I’m not a fast rider. I’m not a slow rider. I guess you could call me a half-fast rider. While grunting my way up a long, sloggy, technical climb at Annadel State Park in Northern California this past weekend, cursing the lout who chose the route (me), I heard an e-bike behind me clearly desiring to pass. I’ve got no beef with e-bikes, I own one. It’s rad. But this person did not say “Hello,” “Hey there half-fast, I’d like to pass,” or even just a simple “ding.” No, they started to pass on my right and I’m not ashamed to say I moved to the right. The message was not received. They moved left to try again. I moved left, and my elbows extended of their own accord. When he found enough room to maneuver around my pissiness, I advised in as friendly a tone as I could muster (between gasps for air) “Hey, you probably want to call out your pass” to which his fully head-phoned head responded “Hi!”
E-bike or no, that was poor etiquette. And perhaps my response was a bit dickish as well, but like in any relationship, we teach people how to treat us. If we want Mr. E-Jerk to become Mr. E-Harmony, “teachable moments” must be employed. I had an exceedingly diplomatic speech prepared for him in the unlikely event I found him midway up the trail with a dead battery, flat tire or perhaps a spear in his back. Of course, none of these things happened. I internalized my burning indignation and now it will show up as an ulcer or a weird twitch two years from now.
At the other end of the spectrum, I’ve been privy to the conversations of new and mostly female riders lately who can’t seem to stop apologizing for their slow climbing. For their slow descending. For their presence/existence. As I’ve noted previously in these pages, I used to be an apologizer. Dependably last to the top while my friends waited, I’d arrive sweaty and croaking out an “I’m….sorry…I’m….so……………slow….” Nobody cares. Unless you happen to be that PITA (Pain in the Ass) that folks are actually trying to get rid of, your pals don’t mind a break at the top.
A slower-than-me friend I ride with arrives last to the top and says “Hey! Thanks for waiting!” This small but important shift in language is a game changer. Those at the top know you’re okay, don’t need comforting or consoling, your soul is not crushed on account of being dropped. The tone you set with “thank you!” vs “I’m sorry…” can also shift your own outlook from ‘partly cloudy’ to ‘mostly sunny’—“my friends are cool!” vs “Man, I suck.”
“But really, what do I do when someone wants to pass?”
Okay, probably not what I did at the top of this story. At first glance, the answer seems quite simple. Look for a safe place to pull to the right, one that does not require you to fully stop, and allow the nice rider who has cheerfully asked to pass to pass and then say “Have a great ride!” But it’s not always that easy. What if pulling to the right puts you inches from the edge of the Grand Canyon? Thee who wants to pass needs to assume the larger risk of doing so. And maybe the person being passed just feels more comfortable stopping. That’s fine, of course. Just know that it’s up to you, that you don’t need to hurl yourself into poison oak, off a cliff, into a pride of pumas to let someone by. And above all, communication is key. When I want to pass, I say “Hey there! Looking to pass when possible—no rush!” And when I know someone wants to pass and I see a good spot, “pulling to the right/left, have a good one!”
When passing in opposite directions, the uphill rider always has the right-of-way. ALWAYS. But again, there are nuances. If I’m descending a wide dirt road and someone is riding up, of course I don’t need to stop. Plenty of room. But as the trail narrows, judgement is required. Is there enough room for me to continue downhill without disrupting the uphill rider’s progress? Do they look like a beginner who is going to be intimated and stop if I proceed? These are all judgement calls. For me, when in doubt, I stop and let uphillers go.
What about e-bikes? They don’t have an uphill disadvantage, so does the same rule apply? I’ve asked myself this while climbing on my e-bike. In my opinion, yes, the same rule applies. Otherwise chaos will ensue. Like those times in traffic where someone is trying to be nice but does something weird and it just causes a massive cluster funk because nobody knows what anyone is doing or why. Predictability is key whether on the road in a car, on a bike, or on a trail.
For the new rider, the timid rider, the potentially intimidated rider, please remember—this is your trail too. Stop apologizing. Put a smile on your face and wobble up that single track while the downhill bros yield. Give them a hearty “Thank you!”, and let them know how many are behind you. With very rare exception, the heart of even the most grizzled and grouchy old mountain biker is warmed by the sight of a fresh-faced newcomer. Courtesy, common sense, and communication are the keys to a long and healthy mountain bike life.
Yes! Exactly this! “Thank you” vs “I’m sorry” makes a big difference. The intent may have been similar but the word choice says much more.
I personally always stop if I’m riding uphill and hear or see someone coming down. It’s easier to stop and usually glad of a rest vs going downhill when stopping will ruin the fun. Having been a biker long before the internet this just made sense to me. Also most man made trails in the uk tend to be one way . When I lived in canada I came across this rule possibly in articles like this. Makes sense safety wise and I would of course stop if going down or slow a lot but if I’m going up I tend to jump right out the way and wave people down. Safer for me I guess but I don’t want to slow the flow of people whizzing down.
Being polite builds everyone’s stoke.
Gosh, I wish passing etiquette was a trail access requirement. It is so easy to be polite. If I’m climbing or descending I always yield to a group….. no reason for multiple riders stop for a solo rider. Another thing riders should do when passing someone going the same direction is let the person you are passing know if you’re solo or with a group….. I ran a fellow off the trail at a fairly high speed in Bend, Oregon simply because his riding buddy didn’t inform me there we two riders behind me.
