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 Outward Bound author of the Seinfeld Thread, who builds his own snowshoes
Troy, MT
USA
3121 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2005 : 3:48 PM
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I just wondered how people feel about mountain bikers, like haveing to share trails with them etc. Let me know what you think
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B.F. |
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Mountain Grammar Police
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Sardonic sandbagging scoundrel, Cascade Climbers lobotomized spraymeister, space blanket flyer, new millennium vulgarian betaboy and friend to all squids
Climbing, a mountain
Canada
∞ Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2005 : 3:51 PM
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I don't mind sharing the trails but I find most biking trails are a bit boring for hiking, except for the teeter totters and rock dropoffs that is  |
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177 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2005 : 4:09 PM
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I think it is ok. Motorcross is probably too much, though.
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Acrophobia=An abnormal fear of high places |
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opinionated-stove huggin'-fleece wearin'-arse burnin' hill virgin
Here
Canada
4641 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2005 : 4:28 PM
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I hike and bike. Never had a problem with either group. Both have been respectfull of each other on the trail.
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"My name is Hiker Boy and I approved this message" |
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 yukon hankerin' intrepid dog lovin' fleet footed adventure racing pie packing poet who is ever keen to cave hunt, route find, night hike, and has finally introduced Bishop to Mt. Bishop
Whitehorse, Yukon
Canada
934 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2005 : 4:40 PM
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| I like mountain bikers and I like to mountain bike. The crew that I go out with tells each other off if anyone skids. If you are reasonable on a bike you should be able to brake without chewing up the trail. We save the tire skidding for the pavement. |
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culmination point, B.C.
Canada
737 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2005 : 5:24 PM
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| i also am a hiker/biker type and have never had problems although some of my hiking friends in the U.S. have quarrelled with aggressive downhillers in overcrowded areas. Don't know, maybe more elbow room here..easier to keep our civility. |
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Kelowna, BC
Canada
204 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2005 : 6:16 PM
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I think it depends on what type of trail you are talking about. I am an avid mountain biker and if I'm riding a down hill trail and come flying around a corner and there are people walking up the middle of a trail there is a problem. On the other hand if I'm hiking up an trail and some idiot on a mountain bike comes flying around a corner there is a problem there to.
On a more cross country type trail I find there is no problem, if I'm riding my bike I will stop and get out of the way and alow the people hiking the trail to pass by and I say hello. I have also found many people will stop and let the rider through, and if this is the case I slow down and say hi as I pass by.
As a rider if I'm heading down a steep trail that is shared I slow down but I would rather just pass the trail by and head to a bike specfic trail where I can have more fun.
I'm always aware of what type of trail I'm on and if I know there are people walking or people riding I'm very aware and take precautions as needed. I have found that 95% of the time people are nice and there are no problems.
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Trail running, bike hucking, fast packing, beer drinking collector of pine cones on a day pass
AKA
Dances with Trees
Forest Gnome Cabin
Canada
13028 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2005 : 6:23 PM
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What Brendan said I do a lot of both,and common courtesy is the way to go-I've seen very few confrontations. |
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Calgary, Alberta
228 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2005 : 6:28 PM
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I agree with most of the above. No big deal. Bikes are suitable for only a minority of trails in the mountains. We often use our bikes to gain quicker access to more remote areas (then start hiking). Fortunately there are some great bike trails on the slopes east of Calgary and an unlimited lifetime of trails on which bikes aren't suitable.
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After hiking for 35 years I still haven't reached the end of the trail. |
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Whistler
719 Posts |
Posted - 01/19/2005 : 08:15 AM
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I hike and bike. Courtesy and common sense and we all should be able to co-exist. In Europe I did a trans alp several years ago. The hikers have no problem with the bikers and even move when a biker rings his bell. I was so surprised, I would never ring a bell at a hiker for fear of having the crap beat out of me over here.
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Don't be afraid to go out on a limb...that's where the fruit is! |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
160 Posts |
Posted - 01/19/2005 : 09:33 AM
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Before I start, I think mountain biking is a great sport. It's always good to see more people being exposed to the fantastic wilderness out here, and biking brings a lot more people into a lot more places.
That said, I will admit to a feeling of uneasiness when hiking a steep trail covered in bike tracks. In that way, my experience in the outdoors is slightly marred by the presence of mountain bikes on these same trails. There are many ways for one to be injured on the trail, and collisions with mountain bikes while carrying a hefty load on one's back is unnecessary on a lot of trails.
