Tailgated by other cyclist!!

[Zen]

...Mr. Defiant Eye Contact lunged back into my path saying, "Go ahead and hit me. I want to die!" ...

Given such an opportunity for retort, I doubt I could have been so civil.

[mimitabby]

As for bells, I used to rely on the noise of my freewheel to help announce my presence, but my new bike is just too darn quiet.

did you switch from Campy to Shimano? I love my freewheel noise. It is so cool
and it brings back memories from the deep dark past of other bikes that did this.

[rapid cycler]

did you switch from Campy to Shimano? I love my freewheel noise. It is so cool
and it brings back memories from the deep dark past of other bikes that did this.

Freewheel noise is cool. Maybe I'll clothespin some playing cards in my spokes? That would definitely help to announce my approach!

Nope, my new bike has an Ultegra drivetrain, just as my last, though now it's 10-speed instead of 9. It may be all in my head (which is crowded enough as it is, thanks), but my 10-speed group seems quite a bit smoother than my 9. Then again, comparing a spanky-new drivetrain to one with thousands of miles in its wake unfairly stacks the deck (hey, there are those playing cards again).

[onimity]

Interesting thread.

Here our most crowded multi-use paths are divided into multiple lanes, a bike lane in either direction and a lane for pedestrians, etc. Most people stay in the correct lanes and it helps a lot. Plus, the passing protocol seems a bit easier for everyone to understand.

It seems that there are a couple of issues in this thread, first the issue of 'road rage,' whether on the road or not. That's a tough issue, in many ways. When people behave rudely or in dangerous ways it is easy to get frustrated, and that frustration, while natural, rarely contributes to our safety or that of others. It's especially frustrating to keep your cool when someone else does something wrong and gets angry at you.

So, to be clear, Jenn, it sounds like the guy you encountered was a real jerk and a dangerous one at that. It is a shame that there is no really good way for dealing with dangerous cyclists. That said, in general there are a few things that I try to keep in mind on multi-use trails.

First, at least here the rule is that bikes yield to everyone else. I try to follow the general rule on the road as well, where you are at fault if you hit someone from behind. When I find myself thinking about how frustrated I am when I am trying to go fast and someone is blocking my path, I think of all of the drivers that scare me when I'm riding on the road and then those (the majority) that do show me courtesy and watch out for my safety. It's funny, but I find myself taking on more of a car driver mentality when I am on my bike on paths...maybe it's something about being the fastest/most powerful vehicle. But I try to fight that feeling.

Second, good trail etiquette. I always make sure that I let people know that I am coming well in advance. Many people will stop and turn, even block your path inadvertently if you yell 'on your right/left' and you have to expect that. And hope that they learn. I always thank people for getting out of my way, that never hurts.

Third, while drivers have varying skills and experience on the road, the same is true to a much larger degree on trails. Kids, as several people have mentioned. I *love* seeing kids out on their bikes, but they do scare me when I am flying down a hill and come up on a trailfull of them. They can be a lot harder to see until you are close. I figure, though, that it is a good opportunity to teach kids the rules of the trail and use the same 'on your left' that I would with adults, and of course always compliment them on their cool bikes.

I had a Taekwon-Do instructor years ago who had a philosophy that we are all responsible for the things that happen to us. He illustrated this with the story of the time he was hit on his bicycle and thrown across an intersection by a drunk driver that made an illegal turn. 'It was my fault,' he said. I was a little dumbfounded at that, but he brought out some good points: he could have been more attentive, he could have been more visible, etc. And maybe it wouldn't have changed the outcome, but I thought it was a remarkably positive way of looking at ways to avoid being angry at things he couldn't change while finding ways that he might improve his own behavior by seeing his responsibility for his own safety.

