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Your statement above just made me realize that people never move over when I call out. I usually wait until the other side of the trail is clear and call out before I go around them, just so that I don't startle them as I pass. Hmmm...do folks usually move out of the way when you call out to them?Quote:
Originally Posted by Lise
Ok, I'm far from experienced here, but I slow down and call out simply so they don't wander into the lane I'm passing them in - I don't expect them to move over, I just don't want them to take up both lanes. But that's just me :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Brandy
Some do. As I say, sometimes it's just informational, so I don't startle another cyclist. But sometimes, I need them to move over. So I slow down, start with "On your left", and if they don't move, I escalate to "I'm passing..." and "Please move over..."Quote:
Originally Posted by Brandy
Again, all good reasons to avoid these crowded trails. The place where I swim (where triathletes generally train) in Lake Michigan is right downtown (Ohio St. beach, for those in the know...) There's no way to entirely avoid the most crowded part of the path. Yesterday I just surrendered and didn't try to pass anybody. I just wanted to get there and swim, with a minimum of hassle.
Awesome! I'll remember that one (mind if I use it?)Quote:
Originally Posted by kjay
When I tire of 'Onyerleft' I'll adopt a Jack Sparrow voice and announce "passing off your port side matey"
Usually just as effective as anything else and doesn't result in the usual move to the left when someone hears 'left' By the time they figure out port from starboard, I'm already well past.
I'll yell "AVAST! ON YER LEFT, Ye SCURVY DOGS!" and other such things (generally accepted to be in good humor, because my voice just doesn't *sound* intimidating or angry)
... fail that, I fire some warning shots across their bow.
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Only 75 cents? Wow! Sign me up! :pQuote:
Originally Posted by Kitsune06
They're fur balls, not dachshunds. ****zu or Lhasas or something...but they're fat--sausages on toothpicks.Quote:
SNAUSAGES? Not dachshunds?!?
It annoys me because I love dogs and I really DON'T want to run over them. And it annoys me that they think their dogs are so GREAT that they wouldn't chase a rabbit across the highway only to be hit by a chicken truck, or annoy the passing Rottie enough that they wouldn't get bitten in two, or that something in my movement of my feet wouldn't inspire them to take a bite, or that a toddler who is afraid of dogs might REALLY be afraid if they approach. It annoys me because the women obviously don't want to HOLD THE LEASH, so they take the leashes OFF THE DOGS and hold the unattached leashes IN THEIR HANDS!!!! :mad:
I really hope they got a ticket.
Karen
All of these things are why i never would ride on a path. But, what about idiots who do these things on the road??!! This week I almost ran into a group of oblivious women in my neighborhood who sometimes walk their dogs around the loop of my street. Now, this is a mile long 5-10% up and down climb, with no sidewalks. Most walkers and runners here know that you walk/run opposite traffic, but not these women. This time, there were only 2 of them, with like 5 dogs. But, I've seen up to 5-6 of them at a time. I am going down the hill and scream out "passing on your left" and they do not move over on inch. Of course, I anticipated this, so I moved out into the center of the road. Then, they had the audacity to yell at me! Now, I am a cautious descender, but really, this pisses me off. I've had the same thing happen with people pushing strollers.
Ive worked at Southern California racing stables a long time so that I've realized that many people don't know the difference between left and right -- because they don't understand English!Quote:
Originally Posted by pooks
I've done this for years... if I have no choice but to walk up behind a horse, I make as much noise as possible and call out, "Behind you!" I found that it freezes rider/groom and forces them to look around (and alerts the horse as well), while I cruise past them. Seems to work on the bike, too.
Joy
Oh man -- great point. And it hadn't even crossed my mind, but that's so true in Dallas.
We have a lot of Hispanic people in Chicago. So if they look like Spanish speakers, I'll yell "Passing! Pasando!" or "OJO!", which means "eye", and is used like "Heads Up!"
I've encountered several people in the past weeks, going the wrong way down a one way street, on the side where I ride, going with the cars (right). Not sure what they're thinking, but it's a good way to be hit by a car OR a bicycle! When I see them, I'll yell "OTHER SIDE!" and wave my arms. Trying to make sure they see me at all. :eek:
I think I'll just get a fog horn.
actually, before you go too far with ethnic groups here; my husband and i have already figured out that the group most likely to not notice you are dinging your bell and yelling are teenagers. If there is 1 you are probably okay, if there are two, good luck, if there are 3 or more; just figure you're going to have to slow WAY down and scream because they are somewhere else. All races, colors, creeds and sex. My apologies to the teenagers on the forum here. It's just what we've noticed over the last few years.
