[Trainwreck]

Why is it when ever you come head on upon on a group of hikers (3 or more) even though you cut them a wide swath, one will invariably run right in front of you?

At 5:30 this morning a lady hiker was coming toward me while I was huffing up a steep incline on the single speed. I pulled off the trail to allow her the right away but kept pedaling as I went by. As I passed her she snidely says "You're welcome". I bit my tongue and said nothing although "Thank you, you prissy b!tch" almost slipped out. :mumble:

 

[erikkellison]

Being both a hiker and a biker, my experience is that both crowds think that they have the right of the way. That's why I'm a fan of the "whoever is going uphill has the right-of-way rule. That is, unless you're talking about horses - they are big and scary, and always have the right of way.
Problem is, not everyone feels this way or has even heard of this concept I learned hiking years ago. I always think bikers should slow down for hikers though, even if they're not in the way, well, unless they're already going at a snail's pace uphill.
I think there might be some variations in this rule, like when a hiker is using a trail built specifically by bikers for bikers, or vice versa.

 

[Trainwreck]

I did encounter a horse on the ride this morning as well. I was coming from behind, announced myself and walked the bike around the horse. The horse folks around here are always polite.

 

[macko]

I hate encountering other folks on the trail for that very reason. Which is why I typically ride alone at really odd hours (middle of the day, EARLY in the morning...). I've noticed a very distinct demographic shift of trail users on SoMo (dunno if that's where you were this morning).

Back in the day, and by "the day" I'm referring to the late 80's early 90's there was a much more accommodating crowd; not to mention the shear number of people out there was significantly less. These days, with the build-up of Ahwatukee/Foothills and South Tempe/Chandler the user base has gone from middle-class down to earth people enjoying South Mountain, to upper middle-class yuppies roaming the trails like drones engaged in nothing but what's entering their ears via iPod.

There's nothing worse than rolling up behind a group of 3-6 middle-aged ladies wearing $200 running shoes lolly-gagging down the trail abreast of each-other and oblivious to whomever may be coming up behind them.

Okay, I'm done.

 

[jonKranked]

i don't mind encountering hikers as long as they're cool. i've been fortunate enough to have avoided any unpleasant encounters to date. This is one hiker I wouldn't mind running into

 

[maxyedor]

I've had some strange encounters with hikers too. The strangest was when bombing down an emty fire road when a guy jumps out of the bushes and yells "Slowdown a$$hole" he jumped right in front of me and I almost took him out with my DH bike. Some people are just morons. I've also run into a group of Siera club yahoos stoped accross the whole trail chating, they refused to move, and because they were the seira club they gave me a ton of crap for walking off the trail to get around them.

The horse people are usualy pretty freindly, and most hikers don't bother me.

 

[Skookum]

I've also run into a group of Siera club yahoos stoped accross the whole trail chating, they refused to move, and because they were the seira club they gave me a ton of crap for walking off the trail to get around them.

Man that's pretty childish. Kudos for you for moving on, i'm afraid a situation like that would cause my ride to get held up. i mean it takes hours to dig holes for bodies to fit in, out in the sticks with improper tools...

i've been fortunate that nearly all my experiences with trail users have been mostly positive. i always try to greet people as not what recreation they do (motorcycle,biker,hiker,fishermen,hunter,equestrian) but as another person who is enjoying the wonderful outdoors.

 

[maxyedor]

Man that's pretty childish. Kudos for you for moving on, i'm afraid a situation like that would cause my ride to get held up. i mean it takes hours to dig holes for bodies to fit in, out in the sticks with improper tools...

Well you see if you leave the bodies on the trail you get a brand new washboard section, it's a very fun trail to ride now.

 

[dirt-dart]

me and my friend were walking our bikes up a steep part of a trail and some older looking dude with a big beard was sitting on the side eating something and freakin farted pretty loud when we were walking past. -pretty DAMN rude if you ask me.

 

[BuddhaRoadkill]

me and my friend were walking our bikes up a steep part of a trail and some older looking dude with a big beard was sitting on the side eating something and freakin farted pretty loud when we were walking past. -pretty DAMN rude if you ask me.

That rocks. Farting .... in the woods ..... rude ...

 

[sanjuro]

My favorite trail incident: me and some friends were looking at a map, when a jogger coming towards us yells "Lost?". Before we could say anything or even look up, he runs between us, even though we were huddled around a map.

We look at each other, and as the jogger runs away, he snidely yells, "I guess you want my help." And now I yell back, "Not with that attitude."

I rode Redwood Park today, which is in Oakland. By the time I got done, 11am, it was full of hikers, joggers, and dog-walkers.

