Hand Signals??

[martin1]

I have been reading about the close calls and the hits that have happened on the trails recently. I am against the whole hand signal program altogether. One time I met 11 sleds sled number 4 and 7 and 11 were all showing to be the last sled in the line. Obviously there were 3 different groups there. Point is: We ride for miles and then take ! hand off the bar as soon as we meet another machine. Hello!! Were asking for trouble. I tell my buddies you should ride like your going to meet yourself at the next curve. We never know when another first rider in the group is coming and that will be without warning. 2 hands on the bar and heads up!!

[FreezerBurnt]

Keep right is my moto

Buddies always tell me I ride to close to the inside edge and will hook a tree one day

[Wildbill]

I have been reading about the close calls and the hits that have happened on the trails recently. I am against the whole hand signal program altogether. One time I met 11 sleds sled number 4 and 7 and 11 were all showing to be the last sled in the line. Obviously there were 3 different groups there. Point is: We ride for miles and then take ! hand off the bar as soon as we meet another machine. Hello!! Were asking for trouble. I tell my buddies you should ride like your going to meet yourself at the next curve. We never know when another first rider in the group is coming and that will be without warning. 2 hands on the bar and heads up!!

Bingo!

[Black Dog]

In my opinion when passing other sleds you should be going slow enough that one hand is no big deal but if conditions make it dangerous use two and the other guy will understand because he is on the same snow. If several give you the closed fist you know what's going on even if they don't. The hand signals are useful when passing a large group of sleds that are spread out around one or two corners, you never know when you are clear otherwise.

[flash 800]

I'm using them less and less. Quite often it's obvious and when I know my wife is a couple corners back then I'll signal otherwise I don't anymore. Like on a railbed when you can see ahead for miles every sled your passing is telling you there's another one behind them.....Really? Keep your hands on the bars instead.

[revrnd]

Keep right is my moto

Buddies always tell me I ride to close to the inside edge and will hook a tree one day

Jay, we'll probably hit the same tree .I've gotten to the point that I stop when I meet sleds, especially if the sight lines are poor & it appears the lead rider hasn't slowed down. The azzhats just blast along as if we're invisible.

Last Friday we met 3 groups that couldn't count. Sticking up "X" number of fingers & there would be "X + 1" sleds behind him. Also on the portion of D101B that runs on the West Oxbow Lake Rd, we met a group of northbound sleds. The 1st couple of sleds were hugging their side of the road, but an azzhat is running down the middle of the road as we exit a curve in the road. Not sure if he was trying to pass the leaders or cutting the corner, but I was POed. He was riding an older ZX chassis Formula Deluxe, so maybe the carbides were worn off & he was out of control.

If you can't ride safely & signal, DON'T SIGNAL!

[martin1]

Black Dog your saying we need signals other wise we never know when were in the clear. We never know that because when is the next group coming?? Ever hear of any time is train time. I think they nailed it.

[Mossy]

I use hand signals all the time! I look behind me quite frequently to see if there are sleds catching up to us. I especially when it's my 12 year old daughter that is on the sled right behind me!

[Wildman]

ya, I only use 1 hand signal, I would call it generic and it is understood fairly well by everyone. Seems it needs to be used more and more. Plain and simple, if u r not riding like there is a sled coming around a blind corner or over a hill in the opposing direction u r a menace to everybody else using the trail. I don't care if you r going 120mph, do it on ur own side, anybody can do 80 through a corner entering on the wrong side, do it entering on ur own side and I will be convinced u have talent. Hand signals r meaningless and a waste of time.

[revrnd]

Wildman you played in the IHL?

[Black Dog]

Black Dog your saying we need signals other wise we never know when were in the clear. We never know that because when is the next group coming?? Ever hear of any time is train time. I think they nailed it.

I'm saying that hand signals are one more tool (and courtesy) that contribute to safety, they are not fool proof and are no substitute for situational awareness. I don't close my eyes every time I see the caboose.

[Driftbuster]

I believe hand signs are a good courtesy. I don't let down my guard because the caboose has said he/she is the last but it's normally a good indication. My group has talked and given up on number signs and just point behind until the caboose. For us the caboose is always aware they are last but also watches behind them. If there is another group that has caught up to us they signal as if the group directly behind is a part of our group until they pass. We feel this is a lot more informative to oncoming sleds then 6 sleds running together with 3 caboose within the group. As an oncoming rider I don't care if there are 3 small groups that know each other, or 1 large that are a combination of 3 smaller. All I want is to know who the last sled is. Just my .02

[Canuck]

Only one close call this season with an oncoming 'signer'. Idiot on a Doo approached me doing at least 90 km / hr with one hand on the handlebar and the other hand signalling riders behind him. In a corner. With the rider behind him on his bumper.

Too much could go wrong in that scenario.

[Faceman]

Only one??? 3 today. First the Nytro totally out of control into a 90 corner sideways in front of me ( already stopped)

Then the XCR doing donuts , caught and jerked right across in front of me (already stopped)

and the last idoit was on a green Cat( sno-pro wantabee) with the Go Pro on the helmet who blew a blind corner about 60 feet in front and carried on into the fields. ( almost went after him!!)

