Road Cycling - Etiquette?

So..I'm riding home from work yesterday when these two guys pass by me. "Over to your right" the guy in front tells me...wtf? Maybe if he would have asked me....I made them pull out into the right lane..Whats up with roadies being such snobs? I ride road and off-road bikes and people on the road are just not as friendly...I know this has been brought up in the forum before, and I'm sure you all have your reasons, but the truth is its seems that its just part of the whole roadie 'thing'...whatever. I'll never subscribe...a year from now when I'm riding 76 up to palomar and I pass by a large group, I'll say hi to every single one of them... :)

He should have assumed you couldn't hear them approaching and said "on your left" and then you should have moved over. Barking at you was impolite IMHO. *If* you heard them coming and didn't move, then you're lucky he didn't kick you over to the right! :D

And what would you have them do? Slow down to your speed and say, "Excuse me but we would like to pass you so can you please move over to the right. THank you and have a good day. BTW how is your family and do you have a recipie for snacks because Martha isn't on tv anymore."

He should have said "on your left" to indicate where he was but big deal. It seems like you are the one with an attitude.


So..I'm riding home from work yesterday when these two guys pass by me. "Over to your right" the guy in front tells me...wtf? Maybe if he would have asked me....I made them pull out into the right lane..Whats up with roadies being such snobs? I ride road and off-road bikes and people on the road are just not as friendly...I know this has been brought up in the forum before, and I'm sure you all have your reasons, but the truth is its seems that its just part of the whole roadie 'thing'...whatever. I'll never subscribe...a year from now when I'm riding 76 up to palomar and I pass by a large group, I'll say hi to every single one of them... :)

thanks for proving my point


And what would you have them do? Slow down to your speed and say, "Excuse me but we would like to pass you so can you please move over to the right. THank you and have a good day. BTW how is your family and do you have a recipie for snacks because Martha isn't on tv anymore."

He should have said "on your left" to indicate where he was but big deal. It seems like you are the one with an attitude.

So..I'm riding home from work yesterday when these two guys pass by me. "Over to your right" the guy in front tells me...wtf? Maybe if he would have asked me....I made them pull out into the right lane..Whats up with roadies being such snobs? I ride road and off-road bikes and people on the road are just not as friendly...I know this has been brought up in the forum before, and I'm sure you all have your reasons, but the truth is its seems that its just part of the whole roadie 'thing'...whatever. I'll never subscribe...a year from now when I'm riding 76 up to palomar and I pass by a large group, I'll say hi to every single one of them... :)
I don't really understand? Were they telling you to move over to your right? If so thats pretty stupid. Most riders who pass will come up behind you and say , "On your left" and then pass. But what they said is confusing and can cause an accident. I typically say nothing and just give a wave maby say hello and move on. I find that most people who are happily riding off in there own world get confused when you say something like "on your left" then they immediatly move to there left. In fact just reciently I put a bell on my commuter and that thing works great especially for pedistrians. They immediatly get your attension.

So..I'm riding home from work yesterday when these two guys pass by me. "Over to your right" the guy in front tells me...wtf? Maybe if he would have asked me....I made them pull out into the right lane..Whats up with roadies being such snobs? I ride road and off-road bikes and people on the road are just not as friendly...I know this has been brought up in the forum before, and I'm sure you all have your reasons, but the truth is its seems that its just part of the whole roadie 'thing'...whatever. I'll never subscribe...a year from now when I'm riding 76 up to palomar and I pass by a large group, I'll say hi to every single one of them... :)

Not ALL roadies are snobs or rude. Let's not take one situation and make a blanket assertion. I always smile and wave to anyone else on a bike, road, mountain, recumbent, piece of crap Huffy, whatever. If I'm overtaking other cyclists, I always say politely, "On your left." I'm by no means unique in this...I have the same courtesies extended to me by others.

You've got the right response, though. Just be friendly. If others want to be rude, that's their problem. They have to live with themselves. Fortunately, you do not!

What exactly does 'on your left' mean, anyway? Does it mean 'I'm passing on your left' or 'please keep left'? I keep reading it on here and have no idea what y'all are going on about :) The fact that stupid England rides on the left doesn't help.

LOL, "on your left" means that you will be passed on your left. However as i can no say "passing on your left" becuase people in my part on IN do not seem to know right from left, and are generally really confused about it. However, i do this only if they are using the entire path, and would rather smile as i fly by than have another close call. In my hometown, everyone knows what "on your left" means, so I use it all the time when I'm riding at home.

thats my.02

Not ALL roadies are snobs or rude. Let's not take one situation and make a blanket assertion. I always smile and wave to anyone else on a bike, road, mountain, recumbent, piece of crap Huffy, whatever. If I'm overtaking other cyclists, I always say politely, "On your left." I'm by no means unique in this...I have the same courtesies extended to me by others.

