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Gentle Reminder. We all get caught up in the flow of the trail....

2K views 20 replies 14 participants last post by  Octanemaniach 
#1 ·
We all have that moment when we are out there, no one is around you and the trail just begins to flow. Your bike becomes one with your body and the ground below, and you just let the flow carry you.

When we get into this Zen like state we tend to forget that you are, in fact, not the only one on the trail.

I did that this morning on Lake Hodges North heading towards Hernandez. On the turn after the small bridge crossing, another mtb'er and I collided. We locked up our brakes, but my bike began to slide sideways. As soon as we made contact, my bike did a sling shot and propelled me into him. It was one of those "OH SH*T!!!" moments. Luckily we came out with no injuries and no major damage.

If I had been on my brakes before the turn, we most likely would only have had an "OH DAMN!!!" moment.

So learn from my mistake, remind yourself that there are other people out there. Even when it seems like there isn't.

Stay safe!!!
 
#2 ·
"Runner's high" has its down did too. Love the zen, hate the realization I am riding "under the influence" until it is too late.

Mine was going to switch on my Timber bar bell and instead of flipping the switch, I just grabbed a handful of front brake and got up and close with the ground really fast.

Thanks for sharing
 
#3 ·
We've all been in that flow zen state of mind. Great reminder for us all to be aware and not let it take over.

At least you ran into another biker and not a hiker, runner or equestrian. YIKERS! We'd never be forgiven. ;) I know the trail and that section, pretty easy to do. It's an awesome flowy mile or so.
 
#5 ·
...and even when your bell is already jangling like it's attached to a spastic reindeer, hikers (at least in Cherry Canyon) STILL don't apparently know you're there!

At least once every ride I come around a corner, heading towards a hiker I've already spotted a couple turns prior, and they do their little "holy sh*t it's a mountain biker!" thing. Like they didn't hear an approaching bell jangling for the last 10 seconds.

When I go there on foot and I hear a bell that's jingling, even faintly, I assume it's either a dog off a leash (scarier than a deranged speed demon mountain biker in my opinion) or someone on a bike. And so I get off the trail as quickly as I can.

My favorite instance of this was when I was definitely caught up in "the flow" so to speak, and I come around a blind corner and I see a hiker about 15 yards away, with two dogs off-leash, standing in the middle of the trail.

Now I've got plenty of time to stop before there is even a close call, but I grab a little bit too much brake and my bike washes out and I eat it. He walks up to me and says verbatim "wow dude", cause he sees the bloody scrape on my forearm. And I say "i'm all right just some scratches".

Then he says "oh, well I heard you coming!"

But in my mind all I heard was "oh, I heard you coming, but chose not to get out of the way".

He's not to blame for me crashing, he's just my favorite example of a phenomenon I run into surprisingly often.

And all of this of course is assuming that the person in question is not wearing headphones or hard of hearing. If that's the case, then things get a whole lot dicier!

But yes, for the most part I ride like there's someone around every corner.
 
#8 ·
Of all the places I have ridden, San Diego has some of the worst trail etiquette I have ever witnessed. I cannot believe how many times I have seen groups of 5-10 XC'ers in Penasquitos flying down multi-use trails with blind corners only to yell at you for not pulling over as you climb up. Maybe it is just the superiority attitude of many north county residents.
 
#9 ·
I was pegged trying to beat my time down a lonely fire road. I rounded a corner hugging the inside and hit a moto head on. The road was no green sticker, and I was breaking the speed limit by double.

The damage was a front wheel, front triangle, bent steerer tube, two broken wrists and the rest of the racing season.

I was wearing a camera on my helmet, but the footage was lost on this site when it switched over to the current format.

I haven't rode that road since.
 
#10 ·
Uly,

I've had a near miss at that exact same spot. A couple months ago, I was heading the opposite diresction though (back from the dam). I was getting set up to round the right sweeper when another rider came flying off that bridge. We both quickly cut right (to our respective rights) and narrowly missed one another. I crossed the bridge and looked back and could see the other rider had placed his foot down and was just starting back again. I kept going as I figure neither of us were 'at fault', were both in the zone and probably both extremely grateful we didn't collide.

Ever since then I either take the lower trail at that spot or proceed with caution (more than I used to).

I've got bells on my bike as well.

Good to hear you both rode away intact!
 
#17 ·
Because hearing bells ringing out in nature is what I and other trail users want to hear on our few minutes of rat race escape. I thank you for the warning. How about just being mindful of other trail users out there. A little common sense goes along way.
 
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