I was in the middle section of a long climb when another rider slowly closed the gap behind me. As he started to crank past me I heard a slight swiping sound in the cadence of his pedal strokes. Vip,vip,vip,vip. He didn't say anything as he rode past, but I looked over at his rig and saw the cause of the swiping sound. He had his knee pads on the wrong knees and the straps were on the inside. With each rotation of the pedals the nylon straps rubbed against his frame and shock. I try to be a helpful mountain biker. I'm always willing to give trail directions or help change a flat. And I try not to be judgmental, everyone was a beginner at once. I remember someone pointing out a tire I had mounted backwards, the little rotation arrow going the wrong way. I also wore a women's ski jacket for several seasons. I never would have known if someone didn't notice the buttons on the opposite side. It's also possible to be a bike rider for a long time, yet not be very familia...