OT: Mt. Biker rant
 

I brought up Moab in another thread and it reminded me of this.

So I'm in Moab the weekend of Oct 11th. We are about 20 minutes into a
trail called Klondike Bluffs (pretty easy trail, only a few real rocky
sections). A biker stops me and says there is an injured biker up ahead
(about 1/2 mile more) and asks if we can stop and maybe help them get out.

So we get there and it is a 13 year old kid that had obviously taken a
pretty good tumble down some not-so-slickrock. He's banged up pretty bad
and can't walk-out or ride-out on his own. So I leave my parents (in their
Jeep) and fiance on the trail and grab the kid and his dad. Dad has to sit
on the spare tire in back since I have the back loaded up with tools and
camping gear, spare tire etc....

So I have a injured biker in the passenger seat, and another biker on my
spare tire in back. I'm creeping along the real bumpy/rocky sections
because the kid is in some pretty good pain. So I'm not really paying
attention to whats coming up behind me cause the dad is blocking my rear
view and I don't have side mirrors on, plus I'm concentrating on taking the
least painful route for the poor kid. I realize there is a group of bikers
behind me and just as I stop and they go by one says "do you miiiiiiind if
we get by you" in a VERY sarcastic tone. Here I am helping out one of their
own (which was pretty obious I thought... seeing as I have two bikers decked
out in full gear in my Jeep) and they are giving me crap about not pulling
over fast enough. Some fricking people.

A simple "on your left" would have alerted me to their presence and gotten
me to move out of the way.

The father and mother and a few other bikers along the way were very
appreciative by the way, so I'm not bashing all bikers. I just couldn't get
that one comment out of my head. I guess he didn't realize I was helping
out, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. I always try to stop and let
bikers by. I know when I'm out hiking I prefer not to suck up any exhaust.

Hopefully the kid is feeling a bit better now, unfortunately I didn't get
much good karma on the trip as a power steering hose decided to loosen then
strip out the next day :-)

Re: OT: Mt. Biker rant
 

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 14:37:36 -0600, "Kevin Sperle"
<ksperle@nospam.hotmail.com> wrote:


>So I have a injured biker in the passenger seat, and another biker on my
>spare tire in back. I'm creeping along the real bumpy/rocky sections
>because the kid is in some pretty good pain. So I'm not really paying
>attention to whats coming up behind me cause the dad is blocking my rear
>view and I don't have side mirrors on, plus I'm concentrating on taking the
>least painful route for the poor kid. I realize there is a group of bikers
>behind me and just as I stop and they go by one says "do you miiiiiiind if
>we get by you" in a VERY sarcastic tone. Here I am helping out one of their
>own (which was pretty obious I thought... seeing as I have two bikers decked
>out in full gear in my Jeep) and they are giving me crap about not pulling
>over fast enough. Some fricking people.
>
>A simple "on your left" would have alerted me to their presence and gotten
>me to move out of the way.

The sarcastic comment was way out of place. However, from experience I
can tell you that the _cyclist_ (not "biker") was not looking inside
your rig, but at the trail ahead of his front tire. He may have been a
jerk, but I doubt if he realized the true situation.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

Re: OT: Mt. Biker rant
 

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 14:37:36 -0600, "Kevin Sperle"
<ksperle@nospam.hotmail.com> wrote:


>So I have a injured biker in the passenger seat, and another biker on my
>spare tire in back. I'm creeping along the real bumpy/rocky sections
>because the kid is in some pretty good pain. So I'm not really paying
>attention to whats coming up behind me cause the dad is blocking my rear
>view and I don't have side mirrors on, plus I'm concentrating on taking the
>least painful route for the poor kid. I realize there is a group of bikers
>behind me and just as I stop and they go by one says "do you miiiiiiind if
>we get by you" in a VERY sarcastic tone. Here I am helping out one of their
>own (which was pretty obious I thought... seeing as I have two bikers decked
>out in full gear in my Jeep) and they are giving me crap about not pulling
>over fast enough. Some fricking people.
>
>A simple "on your left" would have alerted me to their presence and gotten
>me to move out of the way.

