yuyax

This past Friday during my regular commute on the W&OD trail in Northern VA, I was fast approaching a group of 5 horse riders on the trail. The horse gravel trail and the paved part of the W&OD share the same trail in certain sections.

Since I can see that we were about to be on this bridge (same width as the W&OD with high a chain link fence on both sides) at the same time, I decided to slow down and follow the last horse rider.

As I was getting close to her and within talking distance, I asked her if it was ok for me to pass her/them. She replied that she preferred if I could wait until they crossed the bridge. I said to her 'no problem' and just pulled over and I was just hanging on the side, next to the chain link fence.

All of the sudden a group of three bags of vinegar-and-water, drafting each other, single file and going fairly fast, without warning anybody, zipped by me and start passing the horses. The horses were taking quite a bit of room on the path making it pretty tight. These Massengills are now between the horses and the side of the bridge and they are other people, cyclist, runners approaching and they were other horses in front of them. Everybody had to watch out for these a-holes.

Luckily for these d-bags, none of the horses got spooked and nothing happened but I still could not believe what these d-bags did.

FYI - There is signage all over the path pointing out that horses have the right of way on bridges, etc. It is just common sense

I just could not believe how these three a-holes rode on the MUP.

That's it. That's my rant.

Oh by the way, they were the first to make it to the next stop light.

Commodus

Bloody horses in the way. What other vehicle could claim right of way based on the risk of sudden and unpredictable violence.

ROJA

I think they should have pulled over to let you and the other cyclists pass before going over the bridge. Having right of way doesn't mean holding everyone else up and taking up the whole trail. Maybe walkers have right of way, but that doesn't mean they can walk four abreast and block the whole trail until they feel like turning or stopping.

billyymc

Don't know. White Ford Bronco maybe?

imi

Harleys?

JeremyZ

Yeah, I agree, that was not very classy of those roadies. Did you mention it to them at the light?

They take themselves way too seriously sometimes. When I'm out riding and get passed by a roadie or see one coming the other direction. I look at their faces. Most of them look like they're having a hemmoroid. (maybe they are!) I never ride so hard that I forget to have fun.

corkscrew

Horses are a prey species, so not very smart on the roadies part (but that sorta goes along with my stereotypical view of roadies). I sort of wish this story ended with one of them being kicked off their bikes.

A temper-tantrum prone 3 year old on the back of a rabid great pyrenees.

HoustonGal

This is awesome. I am dying of laughter.

Oddly enough, I just read a thread on the horse boards describing a collision between a roadie and a horse and rider on a twisty downhill road. It seems he came racing down the wrong side of the road and plowed right into the equine. No injuries, though I guess the horse had a bruised shoulder from where his helmet impacted her (see, helmets do save lives ). According to the rider, the roadie then had the nerve to complain when the horse stepped on his bike (in order to avoid stepping on the fallen human).

Seattle Forrest

I'm not sure "vehicle" is the best word to describe a horse... But another question is "What other vehicle could want to not be ridden?"

I'd bet you're not a "take the lane" cyclist...?

electrik

They probably don't know anything about horses. don't get your underpants in a knot. Police horses get buzzed by cars all day, i have a limited amount of pateince for somebody who takes a spooky horse out into the "wild".

Don't flambé other riders just because they're not saints or clueless about horses.

I should also add that people should obey any speed limit on their mup. One more thing, if you weren't so busy being outraged then you could have yelled at them to yield next time! Was the horse on the bridge btw?

mconlonx

I think when cyclists are taking up too much real estate on the road, they should pull over and let others pass. Having the right of way doesn't mean holding everyone else up and taking up the whole road. Maybe cyclists have the right of way, but that doesn't mean they can ride two abreast and block the whole road until they feel like turning or stopping.

sauerwald

I was riding on a two lane (one lane in each direction) rural road, downhill and doing probably 25 or so when I saw two horses ahead of me, headed in my direction, with a young lady on each. One was on the right hand side of the road (riding against the flow of traffic), the other was on the left. I slowed, but not to a crawl (probably 15 mph or so), and positioned myself on the double yellow line as I passed between them - one of the girls (the one on my right, going against traffic) yelled at me that I shouldn't be riding so fast.

I find horseback riders to be among the least considerate of road and trail users. I have often seen mountain bike clubs picking up trash and organizing maintenance on trails - I have never seen horse people doing this. If you suggest to them that they should clean up the waste that their horses leave in the road, you will get an indignant sneer or reply. No idea why that is so.

ItsJustMe

Had she been in a car, she'd probably have been riding your ass honking because you were going so slow (even at 25).

electrik

As if her screaming is going to calm the horse! I can tell you i've never seen a horse rider out on trail maintenance day... so you're probably right about that one. Some of the trailhead parking lots are just full of horse **** and old hay. I mean, at least some dog owners clean up their animals leavings. To add to it after i slow down and wait i am only greeted with sour faces. None of the riders have screamed at me though. There is no rule here about yielding either, i just do it to be nice. The horses are being tortured enough as it is with bony rich girl's frowny butt on top.

corkscrew

Best reason to install fenders that I've seen all day.

/That and goose droppings, holy hell.

electrik

Haha, they're slipperier than horse droppings so watch out!

Seattle Forrest

Considering how popular bikes are on the road today ... can you imagine if every couple hours, each cyclist dropped his or her pants, and answered the call of nature, while moving? Dogs can be annoying, but their owners at least keep them from leaving gifts in the bike lane like in post #14.

AdamDZ

I have problems with both the roadies and the horse riders. Roadies are in general rude and full of themselves and horse riders should clean up after their horses. I don't understand why is it illegal for a person to do a number two in a park but perfectly fine for a horse. Many times I hiked or rode an MTB on shared trails and there was horse dung all over the place.

And don't get me started on the subject who damages trails more: mountain bikers or horses...

Speaking of roadies. I rode a few times along NYS route 9W from GWB, a popular destination for NYC roadies. They leave punctured tires and CO2 containers behind them on the road. WTF is wrong with them?

sm1960

Wow, had someone suggest cyclists pull over and let cars pass the flames would be outrageous.

chipcom 

Why? Don't you pull over and let backed up traffic pass, when it's safe to do so?
(Note: backed up traffic is like 3 or more vehicles, not one impatient *******)

As far as the alleged roadies - roadies ride on the road...if on a MUP they are muppies and one should not expect them to be any brighter than the average muppet.

DataJunkie

*cries*
I don't race a tend to be somewhat friendly so I suppose I'm not a roadie. Never mind.

yuyax

When I got to the light, I wasn't sure if these two guys were the same ones that blew by me and the horses. There were three of them before and I couldn't see very well what they were wearing.

The width of the bridge, I am guessing was about 8 ft (maybe less, maybe more) and the horses were single file but some of them gravitated more towards the middle of the bridge. From the back, these horses looked pretty big and I didn't see a reason why I should risk a big thumper and possibly a bike squish by trying to pass them. So basically one horse occupied a lot of real estate on the bridge.

The wannabe Cavendishes and Lances managed to squeeze between one of the horses and the left sidewall and then causing a bottle neck with the oncoming traffic that was waiting for the horses to get through. Secretly I was also hoping for a big bump from one the horses and maybe hear the nice sound of cracking CF.

The waiting time on the bridge was really not that big of deal or significant. From what I have noticed, these horse riders and most of the other horse riders of the trail move back to the shoulder or gravel trail right after the cross the bridges.

Saturday Night Live had a funny skit a while ago where they show a human (Chris Parnell) that is running around somebody's back yard and taking a crap here and there. The voice in the background says something like 'would you let a human do this? No? Then why let your dog do this..' or something like that