Oh, so true. The other day I just slowed to a creep behind a group of teens. I crept along behind them until one of them noticed I was there, and told the others to move over. They were very nice about it, probably because it was their idea and they didn't need to rebel against me asking them to do it! :p
My point about Spanish speakers was that they may "hear" a word in their own language better than "On your left!" And I'm just guessing about them speaking Spanish with a quick glance. That's why I ususally yell in both languages, if I think there's a chance. Anything to get their attention!
Sigh. Y'all keep upping the ante on me. Teenagers now?
Cattle prod.
Boy, am I glad to find out I'm not the only one who gets grouchy over this kind of thing. I normally try to be a "bike ambassador", too, warning people, then waving and thanking them when they do move over and such, but, man, when they don't... If it didn't mean having to slow down or stop, I'd be buying whoop*ss by the case.
The thing that drives me really drives me nuts, though, are the people who stop to take a break in the middle of the trail! The places where I ride all have wide grassy shoulders along almost the entire length, but I end up swerving around all sorts of people who've parked their bikes in the trail and are just standing there chilling out. I want ask them: "If you needed to stop your car to look at a map or change a tire, would you stop in the middle of the road??" But, again, that would require me to stop long enough to say it :rolleyes: 'Dorkus oblivious', indeed! (Thanks for that one, Nokomis)
I ran into that exact situation on Friday. Four bikes, parked right in the middle of the trail. I just said, "There are better places to stop than the middle of the trail.." and went on by. Arrrr.
Let me know when you find a vintage blue glitter banana seat, mkay? :DQuote:
Originally Posted by HipGnosis6
I put a bell on my new bike too. It has a cheerful friendly "ching-ching" sound that everyone knows is a bike sound when it is coming up behind them. Pretty loud too you can hear it from far away, but it's not annoying in the least. Today I noticed that people seemed to know it was a bike coming even before they turned their heads, and then I smile and say hello as I pass. Seems like a better soultion than hollering something they can't understand, or that they only hear the last word of like "___ __ ___ LEFT!"
There were other cool bells I thought about, but I purposely picked the classic sounding one. I just love it! I mounted it so that I only have to drop my thumb down to ring it, without having to take my hand off the top of the drop bars.
And here it is. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ance&n=3375251Quote:
Originally Posted by pooks
I use a bell and say thanks. Sometimes I say "Morning! onyerleft" Kinda depends on who it is and what they're doing.
Check out this site www.manybells.com.
As for the women with the double wide strollers side by side...see the first link.
Bells are cool!
Quote:
Originally Posted by RedRansV2
Cool Bells!
I use my bell too :D Lots of bikes over here use bells so people are used to it. However, my husband and I drove down to Nice last week and he had to resort to his ear splitting whistle to get people to move out of the bike lane for us :eek: THAT sure got their attention!! Unless, of course, they were listening to their ipods :mad:
the only thing I'll say about bells (no this is not a criticism):......we were riding on the bike path the other day and had just passed a group of walkers when I heard this bell that kept ringing. My fellow rider and I thought it was just a cell phone until the rider called out "on your left........didn't you hear my bell?" Oops!! LOL
I do like the "behind you" or "bike behind" since I've had more than one Move to the left after I've called out. I've usually just responded with "yer Other left". I also call out far enough back to give Me time to see what direction they're going to move before I get to them.
The bike path here has a 33 mile route that is just about the flattest place one can find in Albuquerque, so when I want to do a nice flat, fast ride with some distance, I'll take the bike path but I do so Knowing it's a mulit-use trail and there will be sections that won't be easy to navigate, but at least I don't have to climb! :p
Living in an urban area alot of bike paths are multi use and heavily traveled. My club seldom if ever puts a bike path on a ride as it's just too dangerous for large, fast groups to negotiate. If riding olone or with a small group, we put on brains in "bike path" mode. Always ride with caution. Never so fast as I can't control my bike. I have to recognize that others have the right to use the trail as well. If approaching from behind I always call out "Walkers up" and then "On Your Left!" as I pass. If the walker, jogger, skater is coming towards me and can see me, I just point out "walkers up!" and then stay to my side of the trail after making sure the walker acknowledges my presence.
Alot of walkers/hikers/joggers on the San Diego Creek trail have complained about cyclists riding too fast, or taking up the bike trail causing the walker to move over. Since it's a shared path and walkers rule, we have to be polite and play nice. No biggie. If too busy I take the street right next door. Nice bike lanes and I can go fast without worry.
