passing on the trail

jay

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how do you pass someone on the trail?
i will follow for a bit and if you dont look back to see if your holding anyone up i will usually wait for the person to take a corner (they usually hug the inside)and pinn it around them because i figure the faster i pass them the safer it is for me. i know they probably get roosted and think im an a-hole but thats the only way i think you could do it unless there is long straitaways. (renshaw trail)
 

polarice

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If you pass on a corner your asking for trouble ... Get up beside them on a straightaway to let them know you are there then they can slow down and let you by
how do you pass someone on the trail?
I will follow for a bit and if you dont look back to see if your holding anyone up i will usually wait for the person to take a corner (they usually hug the inside)and pinn it around them because i figure the faster i pass them the safer it is for me. I know they probably get roosted and think im an a-hole but thats the only way i think you could do it unless there is long straitaways. (renshaw trail)
 

jay

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If you pass on a corner your asking for trouble ... Get up beside them on a straightaway to let them know you are there then they can slow down and let you by

the only reason i pass on corners is cause they usually hug the inside and i can pass outside. on strait aways if they dont know your there they are darting back and forth accross the trail
 
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Maverick800XRS

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Passing on a corner on sled trial around a corner is about as safe as passing on a corner on the highway through the mountains or over a hill. Most people think it's safe early in the morning to think of the trail system as being directional, same goes for the end of the day. But you never know when someone could be headed in the wrong direction and it could be that time when your passing or apexing a corner with the throttle to the bar and that will be that... The way i do it is come up behind someone make sure I'm not being passed by down a shoulder check then pulling out and getting close up still behind but beside them, at this point i will brapp it a few times and my exhaust is loud enough where riders can hear it if i am close enough to them, also the exhaust side would be facing them if passing on the left. At this point they realize that i am beside them and i intend to pass, in most cases they slow down or hug the shoulder. Now to be courteous to them from moving over or slowing down i will flip the throttle to gain speed and go by rather than flat out pinning it past them, also all passing is done on a straight away! This method has been working for me since i started sledding, they key to this method would be to have a loud enough exhaust for other riders to notice you. This did not work for me when i had an MBRP can on my current sled so i had to go to the Jaws, also the MBRP was just too quite for me, i like to hear my sled working, and i think they jaws makes it work better! anyways, this is not a can thread! Hope this helps everyone.

Mav
 

jay

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Passing on a corner on sled trial around a corner is about as safe as passing on a corner on the highway through the mountains or over a hill. Most people think it's safe early in the morning to think of the trail system as being directional, same goes for the end of the day. But you never know when someone could be headed in the wrong direction and it could be that time when your passing or apexing a corner with the throttle to the bar and that will be that... The way i do it is come up behind someone make sure I'm not being passed by down a shoulder check then pulling out and getting close up still behind but beside them, at this point i will brapp it a few times and my exhaust is loud enough where riders can hear it if i am close enough to them, also the exhaust side would be facing them if passing on the left. At this point they realize that i am beside them and i intend to pass, in most cases they slow down or hug the shoulder. Now to be courteous to them from moving over or slowing down i will flip the throttle to gain speed and go by rather than flat out pinning it past them, also all passing is done on a straight away! This method has been working for me since i started sledding, they key to this method would be to have a loud enough exhaust for other riders to notice you. This did not work for me when i had an MBRP can on my current sled so i had to go to the Jaws, also the MBRP was just too quite for me, i like to hear my sled working, and i think they jaws makes it work better! anyways, this is not a can thread! Hope this helps everyone.

Mav

yea thats what i usually try but sometimes people are just focused on whats ahead and not behind.
i can see the corner thing not being safe.
 

ldog

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He is right though....you should b paying attention to what's going on behind you as well. Like riding with your group. Do you never look to see if your buddies r ok behind you???
 

dean_jimmy96

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Most of the sleds nowadays are ear splitting loud including mine, I just give her a couple revs like hoking a horn or ringing a bell and they move over Now if we both have ear melting pipes, I will pull up slowly when it's safe to do so let him know me or we intend to pass Easy as cake
 
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Circled-Mistake

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Im all for passing someone holding up quicker riders... Mind you do it SAFE AND CONTROLLED....... Another point.... On a lot of these trails.... how much faster can you go on these trails with your sled SAFELY and without excessive damage to the trail??? 80-90... MORE...????

Heres what I see... Call me a slow azz... max Ive hit on a trail is 85,maybe 90 km/h..... Getting up to these speeds, Ive found myself spinning lots... Same idea on slowing down..... Have to hit the brakes, sometimes locking up and sliding on the trail... I look behind me and what do I see.... The start to a soon to be wrecked trail... whoops from spinning... And ruts from braking... AND IM A SLOW AZZ!!!! I can only imagine the damage these guys/gals who feel the need to go faster than 90 on a switchback trail...
 

Cyle

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It completely depends on the trail, and time. Passing around a corner (even if you can see ahead) is a bad idea IMO. What if they don't take the inside? Hit a bump and dart over? Passing in a straight away is the best. I guess a corner is ok if they KNOW you are passing. If I can see no one is oncoming on a corner, I will not take the inside or care if i'm in the middle and passing is not smart. I look behind me in straight aways only, on a corner i'm only concerned about oncoming.