The sarcastic comment was way out of place. However, from experience I
can tell you that the _cyclist_ (not "biker") was not looking inside
your rig, but at the trail ahead of his front tire. He may have been a
jerk, but I doubt if he realized the true situation.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

Re: OT: Mt. Biker rant
 

On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 14:37:36 -0600, "Kevin Sperle"
<ksperle@nospam.hotmail.com> wrote:


>So I have a injured biker in the passenger seat, and another biker on my
>spare tire in back. I'm creeping along the real bumpy/rocky sections
>because the kid is in some pretty good pain. So I'm not really paying
>attention to whats coming up behind me cause the dad is blocking my rear
>view and I don't have side mirrors on, plus I'm concentrating on taking the
>least painful route for the poor kid. I realize there is a group of bikers
>behind me and just as I stop and they go by one says "do you miiiiiiind if
>we get by you" in a VERY sarcastic tone. Here I am helping out one of their
>own (which was pretty obious I thought... seeing as I have two bikers decked
>out in full gear in my Jeep) and they are giving me crap about not pulling
>over fast enough. Some fricking people.
>
>A simple "on your left" would have alerted me to their presence and gotten
>me to move out of the way.

The sarcastic comment was way out of place. However, from experience I
can tell you that the _cyclist_ (not "biker") was not looking inside
your rig, but at the trail ahead of his front tire. He may have been a
jerk, but I doubt if he realized the true situation.

John Davies
Spokane WA USA

Re: OT: Mt. Biker rant
 

I go to Moab 3 or 4 times a year and run trails with the bikes all the time.
Most of them are cool but a few can be real jerks, but the same can be said for
the Jeepers, most are cool but there are some real jerks riding around in Jeeps.

I was there just last weekend and the cyclists were amazed that my group was
going on the Cliff Hanger trail, but I was equally amazed that they would ride
their bikes on that trail. Between me and the rocks I've got a roll cage and
seat belts all they have is flesh and bone.

You did the right thing. The @s$ with the comment was the one with the big
divot in his karma.

Dean


On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 14:37:36 -0600, "Kevin Sperle" <ksperle@nospam.hotmail.com>
wrote:

>I brought up Moab in another thread and it reminded me of this.
>
>So I'm in Moab the weekend of Oct 11th. We are about 20 minutes into a
>trail called Klondike Bluffs (pretty easy trail, only a few real rocky
>sections). A biker stops me and says there is an injured biker up ahead
>(about 1/2 mile more) and asks if we can stop and maybe help them get out.
>
>So we get there and it is a 13 year old kid that had obviously taken a
>pretty good tumble down some not-so-slickrock. He's banged up pretty bad
>and can't walk-out or ride-out on his own. So I leave my parents (in their
>Jeep) and fiance on the trail and grab the kid and his dad. Dad has to sit
>on the spare tire in back since I have the back loaded up with tools and
>camping gear, spare tire etc....
>
>So I have a injured biker in the passenger seat, and another biker on my
>spare tire in back. I'm creeping along the real bumpy/rocky sections
>because the kid is in some pretty good pain. So I'm not really paying
>attention to whats coming up behind me cause the dad is blocking my rear
>view and I don't have side mirrors on, plus I'm concentrating on taking the
>least painful route for the poor kid. I realize there is a group of bikers
>behind me and just as I stop and they go by one says "do you miiiiiiind if
>we get by you" in a VERY sarcastic tone. Here I am helping out one of their
>own (which was pretty obious I thought... seeing as I have two bikers decked
>out in full gear in my Jeep) and they are giving me crap about not pulling
>over fast enough. Some fricking people.
>
>A simple "on your left" would have alerted me to their presence and gotten
>me to move out of the way.
>
>The father and mother and a few other bikers along the way were very
>appreciative by the way, so I'm not bashing all bikers. I just couldn't get
>that one comment out of my head. I guess he didn't realize I was helping
>out, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. I always try to stop and let
>bikers by. I know when I'm out hiking I prefer not to suck up any exhaust.
>
>Hopefully the kid is feeling a bit better now, unfortunately I didn't get
>much good karma on the trip as a power steering hose decided to loosen then
>strip out the next day :-)
>

Re: OT: Mt. Biker rant
 

I go to Moab 3 or 4 times a year and run trails with the bikes all the time.
Most of them are cool but a few can be real jerks, but the same can be said for
the Jeepers, most are cool but there are some real jerks riding around in Jeeps.

I was there just last weekend and the cyclists were amazed that my group was
going on the Cliff Hanger trail, but I was equally amazed that they would ride
their bikes on that trail. Between me and the rocks I've got a roll cage and
seat belts all they have is flesh and bone.

You did the right thing. The @s$ with the comment was the one with the big
divot in his karma.

