Grumpy on a MUP
 

Hey folks,

The wife and I did a 22 mile ride up a local railroad grade MUP named the Iron Horse Trail outside Seattle WA yesterday. We ride this route up to the tunnel on a regular basis. It's typically a low usage route. We rarely see more than 10 other people on a 20 plus mile ride.

Yesterday was the exception. It was busy and initially we didn't mind. We all have to share the resource right? But the trouble started when several groups of 5-10 riders came down the grade. They were happily riding side by side as they glided down the grade. I get it I really do! My wife and I do the same! But we meet opposing traffic we immediately go back to single file, say howdy and be on our way. Normal trail sharing etiquette right?

Well these three groups didn't want to do that! The first group were riding three abreast consuming the whole width of the trail. As we approached and saw that they made NO effort to allow us safe room to pass we started yelling/asking them to make way. I had a fella coming right at me leaving me with NO WHERE TO GO!! It was only at the last possible moment that he hit the brakes and moved over. Utterly clueless....

The next two groups did a similar clueless approach. And we did our same yelling/asking for room to pass as we cranked our way up the grade. We weren't tearing our way up either. Max speed on our part going uphill was maybe 8 MPH!!

I like that the trail is getting more usage. That's what it's there for. Trust me I also enjoy the days when we have it all to ourselves. But are people really that absent basic sharing etiquette??

I can understand this happening once on a day's ride but three times in 15 minutes had me rather frosted...

Where's the common courtesy in people? Am I expecting too much?

One thing I really love about cycling is the bike culture. People on bikes typically like other people on bikes. We've met some wonderful riders in the years we've been riding. I always work to share and socialize within the cycling community. Anytime I see someone bent over their bike I ask if they need help. I appreciate it when I'm in that "position". I love talking to other cyclists out on the road. I really do care. I understand the HTFU jock whizzing by without a howdy. But I'm all over sharing the road and living the community.

So when this sense of community is suddenly absent it really shocks me.

Ok that's my gripe for the day.

And you will likely be bombarded by the usual "I hate MUPS" posts that follow every thread started about MUPS.

Suffice to say that I did 25 miles on MUPS yesterday, every one was extremely nice and rode with proper etiquette. The pedestrians almost universally said "Thank you" when I rang my bell, etc., etc.

IMHO you just had a bad day. It happens while driving cars, while jogging and at restaurants. Some folks just aren't very nice.

Standby for the barrage.

Unfortunately this mentality is becoming more prevalent in our society today. I work in a hospital and we are constantly having to ask visitors to move over to the side when we are wheeling patients down the hallways on beds and stretchers. I've actually seen people on the MUPs here block the path while they are talking to someone they know instead of moving to one side so other people can pass. I feel like saying something to them but they would just cuss you out.

I expect that you would have experienced the same level of dis-respect for others from those folks no matter where your paths crossed. This time it just happened to be on the MUP.

A video clip along with a formal complaint to the county or who ever is responsible for public safety on that MUP might be enough to instigate patrols on heavy use days. Beyond that , I guess we just have to endure as best as we can.

I see it constantly, not just cyclists but runners, walkers, you name it. I honestly believe that they just don't realize what they're doing. It simply doesn't occur to them that they're being rude, selfish or dangerous.

Sometimes, a cyclist will lose his cool and start shouting at people, lecturing, giving belligerent instructions on passing, ringing bells, anything that crosses his mind that other people are doing wrong in his opinion. It would be a nightmare to be that guy, even once. I try to just let it all slide - try, nobody's perfect all the time but I try not to let it get to me.

Unfortunately I've experienced the same thing all too often on the MUP I ride most often. I try not to let it ruin my enjoyment of a cycling outing. I have just learned to live with the realization that there are a lot of inconsiderate people in our society. It does force one to always keep one's guard up, though.

Rule of MUP: Don't hit anyone. Don't block anyone. Simple, yet not simple.

Obviously you came across riders of the "me" generation and your needs don't count. Bad day on the trails.

As a cyclist for more than 40 years, from when people thought I was lying when I said I rode eight miles to work to now, when I might pass 50 riders on my weekend 50-miler to breakfast, I can say with absolute assurance that only downhill skiing challenges road cycling for number of asshats per capita.

Yep, thats the life on MUPs, but at least there are no cars. the other day I had a heck of a time getting around a slow moving cylist in the middle of the path, riding no-handed and eating a plate of breakfast.

