Usually MTBs are supposed to yield to hikers on the
trail. Should Munis also yield to hikers? And should
MTBs yield to Municyclers (is that a word)? I often block
the path of MTBs (and hikers) on the narrow single-track
trails, so I usually hop off and move out of the way when
I can.
RE: Trail etiquette
> Usually MTBs are supposed to yield to hikers on the
> trail. Should Munis also yield to hikers?
Yes. When in doubt, yield. Otherwise, consider yourself an MTB.
> And should MTBs yield to Municyclers (is that a word)?
Doesn’t matter, they won’t know what we decide here 
Downhill traffic is supposed to yield to uphill.
> I often block the path of MTBs (and hikers) on the narrow
> single-track trails, so I usually hop off and move out
> of the way when I can.
The vast majority of mountain bikers I encounter on the trails are happy to
yield for us. Often we yield for them as well, especially when it’s tight.
Sometimes I will use the approach of a bike as an excuse to stop and breath
for a minute.
I don’t think this is part of any standardized trail-etiquette rules, but
here’s one of my own:
When the trail is on the side of a hill, with a drop on one side and a hill
on the other, yield toward the side with the hill on it.
Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com
“How many America West maintenance personnel does it take to change a
bathroom light bulb in a 737?” Based on what I saw on the way home from
Phoenix recently, three!
Consider yourself a mountain bike and yield for other bikers, hikers, horses, and other trail users.
It is usually easier for a muni rider to pull off the trail and just hop in place while the bike passes. We are more maneuverable and can more easily get off to the side of the trail. But often I find that the bikes will pull over and yield for me just because they want to see me ride by.
It also helps to speak up when you see or hear a bike on the trail. Say “heads up” or something similar to announce that you are near. That will help to give you both time to figure out how to best share the trail without running into each other.
We should follow the same rules of the trail as the bikes. See the IMBA web page for the IMBA rules of the trail.
http://www.imba.com/about/trail_rules.html