As far as speed, on long straightaways like renshaw gotten up to 110, but rarely. Usually only if it's extremely early or late and the trail is dead. Don't know about you but don't need to spin up the trail to get to that speed either. Hardly use the brakes on the trail, let the sled slow itself down for corners.

To pass it depends, I always like to be behind them for a few seconds to see how they are riding and if passing is a issue. On a straightaway with plenty of sight of whats ahead I just speed up and pass. No reason for them to be moving over or anything, as long as the trail is plenty wide.
 
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Carrots

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Im all for passing someone holding up quicker riders... Mind you do it SAFE AND CONTROLLED....... Another point.... On a lot of these trails.... how much faster can you go on these trails with your sled SAFELY and without excessive damage to the trail??? 80-90... MORE...????

Heres what I see... Call me a slow azz... max Ive hit on a trail is 85,maybe 90 km/h..... Getting up to these speeds, Ive found myself spinning lots... Same idea on slowing down..... Have to hit the brakes, sometimes locking up and sliding on the trail... I look behind me and what do I see.... The start to a soon to be wrecked trail... whoops from spinning... And ruts from braking... AND IM A SLOW AZZ!!!! I can only imagine the damage these guys/gals who feel the need to go faster than 90 on a switchback trail...

Ha I got up to 80mph last weekend on the trail down to renshaw




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flabbajabba

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how do you pass someone on the trail?
i will follow for a bit and if you dont look back to see if your holding anyone up i will usually wait for the person to take a corner (they usually hug the inside)and pinn it around them because i figure the faster i pass them the safer it is for me. i know they probably get roosted and think im an a-hole but thats the only way i think you could do it unless there is long straitaways. (renshaw trail)

Its just a courtesy same as dimming high beams most people are good only takes a few to spoil. I got stuck behind a large group last year(Renshaw) of about 12 riders, one of them had a snow bike and was riding just off the trail on the left. The whole group was riding two wide watching their buddy doing maybe 30 km/hr. I rode behind them for a bit blipping throttle trying to "let them know" I was there. Not one looked back for probably 3 to 4 km.(never did) I was pissed but taught me a lesson, I look back more now because I don't ever want to be that A$$hole!
 

overkill131313

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I look back every 30 seconds......I guess I get that from riding with kids......If I come up behind someone I never go flying by because my sled would scare the $h!t out of them if they didnt know I was behind them.......I can give my sled a blurp and let the blow of valve pop and it acts like a horn at 100 feet.......I usually don't pass untill I make eye contact......I have no problem doing 20mph or 80.......but if they flag me by I try not to pin it or it is a real mess behind me.......when my 11 year old leads he looks back as much as I do......he has learned proper courtesy.......but some people drive their sled like they drive their truck......slow in the fast lane, cut people off, or pass on blind corners.......

just remember people.....there is newbies and kids on the trails!
 

CatMan16

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I think newbies are some of the problem but not all. When experienced riders take out new people they need to explain the rules more clearly. I was following two people doubling up Quartz a few weeks ago they were taking up the whole trail and hugging the inside of every corner. It was 11:00 am and I was worried that someone was going to be heading down and I was going to witness a fatality. I got up close with a very loud can on my sled that everyone else I ride with always complains about and it still took a long time to get there attention. The only thing I can think of that would have kept them from hearing me is ear plugs or ear buds and an I pod. Or could they both been that oblivious to their surroundings? If that is the case they should get out of the mountains. My solution was to get out infront and stop anyone heading down. I may have hurt someone's feelings when I passed them and shot roost up. However I also could have saved there lives. Luckily there wasn't any sleds heading down from the cabin but you can never assume that will be the case. I would have tried to stop them and explain what they were doing wrong but at that time I would have been to pissed off to do it calmly.
 
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Al "ley Cat"

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In passing another sledder ill come up behind on a slow strech of the trail with my front ski almost even with the back of their seld and give a couple of burbs on the gas.This usally gets the other drivers atention,than i pass.Sometimes the sled im passing has a louder can on then mine and than ill wait for a long straight staight strech.I would never pass on a corner !!! Hey Jay, i think ive seen you on the hiway passing .
 
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barleyfarmer

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A couple blips of the throttle when your close is usually enough to get their attention to let you go by.But giving them a roost when you pass them is kinda being a cu..!People should shoulder check a more often though.Our group drive as fast as they feel comfortable and let the parking lot racers pass when ever they get behind them!The riders now a days never had to put up with trying to get around someone running 2 inch plastic paddles like the old days!!They shot bullets at you without even trying!But no one seemed to tailgate you tho!!:twocents:
 

Carrots

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And to think peeps were complaining about the grooming not too long ago:beer:

The trail was pretty much fawked anyways, the only way you couldn't feel the massive holes in the trail was by going at least 60mph lol (and I'm not those people that are on an off the throttle going Braap Braap Braap thinking their cool, I actually ease into it)

Anyways IMO the best way to pass someone is to just try and get beside them as quick as possible so that they see you and slow down, then accelerate to get infront of them, but not too much so you don't roost the fawk out of them.


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