Quote Originally Posted by Brina View Post
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.