Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance is back again - this time with a video showing what many consider to be a tremendous threat to the mountain biking universe as we know it. Watch as pro rider Billy Lewis demonstrates exactly what this threat is – and how to avoid it and help ensure we keep getting more sweet trails to ride.
In most places where there are multi-use trails that allow horses, the horses were there first. In many cases the original "trails" in a given area were cleared by horse riders.
That said, I do agree, a thousand pound animal tends to wear the trail more... Count your blessings, at least there is access
In VT, there aren't a lot of "berm" flow trails, so you basically get stuck on the ones with horse bumps or build your own. I chose the second personally, although it didn't have to do with the horses.
the horse issue is a seperate issue...when push comes to shove horses arent the problem..its the riders ...they're just bizzare people we all knew that girl in school who rode horses and she was a total weird-ball. fact! and why is it ok for them to shit everywhere?
Horses have every right to be out there on the trails. But where I ride there are often equestrians who ride their horses down Mtb specific trails. That we're (I know for a fact) built by mountain bikers. And there is a sign at the trail head that says that the trail is dangerous and not recommended for horses. But they still ride it and tear it up. And no hate because I like horses and all but there definently some d-bag horse riders who get ma at you for even being on the trails. But that's no reason not to be courteous.
horses make LOAM. yes they destroys the trails but those trails generaly arent great anyways. my mum sent me a pic of her and her friends out on a ride and the ground looked soooo soft and it was steepish. no bikes alowed on the trails though.
you may hate what horses do to trails but they hate us just as much, horses are terrified of everything, including bikes.
Mtn. Creek trails are for bikes only and I love when the Water Park Babies walk the jump trail and I creep up on them like thunder to land on top of their dumb asses!!!
In my experience horses are majestic, powerful, and surprisingly graceful animals that are capable of deep emotional connection with humans... and they shit everywhere they go haha. In VT where many of our trails are topsoil and we get a ton of rain, the amount of damage a horseshoe weighted by 1000lbs does to wet singletrack is horrific. Luckily not too many horses wander onto bike specific singletrack, however you can bet when they do they aren't considering whether or not things are too soft for a massive beast's frollicking. In Utah outside PC there's a cool little network called Dutch Hollow, the mud there is epic- like peanut butter epic. Bikers generally stay off during the melt/freeze cycles, horseback riders could give a shit- riding there early season (before it all turns to dust) is like riding over a million speedbumps, such a buzzkill.
I find that riding down the trail and screaming Liiiiiiiiiiive Action! Is the most effective way to remove horses, small children, and turtles from out my way.
Trust me, I'm not anti-horse but I see that false argument that "Horses were here first" all the time. Seriously, how so? It was the European explorers that brought them over. It's not like they're an indigenous species of North America. It's not like the Indians were riding horses to greet Christopher Columbus when he arrived.
For that matter indians weren't there first either though... They were just the first humans. They walked over the bearing straight relatively recently in the history of the american continent.
jbeglaw (5 hours ago) the horse issue is a seperate issue...when push comes to shove horses arent the problem..its the riders ...they're just bizzare people we all knew that girl in school who rode horses and she was a total weird-ball. fact! and why is it ok for them to shit everywhere?
I don't know 'bout you, buddy, but when nature calls...
@rojomas - LOL, So the horses weren't here FIRST, that sure destroys that consideration. You know damn well the argument means as trail users, before mountain bikers. Sheesh. You must be great at parties...
@jbeglaw, idk u is is, but just to be fair, i think all bike riders should do the same, while riding... And hope i doesnt hit ur back tire and become a projectile towards u
Yeah man, they put cattle to graze in the woods/heath where my trails are and they totally wrecked my berms from trampling all over them and there were cow pats everywhere!
Anybody notice he accepted that beer right before he was about to drive home... Which could have resulted in him crashing into a school bus and killing dozens of children due his his decreased reaction time and impaired judgement...
Horse & cows shit is called MANURE , it fertilizes the ground and nourishes life on earth, but digging that precious manure out of your pivots is "not fun" , and they seem to calculate the exact center point of the singletrack and take a dump there (pref after a high speed turn). on a side note horses make great glue! (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_glue).
