calling out when you're passing

[Cassandra_Cain]

Whether you say on the left, right, up, down, or Mars, please say something - anything!

The other day I was riding up a hill and had slowed a bit to reach for my water bottle. Some yahoo, blew past me on the right, saying nothing - mind you there was maybe 2 feet between me and the sidewalk where I was riding. No warning, nothing.

I find that totally irresponsible and dangerous as all it would have taken was me moving a few inches to the right and bam, crash because of some moron.

[Nokomis]

Group ride or coming up on a cyclist who apparently knows how to ride: "On your left" ...or if I'm part of a group passing, I'll add how many of us there are, or if I was the last one. People seem to appreciate that.

If I'm coming up on a Dorkus Oblivius swerving all over the road, a young kid on a path, or someone with wires dangling out of their ears: I'll whistle well in advance, or shout "Oy!" -- seems to grab their attention far better than 'passing on your ___'

If I pass someone with earbuds who didn't hear any of the above - I'll get Quite Vocal as I pass & their eyes get hugs.

[mary9761]

I nearly always say I'm passing on your left, you have plenty of room. Then I'll often follow with hello, good morning etc and smile. Most of the time I get a thanks and I follow with, "I don't like bikes to blow past me without warning either". Sometimes if there are other riders coming behind me that I can see in my rear view, I may warn them that other bikes are coming as well.
I really HATE the rider that flies by as I'm warning someone that I'M passing without letting me know they are there and blowing past BOTH of us like a maniac. I've nearly wrecked MANY times because of that. The rear view mirror mounted on my helmet helps, but I don't always see everyone when they're coming.

[CorsairMac]

I always say "rider on your ?????" that way the person has an idea of the size of the person passing them. and I had to put ??? coz lately it seems walkers have been walking on the left side of the path so I have to pass them on the right. If I'm riding with someone I always say riders of your ??? so they know there's more than 1 of us coming.

But I"m with ya CC - I had some guy blow past me the other day without saying a word, scared the bejesus outta me. Lately I've started chewing em out saying "next time say something please".

[Fredwina]

I usually do the "on you left" followed by "hello" with cyclists. with other folks, I'll try and get their attention and play it by ear and eye.
I never have quite figuered out the "blow by you with 2 inches to spare" routine. I cases where I think it's unsafe to pass, I'll ease up and pass later on. It's like passing someone when driving a car.

[RoadRaven]

When riding with others - a mini-pelaton - I call (like the others do) "CAR BACK!" when there is a car coming up behind.

So on a cycle-path, having tried various things including "onyerleft/right" I find "BIKE BEHIND" to get the best response.

Alot of walkers don't have bikes in their heads as they saunter along and "onyerleft/right type calls just seemed to have them looking around wondering why someone was calling out.

"BIKE BEHIND!" has them (almost always step to the side of the path and then look around...

[tulip]

I find a bell works very well. I ring it and most joggers and peds give a little wave, and other cyclists move over to the right. The bells I have on each of my bikes are small and inconspicous (for those of you concerned about the perceived uncoolness of having a bell on your $2000 road bike), and yet when I ding it, it's loud.

I find it very disrespectful (and dangerous) when cyclists say nothing and whizz by. The same for when they say "on your left" in a quasi whisper when they are already at your shoulder!

[SouthernBelle]

I do like the bike behind you call. I think on your left just confuses walkers and runners.

[bikerz]

I usually say "Good morning - on your left" and then " hello" or something as I pass. In fact I usually say good morning, even in the afternoon and evening - that's sort of embarassing! And I try to remember to say how many of us there are if I'm not alone.

I've learned not to say "on your left" to kids - if they do know left from right, they are so likely to move left! For kids, I just say "Hi there - just stay where you are - you're doing great" or something like that. and the go the safest way around. I think the burden is on me to pass kids safely, not on them to get out of my way. And I guess I extend this to most walkers too, especially coming from behind.

But the cyclists and walkers that bug me are the ones coming towards me 2 or three abreast who do not move out of the way at all. On last week's ride I went off the path twice because cyclists wouldn't go single file.

And I HATE having cyclists blow by with no warning, right or left. So scary.

[Brandy]

What a pleasant surprise...from what I thought was a silly question on my part, I have learned a lot! It now makes sense to me that I get some shocked reactions from pedestrians when I say "on your left" and I'm going to try out some new phrases...thanks ladies!!

[colby]

I've learned not to say "on your left" to kids - if they do know left from right, they are so likely to move left! For kids, I just say "Hi there - just stay where you are - you're doing great" or something like that. and the go the safest way around. I think the burden is on me to pass kids safely, not on them to get out of my way. And I guess I extend this to most walkers too, especially coming from behind.

I always try to take the alpine view of the world with rule #1 for skiers/snowboarders. Anything moving slower than you in front of you is someone that it's YOUR responsibility to pass safely -- people "below" (in front of) you always have the right of way. Of course, things don't usually go UPhill when you're skiing, so it takes a little adaptation for two-way travel I pretty much figure anything traveling slower than myself has the right of way no matter what direction they are going compared to myself, and if we're equal (bikes facing bikes, runners facing runners), we should respect each other and give each other room to both stay safe.

[Pedal Wench]

"One bicycle coming up on your left" in as friendly a voice as I can muster. Change the number appropriately, so folks don't move right back over when the first bike passes. If it's a little kid, I slow waaaaaay down and say,"Hello, a bicycle is going to be passing you, just keep going straight ahead, you're doing great" and then a "good job" when they did it right!

[Geonz]

If I"m on a path it's 'cause I"m willing to go a lot slower; I assume even a cyclist on a path may not know from "on your left" so it's "coming up behind you" or "good morning" ... or sometimes I'll be singing...
... if it's a dorkus oblivious, I'm afraid I do tend to assess their predictable path and don't mind startling them.
... it's that older lady who clung to the man's hand as I went by, trying so hard not to look scared, that really made me feel justified using the road if I'm going more than 10 mph. (I've seen 'em twice since but we were going opposite directions... and he waves and smiles... so I musta done okay... and I had imagined her saying "See! That's why I won't go out there!" but oviously she still is... )

Oh, and I have a bear bell on my tube that I knock about with my thighs that people often hear; on the Racer I have beer cans that rattle in the baskets. I'm afraid I generally wax cacophonous... somebody has to be dorky enough to make up for Canucks!!!

[SadieKate]

Dorkus Oblivius

Ha! I'm going to steal this for my unheard conversations that I have with them.

If I pass someone with earbuds who didn't hear any of the above - I'll get Quite Vocal as I pass & their eyes get hugs.

The two of us should probably not be allowed to ride together. Team Danger would have to be bailed out of the local pokey.

[Trekhawk]

If I'm coming up on a Dorkus Oblivius swerving all over the road, .

LOL - thanks for the laugh. I will keep my eye out for that species next time I ride.