Jump to content
IGNORED

The Second Sign of the Apocalypse


AustinBike

Recommended Posts

2 hours ago, Ridenfool said:

As for inconsiderate trail users...

My feeling is that there are bonewipes in both the mountain bike and e-bike world.

My experience is that in the e-bike world there are greater predispositions towards bonewipeishness.

Yes, you can do the "both sides" on this one but, generally speaking, you're gonna see more problems with one group over the other.

Your mileage may vary.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, AustinBike said:

My feeling is that there are bonewipes in both the mountain bike and e-bike world.

 

My feeling is that they are both "the mountain bike world." Bonewipes and all. (To be clear, I know there are non-mtb e-bikes. They are of no concern to me.)

I'm not as divisive as some when it comes to my favorite pastime. It seems better to pull together rather than to tear apart. YMMV

Edit: There are plenty of others trying to undermine mountain biking without us making it easier for them.

Edited by Ridenfool
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Ridenfool said:

I'm not as divisive as some when it comes to my favorite pastime. It seems better to pull together rather than to tear apart. YMMV

I am not either, I like to ride.

But I am divisive when people threaten my favorite pastime. Some e-MTB riders (those who ride where they are not allowed or use their speed to blow past others with total disregard) are on par with people who do unsanctioned trail modifications or ride trails when they are too muddy.

All of those groups get the same level of angst from me.  There are plenty of eMTB riders at Walnut these days, the majority are innocuous. But if you are doing church climb and someone rips past you telling you to get out of the way, yeah, we're gonna have a chat when I get to the top. It's the general lack of courtesy from some riders (e or not) that I have little tolerance for these days. They're shared trails.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, AustinBike said:

Yeah, but I live a weird life. Since I don't work any more and hate retail, the only time I regularly see people is when I am on my bike. Or getting a beer afterwards.

I don't think you're part of the problem, but I believe this is at the root of some of our current issues.  People interact less and less with real people and forget there are real humans coexisting with us.  It's solipsism run amok.  The R&I is the cure for our little community.  More people need to have/form their own real people communities where people of all beliefs, races, orientation (political, sexual, etc.) can interact and see the humanity and treat each other with respect in spite of our differences.  If anyone here watches Mythic Quest, you get to see an interpretation of what happens in a metaverse.  I think the book of faces became a de facto warped metaverse and that spilled over into the real world. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege to ride for over 2 hours with a group of wounded warriors on Veterans Day.  Some of them were on ebikes along with their 76 year old former commander in chief.  It was wonderful to share the trail with them.
 

At 62, I’m not there yet, but no doubt that day will come.  If technology allows me to pursue an athletic passion that has brought so much joy for over 30 years, then sign me up for one more decade.
 

We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing. I intend to keep playing and will promise to keep peddling after I blow past you on that technical climb.  

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, Docscotty said:

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege to ride for over 2 hours with a group of wounded warriors on Veterans Day.  Some of them were on ebikes along with their 76 year old former commander in chief.  It was wonderful to share the trail with them.

This is a solid use case.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On 11/22/2022 at 5:02 PM, AntonioGG said:

People interact less and less with real people and forget there are real humans coexisting with us.

^^ that, precisely that.

One thing that really got drilled into me during my visit is how much i've forgotten how to be a social animal IRL over the last couple years ... it's kind of nutty, and very sad, and I hesitate to imagine the wider ramifications. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
On 11/19/2022 at 10:33 PM, Ridenfool said:

If the riders don't know and the only thing that indicates the policy is a hand made sign miles from the trailhead, is it any wonder e-bike riders are on these trails,

"No e-bikes" is clearly stated on the large kiosk at the beginning of the trail.  Boggy Draw also accommodates equestrians and (IMHO) at least some types of e-bikes are incompatible with equestrians - their max speed is just too fast.  If the e-bikers stay low key and in control, they likely won't be challenged. 

In addition, there are dirt tracks laced throughout the Boggy Draw area that can be used by e-bikes, 4-wheelers,  adventure motorcycles, trucks, whatever, so there are alternatives. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It has been my experience that I don't see a higher avg mph recorded riding the electric mtb than I did on an "acoustic" mtb. Which surprised me, in all honesty. I've been averaging between 7 and 9 mph at RHR for decades now on different bikes, and now even on different trails. 🙂 The big difference for me now is that my heart rate stays much lower. Rarely going over 130, which for geezers like me is important, so they say.

The trail and my risk level are the factors that determine the speed I travel. Frankly, I tend to avoid singletrack that primarily accommodates high speeds as they usually aren't as fun for me as winding trails.

If "max speed" is the determining factor without any context, then almost any mtb is capable of "too high" a max speed. The emtb stops providing assist at 20mph, still, I remember seeing 45 mph between the lift and the trails at Angel Fire more than a decade ago on just gravity and pedal power. Fortunately, there were no horses.

I've always ridden with the attitude of being an mtb ambassador, long before emtbs were around, so I expect that my style of riding and courtesy to other trail users is unlikely to raise any eyebrows should I inadvertently find myself on the wrong trail. If it is posted and I see it, I won't poach it. I'll miss riding Boggy Draw, but there are plenty of other trails to explore that I haven't ridden yet .

Edited by Ridenfool
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, mack_turtle said:

I keep seeing Surons and their ilk around here. Where does that fit in? 

They don't!

If it has a throttle it is an electric motorcycle.

This is what causes confusion with land owners trying to set rules. They are unaware of how to differentiate.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/5/2023 at 3:05 PM, AustinBike said:

This will sort itself out.

Totally thought of you when watching a tech zone article about Australians embedding LEDs into  sidewalks/crosswalks so people looking at their phone while walking can easily see the signal.  It was a case of a problem that would sort itself out eventually as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/21/2022 at 5:13 PM, Ridenfool said:

Yeah, that's more about the people than the bike. Just like some of the racerbois and Stravassholes who think a public trail is their private track. They'll be that way regardless of what they are riding.

I had a group of teenagers going full gas on a narrow, blind section of trail at Brushy. I braced for impact and the lead kid crashed out.  Saw them again on my way back to the Y and they hadn't learned their lesson.

I guess I'm not on the trails when the e-bikes are out. It's the Stravassholes who are going to get us removed from multi-use trails.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Hugh said:

Stravassholes are going to get us removed from multi-use trails.

 

In general terms, it will be people riding too fast. Nature had a way of limiting the Stravasshole pool (skills, endurance, etc.) Sadly, e-bikes could lower the cost of entry into that pool.

Ultimately the rest of the world sees us as a single, homogeneous bucket of "bikers" and that will be the problem. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...