Hi, i respect the horse in the trails, what i don't like is when i do a other trail separated from the trail horse because i don't like to ride their bumpy trails. And the owner go ride my singletrack and destroy my bench cut trail with his 1000 pounds horse. Dude it's a single track track not a boulevard so don't go there with your horse
Use the copious amounts of shit to make kickers, adapt to your environment @jimbsport: if the guy owns the property then he can do whatever he wants as it is HIS and not YOURS....
Where I live and ride in Nor-Cal it's not uncommon the encounter a horse on a ride. I always slow or stop and say "hi there"... but for the love of GOD will the equestrians hike the trails they ride once in a while with a shovel and clear all those horse turds?! I'm not talking about fire road, but the best single track here. On a side note I stop to "shovel" the turds with my front tire on climbs when the offending pile is in the apex/center of a jump/landing...
where were you in Israel? Telaviv? , in the 20km radius around me there are 1000++ cows (and goats and sheep) , not counting dairy cows which never leave the cowshed (unless they are sold for "meat" ). money is rare in Israel not cows! .the closest official singletrack to me (beit keshet) is used as a pasture where the cows are lords of the land and we (biker's) are mere guests on their dumping grounds! (annoying in winter\spring time less in summer).
@Protour: both horses and owners shit in the middle of the trail where you live? That sounds like a terrible place
While it is annoying it really is just grass and maybe it makes you a better rider for having to dodge and jump over while ripping a trail. Look on the bright side! At least you have a shit covered trail to ride, some people dont even have that.
Its not like a horse pops a squat or makes a noise when they shit how do you know its taking a dump. How big is a horsey bag. Would you want to stop riding your horse tie it up, pull a shovel out of your arse, scoop the poop, then remount the horse with said poop bag and hold it with you whilst you ride? Hope you didn't want to gallop much. Also while we are being technical horses evolved in North America then migrated, became extinct in North America etc.
Ya they don't pop a squat horses can shit standing up.... And they do..... And they make a noise before they drop those landmines..... They fart... REALLY loud right before they let those brown torpedoes fly...
Being nice and courteous means girls like you? hahaha good one. Real world version: D-Bag walks away with his pick of the 3, cause he's "dangerous" and "exciting." He then proceeds to give her VD. She then complains to the "courteous" guy that she can't find a good guy, while he's thinking "WTF, I'm right here."
While i always try to be courteous to everyone it seems not all but many horse riders around here are ignorant and miserable.
What i never understood was that for thousands of years people took horses into battle amongst the chaos and carnage but now they get spooked by a bike. Maybe because horses are meant to be a wild animal and not brushed and pampered by people in funny boots
I have the same problem withh some of the horse riders where I generally ride. Most are friendly and thank you for pulling over or warning them, but some keep giving out to you even when your completely off the road. And then they bring their horses down trails that could easily break the poor things leg and accuse you of being the one whos doing something wrong. Its ridiculous.
Tbh there are some who are friendly and nice but i'm sick of been scowled at even after slowing down in the car or when the trails covered in crap or when they come down bike only tracks.
as always tho we're more likely to remember the bad ones than the good.
Yeah, some do feel way too much like theyre automatically in the right, there was one guy I remember seeing right in the middle of a two way road and started screaming cursing at my friends mam when she had to swerve to avoid him coming the opposite way in a bend. But of course since he was on a horse she was wrong and he was right.
I make horses bow to ME! it totally throws them off because they are used to everybody being so submissive. Why exactly do people on horses get special treatment?? Its their own fault for trying to be in public while riding a skiddish animal.
multi use trails are a shit show anyway better to just avoid
I think they should also pick up the fucking mountain of shite their stupid horses leave for me in the middle of the fucking trail just like dog walkers. And they ride on bike only trails and act like they have done nothing but completely destroy everything. I can complain all day about the retardedness these people have, not to mention how stupid the actual animals are. I mean horse people are some of the worst people I can think of ever encountering.
FUCK HORSES!!.
Raggi-Boy chill out man. Although I don't really enjoy sharing trails with horses, I can't say I really mind it either. For most of the XC riding I do, the trails are all shared by bikers, hikers, and equestrians alike, but most people are courteous and I have even had horses get out of the way for me. The way I see it, no harm no foul. Honestly where I live its so wet that its mostly @$$hole bikers that ride before the trails dry that do the most damage.
