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Trail Etiquette

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MVI

MVI MOTO
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Post up tips and tricks to tricks for a better Trail ride Experience

I'll Start.

I've led and swept several of the DualSportUniverse.com rides in Texas.
One rule we had was that when the leader took a turn, or there was a fork in the road, he stopped and waited for the next rider to arrive before heading out again.
That second rider waited for the third, and so forth.
This was repeated until the sweep rider (who had the route chart and /or GPS) met back up with the whole group once an hour.
 
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When passing on a trail ride make an effort to not to roost the new guy/gal who may not be able to keep the same pace as the vet riders.

While racing - well all bets are off.
 
Our group trail rides are on a private system that is generally known to the group.
The trail etiquette I see broken by new guys is jumping in front of a rider more capable, then not moving over.
It’s a lot like training a puppy,eventually everyone learns their place in the pack, but not till the new rider gets his nose rubbed in some poop.
And no not by me I’m an old mid pack guy and know it.
 
Be Prepared.

Bring enough water, fuel, snacks, first aid, tools, tubes to be self sufficient , especially on multi day rides, think BDR's.

Don't be that guy/gal that shows up for a 180 mi day with a stock 2.1 gallon tank and have to mooch gas off of three riders to make it back
 
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We all know that shit happens, but shit happens less when you do proactive maintenance. Do it at home so we don't have to all stop and help you do it on a muddy trail. And a corollary: bring a reasonable assortment of tools and spares, even if you leave them in your vehicle at the trailhead. Don't be that guy that doesn't bring anything because he assumes someone else will. When someone tells me they didn't bring a spare tube because they knew I'd have one I reevaluate whether I want to ride with them.
 
A regular riding buddy and I were on a group ride with some guys we knew but hadn’t ridden with before, and at a stop one rider noticed his front tire was almost flat. The group was prepared to bail on the ride and go get a truck for the bike…
None of them even thought to carry tools or tubes Since they all took their bikes to a shop for things like tire changes, it never occurred to anyone it could be done in the field.
 
Stormdog said:
A regular riding buddy and I were on a group ride with some guys we knew but hadn’t ridden with before, and at a stop one rider noticed his front tire was almost flat. The group was prepared to bail on the ride and go get a truck for the bike…
None of them even thought to carry tools or tubes Since they all took their bikes to a shop for things like tire changes, it never occurred to anyone it could be done in the field.
Click to expand...

So I own MVI Moto, and Sell Tires to a lot of the guys I ride with. When these things happen I use the opportunity to assist, educate and fix the problem so we can can get back on the road and out of the heat.

At the end of the day I do some coaching one:one and see if that newbie has some interest in getting more prepared.

I also do one free tire install (with tire purchase) in the shop for customers if they are willing to learn and pull levers themselves.
 
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Yooper_Bob said:
Don't follow too close to the rider in front of you.
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It took a 950SE with a Teraflex slinging rocks at my face to learn that lesson.

My contribution to this thread is be really really respectful to non motorized recreators on shared use trails. They will judge all riders based on the actions of a few.
 
DSquared said:
It took a 950SE with a Teraflex slinging rocks at my face to learn that lesson.

My contribution to this thread is be really really respectful to non motorized recreators on shared use trails. They will judge all riders based on the actions of a few.
Click to expand...
It's more about having time to react if the rider in front of you gets into trouble, or goes down. I've seen bunched up riders pile into one another when someone goes down.

Avoiding roost is just an added bonus!
 
I spend a ton of time on “shared use” trail.
ORV, ATV, SxS, BIKE.

Everyone should understand basic trail hand signals and make some attempt when trail conditions permit. ESPECIALLY when part of a group !

I was surprised and happy to see this was typical at H&M like it is with MI snowmobiles.
Even the locals at H&M signal.


Beyond that I just try to make the best ride I can for those I’m with. My assumption is that some folks will always be less prepared. Not everyone thinks to carry all the shit I do.
Most folks don’t even carry a multitool...

It’s about “being there” for me. Any bullshit is just part of the there. Some of the days with bullshit become the fondest memories.

Whenever I’m with others it’s not just about me. Alone, I make my own rules.
 
Rule of thumb: Once a rider comes to a stop and removes their helmet, it becomes a minimum of a 15 minute rest stop.

not Saying that is a bad thing, just the reality of adding an hour or more to a loop if happens often with newer riders
 
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Trail etiquette is really no different than general day to day life etiquette. Don't be a prick and think about others first. The small details will sort themselves out automatically then.

That's not intended to belittle this thread. Always good to share tips, like considering to be more prepared. The vast majority of my riding is on my own property so I've gotten complacent about carrying a few tools. When I ride away from home I'm "That Guy"😁

Luckily, I traded the Honda for a KTM, so I don't break down like I used to....
 
plumper mike said:
Don’t make fun of the guy overpacking with 2 quarts of oil and a stick of JB weld before you crack your case. And don’t make fun of the guy that doesn’t have a real dirt bike because you may be thankful for his passenger pegs.
Click to expand...


I took an honest look at the tools and parts I carried in my Fanny pack, and realized that most were there just to loan to guys who didn’t carry tools or didn’t keep up on maintenance.
I completely eliminated the Fanny pack and just have the necessary tools for a given ride.
 
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