Bad Apples and Rider Etiquette
Everyone’s got their bad apples. Let me tell you a little about ours.
I was enjoying a fast downhill section at Soquel Demonstration Forest on my mountain bike when I heard some folks in the distance behind me. They were clearly having a great time and I knew by the sounds of it they would likely catch up and want to pass. Knowing the trail well, I quickly thought about what was coming up so I could figure out a good spot to pull over and let them pass. This is basic trail etiquette.
This segment of the trail is fast, narrow single-track so it’s not safe to pass. Fortunately, we were less than a minute from a clearing and I could pull over there. Or, if they came up sooner and I found a safe place to slow down to let them pass, I could do that.
None of this is what took place.
Riding fast, a guy behind me said, “on your left” and went ahead to pass without waiting to see if I would make space. His buddy, chasing, tried to do the same but at that very moment was boxed in by a Redwood. He slammed on his brakes, and I heard his wheels skid to avoid hitting the tree.
He then put on the gas and passed me, almost pushing me off the trail.
Now I’m a competent rider. If someone comes up behind me, I’m going to do the courteous thing and allow them to pass. But, on a fast, technical, single-track downhill, I’ll do that when I find a safe space, somewhere where the trail is wide enough. I mean, I’m having a good time too blasting downhill and don’t want to bum my ride.
Our paths crossed later and I let one of their friends know of my displeasure with almost being run off the trail.
Later, my riding buddies asked if I had an altercation with some dudes. They said they overheard a guy in a group making comments like. “She was so grumpy.” And, “She should know this is a place for aggressive riding and get out of the way.”
There are a couple points I want to make with this story. But first, it reminds me of the many times I’ve been out on a ride with newbies and have had a bad experience with an aggressive rider.
One year on Bike to Work Day, we were riding up the Guadalupe Trail with about 40 occasional riders. They were spread out, having a good time, experiencing the joy of riding a bike. And that’s the point. BTWD is that one day a year where we create good bike experiences so folks will keep doing it.
A daily commuter came up behind our group. We called out to folks to let him pass, and these new riders unconfidently maneuvered their bikes to one side. But that wasn’t quick enough and he became impatient. He yelled repeatedly for people to get out of his way and sped by shaking his head, yelling at people.
Another time, I was riding with a friend, a new rider who had set a goal for herself to ride 20 miles a week. She is learning to be more confident on the bike but still has trouble stopping, starting, and overall, feeling sure of herself. While riding on the trail, someone came up behind her, passed too close, and cause her to fall.
These incidents all lead to a couple pieces of wisdom that we at the Bike Coalition abide by:
Ride in a way that ensures that those around us have a good time and are safe.
In particular, if you see someone at a lower skill level, put in extra effort to make sure that person has a good time and feels inspired to get back on the bike.
Consider that you are not the center of the universe and that your needs, wants and desires are just one set amongst many.
Help build bike culture, goodwill, and happiness through how you treat people.
Now, here’s where I’m going to go a little deeper and risk losing some of you. First, let me acknowledge that what I’m about to say is my feeling, the baggage that I bring to a conversation.
As a woman, when a guy comes up behind me, I imagine that what may be going through his head is some version of “oh geez, I’m going to get stuck behind this chic.” I get that.
In this case, even after his friend relayed my comment, the dude was defending his behavior. This indicates to me another layer worth talking about – Entitlement and inability to self reflect. For me, a woman who has had to overcome feeling unwelcome in a space dominated by men, to hear that sentiment repeated was unfortunate. He felt the forest was his and that this woman, who is slower, should make way for his needs, wants, desires, that his enjoyment is central and above that of a woman in a space for men. For me, his comment raised those feelings again, that I truly am not welcome in the mountain biking space. This is a man’s world. Get back in the kitchen – you are too slow on the trail.
I wanted to take some time to comment on this aspect of the story because it is important to the Bike Coalition’s ability to achieve its goal of 10% by 2025.
It is fact that more men than women ride bikes. This is underscored by recent data from an SVBC study to understand attitudes toward transportation. The data shows differences between men, women and different demographics in terms of their inclinations to take up bicycling. Why don’t women ride more? And does the existing bike culture behave in a way that is unwelcoming to them?
We must understand the answers to these questions and start creating the culture and infrastructure that appeals to a broader audience. That starts with each of us making sure everyone feels they belong on a bike, no matter what they wear, body type, skill level, ethnicity, and more.
Soquel Demonstration forest IS a place for aggressive riders. I am one too. And in this case, I would have gladly pulled over had they allowed me to do so safely.
At the end of the day the world operates better when we treat others with kindness and respect. Taking an extra 30 seconds to get somewhere is not going to be the end of the world. Be nice. Think of others. Make sure you treat your fellow bicyclists so that they want to keep riding, so they are proud to be associated with bicycling. Be a fantastic ambassador and representative of bike culture. Help build the bike movement.
Ride in a way that ensures that those around us have a good time and are safe.
In particular, if you see someone at a lower skill level, put in extra effort to make sure that person has a good time and feels inspired to get back on the bike.
Consider that you are not the center of the universe and that your needs, wants and desires are just one set amongst many.
Help build bike culture, goodwill, and happiness through how you treat people.
Now, here’s where I’m going to go a little deeper and risk losing some of you. First, let me acknowledge that what I’m about to say is my feeling, the baggage that I bring to a conversation.As a woman, when a guy comes up behind me, I imagine that what may be going through his head is some version of “oh geez, I’m going to get stuck behind this chic.” I get that.In this case, even after his friend relayed my comment, the dude was defending his behavior. This indicates to me another layer worth talking about – Entitlement and inability to self reflect. For me, a woman who has had to overcome feeling unwelcome in a space dominated by men, to hear that sentiment repeated was unfortunate. He felt the forest was his and that this woman, who is slower, should make way for his needs, wants, desires, that his enjoyment is central and above that of a woman in a space for men. For me, his comment raised those feelings again, that I truly am not welcome in the mountain biking space. This is a man’s world. Get back in the kitchen – you are too slow on the trail.I wanted to take some time to comment on this aspect of the story because it is important to the Bike Coalition’s ability to achieve its goal of 10% by 2025.It is fact that more men than women ride bikes. This is underscored by recent data from an SVBC study to understand attitudes toward transportation. The data shows differences between men, women and different demographics in terms of their inclinations to take up bicycling. Why don’t women ride more? And does the existing bike culture behave in a way that is unwelcoming to them?We must understand the answers to these questions and start creating the culture and infrastructure that appeals to a broader audience. That starts with each of us making sure everyone feels they belong on a bike, no matter what they wear, body type, skill level, ethnicity, and more.Soquel Demonstration forest IS a place for aggressive riders. I am one too. And in this case, I would have gladly pulled over had they allowed me to do so safely.At the end of the day the world operates better when we treat others with kindness and respect. Taking an extra 30 seconds to get somewhere is not going to be the end of the world. Be nice. Think of others. Make sure you treat your fellow bicyclists so that they want to keep riding, so they are proud to be associated with bicycling. Be a fantastic ambassador and representative of bike culture. Help build the bike movement.