I realize there are too many people for me to expect an unobstructed path the entire way. Hell, a LunaChix on a Santa Cruz almost hit me going the opposite direction.

After two or three close misses, I just stopped saying anything because there was no one in the right or wrong.

 

[Dartman]

I was riding in Sedona and came across an couple hiking. I greeted them with a smile and a "Good morning!" The woman said to me "You know the older mountain bikers are much more polite than the younger ones."

 

[erikkellison]

That's because the older one's are usually stopped and it's the hikers that approach them, instead of meeting a moving mountain biker (scary!!). If I was hiking, that's what I would want; everyone stopped, off the trail, all for me.

 

[mud'n'sweat]

That's because the older one's are usually stopped and it's the hikers that approach them, instead of meeting a moving mountain biker (scary!!). If I was hiking, that's what I would want; everyone stopped, off the trail, all for me.

Something tells me Mike wasn't stopped when he saw the couple in Sedona.

 

[Dartman]

Something tells me Mike wasn't stopped when he saw the couple in Sedona.

Erik probably has a good theory. But yes I was moving at the time. I did however slow wayyy down for every hiker and greeted them.

Mike

 

[erikkellison]

Wow, I think that's the first time that someone referred to me by my first name instead of my screen name. Yay.

I ran into a group of 5 kids and a dad on the trail a couple of weeks ago. All the kids heard/saw me, and got out of the way, even though they were going up and I was going down. I slowed way down for everyone. But dad, walking with the 5 year old, was in dress shoes, a button up shirt and slacks, was intently watching every step of his. I'm not sure whether it was to protect his fancy shoes or because he was fascinated with a dirt trail, something he had never seen before, but he kept looking down and walking slowly (at me, not away from me) until the 5 year old pulled him aside. It appeared that the dad was trying to be outdoorsy for his kids, but they were a bit more outdoor-savvy than he was. I was in awe of his oblivious nature despite the fact that his kids saw me. It's that kind of trail user that I don't like, the retarded one. Not his kids, just him. Same thing goes for oblivious trail users with iPod earbuds in who don't hear anyone else coming, and don't look around, and just end up being a safety risk. It's for that reason that I won't ride with music in my ears. I don't want to be one of the retarded...

 

[Chunky Munkey]

Around here those bastages put logs and rocks right in the middle of the trail around corners so you'll hit it and go over the bars bcuz they don't like bikers "ruining" THEIR environment.

Then when they leave the park they get back in their CARS and polute MY breathing air all the way home.:redhot:

Pisses me off! I nailed a huge rock going across a stream once on account of it. Had to be put there it was too big for rain to push it and it wasn't there the day before. Right exactly where you drop into this stream at the bottom of a real fast section where you can lift the front end up and just sag right down into the stream at high speed and cruise across the stream 15 feet to the other side. Caught my rear derailer and according to my marine buddy behind me, rode the coolest nose wheelie for the longest time all the way across to the other side looking like I was going to pull out of it, (I thought so too) till the rear started leaning to the left and then I felt that sweet spot go away in favor of "forward" and I went over the bars at full speed and slammed full body left side into the muddy embankment on the other side. At least I didn't get wet in the stream. Had to walk out and buy a new derailer. Pissed me off!
:redhot:

 

[SkaredShtles]

Being both a hiker and a biker, my experience is that both crowds think that they have the right of the way. That's why I'm a fan of the "whoever is going uphill has the right-of-way rule.

If you ride out here it's very clearly defined:

And amongst each individual group, the uphill rider/hiker/horse has right of way.

It's really easy. If you're on a bike, yield to everybody.

 

[Skookum]

If you ride out here it's very clearly defined:

And amongst each individual group, the uphill rider/hiker/horse has right of way.

It's really easy. If you're on a bike, yield to everybody.

It's pretty easy nowadays since we have hydraulic disc brakes it only takes a squeeze to slow to a steady controlled pace. i always greet other trail users, with a hello, a comment on the weather, nice day to be in the woods. i let them know how many are in my group. i have a squeeky orca horn that most hikers think is a sick chipmunk. When they realize it's an approaching biker it makes people smile and that's the best thing you can do out in the woods. There is no arguing this.....

i'm on the multi-user trails constantly and i would say that out of the one or two groups of a-holes i run into hundreds more of super nice people.

Seriously a brake and a smile goes a long way.

 

[.:Jeenyus:.]

Over here hikers generally get out of the way as they can hear the bikes coming down from a ways away. Basically everyone is very nice about it.

I have never had to ask someone to move out of the way, or stop to avoid hitting them.