Its that kind of attitude that takes up city hall meetings. If you "happen" to see a horse on the trail give the person a break. They have paid to feed, doctor and house that animal all month. As long as someone is using a trail you are on without a motor ...chillout....their outside just like you, away from the sidewalks. Drop the ego and say hello....maybe you make a friend or create a new oppurtunity.
Back were I used to live there was an old railway (rails removed) and it was forbidden for horses to ride, but eventually they were allowed if they pick up the shit like you have to do with dogs etc. But then some of them started to complain about that it was to hard to get back on the horse if they have to get out of the saddle.
No (never ridden one), but we had some horse organizations attend one of our leaders summits for race league I'm coaching for. They were very supportive and expressed that they work hard to educate their members about bikes. Also, about half of the trails around me only exist because horse riders built them. I have respect for those who make my passion for riding possible.
It's really hard not to paint all horse-people with the same brush, but god damn do they make it hard. The ONLY horse folk I've ever encountered that aren't total snobs are those that actually live on production farms (i.e. horses are a hobby, not a "living"). I think that's mostly due to the fact that these people actually understand the meaning of work, not just throwing money at a problem and expecting it to be solved.
Case in point: I unload 3500-5000 bales of hay every year for a guy who does custom haying at a horse barn (since these people don't own any land except for their beat-to-piss pastures). These people sweat money! They show no respect to the people that are there to supply the very thing their animal survives on, and are totally oblivious to the hazards around them. Sure they work hard on training their animals, but most don't even have to muck their own stalls. On top of that, they b*****d and moaned when their boarding costs soared due to the drought and expect everyone to have a big pity party for them when real farmers were/are going through MUCH worse. Who do you think has more money to buy hay, a suburbanite who visits her horse once a week, or a farmer trying to scratch a living in the dirt?
Also, it does not matter that a horse doesn't have a motor. That's totally irrelevant to their ability to wreck singletrack. Read what I wrote above and see who needs to drop the ego...
TL;DR Horse people need to realize that all their money doesn't make them better than anyone else. But yeah, turn the other cheek and all that...
on that note most of the people i see riding horses on trails have beat ass trucks and 50 years old two horse trailers that their horses hate to load into because that's all they can afford. their horse costs less than our bikes and maybe their trucks do too. rich folks ride their horses underneath covered arenas costing more than most of our homes. the horseback riders are just like us for the most part, spending every cent they have on their horses all month for a few rides if their lucky. now if your horse cant handle a bike whizzing by then u shouldn't be on the trail yet in my opinion but that it another topic. just cut them some slack, push back up 100 yards and hit that section again. hate people on sidewalks and in yuppy coffee shops. by the way the people who found that kidnapped girl from so-cal in Idaho....were on horses....rednecks....but on horses. so many other things to complain about besides horse people.
I'm always courteous.., but I still run into rude enviros. elitist hikers, angry man hating lezbos. Horses ( god I hate them although the riders tend to be friendlier because they know horses destroy trails ). I'm tried of being the nice guy and still catching shit from the BIG 3 I listed above!
I would agree. Just need an outlet to take out the frustration on..or the knowledge that we are having way more fun then they are. I hate having to pass idiots with off leash dogs, not much stopping them from hopping in their car and taking you out while riding home.
Most recently, I had 2 man hating lezbos( I could tell by the dike hair cuts, you know, spikey on top long in the back kinda like a lezbo mullet), tell me to put a bell on my mtn. bike, after I politely passed them. I wasn't going too fast, I announced my presense, I did nothing to endanger them. They still gave me tons of attitude. I told them, after they were bitches, that if they don't like bikes, there are plenty of hiking only trails in the area. They still don't get it though. Somehow in their small minds, bikers are in the wrong. I tired of bending over backwards to appease everyone. I pay a lot more taxes than most, nobody owns the woods, I just don't care anymore.., I will probably try to bite my tongue. Nice guys finish last, in this race despite the video's message which I try to adhear to.