The only problem I had today on the MUP was, "Goat Head Thorns", they were a menace, the other users were just fine! ;)

Sounds like your wife and you had a bad day.

Does Iron Horse Trail have a strip painted down the middle, like the MUPs around here? Might help explain certain behavior.

Hear hear! On our shop group ride i stayed back to help a rider with a flat. Got back and all the hotshots were standing around blocking the door to the shop with their bikes. The paying customers couldn't get in.

I rode a MUP today and these fat old ladies jumped me, beat me up, and stole my bike. No one would help me. Then I had to walk home because these other MUP riders stole my car. Before any of this happened I slid in dog poop. I flatted on goatheads. I got bad diarrhea and soiled my britches.

It was a pretty good ride otherwise.

MUP riders need a positive attitude like DS.

I've noticed this same "its-all-about-me" attitude. It can occur anywhere, like on the sidewalk, in the grocery isle at the supermarket. Essentially you're "invisible" unless you're a part of their little "scene". Sometimes what you can do is, stop dead and just watch how long before you become "visible". Sometimes I turn to someone close behind me in the supermarket and ask; "are you going to ram my legs with your trolley?" Usually that snaps them out of their dream and when they see you they say "oh no, I'm sorry, I won't ram you" and then we part amicably.

The really interesting thing to ponder is:- [1] How do people get like this?, [2] am I, or was I, ever like this? I would reason that if you continually pamper someone and yield to their desires, especially during formative years, the part of the brain that deals with surroundings will die or become atrophied. This is quite a risky problem, e.g. you might wander across a level crossing and get mowed down. So anyone raising children may be doing them a disservice if they yield too much. I've noticed that fat people and people in suits seem often to have this - let's call it "the me oblivion". This generalization about fatties and suits may be less discernible in the US because physical display is less of a guide as to one's capability to assert one's self; due to the fact it is legal to have a concealed form of "assertive capability", hehe ;-).

On one of my urban loops, I use a portion of a local MUP to get across (actually under) a busy, major north-south thoroughfare. The good news is that as the temperature starts dropping during fall and winter, so does the number of inexperienced, uncaring, ignorant, stupid etc. people on the MUP. The hard core runners and cyclists are about the only ones left during fall and winter, and usually, they behave better than the casual users.

You said it perfectly. Immediately reminded me of how I feel when I go looking for some lunch at Whole Foods.

A number of years ago, roller blading with my youngest daughter, holding hands, along the Hudson River Greenway in Manhattan, I stiff armed a jogger headed straight towards us. We were on the far, right hand side of the path. I'm sure he remembers it too.

Don't ever let things like this bother you. Same thing when people cut you off on the highway. They're not upset about what they did, why let it get to you? They did something wrong, you being the one upset doesn't make much sense.

I always feel sorry for people like this. No, really. I look at this way: "I'll wake up tomorrow and not have to deal with you. You'll wake up and still be an idiot!"

:roflmao:...I hate it when that happens.

The Iron Horse is a dirt path. A former railroad right of way. A fun ride for a cardio workout on our mtn bikes. So no stripes on the gravel/dirt....

Now that made me laugh!!

Ah. Just probably ignorance of MUP etiquette.

Solution for next time ... a small air horn. Like we use on sailboats.

:roflmao2: I love your attitude.

There are a lot of assumptions being made about what was or was not behind the behavior of the others on the MUP. Could be that some of them are correct, or it could be that they are dead wrong. I Wonder what was really going on? My experience has been that in recreational settings when riders are three abreast, they're usually talking up a storm. If they're on a path that rarely gets ten people, I could see where there was little expectation they'd run into other riders. These might be very decent people who care more about others than some of you imagine. Or, they could be thoughtless, I only care about me, people too. Like I said, I wonder what was really going on?

Sounds like you ran into a few outliers, maybe weekend warriors who didn't have sense. I ride MUPS frequently and rarely see discourteous riders although I am usually out on weekdays. Walkers can be a bit more obstructive, particularly pairs of mothers side by side with giant strollers but I really don't expect them to walk single file. Even I wouldn't. Use a bell or shout out to alert them that you are passing.

I know a guy that is a very nice person, very giving. I was out riding with him in a group the other day, and he was always the one way out to the left ignoring his surroundings talking to people. Some people can't talk and ride at the same time, it's easy to get engrossed in what you are talking about and not notice what's up. On a MUP, seems like this would be even easier since your guard is down.

It's like driving while talking on a cell phone... without the cell phone...