Tailgated by other cyclist!!

[rapid cycler]

I'm often tempted to tell walkers and joggers, helpfully, not angrily, that the dirt path will be much kinder to their feet, but I suspect I'd get more hostility than thoughtful consideration in return.

[Jenn]

I'm often tempted to tell walkers and joggers, helpfully, not angrily, that the dirt path will be much kinder to their feet, but I suspect I'd get more hostility than thoughtful consideration in return.

If they only knew what they were missing out on by riding!

[KSH]

I'm often tempted to tell walkers and joggers, helpfully, not angrily, that the dirt path will be much kinder to their feet, but I suspect I'd get more hostility than thoughtful consideration in return.

Well, I am a runner... who runs on a path with bikes... the very paths I also bike.

I can tell you that I have tried running in the grass/dirt... but the ground is so uneven, I am constantly in fear of twisting an ankle.

So, I wouldn't want to be in the dirt/grass. But I also make sure that I run on the edge of the pavement, and I constantly look behind me. If I see a situation with a tight squeeze for a cyclists, I do get on the grass for a short while.

The key here is that the walkers/runners pay attention to what is going on around them and try to be courteous to everyone using the path. Unfortunately, most are off in la-la land and don't really pay attention.

[Jolt]

Well, I am a runner... who runs on a path with bikes... the very paths I also bike.

I can tell you that I have tried running in the grass/dirt... but the ground is so uneven, I am constantly in fear of twisting an ankle.

So, I wouldn't want to be in the dirt/grass. But I also make sure that I run on the edge of the pavement, and I constantly look behind me. If I see a situation with a tight squeeze for a cyclists, I do get on the grass for a short while.

The key here is that the walkers/runners pay attention to what is going on around them and try to be courteous to everyone using the path. Unfortunately, most are off in la-la land and don't really pay attention.

You sound much more reasonable and courteous than a lot of the people described in this thread, even if you run on the paved path rather than the dirt! Personally, I would actually prefer to run on the dirt/grass and wouldn't be worried about twisting an ankle, but then I hike and run trails pretty regularly so maybe I'm just used to uneven ground. The dirt and grass are a better surface for running since they're not as hard. I agree that the real problem is people not paying attention and not showing any consideration for other users.

[SouthernBelle]

that's when Mr. Defiant Eye Contact lunged back into my path saying, "Go ahead and hit me. I want to die!" I managed to spit out "I don't!" as I lurched between him and his friends.

Sounds like a good time to see how well your can of Halt works.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Sounds like a good time to see how well your can of Halt works.

I assume you are just kidding about this.
You can't spray people with pepper spray because they verbally harass or taunt you or purposely block your path....good way to get shot, arrested, or sued!

[SouthernBelle]

I assume you are just kidding about this.
You can't spray people with pepper spray because they verbally harass or taunt you or purposely block your path....good way to get shot, arrested, or sued!

No $#@^. I've practicing law for 27 years and didn't know that.

[bikerz]

Great posts by onimty and Lisa S.H.

There is a wonderful 20+ mile MUT here that runs along the edge of the San Francisco Bay - I love it and I ride it frequently. It is one of the few places around here where you can ride 20 or 30 miles of completely flat terrain. And when it heats up in the summer, the Bay Trail is always pleasant and cool.

On weekend afternoons, parts of it can be congested and tricky to navigate, and with one of the most popular dog parks in the area right off the trail, it can take a great deal of attention, communication and balance to safely navigate dogs, kids, and grownups, of the both the annoyingly clueless and politely attentive varieties.

I've ranted plenty of times about MUT irritations - nothing wrong with that (and thank goodness I've never had an experience like the one Jenn described - scary!), but I find that changing my attitude has calmed me down quite a bit. I agree with onmity that on bike trails like the Bay Trail, bikes should yield to others, and when I go out with that as my default mode, I enjoy myself a lot more. When I ride the Bay trail, I try to get in that "Bay Trail zone" - with a lot of smiling, waving, and "thank-yous", often riding slower than I would like, and occasionally having to unclip suddenly because other people aren't paying enough attention to me. But if I'm on the Bay Trail on a weekend afternoon, I know that's what I've signed up for, in exchange for the great views, cool breeze, and the lack of cars and intersections.

And, on cold, foggy, windy days (like most of our summer ), or super-early on a Sunday morning, you can practically have the whole trail to yourself, which is real treat!

[Jenn]

Sounds like a good time to see how well your can of Halt works.

EXACTLY!!!