Ahh... Here on the other side of the globe, the pyramid of power is as follows: 1. Middle-aged hippies, wearing Jack Wolfskin or North Face hiking outfits, who drive their Audis into the woods until it gets too muddy, then get out and hike. Always in couples, mostly with matching jackets. They litter, never clear the way and give you the 'Evil Eye of Disapproval'. They probably haven't had a decent orgasm in years, which causes them to have that throbbing vein on the side of their necks, and the tense look of frustration, screaming "it's the weekend, and I want my recreation time NOW!" 2. Green soldiers with wild beards, wearing Teva sandals and retro backpacks. They carry binoculars and an iPhone. I call them 'wood-be hipsters'. 3. Hot chicks on horses. They don't bother me. I use the emergency whistle on my backpack as soon as I see a horse, and they get out of the way. We politely say hello and go our seperate ways. I never see men on horses though... Maybe they're out working a second job to support their wife's expensive hobby? 4. 'Man hating lezbos' walking dogs. Always bitches. The dogs, I mean. Their sexual preference is none of my concern. They're rocking the most wild hairstyles, which makes me laugh... And laughing is never a bad thing. 5. Trailrunners in a complete Salomon outfit. They're too out of breath to complain. 6. Geocachers. So focused on their GPS, they will die of cardiac arrest when you pass them unannounced. Approach with caution! 7. XC-riders on 29ers who got lost following their Garmin. They never greet and leave Powerbar wrappings everywhere.
Hey I think some Germans are wandering over the Border to annoy you. We have all those sorts ALL over the place here ! I forgot the Geocachers too ( even though I am one myself ). I came across this guy marching straight at me down the middle of the trail with his head in his gps'r ... whoa , di he jump :-)
11yo son just watched his first 'take care of the trails' vid. "Do I have to watch the stuff with the GIRLS, dad?" he asks. Give it a few years, son, just a few years...
God, i never ever meet those kind of chicks on the trails...Do i have to get a dirty sanchez stache?? That said, being courteous is a thing, but EVERY ONE on the trails has to be courteous. Too many times Other users treat you like shit, or like a criminal...An other point is that i'm not sure that walkers or horses do jumps, drops... So we have to stay safe, but other users have to know that sometimes some parts of the trails are dangerous and on some we just can't even stop. Peace and Love on trails, and everyone's gonna stay smoooooth!
Full face lid with no visor, sunglasses (instead of goggles), plaid shirt, driving like an ass, loud and just being a dick... I've seen quite a few of those.
Why are sunglasses in the full face a no-go? I prefer it to goggles. No fogging and more air flow to my face. Been wearing sunglasses with a full face since 05 when I bought my first motorcycle. Not sure why its frowned upon.
Guess I will look stupid while having fun and hauling ass. "Shouldnt fog too much" compared to my sunglasses never fogging at all... I made my choice, apparently 8 yrs ago too.
buuut... that said, I did have a slight moment of major internal rage when I was forced to stop down Fort William WC DH track, due to 3! sets of walkers walking up (past the "sever cyclist route, walkers find alternative route" signs.
Multi use trails... We have to simply deal. Any notion that access is a right rather than a privilege is false. Just be kind when encountering other users on the trail. It really is that easy.
The mountain biker crux of wanting to maintain flow & speed on a multi use trail is irrelevant to other users who feel their safety is threatened by mountain bikers. We are not on level ground with all other users. We have to kill them with kindness. We're some of the last groups to show up for the multi use trail-party.
Take the long view & just play nice. It's good for all of us riders.
I agree with this in principle WHERE its multiple use, that said its stupid to have multi use trails and shows the greater organisers of this don't understand forestry. Trail use age and the dangers different users pose to each other.
On fire roads its life but often I notice the others users horses and walkers and runners are ignorant of basic forestry rules, road rules, and which side of roads they should be on, even in instances where accidents have occurred and medical staff have been trying to get to the injured users, abuse from all users has occurred this is not cool.
But back on point proper thought out managed access is whats required not joint use, often those other users contribute nothing to maintenance, build, support or funding yet expect they have a right to said trails, this does rile me, if thats being doosh so be it, I am very tolerant and freindly but its a two way streak which I rarely see these days.
Runners walkers should not be on advanced trails sometimes you just can't stop safely let alone slow down even in that clip unless riding like, the hero at tidily wink pace you can't stop safely, stupid and ignorant bringing multi use.
If I want a good ride no way would I even go to those trails probably more the point, yet these users are continually encroaching on our trails we built maintain sweat and bleed on, yeah it pisses me off. And they have more access than anyone. They don't just want some trail access they're never satisfied and they want it all.
They were hot runners though, so Id be nice yep sexist slay me!
