Mountain Biking Etiquette
A lot of trail-using mountain bikers are up in arms lately about crackdowns on the use of bikes in many areas. The fact is, bikers have nowhere to look but at themselves when land owners or governments put areas off limits to bikers. There are land use issues, environmental issues, and safety issues at stake in many of these decisions and the fact is that the whole event could have been avoided if bikers had followed some common sense rules of etiquette. Not only will these rules help maintain peace between mountain bikers and other land users, they will also benefit your fellow bikers out on the trail.
Simple things such as when you are traveling downhill, you shouldn’t lock your rear tire can prevent the heat from restrictions placed on the trail. Locking your tire will cause a rut in the trail which will inevitably become deeper and deeper which will eventually make the trail unusable. This is especially true in wet weather, so take extra care to leave no trace should you find yourself out on a rainy day.
If you must stop when going down a hill or at any other time when mountain biking, take the extra step to get off the trail. Other bikers will appreciate the effort, especially on a downhill, and it won’t cost you any time or other inconvenience.
Remember that trails which are popular for mountain biking are also open to other recreational activities as well- don’t fly around corners, and try to go at a steady, not a breakneck, speed. Horseback riders are especially vulnerable to careless mountain bikers, as their mounts can be easily startled and may even throw them off.
Be kind, and yield to other bikers. All of us are a bit competitive when it comes right down to it, but there is no reason to block the path of a biker who is going faster than you. Move to the side and let her pass- being stubborn could lead to a very uncomfortable situation and everyone is out for the fun of it, not to make each other mad.
Finally, don’t build your own stunts on trails. Sure, they can be fun to make and you will get your maximum thrill from their usage, but the fact is that they are eyesores to other users and interfere with the beauty of the natural trails. In addition, they may result in trail closures and even hefty fines if you are caught or reported. If you must have stunts, build them on your own property or find an area that is specifically set aside for the purpose.
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