radical. I’d say about 1/50th of the people I greet are jerky, but the rest are really a pleasure to interact with, and help me think nice thoughts about humanity 🙂
Sorry about your wreck. Maybe slow down a LOT on the trail before pulling off to the side? Is your head okay?
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