HAHA this made me chuckle!
WHen riding on the trail, remember the LAST person is zero in hand signals....
- Thread starter dekx
- Start date
HAHA this made me chuckle!
G
G
Guest
There are still a lot of riders that have no idea what hand signals mean. They just wave. There are also a lot of riders that have $ invested in mirrors that they never use. Using hand signals and installing mirrors does not make you a competent rider. Paying attention makes you a competent rider. The last thing I want to see is some out of control fool coming at me sideways with one hand flying around trying to communicate something to me. Anybody that uses hand signals at night has no common sense whatsoever and must either be a lawyer or an engineer.
True dat! I usually ride one handed, my left hand is holding my beer. I use one of them curly straws to get it up under my helmet, works awesome!
It appears that half the poeple on here use hand signals and the other half does not. Some people even dis regard the signals all together.... Don't you think this might be part of the problem. My son just finished the snomobile training class in MN and they taught the use of hand signals in fact its part of the final exam, and now he's going to go out and follow the rules that he was taught and guess what? half the people could care less- WOW. I guess thats what we can expect from the no trespassing signs or don't drink and drive or even don't steal other sledders stuff. Thanks guys for making this a better place for our youth and teaching them the right way. I guess don't blame my son in ten years for blowing your daughters off the trails, he'll be in the the half that doesn't care anymore.
polarisrider1
New member
I would prefer if you just hang on when aproaching me. Your hand signals do nothing for me. I can see headlights and hand signals are most the time inacurate. We don't do hand signals in our cars to other cars. Not neccesary. stay on your side and drive safe in much more important. The only thing I can see that hand signals are good for is to let the last rider in a group tell the other group that it is back to "Race time". The costof safety/ benefit ratio of hand signals is not there. It encourages "Ricky Racer" if anything.
Well......., I can see your point as well. However, my comments were directed towards ricky rocket racer! I still don't see the benefit in signaling when your doing 75mph plus down a stretch. Don't care how experienced/inexperienced you are. 1 hand on the bar at those speeds is not a bright idea! I'm not griping about those who like to go quick, but I'm sure those classes for the young "up and coming riders" teach the use of hand signaling, assuming everyone is abiding by the speed limit........., which we all know is rarely the case.
doospunk,
I wasn't going after you, I was trying to make a point that it is something that either all of should do, or none of us, this way it elimanates any confusion. Last weekend I did have a gal loose control trying to signal me, she darn near hit me trying to do so, I agree stay in control before loosing control and letting me know how many people are comming to your rescue.
I wasn't going after you, I was trying to make a point that it is something that either all of should do, or none of us, this way it elimanates any confusion. Last weekend I did have a gal loose control trying to signal me, she darn near hit me trying to do so, I agree stay in control before loosing control and letting me know how many people are comming to your rescue.
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lenny
Guest
Are you serious, do you honestly believe because MN teaches hand signals it is the right thing to do? Hand signals allow another element into the equation for error. Nobody needs help making an error. Don't you think it's better for a rider to develop experience based on what he sees happening around him. I have been riding for 35 years, 25 on trails and can tell you from experience that people riding 1 handed at higher speeds is a risk, especially when my sled or health is in jeopardy. Not everybody has well handling sleds, sleds dart, sugar snow is an issue. A group of 5 sledders go by at 35 mph, snow dust is kicking up and you want me to focus on somebody's hand, screw that bud. The risk of a problem is much greater when people signal compared to someone not signaling. Tell me, and I've always wanted someone to answer this for me. If you get no signals from approaching traffic do you just ride wondering if there is another sled? Do you keep your eyes open for another sled? After a mew moments do you resume regular riding? Do you just pile into a tree and blame a FIB for no signals. Answer is we all caution for a bit and than resume. MN thinks it's a good idea and under many circumstances it is profitable but there are those times when you see hot rod bob coming around a corner, spotting you and signaling, veering into your lane trying to hang on. That is not as uncommon as you think. Again, if someone signals me and all is well I may signal back but honestly it doesn't mean crap to me. There's a lot of traffic these days and groups come up on other groups and the first group doesn't know they're there, trail conditions, sled handling, rider experience, all I believe create a negative factor compared to not signaling at all. Also answer me this, what does MN teach new rider to do at night, signal or not. If MN teaches to signal at night, that would be one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. Someone please find out.
Bottom line, signal if you want to but don't throw your sarcasm to all of us looking for perfectly good safe riders to do something they think may be a detriment to their health. Probably the reason MN encourages signals is because they also encourage safe riding. Go ride the trails on a weekend and see if you still think we are all following safety skills. In a perfect world, yes, signaling would be good. Fact is, sleds are high performance machines and we naturally like to ride them aggressively. Does MN teach to ride aggressively, I think not. If you have had a negative experience because a lack of signal than you have become more dependant on someone else than your own instinct. If you crash because of no signal than it's your lack of inability to process the input your eyes are telling your brain. Take this scenario to it's logical end and you are likely to put a liability on someones error signal rather than a typical accident because lack of signal. Now honestly, does this shed any light on the situation or do you maintain MN teaches it so it must be the best way. This topic come up often but we never really dig into it. It ends up one camp against the other, insults and sarcasm. Lets try an understand each other and learn. I may be wrong with my thinking but till now I think not. So, try an help me out here and lets stay on track
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Firecatguy
New member
MN taught me the same thing 24 years ago......boy Im gettin old....
Can't say it any better than this!
michaeladams
New member
i wear mittens. what you all don't know is i'm flippin you off as you go by.lol
polarisrider1
New member
This finger count thing is inefective and dangerous. let's give it up and hang on with both hands. I don't need your total of witnesses coming to our crash site when you cross over to my side.