Yup, agree it’s just nice to yield to a group if you are solo and it makes sense at the time. So many exceptions to so many rules! Alas we are not robots…not yet anyway 😉
I think the bombers coming downhill from what I see don’t yeild to people climbing up and if your are expecting them to yeild to you coming up it could end up in a bad game of chicken . Many YouTube downhill videos don’t yeild to people coming up . Doesn’t look good on the video. Now allot of that is do to the climber bailing because of the speed coming at them . Probably should change to downhillers have right of way .Most hikers coming up move off the trail
I simply inform folks that “I am passing on the left”… therefore giving them the opportunity to move to the right.
It seems like half the time folks will hear “on your left” and they think you’re asking them to “move left” haha.
That is why I say, “I’M passing on YOUR left”… but your right… regardless of what you say or bell you use… folks are unpredictable. Were I live we have a lot of folks who walk their dogs off-leash which is another entire issue cyclist have to worry about constantly.
I agree with almost everything you said except about the e-bike right of way. E-bikers blasting up a hill should always pay attention and yield to DH riders, especially on trails that (before e-bikes) were ridden mostly downhill. This seems like common sense, but is not in my community unfortunately. In these situations, the e-bikers are moving like a dirt biker except way more quiet. The combination of a fast descending rider and a turbo mode ascending e-rider leaves little time for either rider to react. Another solution would be to encourage our land managers to create more directional trails when it makes sense. As a trail runner, human powered mtber, and an occasional e-biker, we should all say hello and slow down when passing.
It is not possible to pass on singletrack trails unless:
a) someone stops and yields; or
b) someone rides off trail.
Ignoring this fact is why singletrack trails keep getting wider. Calling out (if approaching from behind) or one rider stopping (if approaching head on) is how we keep trails in good shape, and allows trail builders to create new trails, instead of spending all of their time raking and rebuilding old ones.
Yeah, true.
Fantastic article! Thanks for sharing such a great and important message.
This was well written and much better than the last, “How to pass” article I r ad recently.
Faster riders and downhill riders need to be okay with the occasional wait for other riders who are going slower. If they are not okay with that, then they need their own private trail system with no other user groups on it.
The one main exception I do want to call out is signage. I have seen at the beginning of some technical sections of trails signs that say, “No stopping on trail”. That’s there for safety reasons. So if you see that sign, make sure you keep moving because stopping puts other riders at risk.
Thanks Shad, and good point re not stopping!
Thanks for the new perspective. 💡 No more “I’m sorry”s from me.
Patience and respect. Once again, Mountain Biking = Life.
This! It’s fun to debate whether yielding to the climbing rider is a fair ‘rule’ or not, but is more commonly stated which makes it easy to remember. IMO the more we can ride without thinking, the closer we get to flow state on the trail. 😎
I also don’t mind ebikes, but I wouldn’t say they have the right of way when they are going uphill on what has traditionally been a downhill trail, especially when there is adjacent uphill fire road. With the proliferation of ebikes, I’m seeing a lot of new folks charging up trails that previously were not rideable uphill, and seeing a lot of head-on passing when previously there was zero
Yeah, I hear that. If there’s a good adjacent fire road, I’d sure want the e-biker to use that.
All bikes must be treated the same.
You cant make decisions as people are flying up to you. It just becomes instinct.
If I’m ascending on my Emtb im going to assume your moving over.
As my speed and weight says I do have the right-a-way. There will be no time for your untimely decisions and judgment.
I only stop for kids beginners and maybe a group of girls.
If you ride regularly where I do youll learn fast who has the right-a-way.
If not youll meet head on with the next guy and the next.
Do us all a fav and always yeild when expected too.
Then your feels wont hurt so much at tge end off the day.
Also you dont want to hear about it in the parking area. Lol
PASSING LEFT!
THANXS DUDE.
Thats it!!!!!
All I ask of any trail user is to be courteous and respectful. I realize this is harder than getting out of bed in the morning but…
Going against traffic on a one way that is established as such is not courtesy, nor is it respecting the rest of the community.
Humans spray more than cats…
Common courtesy and respect are not options however, in todays climate, it seems to be leaning away from those…
And, words do establish intent and thought behind them… Just sayin’!
Great fun article!
Like those times in traffic where someone is trying to be nice but does something weird and it just causes a massive cluster funk because nobody knows what anyone is doing or why.
This is my brother…funny to see it in print!🙄😜
IMO any time another biker or hiker yields to you whether you have the right of way or not, a simple thank you is the least one can do or say. These are rules of trail etiquette, maybe even just suggestions of trail etiquette. These are not laws, nor entitlements. An act of common courtesy deserves the common courtesy of a thank you in return. I think we have lost that to a large degree in America.
Insightful ideas while also being engaging and well-written. Thanks.
Thanks Ron!
I have a friend who has had some cardiac issues/treatment and he always feels bad when we take a break on a long climb. I try to assure him that riding in the woods together is the point and not setting Strava records getting to the top. I’m older by 15 years but haven’t had any health issues so I make it also clear I’m more concerned about his comfort and enjoyment. We only climb for the downhill singletrack anyway, right??!!
as far as passing, just be courteous. Even if the uphill/downhill etiquette isn’t followed to a T, being safe and respectful is what matters to me. Sometimes the opposite is the better solution.
Yeah, one thing I regret not putting in the article is the fact that, yeah, there have been MANY times when I could not stop for an uphill rider while descending. Sometimes it’s just like that–gravity/physics and all being what they are–best one can do then is….apologize! Oh, the irony….