What ever happened to "on your left"

[Cataboo]

Half the time when I say on your left, the pedestrian wanders to the left.

I just avoid multiuse trails, I find them a pain in the neck. But I did one last month with 4 other cyclists. The other 3 cyclists had bells, I was saying on your left till my throat was store. I was *****ed at by one walker for not letting him I know I was there - there were 6-8 walkers in a cluster on the right half of the trail, it was a short steep hill & tight turn, so we had 4 cyclists ringing bells and saying on your left and shifting gears quickly before getting up to the couple walking/jogging up front who yelled at me for not telling him I was there when I was passing. I know the 2 bikes in front of me rang their bells, I know I said on your left a couple of times as I approached the cluster. I know the guy behind me was rang his bell, and I know we all made clunky gear shifting noises.

Sometimes pedestrians just have to listen to what is going on around them as well.

[luv2climb]

Sometimes pedestrians just have to listen to what is going on around them as well.

+1000! I get sick and tired of oblivious pedestrians. They make me wish I had a big-rig horn like the one in "Pee Wee's Big Adventure".

[Reesha]

Bike bell, bike bell! I have an 'I love my bike' bell on my mountain bike because hikers share the trails around here Too bad I don't ride it all that much.

I was riding with one of my students saturday and he was really dorky about saying "slowing!" "stopping!" "hole!" and doing the hand signals etc etc and I was so proud!

[goldfinch]

I can't hear bike bells. Old hearing? Too much rock and roll? I read that instead of saying "on your left" to say "passing" as it may be less likely to cause the pedestrian to move the left.

[TsPoet]

As a common user of a MUT in the tricities (very near Yakima), I have learned to NEVER say "on your left". Even the cyclists using the multi use path don't know what that means. I just say "good morning/afternoon/evening". That works fairly well. I also slow down and watch.
So, I fully agree, something should have been said, but "on your left" is dangerous in that crowd, they just don't know what it means.
I was riding home from work with 3 guys that work on my floor just last week, and I told what I thought was a funny story about the final time I used "On your left" and these 3 guys, who have been commuting on this trail for the last 3 years - not one of them knew what "on your left" meant! I told them it was common cycling courtesy and all 3 of them - pure commuters - thought I was nuts.

[Owlie]

As polite as this city tends to be, I've had a number of close calls from the guys on tri bikes.
For pedestrians, I move left and yell "behind you!" Of course, I don't always yell, especially if I can a) pass them safely in the other lane of the trail and b) they appear to be plugged in to an iPod.* If I can't pass safely, I just slow down or stop and let the other lane clear out before I do anything. My ride today was full of dodging little kids on and off bikes, so I did a lot of that today.

If I'm not totally breathless, I whistle while riding, especially around trail access points. Gives me a non-iPod soundtrack, and lets other people know I'm there.

*I don't care if you run or walk with an iPod. I do it myself. Just turn it down so you can hear both the music and what's going on around you!

[Velocivixen]

Glad to hear that you're alright. I have a region MUP right behind my house that I often use. As a new cyclist trying to do the correct thing I would call out, "On your left" and folks tend to move to the left. After reading a post on here regarding this topic, I either ring my loud bell or say, "Hello" or "I'm behind you" and I slow down. Our parks actually have a bike speed limit, but nobody is aware of it.

[Bethany1]

It's hard when someone has headphones in. The couple of times I have had to go by a pedestrian I slow down and very cheerfully say, "I'm coming up behind you on my bike and I just didn't want to scare you". Once by, I say "Thanks!" and keep going.

I wasn't sure how to handle the guy with the iPod though.

[andtckrtoo]

Okay, I would never, ever do this, but I'm chuckling at the image of riding with one of the boat horns used on sailboats. Those things are LOUD! (have to be - walkers with iphones have nothing on speed boats with drinkers and loud music aboard). I wonder how many other trail users I'd have to pry out of tree branches.

[TsPoet]

Okay, I would never, ever do this, but I'm chuckling at the image of riding with one of the boat horns used on sailboats. Those things are LOUD! (have to be - walkers with iphones have nothing on speed boats with drinkers and loud music aboard). I wonder how many other trail users I'd have to pry out of tree branches.

you might not, but lots of people do, this sucker is ***loud*** I know lots of recumbent riders who use them.
http://www.amazon.com/Delta-Airzound.../dp/B000ACAMJC

[Brina]

This may be an unpopular opinion here, but I don't feel that hard core cyclists/triathletes belong on MUT at peak recreational hours. I ride on our local trails early in the morning and there are mainly serious cyclists riding at that hour. You get to 10-11 o'clock on a nice Saturday and the pedestrians are out, families cycling with little kids, etc, I don't think we should be on the trails riding 15+ mph.

[TsPoet]

This may be an unpopular opinion here, but I don't feel that hard core cyclists/triathletes belong on MUT at peak recreational hours. I ride on our local trails early in the morning and there are mainly serious cyclists riding at that hour. You get to 10-11 o'clock on a nice Saturday and the pedestrians are out, families cycling with little kids, etc, I don't think we should be on the trails riding 15+ mph.

Many MUTs have posted 15 mph signs. I think even if not posted, 15 mph is implied. So, I at least agree with you.
I'm not sure, based on reading this thread, that anyone is disagreeing with you. Even at 10 mph, bikes are still faster than walkers.

(There's a guy that rollerblades on our MUT, he takes up the whole thing and he moves fast. But, he's very nice about it. On my commute home from work, he often tucks in behind me and goes whatever speed I am going. Not sure why, we only say "hi" to each other despite the fact that he likes to "draft" me. But, that's another example of an oddity on a MUT that just has to get along!)

[kfergos]

This may be an unpopular opinion here, but I don't feel that hard core cyclists/triathletes belong on MUT at peak recreational hours. I ride on our local trails early in the morning and there are mainly serious cyclists riding at that hour. You get to 10-11 o'clock on a nice Saturday and the pedestrians are out, families cycling with little kids, etc, I don't think we should be on the trails riding 15+ mph.

I have to agree. I use 'em for commuting, when I'm riding slowly by myself. But when I'm riding fast, or in a group, or both, multi-use trails aren't the place to be. They're dangerous for the bicyclist and the other users. Give me the road, where I can predict the other users' behavior.

I have a bell on my commuter bike, which I think may work better for people with earbuds. I know that for many people exercise is boring, and they need the distraction of music for motivation, but it's so dangerous to tune out the sounds of traffic (whatever kind of vehicle that may be)! I don't like to startle walkers, and I always try to pass as far to the left as possible, and I try to use my bell or call "coming up behind you" if it looks like "passing on your left" might be confusing; yet ultimately nothing is foolproof except avoiding trails altogether, which is a sad conclusion.

[Tri Girl]

This may be an unpopular opinion here, but I don't feel that hard core cyclists/triathletes belong on MUT at peak recreational hours.

I totally agree!!!
Often after work is the only time I can ride and the lake and the MUT is the best option, with riding on roads being too dangerous at rush hour time. Sometimes it's my only option and I'll usually try to avoid the most heavily trafficked part of the trail.
But yeah, in general, fasties should avoid the trails during peak times- for their safety and the safety of others!!!