My own opinion is that bike trails should be wider, or independent of foot trails.
Even still, however, I've rarely met a mountain biker who recklessly endangered hikers on these trails, and most in my experience take extra precautions in areas where a collision might occur. As with most things, it's the few that taint the many.
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Life is one great network of trails blazed across the world. The path you choose makes all the difference. |
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nanaimo, bc
Canada
63 Posts |
Posted - 01/19/2005 : 5:46 PM
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| i hike and bike lots i also hike to build bike trails. in nanaimo the trails are quite obviously one or the other but there are a few that are the main lines which are used by both frequently and it is really only on those trails where there may be a problem. we know that about these trails and tend to take it easy as we know there is a good chance we could encounter other hikers or biker coming up. with that said a couple of bikes coming down the trail at any speed makes alot of noise and a collision should be able to be avoided. with the technology in bikes these days and the great suspension systems,ca you really blame someone for going fast downhill? |
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Alberta-based choss climbin', flame throwin', rappel lovin', ass talkin' hater who doesn't like "Gumby" for a descriptor
6302 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2011 : 6:05 PM
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| Surely there are more opinions than this? The current threads bore me. |
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Alberta-based choss climbin', flame throwin', rappel lovin', ass talkin' hater who doesn't like "Gumby" for a descriptor
6302 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2011 : 6:13 PM
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| I like ripping fast turns blindly through flowing brooks. |
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Mysterious, pop can stove stashin', gps totin', overnighter virgin, wannabe tentmaker and foul weather wuss who rides a thumper to the trailhead with wonderdog Max to hike the Chilliwack Valley
Chwk
Canada
4908 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2011 : 6:27 PM
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Since switching to a more aggressive knobby on my dirtbike, I am able to stop without skidding...going uphill is another story!
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Alberta-based choss climbin', flame throwin', rappel lovin', ass talkin' hater who doesn't like "Gumby" for a descriptor
6302 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2011 : 6:55 PM
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| I haven't figured out how to keep my back tire from skidding around in meadows. |
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1058 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2011 : 7:00 PM
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| I use studded tires in meadows for just that reason. |
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1058 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2011 : 7:01 PM
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| Oh sorry, I thought this was a dirt biking thread, my bad. Mountain biking up to the meadows just seems like too much effort. |
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Calgary, Alberta
Canada
34 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2011 : 8:12 PM
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| I used to be one so I'd be an asshole if I said they piss me off. But really, I generally find I don't run into them much at all in the areas I find myself in. |
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nanaimo, BC
Canada
84 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2011 : 8:20 PM
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| I don't think I've ever seen any on the hiking trails around here, but I've seen plenty of hikers on the local mountain bike trails. I trail run on Mountain bike trails and hiking trails, and I've got to say that the mountain bikers are always friendly and chatty, while some of the hikers give me dirty looks. |
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2421 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2011 : 06:51 AM
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I've never had a problem with cyclists on mountain trails, probably because there don't seem to be very many of them above a few hundred meters elevation gain, and any who are riding there seem to be mostly polite and friendly.
However, Edmonton has some beautiful river valley trails that are posted as 'Shared'. Some are paved but many are gravel or dirt. There, people on mountain bikes almost universally seem to have a 'get off my trail' attitude. Just going for a walk on a summer evening means risking a collision with some idiot flying down a busy path at full speed. I'm fairly nimble - I can usually hear them sneaking up from behind and jump out of the way - but I pity someone who's disabled, hard of hearing, or just not paying close attention to their surroundings.
Local bylaws say that cyclists must ring their bell when passing pedestrians, but it's hard to enforce. On one evening's walk, I was passed by at least 100 cyclists. One rang a bell as he approached from behind, and two or three called out to let me know they were coming. The rest seemed to be more interested in seeing how close they could come for maximum 'startle value', and many snarled and/or glared at me as they passed, for the sin of being in their way. And almost none actually seemed to have a bell at all.
Hopefully none of the people on CT are like that. Those attitudes make one want to walk firmly down the middle of the path so the cyclists can either run into a well-padded backpack or off into the bushes. Obviously, the bad ones stick in your mind more than the ones who are polite, but it's a case of those few ruining it for everyone else.
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Topic |
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How do you feel about mountain bikers?