You've got the right response, though. Just be friendly. If others want to be rude, that's their problem. They have to live with themselves. Fortunately, you do not!

nuovorecord,

yeah, its not everybody...just the overwhelming majority in my area, apparently. Its cool..they want to be hard a**es, its their business.

jfmckenna,

So I pull up to this stoplight and, like, :30 later I hear a guy unclick behind me...the light turns green and about a mile down the road the guy pulls up and says "over to your right". I'm more than happy to move over when asked...I can respect that there are 100million people that ride faster than me, but come on...'Over to your right'?? You all know thats disrespect...

I know this has been brought up in the forum before, and I'm sure you all have your reasons, but the truth is its seems that its just part of the whole roadie 'thing'...

Not sure if you're just venting or looking for some insight on Bicycle Etiquette. If it's the latter, you may find some using this search string: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=BICYCLE+ETIQUETTE+%22on+your+left%22&btnG=Search

In general, and as someone else already noted, "on your left" is the norm for a cyclist signaling their intention of passing or overtaking a pedestrian, blader, or another cyclist who is travelling in the same direction but at a slower speed. "Over to your Right" does seem to be an odd phrasing but, since we weren't there it would be unwise to assume why that was called out. Perhaps it's just a qwerk of that particular rider. Regardless, at least they announced their presence and intention and didn't simply do a "blow-by" that could have left you startled and even more upset.

If you're just venting, that's fair. But, at the same time, it's probably unrealistic to expect every cyclist to behave the way you would like. Yes, there definitely is something about "some" (but not all) club riders, tri-geeks, or posers that supports the the "all roadies are arrogant and unfriendly" view that you hold IF you expect them to act a certain way. Thus, since many cyclists ride bikes for different reasons and with different objectives, I would say you will forever be bothered and disappointed. Therefore, while your intention of always being cordial to other cyclists is laudable and perhaps an ideal that many of us yearn to see, your only recourse is to "do un to others" and remember "que sera, sera".

At the end of the day, just recognize that all cyclists really have in common is some reason for being on pedal-powered machine. It may be for transportation, for recreation, for fitness, for fun, or it may be in pursuit of superior performance among peers. What ever the reason, chances are their attitude while on the bike will be aligned with the reason which means even someone like RacerX is entitled to have a different view and expectations of how he thinks other cyclists should behave.

thanks for proving my point

The point that you are the one with a bad attitude and a chip on your shoulder?
Or your mistaken assumption that I am a "roadie"?

i'm going to start yelling "stick!" or "hold your line!" when i pass people, or i'll start strapping my bike horn to my bag again...

hmm...what's the german phrase for "on your left?"

Not sure if you're just venting or looking for some insight on Bicycle Etiquette. If it's the latter, you may find some using this search string: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=BICYCLE+ETIQUETTE+%22on+your+left%22&btnG=Search

In general, and as someone else already noted, "on your left" is the norm for a cyclist signaling their intention of passing or overtaking a pedestrian, blader, or another cyclist who is travelling in the same direction but at a slower speed. "Over to your Right" does seem to be an odd phrasing but, since we weren't there it would be unwise to assume why that was called out. Perhaps it's just a qwerk of that particular rider. Regardless, at least they announced their presence and intention and didn't simply do a "blow-by" that could have left you startled and even more upset.

If you're just venting, that's fair. But, at the same time, it's probably unrealistic to expect every cyclist to behave the way you would like. Yes, there definitely is something about "some" (but not all) club riders, tri-geeks, or posers that supports the the "all roadies are arrogant and unfriendly" view that you hold IF you expect them to act a certain way. Thus, since many cyclists ride bikes for different reasons and with different objectives, I would say you will forever be bothered and disappointed. Therefore, while your intention of always being cordial to other cyclists is laudable and perhaps an ideal that many of us yearn to see, your only recourse is to "do un to others" and remember "que sera, sera".

At the end of the day, just recognize that all cyclists really have in common is some reason for being on pedal-powered machine. It may be for transportation, for recreation, for fitness, for fun, or it may be in pursuit of superior performance among peers. What ever the reason, chances are their attitude while on the bike will be aligned with the reason which means even someone like RacerX is entitled to have a different view and expectations of how he thinks other cyclists should behave.


Well written, livngood. I couldn't have expressed it any better than that...

The roads around here don't have shoulders and those that do have shoulders are covered with broken glass. When I hear "on your left" I just ignore it and hold my line. If you want to pass me that's fine but don't expect me to move over.

When passing other cyclists who at least appear to know what they are doing I say "On your left." I don't think most pedestrians or really slow moving cyclists are that familiar with the concept so I slow down and say "I'm going to pass on your left." I never blow past peds, etc. on a bike path because you don't know what they are going to do. Sometimes when they hear me they look over their right shoulder and unconsciously drift to the left while their brain tries to decode he message. They are almost always nice and return my "How's it going?" or "How are you doing today?"