Lots of good suggestions here that I had an opportunity to use today. We have a 24-mile rail trail on the Cape and I rode it today for the first time to get in some mileage without having to deal with the heavy volume of summer tourist traffic. There was of course fairly heavy volume of tourists on bikes, blades, and strollers. I found that giving folks plenty of time to know I am coming up on them with "bike behind, passing on your left" worked pretty well. The kids did really well with the quote from Salsa. I even had one little guy say "thankyou" when I told him he was doing great :) There were of course plenty of Dorki oblivii that seemed to have no idea there might be a bike coming in the opposite direction, and narrowly missed a couple of head-ons. It was worth the ride however to have nice new flat pavement and get down to a part of the Cape that would have been pretty challenging traffic-wise without it.Quote:
If it's a kid, I am very careful and say something like, "Hi there. I am going to pass you on your left, so just stay right where you are; you're doing great."
Linda
It is a legal requirement of local government that if you use the bicylcle paths/walk ways you are supposed to have a bell and "ring dem bells"...
My ma loves her bell!
I dont have a bell, and wont put one on my road bikes... too vain I think! But I do yell awful loud!
Road-rebel-Raven
I went to my LBS (which I shall never return to due to total rudeness of the staff and inflated prices) anyhoo, there was a small child (I am a mother of three and like to think I am tolerant) yet this child was making every.single.bell. in the store ding. I almost went crazy! Yet the mother did not seem to mind. Needless to say I left without a bell.
Okay, I didn't respond the first time I saw this, but I find it kind of condescending to the kid to comment on how well he's doing. I know it doesn't appear that way to most people. I, OTOH, try to treat children with as much respect as I would any adult. Imagine saying the following to an unknown adult as you approach on the bike path:Quote:
Lots of good suggestions here that I had an opportunity to use today. We have a 24-mile rail trail on the Cape and I rode it today for the first time to get in some mileage without having to deal with the heavy volume of summer tourist traffic. There was of course fairly heavy volume of tourists on bikes, blades, and strollers. I found that giving folks plenty of time to know I am coming up on them with "bike behind, passing on your left" worked pretty well. The kids did really well with the quote from Salsa. I even had one little guy say "thankyou" when I told him he was doing greatQuote:
If it's a kid, I am very careful and say something like, "Hi there. I am going to pass you on your left, so just stay right where you are; you're doing great."
"Hi there. I am going to pass you on your left, so just stay right where you are; you're doing great."
Now imagine if someone said it to you on the bike path.
Of course, we have to grant kids exceptions for their ability to understand, and reason and react. But we don't have to talk to them as if they are less than.
For a small kid on a bike on a bike path, I would rather say "Hi there. I am going to pass you on your left, so if you could stay right where you are, that'd be great." And as I pass, "Thanks!"
Karen
I don't think it is ever condescending to tell someone (child or not) that they are doing "great". It is a compliment! It also tells that person not to worry when you are passing because what they are doing is keeping them from being hit and you from hitting them!
Hmm. It never occurred to me it might be condescending either. The kids I say this too are about 3-4 years old - they're on trikes or "big-kid" bikes with training wheels. Mostly I'm just talking to them in a friendly calm voice until I'm safely past. I usually get a smile from the kids as I go by - they seem very pleased with themselves to be out there on the bike path with a grown-up (ha! little do they know!) cyclist talking to them. I can see how an older kid might not like to be told they're doing great by a complete stranger, but for the little ones it's worked well for me so far, and they're the ones I'm most concerned about.
A funny thing happened a few months ago on my local bike path - I was riding along towards a family on bikes facing me on the opposite side of the path. I slowed way down as I approached, and signalled to my friend behind me, and was ready to unclip and stop if necessary, when the little girl (about 7 years old) separated from her family and started riding very slowly directly at me. I went slower and slower and she just kept right on towards me so I stopped completely and stepped down - I was laughing by now because it was all so slow-motion! She kept right on until her wheel bumped gently into my (now stationary) front tire - then she looked up at me with these huge eyes under her helmet and said "Wow - you sure have a skinny tire!"
Her parents scolded her gently for crossing the path, and apologized, and we all had a laugh - everyone knew what the rules were and what should have happened (and god forbid what could have happened if a pack of racer boys had come flying by instead of pokey old me), but it was all very friendly, and not scary for the little girl.