calling out when you're passing

[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.

[colby]

Good question with a lot of interesting answers.

I try to use "on your left" or "behind you" with bikers, and with walkers/joggers I'll say something like "coming up behind you" or something along those lines. If there are more bikes behind me, I will say "and there's 2 more coming" or "one more passing, too" when I go by.

If someone passes me and says "on your left" (or anything), I *always* thank them for it -- may as well encourage them to keep doing it.

The scariest unknowns seem to be kids and people with earbuds/headphones. When I'm coming up behind a big group, a kid, or someone who seems uncertain, I slow WAY down, approach with caution, and try to gently warn them away (sucks to slow down, but I'd rather be safe than take someone else or myself out)!

Sometimes I ride with my husband and/or friend, who both have bells, and we use them when we are approaching which often makes people look around and think about people behing behind them. I usually try to say something anyway, at least to be friendly and thank them for moving.

As an aside, my dad was joking about the "roadie nod" one of the last times we were biking. He's been biking in a tshirt and regular shorts with cycling liners (so, not very visible that he's biked much, even though he's on a road bike), and feels like hardcore roadies coming toward him and passing by don't give him the same "nod" and wave they give me in the "lycra and jersey uniform" He says something to pretty much everyone we pass (joggers, bikers, rollerbladers, people on the sidewalk) even if he's not leading. He definitely likes to be the bike ambassador

[bonnie526]

I'm a (very) new rider and all this calling out stuff has had me very confused. Well, not so much the calling out as the people's reactions when I do. I've been using "on yer left" exclusively but now I'm gonna try some new ones. Thanks for the ideas!

[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.

[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!

[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.

[Brandy]

The scariest unknowns seem to be kids and people with earbuds/headphones. When I'm coming up behind a big group, a kid, or someone who seems uncertain, I slow WAY down, approach with caution, and try to gently warn them away (sucks to slow down, but I'd rather be safe than take someone else or myself out)!

I had this experience on the path today. There was a woman jogging and her young son (probably 7-8 years old) was riding about a hundred feet ahead of her with earbuds on. He was weaving all over the place, taking up both sides of the path and I slowed enough to have to unclip when passing him. Right before I passed him he was also fiddling with something and dropped part of whatever it was, so I pointed that out to him. Thankfully as I passed him, his mom caught up and seemed to be directing him to take his earbuds off.

On another note, since I've taken up riding, my oldest son has become a much safer rider on the paths. He's learned to stay to the right and not weave around and also to stop slamming on the brakes to make skid marks They also now know that they NEVER just walk out into the path without making sure that they have an all clear from me.

Also on my ride this morning there was a toddler, all alone walking around in the middle of the path. The mom was in an RV parked in the parking lot and it didn't seem that she gave her daughter's safety out there a second thought.

[pooks]

The first few times I (walking a path with a friend) heard a cyclist call "On your left," I thought they were telling me to "Move left." A lot of times "Left" is the only word you hear in that situation. So first, remember that many walkers don't know the lingo, and may not even hear everything you said. That's what makes "On your left," so problematical.

Why would three people walk abreast? Because three friends are walking together and having a conversation, and haven't had to deal enough with cyclists to realize there's a prob. It usually takes care of itself once they get passed a couple of times and realize what's going on.

I know this isn't a very popular point of view on a cyclists' board, but three walkers have just as much right to walk abreast as a cyclist has to ride. Annoying? Heck yeah.

But up until a few months ago, I didn't understand why the cyclists at White Rock Lake in Dallas ride in the road instead of on the trail which (supposedly) is for that purpose. I mean, I figured it was easier for them but I had no idea of the safety issues.

I think all parks with bike/walking trails should have signs posted that explain such things as "On your left!" and proper etiquette. Most people just don't know the rules, and don't know the safety issues involved.

[Brandy]

Why would three people walk abreast? Because three friends are walking together and having a conversation, and haven't had to deal enough with cyclists to realize there's a prob. It usually takes care of itself once they get passed a couple of times and realize what's going on.

I know this isn't a very popular point of view on a cyclists' board, but three walkers have just as much right to walk abreast as a cyclist has to ride. Annoying? Heck yeah.

I know why they do it, but when they're taking up both sides of the path and there's no room to pass them, it's rude and disrespectful to all of the other people who are out there using it. On the beach path where I ride, cyclists, rollerbladers and runners are very common, so it's not like they would be surprised to see us there.

Editing to say that when the path is wide in certain parts, it is not as big of an issue. There are certain sections that narrow and that's where it is frustrating.

[Brandy]

I think all parks with bike/walking trails should have signs posted that explain such things as "On your left!" and proper etiquette. Most people just don't know the rules, and don't know the safety issues involved.

I think that's a great idea!

[pooks]

I agree that if it's a busy path, common sense and a desire not to be rude should stop them from doing it. If they're constantly having people come up behind them, you would think they'd adjust.

[light_sabe_r]

I ring my bell, call out, whatever it takes

I had one lady on my VERY FIRST ride on my own home from work coming in the other direction reading a book. Who hurtled abuse at me because I rang my bell seperate times at 20, 10 and 5 metres, I'd slowed down to about 8K because she wouldn't look up not budge. To warn her of my approach in the other direction. I was PASSING her on the grass anyway, BUT it was the fact she REFUSED to move at all that REALLY bothered me, and the abuse. Maybe she was deaf. Maybe the fact I was on a bike bothered her I dunno but I'm still annoyed to this day.

Since then my brakes have made so much noise I haven't had to say anything ^_^ (Gonna do some maintenence today)

[pooks]

Stephen King got run over by a truck while he was walking and reading a book. Talk about "I'll see your headphones and raise ya one!"