calling out when you're passing

[RedRansV2]

I think I'll just get a fog horn.

And here it is. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ance&n=3375251

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.

[tulip]

Bells are cool!

[Bikingmomof3]

Check out this site www.manybells.com.

As for the women with the double wide strollers side by side...see the first link.

Cool Bells!

[Bicyclette]

I use my bell too 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 THAT sure got their attention!! Unless, of course, they were listening to their ipods

[CorsairMac]

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!

[bcipam]

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.

[wavedancer]

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."

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.

Linda

[RoadRaven]

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

[Bikingmomof3]

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.

[Tuckervill]

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."

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

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:

"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

[spokewench]

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!

[bikerz]

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.