Although Id never force a walker off a track, I like to give them a bit of a fright if the trail is clearly marked as being for bikes only, at least that way they'll be more likely to take the purpose built walking track next time.
A side note about horses: it is actually possible to train them to not be so easily spooked. People used to shoot guns while riding horses; if they are spooked by a bicycle riding by them, then that is the rider's fault for not training his or her horse properly. I know of a guy whose horse got spooked by a plastic bag once. Equestrians these days don't train their steeds nearly enough.
Want to know how to get rid of "d-bag rider?" Build a fast, flowing jump trail. But seriously, not all riders who like to go fast and jump off of everything are d-bags. Just the ones who don't know how or when to use their brakes
My sudjestion is to make more gravity only trails. Like A-line, but without the lifts and fees. Make super technical trails, and super jump trails, and ones with some of each.
I live in Stuttgart,Germany which has an amazing Trail Network around three quarters of the city. But with a big City come big problems :-( Mountainbiking has exploded here in the last 5 years and the reputation that the Germans have internationally for being cold and impolite ( to put it directly ... just plain bad mannered ! ) can be witnessed everytime I go out on the bike. All the scenes in this little film are repeated continuously and that's considered NORMAL ! The law requires all cyclists to have a bell on their bike ( I don't have one of course ;-) ) and the bell is used , not to politely warn people that a cyclist is coming , but to warm other trail users that they should get the f#ck out of the way 'cause I'm not braking ! Someone even did it to me in a Marathon race !! Unfortunately when I come along and am nice to the Babe-Joggers , I get pissed on for being another ignorant biker :-( . I hope all you lot out there read this and stop screwing up the trails out there before they ban us completely !
I was at Tokul the day they were filming this, didn't know what it was going to get released as, pretty funny.
And yes those trails are steep, fast and flowy, with quite a few jumps, and still see a lot horse use (always courteous to me and vice versa). I once saw a guy on a horse halfway up KGB, crazy.
well im late to the party as usual..im very curteous on multi use trails...however, there are always some hiker dudes who really need to be roosted...PB should do another video on how to be curteous to other riders at bike parks...this is a huge pet peeve on mine, first and foremost, if you stop and chat with your buddies, get off the trail so the rest of us can ride...anyway, fun video with a message we all need to be reminded of from time to time...peace
I'm even later to the party, but couldn't agree more buddy. The guys that stop to chat at the bike park need to be told 'it's not all about them'! It's hard to be courteous when you're in mid-air or pinning down the track, so when you do shout out for them to move it comes out stronger than you intended, and makes you look or feel like the bad guy. Just use some common sense and get out of the way!!!!
Got to agree with this. Coming from Scotland and having the land access we have allows you to ride everywhere, which is brillant. I too confess to the use of Strava, and will openly hold my arms up to being competitive to my times. I will not however let this get in the way being courteous. The last time I checked, manners cost nothing. So use them. I enjoy just passing familys and walkers and seeing if they'll have a chat and get some psyche of each other for being outside and escaping the city. With regards to horse comments I advise all to shut the fuck up. Explain to me how you can pick up horse shit. There is alot of it, and its real contents is hay. Big deal. They're people too and just trying to enjoy nature. Thats why we all do it. Not for Strava, but for the soul.
i'm always friendly and courteous on trails with my bike, but what annoys me is when you have a trail next to a purpose built walking horse riding path and they still come on to the trials let their dogs and horses shit on the trails then shout at you for riding fast on the trails and nearly hitting their animals. i'm sorry but i have to then disagree with this post if they stuck to their trails we would not have shit flying up in to our faces or have collisions with idiots walking or riding up the trails the wrong way. awesome vid though
I am just happy to have trails to ride. Most of the stuff I ride is multi-use and a couple trails even allow dirt bikes. I don't mind. The trails get a little chewed up from time to time but at least I can still ride them.
I try to be as kind as I can on trails and you should too, Im not trying to preach or anything. One time I was riding some trails I knew pretty well, I helped some riders who were new in town back to their car and I got a cookie out of the deal. Another I saw some girls trying their best (still sucking, sorry ladies) and I taught them some new stuff, and guess who got a date that weekend. And if you run somebody off the trail (Iv done it before not gonna lie) stop and help them up, make sure they are ok, offer help too.
lol for every quest theres an answer
both have the right or their proper paths
cant combine them so whos in the right to ride the specefic terrain that both want to ride i guess both, so in these kinda trails you should be aware of both in both vieuws
but sometimes when one doesnt find what he needs hes the one that need to replace but i guess forbiddin somethin that wants to exciest is not possible some one will chase its dreams even if its forbidden.
