Which makes sense wayno. Where MTB's have the privilege of sharing a track, the onus lies with them to manage their speed and behaviour.
Most walkers will give way most of the time, but that is a courtesy not an obligation. MTB's must accept that there will be some walkers - who for whatever reason - will not be willing, able or ready to give way to them at that moment.
And that riding at high speeds around blind corners, or monstering walkers into stepping aside at the last second, does not constitute any kind of reciprocal courtesy on their part.
Its all about common sense surely. Virtually all the bikers I've shared a track with are courteous,have slowed down and thanked me for stepping aside.no p.
Id never deliberately hold my ground in the middle of the track just to prove a point.thats just dumb.
If I was in my car on a narrow road with a milk tanker coming my way,guess who's going to yield? Its just the way it is.
Same if you come across a bunch of school kids at a hut...get over it.
At least everyone is out there enjoying the outdoors in their own way.
MTBers are out there enjoying nature. They need to be aware that our tracks were designed and built for walking and that they are the new user. The alternative is have them cutting there own tracks but in a lot of areas that it has been allowed it is because the owners dont want more tracks.
Its a lot like 4wding on Crown Land. There are very few places its allowed and nearly all those places were built as roads We still give way to walkers and bikes Its good enough for 4wders why not MTBS
"But do you then think that DoC should change the 'rules' so that it is the walkers who must give way to the MTB's?"
No. I think Wayno and others have described what would happen, if the MTBs had the 'right of way', very well. As it stands, if a walker gets knocked over by a speedy MTBer, the MTB is at fault - rightfully so in the majority of cases, I expect.
I recollect riding the tracks in the Redwood Forest at Rotorua. Each track is designated for either MTB, horse riding, or walking. The MTB tracks are 'one way' which means the riders can hurtle around blind corners knowing they will not meet anyone coming the other way, or walking. I found this very exhilarating. Unfortunately many riders continue with that mentality on shared tracks, thus the 'problems'. The Dun Mountain track at Nelson is a case in point. There are far more MTBs on it than walkers and the young guns tend to hurtle down the track and around blind corners. Fortunately its quite wide.
need to stick to the rules, i've come across mtbers on walking only tracks. too steep, they couldnt stop, i had to give way, but i was lucky i saw them in time at all...
$10 million Pike29 Memorial Track finalised
http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/10-million-pike29-memorial-track-finalised-2016051312
