Etiquette

Be Responsible & Courteous

A lot of our trails are shared with hikers, ATVs, Equestrians, and other users.  It’s important to foster good relations with these other users as we all have a common interest in trail maintenance and development.

This page provides some guidelines to our members of how to handle themselves on Tumbler Ridge trails.  We thank you for doing your part to respect our environment and fellow trail users.

Leave no trace

Simple!  Carry out what you carried in.  Leave nothing but tracks and gain nothing but memories.

Maintain control

We mean of your bicycle.  But maintain control of the rest of your life too if you can!  Good maintenance can help but riding within your ability is the key thing, start small and build your skills prior to going full send!

Stay on the trail

Some of our wilderness is very sensitive to disturbance.  Please stay on established trails at all times when you are enjoying the trail network in Tumbler Ridge.

Yielding

“Why is it when you yield, I feel like the one who has been conquered?”

-Royce Westmoreland

And all our trails end with smiles.   Yielding is one of the main tenants of mountain biking etiquette.   A good rule of thumb is – if in doubt yield to the other trail user.

Special care should be taken with horses as they may not be used to bikes.  Give them a friendly greeting from a distance if possible and they are less likely to startle.

Uphill Riders

Heading downhill?   Always yield to riders heading up so they don’t have to break their stride.  Don’t forget to wave!

Faster Riders

We promise nobody minds you taking your time on the trail but please pull over to let the speedsters pass.

Other Trail Users

We share out trails with Hikers, Horses, ATVs, Strollers, and wildlife among other things.  Please yield to all of them unless the trail is signed otherwise.

Environmental Impact

Leave no trace, just tracks

Mountain Biking is a great way to connect with nature. To ensure that connection is healthy and sustainable we encourage you to follow some simple steps to reduce your impact.

It’s obvious that biking has less impact than other activities but there is impact all the same.  Respecting the environment just makes sense.

Stay on the trail

We’ll say it a second time because it’s that important!

Trails exist to be ridden – leaving the trail destroys vegetation and can cause erosion.

Additionally weaveing around obstacles widens the trail and can compromise it.  Stop and carry your bike past obstacles instead.

Pick it up

Find some trash on a trail?  Pay it forward and bring it back with you.  We can all do our part to keep TR trails beautiful.

Be Mindful

To wildlife – to contamination via soil transfer – to the fact that other riders may not recognize impact the way you do.

Every ride is an opportunity to spend time with mother nature and show her some love.

Be Prepared

You can’t ride all year long but you can always get ready

Ever met a rider who didn’t have a pump, a spare tire, or remember to pack a lunch?

Etiquette is on and off the trail.  We’re all in this together and we should all carry our load but be ready to help others too.

Keep your bike working well

A well oiled machine keeps you and other trail users safe!

Share what you know

There’s a lot of folks joining the scene all the time.  Share what you know humbly and our community will grow quickly.

Medic!

It’s not just about gear – getting some basic first aid training is a great way to be prepared.  Wilderness First Aid Courses are a great next step and are frequently available in TR.