On a bilke path, sure I would go the extra mile to be nice. On a trail, I'm nice but I refuse to bend over backwards. If I can keep an eye out for them, surely they can move to the side of the trail. After all, they are moving much slower than my bike.
In Santa Barbara, CA trail bells helped save access to public trails when there was a serious threat to MTB access. It is a very courteous thing to put a little cow bell on your bike. the other trail users appreciate it. locally, all the hikers and equestrians know that when they hear a bell they should step aside because there is someone riding down the trail. It is safe for us on bikes because it reduces the chance that we will have to lock it up to avoid a hiker, and for hikers it is safer because they can avoid nasty surprises. I dont know why its not more popular in other areas. it works well when riders ride responsibly on multi-use trails.
I would say that billy could stay pinned and not be near as much of a douche if he had a bell on... but probably not....
Horses should have there own set trails. I showed courtesy by slowing down and moving to the side for a couple of horse riders and the old man came ripping right beside me well my brakes squealed and the damn horse stood up on two legs and almost came down on top of me. The wife had no problem passing me as she slowed down and kept her side also.
He had the balls to tell me to come to a complete stop and get off the trail. He was quite ignorant and started cussing at me in front of his wife. She apologized to me for his behaviour and for being such an ass.
Screw sharing trails! Ban horses on mtb trails! Besides horse riders don't ever clean the tonne of smelly $hit off the trail and the horses completely destroy trails.
yo, this is giving a bad name to those who skid and rip fast. wtf. i'm not a dick i just like to ride fast.
i will not be denied by right to rip tits and be a skidding sid.
While living in the front range of Colorado we definitely have our fair share of multi use trails, but on the other hand there's so many trails deep in the mountains that the horses cant get to luckily.
The D-bag is rude, but come on. Common courtesy is often in short supply but lets not all bend over backwards to accommodate the hyper-sensitive pussies of the world. And really, don't skid? why is my bike equipped with hydraulic disc brakes?
You guess wrong. There are steep mountains where I live. If you can ride Prevost all day without locking up your wheels a few times then you are a hero and I'll gladly treat you to all the beers you can drink after the ride is over.
LOL There is a difference between skidding when a trail is super steep and skidding just because you think it is cool. The latter is what the video was referring too. Your comment definitely leaned toward the 'think it is cool' side.
This is really stupid. There should not have been an association with improper use and jumping obstacles In a controlled manner that are clearly made for just that purpose
Yield? Makes more sense for the slow movers to yield/stop than for the fast ones to. It's also more likely that the slow movers can hear the fast ones coming better than vice versa. So shove that rule up your shitter. Ladies with sexy little dumpers may get me to slow down, for a sniff, but that's about it.
"Hello , mind if I pass" oh and by the way thanks for your f*cking horses leaving huge steaming piles of shit all over the trail " Rider up ! Rider up! LOL
I think Evergreen is ruining the rep of mtn bikers even more with this video. I laughed, but I won't be laughing when other trail using groups dramatize this and start profiling such mtn bikers, identifying them as bad guys according to their physical appearance. If you look like the bad guy in this vid, and like to ride to have fun... would suck to be considered bad based on looks and remotely looking like you are out having a good time, even if you are responsible.
That's right, no hot chicks here in WA, it rains all the time, people are rude, its so hard to find a good cup of coffee and our local beer scene sucks so please, stay in California...nothing to see here.
That said, I do agree, a thousand pound animal tends to wear the trail more... Count your blessings, at least there is access
Stay classy
my mum sent me a pic of her and her friends out on a ride and the ground looked soooo soft and it was steepish. no bikes alowed on the trails though.
you may hate what horses do to trails but they hate us just as much, horses are terrified of everything, including bikes.
the horse issue is a seperate issue...when push comes to shove horses arent the problem..its the riders ...they're just bizzare people we all knew that girl in school who rode horses and she was a total weird-ball. fact! and why is it ok for them to shit everywhere?
I don't know 'bout you, buddy, but when nature calls...
on a side note horses make great glue! (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_glue).