Of course all that doesn't mean it isn't great to vent about the idiots we encounter. The other day, for example, I was crossing a bridge on a multi-use path by my house. It is a large log bridge on the path that is tall enough that you can't see the ground on the other side but bumpy and steep enough that you have to come at it with a good amount of speed to get across it. So I came flying up over the bridge like I do every morning only to see a woman crouched down at the other end of the bridge trying to untangle her two dogs, headed in opposite directions, whose massively long leashes blocked the entire bridge. I hit my brakes hard to avoid hitting her or one of the dogs, stopped almost instantaneously but toppled into the rail when I couldn't unclip in time. I was scared. She was scared. She yelled 'watch it!' angrily. Since I was already stopped I took the time to explain to her that I had of course looked but since she was crouched down I couldn't see her or the dogs blocking the *entire* path until I was on top of the bridge and a few feet from her. But of course it wouldn't have been a problem if I'd been going more slowly, either, even if that meant walking my bike across the bridge, which I now do.

IMO, multi-use trails can be a fantastic place to ride and train but as cyclists we should be as courteous to others as we would like cars to be to us on the road.

My two cents.

Anne

[Dr. Liz]

Most of the MUTs around here are steeper than the roads, so I generally avoid them, as the roads are steep enough! A couple of weeks ago one of our riding buddies took us on one of the local MUTs as a 'recovery ride' and I needed another day to recover from my recovery ride! So now, I stick to the roads!

[BadgerGirl]

[QUOTE=Python;209177]Poor snake I like Rattlesnakes. They're lovely animals who at least give you warning to back away from them. One of our reptile shops here has a Venomous section. They have a Diamond Back Rattlesnake in there. He's a big lad but seldom rattles his tail as he's used to people. They also have several Cobras, Black Mambas, Green Mambas, a Gaboon Viper a Puff Adder...and an 8 inch long venomous centipede. I love the snakes but not so keen on the centipede. I've been very lucky in being able to see the snakes close up and being only 12 inches from a Cobra even though he's in his viv and behind glass is quite awesome.

I might have to come visit you and the snakes Python...I love snakes too. Talked to a guy at work who has a pet diamondback rattler. Had her since she was a baby. She was cute...Sorry, off topic a little.

One of the bike paths in Denver has a 15 mph limit because of complaints. I hear the police were actually out there radaring people and giving tickets. I know I have better things to do then that! I haven't been to this park but the local news did a story on it last summer.

[madscot13]

I know it's been said but can I reiterate how much I hate it when cars toot their little ( I mean big) horn right behind me? It is just the rudest/ loudest sound and I don't think the driver realizes how bad it could mess a rider up. Wish drivers had a way to say what they wanted to without yelling/ honking.

[bmccasland]

You're not kidding, are you.

And might I add:

LPH - nope not kidding. A rider in my office was in a pace line - both experienced, good steady guys - I'll follow them anywhere - when guy in front slams his breaks because there's an alligator on the path. Rider in back swerves to miss, goes down hard on the grass side of the levee (the river side has a concrete cover). Crash resulted in a broken scapula, and pelvis. But good news - he's healed and back riding. The lead guy took it hard that he broke his friend. Allligator did a swift walk back to the Mississippi.

This time of year the Mississippi is still running pretty cool, so we're not likely to see 'gators, but give everything another month to warm up. Apparently the gators have discovered tastey bits coming over from the sub-urbs. Heerree fluffy!

[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!

[Jenn]

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

EXACTLY!!!

[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!

[Geonz]

I do tha tmental gear shift on our paths, too... and it reminds me that this is how so many people perceive cycling, which is why they have difficulty comprehending why we "aren't satisfied" with "perfectly good bike paths." (One fellow on our bicycling/pedestrian commission wanted to know why we wanted the speed limit not to be raised on one stretch because he couldn't understand why cyclists should have "the right to make cars slow down, so they could go as fast as they wanted." I explained that that's what complete streets were about - making roads work for *all* users, not just automobile drivers.) It's fun ... but it's not particularly efficient and at times, not safe.
Then there are some of our paths that are just a mess, but that's another story...