Originally Posted by
DTSCDS
This is a hot topic with the wife and I. We are very new to riding so we are a bit reluctant/unsure of how to react. What we find is that people will come whizzing by us as we amble along at WRL and never announce they are coming around. I know it is our responsibility to hold our line but if we are our on a semi-casual ride I am usually not focused on maintaining a perfectly straight course. I can't begin to count the number of times I am passed, a little closer than I am comfortable, by some racer type. Is it that they are expending so much energy holding their pace that they can't spare enough breath to say "On your left?" Maybe after we have done this for years we will get some kind of spidey sense that will alert us that there is someone coming up--with the wind my ears I can't hear them. There have been times when I see a stone or pile of dog leavings on the road and start easing over to miss it and have someone come by only inches away. A simple alert and I would have held my line or moved the other way.
As an attempt toward positivie reinforcement, I always say thanks to those--in the vast minority--that do announce they are coming around.
The thing that is really bringing this to a head for us is the latest, most egregious example from this past weekend. We were crossing the long bridge on the north side of the lake and two racer types came around while we were on the bridge. Not too bad if we knew they were coming, but the bridge isn't the widest and it was pretty busy with walkers/families and such.
Is it so hard to be courteous. Maybe if you are so fast that you pass EVERYONE else on the trail it gets old having to say "On your left" hundreds of times....
I know this is an old post that I'm responding too, but maybe you'll read it.
First off, yes I'm a GASP "roadie" and have ridden WR a few times when my then girlfriend (now wife) lived in the Dallas area. Now, granted, I understand that you don't race on a MUP and that it is slower speeds, give room for others, etc. I try to avoid MUPs for that exact reason, but CSOM Gal isn't that fast so it works occasionally.
Of the problems I've seen is that often times you get people that don't know how to react to "on your left" (see posts in this thread) and you get too many people with iPods, cell phones, etc. many won't hear it (or a bell for that matter) anyway. So yes, it gets old when either you aren't heard or it doesn't work. Often times, yes, the best course of action, from a roadie perspective is hope that the individual (ped, bike, skateboard, whatever) holds some sort of line, and then just ride by them with enough safe clearance for all. Admittadly, it does create problems if someone doesn't hold their line/speed, which is why I slow down and don't go by at 20+ mph, likely 12-14mph.
If you are still having the problems you're describing, a few pointers which work for us is to 1) make sure you're riding as far right as pracitcal (not hugging the line) and 2) call-out your moves. I don't care if it's not a road. If you are slowing down, turning, changing your lane position, etc. please call those out and let others around you know what you are doing, rather than just swerving without making sure the space you want to occupy is clear. You wouldn't do it in a car, so please don't do it on a bike (I'm also one of those people who hate going to malls because walkers do it too... let's just stop or turn for no apparent reason).
I hope this doesn't come across as snarky, but really just trying to help.