Like revrnd, I am stopping more and more when I get the thumbs back signal from someone who is already riding beyond their limits.

Hand signals. I use them when I ride with Mother Nature but using them less and less otherwise.

[Wildman]

Wildman you played in the IHL?

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG7nDS.DdRTjQA4VtXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE0ZDUwdDE0BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMwRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA01TWTAxN183Mw--/SIG=11kuai4ci/EXP=1362651474/**http%3a//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IHL ????

[revrnd]

Wildman, it was a reference to a comment I read in the sports section years ago. A hockey player (forget the name) was saying that he had angered someone after his hockey career was over. The other person gave him "the finger". The player said, "I guess he played in the I league like me."

[Wildman]

Wildman, it was a reference to a comment I read in the sports section years ago. A hockey player (forget the name) was saying that he had angered someone after his hockey career was over. The other person gave him "the finger". The player said, "I guess he played in the I league like me."

I figured it was something like that

[lakejoe]

Couldn't disagree more with the guys saying hand signals are useless. It's funny because I was going to post about this a couple of weeks ago that I think knowing the hand signals should become a mandatory part of obtaining a trail permit. I had no clue that people were actually choosing to not participate.

Obviously, there's commonsense required. You shouldn't be taking your hand off the handlebar when you're flying into a corner just because you see an oncoming sled. But once you do see the oncomer, and you slow down like any normal courteous rider, and have your sled under control... a 2 second flash up or down is not dangerous and it provides way more value then nothing at all, especially in tight cornered trails when you pass a group who is spread out.

I'm not interested in the signals so that as soon as I see the last guy, I can turn my brain off and become recklessness again. I'm interested in getting the cue that MORE sleds are incoming. More information is better than no information. In my experience, the guys who signal tend to be the more responsible riders who slow right down and hug their side so everyone can safely pass each other. It should be mandatory.

[Domino]

I find many people do not use hand signals when it is clearly safe to do so. They are either refusing or a plain ignorant of them.

The Slediots rarely use them as they have no time to figure out as the fly around the corners trying not to crash as they JUST realized that others use the trails too.

I find myself refusing to use hand signals unless to return the favour. Otherwise I get frustrated with the ignorance and the hand signal I use is less than helpful

[Blake G]

....hand signals....

Obviously, there's commonsense required. You shouldn't be taking your hand off the handlebar when you're flying into a corner just because you see an oncoming sled. But once you do see the oncomer, and you slow down like any normal courteous rider, and have your sled under control... a 2 second flash up or down is not dangerous and it provides way more value then nothing at all.... More information is better than no information. In my experience, the guys who signal tend to be the more responsible riders who slow right down and hug their side so everyone can safely pass each other. It should be mandatory.

alewcock, I agree totally with what you have written. I understand that some of us are becoming frustrated with the reckless riders, but I think we should try to keep our composure and communicate with hand signals whenever it is safe to do so.

[Faceman]

The minute you say mandatory you will eliminate the common sense option.

[sledjunk]

He did say "knowing" should be mandatory. I agree that hand signals are useful and courteous. I use them whenever I feel it is safe to do so.

However, I also would like to see the lighting system ( http://www.communicationsafetysystem.com/home.php ) adopted so that hand signals can become redundant.

I always ONLY signal for my group! If another group catches me, they can signal for their group. I am not going to try to keep track of a group that catches me, and then stops or turns off, or for a group that I pass and then stops.

[Driftbuster]

Those lights look real nice sledjunk. Getting them Onto sleds and the education of what they mean I believe will be difficult. Not everyone knows what the hand signals are let alone uses them as this topic has stated. If people aren't educated with a simple lift or lower of there arm how do we expect people to go out buy a light And then use it properly? Let alone if position in a group changes that they change the light color. As a group we try to be aware of our surroundings as much as possible so I guess it isn't a big deal for me/us to signal there are sleds behind us by pointing like a person with mitts would instead of dropping my hand signalling last sled. A quick look behind at intersections is all I need to know if they are still following or have turned off. I like to look back to make sure my group is still with me if I am leading or in the middle. I also keep an eye out for sleds flying up behind. So why not watch the sleds behind me like they are part of our group. By no means am I saying I'm a perfect rider, far from it. Just try to do what I can to help keep the trails safe and people in the know

[yamahas]

I like when I get a heads up that a lot of sled are coming my way, that way I can pull over and let the group go by. I also like when I get a heads up that there is a crazy guy coming, Ive had that once or twice and they were dead on and glad I did not meet them in the corner.

I don't like the one handed mid corner half way on my side of the trail hand signals. I always expect to meet a sled in every corner so I'm ready.

Once I get the "last sled in line" signal I like to wait to see that any rider behind me has passed the last oncoming sled of the group.

[winterules]

I can see in some instances where receiving or giving a hand signal does come in handy but only if that operator feels safe doing so . But when I'm on a rail line or going across a open farmers field I don't give them or require them . I often get rides signing that ether there's riders behind them or that there the last in line , where I can easily see that for myself .