@jimbsport: if the guy owns the property then he can do whatever he wants as it is HIS and not YOURS....
When you pass a horse on the trails politely remind them to
"please clean up your messes"
to at least make them feel guilty.
While it is annoying it really is just grass and maybe it makes you a better rider for having to dodge and jump over while ripping a trail. Look on the bright side! At least you have a shit covered trail to ride, some people dont even have that.
multi use trails are a shit show anyway better to just avoid
I mean wtf??...
Case in point: I unload 3500-5000 bales of hay every year for a guy who does custom haying at a horse barn (since these people don't own any land except for their beat-to-piss pastures). These people sweat money! They show no respect to the people that are there to supply the very thing their animal survives on, and are totally oblivious to the hazards around them. Sure they work hard on training their animals, but most don't even have to muck their own stalls. On top of that, they b*****d and moaned when their boarding costs soared due to the drought and expect everyone to have a big pity party for them when real farmers were/are going through MUCH worse. Who do you think has more money to buy hay, a suburbanite who visits her horse once a week, or a farmer trying to scratch a living in the dirt?
Also, it does not matter that a horse doesn't have a motor. That's totally irrelevant to their ability to wreck singletrack. Read what I wrote above and see who needs to drop the ego...
TL;DR Horse people need to realize that all their money doesn't make them better than anyone else. But yeah, turn the other cheek and all that...
1. Middle-aged hippies, wearing Jack Wolfskin or North Face hiking outfits, who drive their Audis into the woods until it gets too muddy, then get out and hike. Always in couples, mostly with matching jackets. They litter, never clear the way and give you the 'Evil Eye of Disapproval'. They probably haven't had a decent orgasm in years, which causes them to have that throbbing vein on the side of their necks, and the tense look of frustration, screaming "it's the weekend, and I want my recreation time NOW!"
2. Green soldiers with wild beards, wearing Teva sandals and retro backpacks. They carry binoculars and an iPhone. I call them 'wood-be hipsters'.
3. Hot chicks on horses. They don't bother me. I use the emergency whistle on my backpack as soon as I see a horse, and they get out of the way. We politely say hello and go our seperate ways. I never see men on horses though... Maybe they're out working a second job to support their wife's expensive hobby?
4. 'Man hating lezbos' walking dogs. Always bitches. The dogs, I mean. Their sexual preference is none of my concern. They're rocking the most wild hairstyles, which makes me laugh... And laughing is never a bad thing.
5. Trailrunners in a complete Salomon outfit. They're too out of breath to complain.
6. Geocachers. So focused on their GPS, they will die of cardiac arrest when you pass them unannounced. Approach with caution!
7. XC-riders on 29ers who got lost following their Garmin. They never greet and leave Powerbar wrappings everywhere.
That's about it...
I have two speeds .Stop and fast.
buuut... that said, I did have a slight moment of major internal rage when I was forced to stop down Fort William WC DH track, due to 3! sets of walkers walking up (past the "sever cyclist route, walkers find alternative route" signs.
just lucky I am slow...
The mountain biker crux of wanting to maintain flow & speed on a multi use trail is irrelevant to other users who feel their safety is threatened by mountain bikers. We are not on level ground with all other users. We have to kill them with kindness. We're some of the last groups to show up for the multi use trail-party.
Take the long view & just play nice. It's good for all of us riders.
Unfortunately when I come along and am nice to the Babe-Joggers , I get pissed on for being another ignorant biker :-( .
I hope all you lot out there read this and stop screwing up the trails out there before they ban us completely !
And yes those trails are steep, fast and flowy, with quite a few jumps, and still see a lot horse use (always courteous to me and vice versa). I once saw a guy on a horse halfway up KGB, crazy.
He had the balls to tell me to come to a complete stop and get off the trail. He was quite ignorant and started cussing at me in front of his wife. She apologized to me for his behaviour and for being such an ass.
Screw sharing trails! Ban horses on mtb trails! Besides horse riders don't ever clean the tonne of smelly $hit off the trail and the horses completely destroy trails.
(Dibs on yellow top)
And really, don't skid? why is my bike equipped with hydraulic disc brakes?
Rider up ! Rider up! LOL
Great video to get a good message in a funny way out to those that need to see it.
no sex on the end!!