Should mountain bikers have the right-of-way on trails?
ONLINE RESULTS
YES
48%
NO
46%
Abso-freaking-lutely. It’s primarily a question of safety. Mountain biking is inherently more dangerous than most other trail activities. We are constantly making split-second decisions that can be the difference between a sweet downhill ride and an off-trail experience that would scare even the most avid of tree huggers. Having to worry about who has the right-of-way while you are bombing it down Green’s Lick is adding insult to possible injury. However, I don’t mean to suggest that mountain bikers should be void of responsibility. Having been on both sides of the fence, I have always felt that as a hiker, for example, it was much easier for everyone if I simply step aside and let mountain bikers pass uninterrupted. The bikers enjoy their rides more and I am back on trail in almost no time at all. 

—Jeremiah LeRoy, Asheville, N.C.



The faster people always have the right-of-way on trails.

—Travis, Huntington, W.Va.



It isn’t a question of hikers versus bikers, but of trail safety. I am an avid hiker and a biker, and I always give right-of-way to bikers. They are moving at a much faster speed; therefore reaction times are much slower. Also, it is much easier to take one step in any direction than it is to stop and dismount your bike or risk injury (and plant life) by riding off-trail. And in case you are wondering, horses have the ultimate right-of-way: all trail users, including hikers and bikers, must yield to them at all times. Why? Because they can kill you if they get mad or scared.

—Jeff Keener, Asheville, N.C.



It’s easier for on-foot trail users to yield right-of-way. It’s much more difficult for a mountain biker to have to pull off and let a hiker pass. The mountain biker loses momentum entirely. If I had to stop every time I passed a hiker when mountan biking, I don’t think it would be very enjoyable. On foot it’s much easier to yield the right of way. You step aside for a breather, and in a minute, you are back on your way.

—Billy Jo Jefferson, Charlottesville, Va.



If it’s a designated mountain bike trail, then yes, mountain bikes should have right of way. Otherwise, mountain bikes should not be there anyway. 

—Michael Baker, Charlotte, N.C.



It makes sense. A mountain bike is louder and therefore gives some warning. Many bikers I’ve seen actually yell out a warning at blind turns. Also, it’s easier for a hiker to move off trail than a rider and much safer for both.

—W. Loy, Richmond, Va.
Mountain bikers need to be more mindful of hikers instead of screaming down a hill carelessly. When going downhill, they should yield right-of-way to any hikers or trail users going uphill. It’s much easier to keep going uphill, than to have to stop and then having difficulty going again. Be kind and have some courtesy while on the trail. We often don’t have any in the real world. That’s why we get out there.

—Andrew Clarke, Charlottesville, Va.



I think that everybody needs to be respectful on a situational basis. Nobody wants to dive into the briars, scared to death, due to a full-speed mountain bike, regardless of their skill level. Unfortunately we are of a very self-absorbed society that requires lots of rules. I call it OD: Oblivious Disease, in which people are oblivious to anybody else in the universe. Just know that everyone is trying to have a peaceful time in the woods enjoying nature. 

—Bettina Freese, Asheville, N.C.



Unfortunately, mountain bikers often are blasting along with no concern for other trail users? Mountain bikes can be very silent and can come up behind a hiker in a heartbeat, raising those heartbeats to unprecedented levels. As a hiker who hikes with her dog, that kind of right-of-way is rude and dangerous. I will step off the trail and call my dog to me only if the biker will utter those magic words: “passing on your left!” And I heartily thank that person. No one individual should have the sole right of way. We should all share and be respectful of other users.

—Luann Mack-Drinkard, Blacksburg, Va.



The trail is meant for everyone. One group should not have the preferential treatment. I am a trail runner and don’t believe we should have the right-of-way.

—Jeff Bjune, Greenville, S.C.

NEXT MONTH’S 

QUESTION:

Should hikers and 

hunters share the same trails? 

Voice your opinion on next 

month’s question at www.blueridgeoutdoors.com, 

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