how are municyclists received on the trails?

[taplin]

is it ok for a beginner muni'er to intrude on a mountain bike area? i have a substantial fear that i will be completely bagged if i head out to my local trails. has anyone got any advice for a tentative newcomer to the sport with regard to getting by in the least conspicuous way possible ? i do plan on being alert and jumping out of the way etc when i hear people coming through, and representing myself and other riders as well as i can.
thanks all
t

[chazpantz]

etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior it doesn't matter what or where you ride the trails are for everyone.

you seem like a pretty down to earth guy, i say focus on putting yourself out there and enjoying the sport and a little less on the select few that might see it differently.

[rawcyclist]

Ive had nothing but positive comment on the trails I have ridden here in Aus. I dont ride the double black diamonds but I know there are a few on here that do. Cross country MTBers are generally just interested and say good stuff when they see you.

[jbtilley]

I had the same concerns starting out. The thing is though... the only way to learn to ride mountain bike trails is to ride mountain bike trails. You've got to get out there eventually.

Before I ventured out on single track I knew how to ride on sidewalks/roads/greenways to the point where I was bored with them. Just saying that you'll want to at least know how to ride before hitting the trails.

When I first started singletrack I was a mess. Easily winded, no experience with rocks or roots, I wasn't that proficient with the sharp turns that you are sometimes required to make. It seemed like I'd UPD every 20 - 30 feet. I was embarrassed to be out there and I would frequently apologize to bikers as they went by. I never got any flak though, I've found that the crowd that exercises (be it running or biking) are kind and curious about unicycles. A far cry from the average Joe that you'll run into when riding down the street. Occasionally you'll see that biker with the stone face that won't acknowledge anyone's presence and is determined to plow anyone and everyone off the trail so they can get their ride in on their trail but that isn't behavior they only exhibit toward unicyclists - they do it to everyone. Still, those types are fairly rare.

[Nurse Ben]

You'll be fine, just pick trails you can do reasonably, get to the side as bikers go by, stay on wider trails and less use trails so you have fewer "bike encounters".

I ride trails exclusively, 3-4 x weekly, everyone is on bikes, they know me for the most part, sometimes they move over for me, sometimes I move over for them, when there's space they pass me, but sometimes I pass them

I spent twenty minutes talking to a mtb couple I met on the trail, the lady had seen me at a mtb race, so we talked about learning to ride. Most people are fascinated, so do a little demo for them, you might just convert them to muni!

[Namlak]

I've had great response from MTB'rs around here. In fact, MTB'rs tend to be far more amazed at municyclists than hikers. I figure it's because they probably feel like they're throwing down some extreme thing, and then they run across us on the same trails (And I'm one of them, too!) Oftentimes when we're in a technical descent section and maybe sessioning a feature a bit, we'll offer to let them pass and they decline because they want to watch!

The response from equestrians has been mixed and Los Angeles has a hugely contentious climate between MTB'r and equestrians (they've managed to hang onto a whole-city ban on MTB's on trails despite multi-use working in all the surrounding areas). One equestrian spotted our helmets moving amongst the foliage and assumed we were on bike and was yelling "Slow down! Slow down!" and when we finally came around the corner into full view, I said "We can't go much faster than this!" He was pretty friendly after that. I'm sure there are some out there that consider anything with a wheel and pedals to be ban-worthy. We are considerate and realize that unicycles can really freak an animal out so we always dismount, walk and talk, and take our helmets off if the horse seems uncertain. Heck even dogs that don't look twice at a MTB will really stop to consider what they're looking at when a uni goes by!