What is Your Text/Phone Call Policy During a Ride?

Ding! To check your phone or not, that is the question...

By Jeff Barber
September 3, 2023

7 comments

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Most of us rarely go anywhere without a smartphone, and that includes mountain bike rides. Still, most of us set boundaries about how we use them on the trail, especially when it comes to text messages and phone calls. Many group rides even have informal rules about when or if it’s ever ok to answer a call.

Has answering a call — or not answering one — ever gotten you into trouble on a ride? Tell us about it in the comments!

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7 Comments

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Sunspot Colorado // 2019
Sep 3, 2023

My bike time is sacred! When I'm in Dirt Church, the phone is in church mode, in other words silent mode. It is there only for snappin pix and emergency needs.

Screw that, hell, anymore a feller cannot use the throne without someone interrupting!

2 reply

troutwest66 Idaho // 2019
Nov 29, 2023

Depends who it is. We take picture and water breaks so checking on whatever "dinged" is no big deal. I even ride and pick huckleberries here in Idaho during the summer and have my daughter called me and we talked while I picked! 😂 I think she called when I was climbing on the bike this last spring. It was easy enough so we talked while I pedaled.

1 reply

ZipHead South Carolina // 2015
Sep 3, 2023

I'm usually on-call for work, and when I am I need to have a phone.

Sunspot Colorado // 2019
Sep 4, 2023

Been there, done that! I own the biz. However, there are times when voicemail is on duty so I can have my therapy.
Another thing, my bike owns a sofa and is a professional!

Robert Dobbs New York // 2016
Sep 6, 2023

Luckily, the three local trails I ride have no cell service, so the phone policy becomes academic, and my phone stays in my truck. If I'm on an MTB road trip and I don't know the trails, I bring my phone for the TrailForks app and for cool wildlife and scenic overlook photo ops - but no calling or texting nonsense.

moctav Texas // 2014
Sep 5, 2023

My phone is always on "vibrate" and I keep my phone in the pack, so I'm not even aware that someone has called or texted until after the ride.

cyclops Maryland // 2009
Sep 14, 2023

No incoming calls or texts. Phone is for emergencies only

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