Dean


On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 14:37:36 -0600, "Kevin Sperle" <ksperle@nospam.hotmail.com>
wrote:

>I brought up Moab in another thread and it reminded me of this.
>
>So I'm in Moab the weekend of Oct 11th. We are about 20 minutes into a
>trail called Klondike Bluffs (pretty easy trail, only a few real rocky
>sections). A biker stops me and says there is an injured biker up ahead
>(about 1/2 mile more) and asks if we can stop and maybe help them get out.
>
>So we get there and it is a 13 year old kid that had obviously taken a
>pretty good tumble down some not-so-slickrock. He's banged up pretty bad
>and can't walk-out or ride-out on his own. So I leave my parents (in their
>Jeep) and fiance on the trail and grab the kid and his dad. Dad has to sit
>on the spare tire in back since I have the back loaded up with tools and
>camping gear, spare tire etc....
>
>So I have a injured biker in the passenger seat, and another biker on my
>spare tire in back. I'm creeping along the real bumpy/rocky sections
>because the kid is in some pretty good pain. So I'm not really paying
>attention to whats coming up behind me cause the dad is blocking my rear
>view and I don't have side mirrors on, plus I'm concentrating on taking the
>least painful route for the poor kid. I realize there is a group of bikers
>behind me and just as I stop and they go by one says "do you miiiiiiind if
>we get by you" in a VERY sarcastic tone. Here I am helping out one of their
>own (which was pretty obious I thought... seeing as I have two bikers decked
>out in full gear in my Jeep) and they are giving me crap about not pulling
>over fast enough. Some fricking people.
>
>A simple "on your left" would have alerted me to their presence and gotten
>me to move out of the way.
>
>The father and mother and a few other bikers along the way were very
>appreciative by the way, so I'm not bashing all bikers. I just couldn't get
>that one comment out of my head. I guess he didn't realize I was helping
>out, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. I always try to stop and let
>bikers by. I know when I'm out hiking I prefer not to suck up any exhaust.
>
>Hopefully the kid is feeling a bit better now, unfortunately I didn't get
>much good karma on the trip as a power steering hose decided to loosen then
>strip out the next day :-)
>

Re: OT: Mt. Biker rant
 

I go to Moab 3 or 4 times a year and run trails with the bikes all the time.
Most of them are cool but a few can be real jerks, but the same can be said for
the Jeepers, most are cool but there are some real jerks riding around in Jeeps.

I was there just last weekend and the cyclists were amazed that my group was
going on the Cliff Hanger trail, but I was equally amazed that they would ride
their bikes on that trail. Between me and the rocks I've got a roll cage and
seat belts all they have is flesh and bone.

You did the right thing. The @s$ with the comment was the one with the big
divot in his karma.

Dean


On Tue, 21 Oct 2003 14:37:36 -0600, "Kevin Sperle" <ksperle@nospam.hotmail.com>
wrote:

>I brought up Moab in another thread and it reminded me of this.
>
>So I'm in Moab the weekend of Oct 11th. We are about 20 minutes into a
>trail called Klondike Bluffs (pretty easy trail, only a few real rocky
>sections). A biker stops me and says there is an injured biker up ahead
>(about 1/2 mile more) and asks if we can stop and maybe help them get out.
>
>So we get there and it is a 13 year old kid that had obviously taken a
>pretty good tumble down some not-so-slickrock. He's banged up pretty bad
>and can't walk-out or ride-out on his own. So I leave my parents (in their
>Jeep) and fiance on the trail and grab the kid and his dad. Dad has to sit
>on the spare tire in back since I have the back loaded up with tools and
>camping gear, spare tire etc....
>
>So I have a injured biker in the passenger seat, and another biker on my
>spare tire in back. I'm creeping along the real bumpy/rocky sections
>because the kid is in some pretty good pain. So I'm not really paying
>attention to whats coming up behind me cause the dad is blocking my rear
>view and I don't have side mirrors on, plus I'm concentrating on taking the
>least painful route for the poor kid. I realize there is a group of bikers
>behind me and just as I stop and they go by one says "do you miiiiiiind if
>we get by you" in a VERY sarcastic tone. Here I am helping out one of their
>own (which was pretty obious I thought... seeing as I have two bikers decked
>out in full gear in my Jeep) and they are giving me crap about not pulling
>over fast enough. Some fricking people.
>
>A simple "on your left" would have alerted me to their presence and gotten
>me to move out of the way.
>
>The father and mother and a few other bikers along the way were very
>appreciative by the way, so I'm not bashing all bikers. I just couldn't get
>that one comment out of my head. I guess he didn't realize I was helping
>out, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. I always try to stop and let
>bikers by. I know when I'm out hiking I prefer not to suck up any exhaust.
>
>Hopefully the kid is feeling a bit better now, unfortunately I didn't get
>much good karma on the trip as a power steering hose decided to loosen then
>strip out the next day :-)
>