WOW,
Lenny what I stated is that MN teaches them to use hand signals, I never said anything about using them at night nor did I mention anything about signaling at high speeds. I never intended this to be an attack on anyone, I simply mentioned that there seems to be a vast difference of people who use signals and those who don't and with that how does one who's just starting out figure out the rules, I guess there are none thats the bottom line, and with no rules don't expect protection from them when you don't follow them.
I like to ride just as hard and fast as the next guy, and I do know that there are times and places to let it rip and times when you shut it down, thats not the point. The point was the last person ( the trail sweep) should, when possible let the on comming traffic know that there is no one else in their group. I also know that there are times when this is not possible and in some cases impossible, but the majority of the time its good practice. thats all
Lenny what I stated is that MN teaches them to use hand signals, I never said anything about using them at night nor did I mention anything about signaling at high speeds. I never intended this to be an attack on anyone, I simply mentioned that there seems to be a vast difference of people who use signals and those who don't and with that how does one who's just starting out figure out the rules, I guess there are none thats the bottom line, and with no rules don't expect protection from them when you don't follow them.
I like to ride just as hard and fast as the next guy, and I do know that there are times and places to let it rip and times when you shut it down, thats not the point. The point was the last person ( the trail sweep) should, when possible let the on comming traffic know that there is no one else in their group. I also know that there are times when this is not possible and in some cases impossible, but the majority of the time its good practice. thats all
indy_500
Well-known member
Last weekend, 2 guys on fx nytros came flying by me and my family in Mercer, we were going about 45 and the first one must've flew past me at about 80 at least, the next one got the bird from indy
They never even hesitated to "ride behind" us for awhile, just went right past and scared the crap out of my sister. I wouldn't have been surprised if they didn't see 100 on the dream-o-meter at the time.I was on trail 17 ,railroad grade yesterday, long straight stretch,lots of soft bumps ,sugar snow and snow dust. Appoaching sleds all traveling way to fast ,60 + giving hand signals not knowing there were 30 or more sleds behind them. It was a big accident waiting to happen ! Screw the hand signals,hang on with booth hands !! Ill never use hand signals again except for #1 for people showing off their high speed trail( ediquette , for frnash )
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If you took a poll on here, its well less than 50% that use hand signals.
I put only 72 miles on the sled today, and passed at least 40 sleds. MAYBE 4 didn't tell me how many sleds were behind them in their "group". I even had 2 different occassions where a guy we caught up to signaled "peace", (2 for the younger crowd) counting me and my riding partner. We followed, not pissed off, nor brapping with a 4-stroke, not pushing to move over, just followed, and within a couple miles, they turned off.
We even passed the Sheriff duo in Portage County north of Amherst, and we got a #1 and a "black power". We knew what they meant, and so did they when we did the same. Even those here that don't signal, know exactly what was meant. (Based on their descriptions of what was happening at least).
Simple survey, but 90%+ of trail riders I passed TODAY, signaled me how many were in their group, or their known following riders.
ALL DONE SAFELY.
I put only 72 miles on the sled today, and passed at least 40 sleds. MAYBE 4 didn't tell me how many sleds were behind them in their "group". I even had 2 different occassions where a guy we caught up to signaled "peace", (2 for the younger crowd) counting me and my riding partner. We followed, not pissed off, nor brapping with a 4-stroke, not pushing to move over, just followed, and within a couple miles, they turned off.
We even passed the Sheriff duo in Portage County north of Amherst, and we got a #1 and a "black power". We knew what they meant, and so did they when we did the same. Even those here that don't signal, know exactly what was meant. (Based on their descriptions of what was happening at least).
Simple survey, but 90%+ of trail riders I passed TODAY, signaled me how many were in their group, or their known following riders.
ALL DONE SAFELY.
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lenny
Guest
maybe you never intended it as an attack, I didn't take it as one but look back at what you did say,,,,
It appears that half the poeple on here use hand signals and the other half does not. Some people even dis regard the signals all together.... Don't you think this might be part of the problem. My son just finished the snomobile training class in MN and they taught the use of hand signals in fact its part of the final exam, and now he's going to go out and follow the rules that he was taught and guess what? half the people could care less- WOW. I guess thats what we can expect from the no trespassing signs or don't drink and drive or even don't steal other sledders stuff. Thanks guys for making this a better place for our youth and teaching them the right way. I guess don't blame my son in ten years for blowing your daughters off the trails, he'll be in the the half that doesn't care anymore
you think we don't signal because we could care less? that's bogus. I'm not trying to attack I just see your reasoning as extremely unreasonable.
Whats even worse, were not even in MN.
I use to be a trail rider and I no longer am... I think hand signals can simply be a courtesy.
I never use to look at the last guys signal.. What if two different groups are close together?
What if your group is split up by another while riding?
Happens often, or at least use to.
later
m8man
I never use to look at the last guys signal.. What if two different groups are close together?
What if your group is split up by another while riding?
Happens often, or at least use to.
later
m8man
When i'm on the trail I will signal and I like when others do also in general (except when they're approaching REALLY fast and seem more worried to signal than to get their machine under control). If a guy signals there are more coming and i'm travelling into a corner I feel better KNOWING that someone is coming the other way and go extra slow and stay extra wide. I do however use what I would call "common sense" and just because the last guy in the group says he's zero that just means I am through with that group and I fully realize I could meet the next group at any moment. I'd guess better than 80% of the groups I ever pass signal.
This is far more the exception than the rule.