You are hereForums / By Discipline / Mountain (off road) / By Location / Australia / NSW / Northern Beaches / Which side of the track do you ride?
Which side of the track do you ride?
Not a big deal but I get this happening from time to time on Perimeter and Long.
Your riding along.....today I was on the right hand side wheel track heading out to Long. Spot a guy coming the other way on the opposite wheel track - Sweeet. Then he crosses onto my track making me dive to the other side to avoid a head-on. This happens a bit. Well twice in last two rides. I generally ride on whatever side suits me (traction, terrain etc) at the time and am very wary of head ons on that track so always yield if someone is coming for me - but why cross into someones path?
Is there a correct side - as per car/Boats??
- Login to post comments
- Bookmark & share
I have been riding Perimeter and long both day and night for the past three years. This is now a reasonably busy track.
I have always kept to the left if a rider was coming by. If this is correct, maybe a sign would not go astray with the volume of riders these days.
Always open for opinion
Cheers!!
Generally I stick to the left but there are sections where you need to go to the right. I'm guessing h saw you and thought he should be on the left but I'm also guessing neither of you communicated with the other.
We were out a bit before you and encountered the same (same people???) . Group of 3 riders, one went left, one went right.... Was waiting for the 3rd to hit up the middle! Oh and we were just cruising so plenty of time for the group to make up their mind...
I myself ride the smoothest line (generally its on the left heading out) but if I happen to be on the right side of the track and I encounter someone riding towards me, I will move to the left. It seems the logical and right thing to do. Which also means I kind of expect it in return.
Just my 2c.
Generally I stick left, but if the surface is loose, rocky or soft I'll take the smoothest or firmest line.
If I can't see far enough around right hand corners to be confident of getting out of the way in time or feel I might cause a problem for someone by appearing unexpectedly in front of them, I'll slow or go left as necessary.
Gets a bit hard sometimes when there are sand drifts/mud/puddles in some of the corners. Saw quite a few tyre marks that indicated people were not reading the track and washing out in the sand and mud yesterday.
Correct me if I'm wrong, and I'm sure someone will, but they are both firetrails and it is my understanding that general road rules apply, ie keep left.
Like most if there is nothing coming take the best line but if there is oncoming traffic I will normally move to the left unless I feel they are moving too quickly to react in time.
If in doubt, stop. Lots of inexperienced riders particularly on those trails, also lots of nobs doing strava runs racing for the family cattle station so caution should take precedence.
I think left is a good first position.... Kind of makes sense with our road rules. But as with everything's it's about reading and reacting to the situation.
Considering the speeds we can hit and the dodgy landings on the other side of unsighted water bars another rider heading towards us is the least of our worries.
I dont believe there is a written rule, but i would normally keep left. Depends on the trail i guess
The road rules apply on fire trails, which is why motorbikes get busted for not being registered amongst other things (they are called road-like place in the traffic act).
It is interesting to know how many fellow riders I can expect to find on the wrong side after reading this post
Simply, keep to the left when someone is coming the other way.
When there is no one around do what ever you like!
Yes, I agree, left makes sense, sometimes when no on-coming riders and there is a better line, then right.
I had gathered from the opening post that both GiantNut and the rider mentioned where riding on their respective right hand side, thus a head on would not occur. The other rider saw oncoming traffic and rather than passing on the right, the rider switched to the left hand side thus causing a head on situation forcing GiantNut to have to switch sides to the left to avoid it. I don't see why they couldn't have both passed on the right. Although saying that, I'm sure I have had the same situation occur to me and I instinctively moved to the left side. I think for many of us, being on the left is second nature.
I usually stick to left as most of us do, but even this doesn't help! I had a situation (maybe like the guy that crossed over in this case), going around a tight corner, I hugged the left (pretty much a single track, but 2 riders could squeeze past each other), guy coming towards me, saw me and panicked and rode straight into me! He was already on the left and decided to cross over to the right, go figure???