I consider myself at least a bit of a roadie, though I am mostly just a commuter. I have to admit, most are at best not very friendly, ignoring waves or greetings. It's their prerogative. I won't disturb someone who is obviously in a "training" mode doing something intense. However, if someone eases past me, obviously not going at it too hard right then I will sometimes ease up to them and strike up a conversation. After that they will say hi or return waves.

The original post here reminds me of a huge group ride I was in a couple of years ago. It was a memorial ride for a couple of racers who were killed when a pickup truck going too fast for the curving road crossed the centerline rounding a curve and plowed into an afternoon training ride paceline doing about 27. The ride included cyclists from the most serious racers to people whose bikes hadn't seen daylight in years. Anyway I was riding side by side with the local cycling club president. The guy is a trip. As cyclists would pass us without warning he would sing out "On your right!" It seemed hysterical to me at the time, but then maybe anything was a welcome distraction from thoughts of why we were there.

i'm going to start yelling "stick!" or "hold your line!" when i pass people, or i'll start strapping my bike horn to my bag again...

hmm...what's the german phrase for "on your left?"


'Auf links' or 'Auf Ihren links'

'Blöde Kuh! Gehen Sie rechts !' would be the nice way to say it.

...I say "On your left."......Sometimes when they hear me they look over their right shoulder and unconsciously drift to the left while their brain tries to decode he message....

Maybe the term "over to your right" is a way to avoid the unconscious drift left.

Since I ride so slowly, and there are so few cyclists out there, I hardly pass anyone. When I do have a chance to pass someone, its usually on a wide open road with no traffic, so I don't even need to say anything.

When I pass a cyclist going the opposite direction, I rarely acknowledge them. If the road is totally quiet, then I might say 'hi'. Otherwise, I pretty much stay in my own little world. Is it rude to not say Hello or anything like that? I'm just not that friendly (although I do not mind people, and if someone else starts a conversation, I generally won't mind speaking to them)

I always call, "On your left," when I'm passing. This after almost crashing into a cyclist I was passing, who suddenly decided to move left. We avoided a serious crash by inches.

The poor fellow wasn't at fault. He didn't realize that I was on his left.

If I'm unsure about someone's response to "on your left," I will instead call out, "Passing on your left."

I am a "roadie," but I smile, wave, and usually call out to every cyclist I see. If they're going the same way that I am, I'll usually make a remark about the riding weather, etc. Still, if the other rider ignores me, I don't take it personally, just smile and pedal. I'm out to have fun, not to blow a gasket.

When I hear "on your left" I just ignore it and hold my line.

By doing this, I wouldn't say you are ignoring them. Holding your line is perfectly fine.

"On your left" is just short for "I am passing on your left". In MTBing you might say "track right" to someone on a single track trail. This is asking them to move to the right, so they can pass. The only thing I have heard that is similar on the road is just a "right side" call. This is if someone is on the outside of a pack and an obstical, like a parked car, is coming up and the guy on the right needs a little more space.

What is worse... saying "Over to your right. " or riding by on my left and touching the side of my leg as you pass me... I had some fool do this on PCH one day on a club ride... scared the crap outta me... I don;t need some fool touching me... I know what he was doing... just letting me know he was there and he was about to pass me.. but it really ticked me off..

I'm much better with "On your left"

jeff

I don;t need some fool touching me

Yeah, but that fresh shave looked so smoooooooth. I couldn't help myself. ;)

Yeah, but that fresh shave looked so smoooooooth. I couldn't help myself. ;)

LOL

Good thing i dont have to tell anyone where im passing since i barely pass anyone anyway. :p

they should just get a bell and say "coming through". it's more noticable.

I ALWAYS Say to someone I am about to pass "On your left" and after passing I always say "Thanks"
I 90% of the time smile or wave to oncoming cyclists...
But NEVER have I told someone to move to their left.. I have wanted to tell some to quit riding two abreast or to get off the trail, but NEVR have I been rude or disrespectful to any cyclist. They have every right to the trail as i do. unfortunately some think they have more rights to the trail than others, and I am not talking speed freaks or the general cyclist. I am talking the ones who ride side by side at a slow pace, see you coming and dont fall in behind one another, thus taking almost the whole trail, those are the ones I like to move a little closer to... But i still smile or wave... LOL

I never say anything as I pass someone, but I rarely pass with anything less than 5 feet of space between us. There are so many different ways someone might take what you say that I decided to just pass, nod afterwards, and continue on. If I can't get my 5 feet of clearance, I'll wait until I can. I'm always worried that when I nod to other riders they don't see me, because they certainly don't acknowledge me:(

I am a "roadie," but I smile, wave, and usually call out to every cyclist I see. If they're going the same way that I am, I'll usually make a remark about the riding weather, etc. Still, if the other rider ignores me, I don't take it personally, just smile and pedal. I'm out to have fun, not to blow a gasket.

That makes you a tourist, not a roadie. Don't panic. It's a good thing.

Hi,
I am not fast. Really not fast. So passing roadies who might have a clue what 'on your left' actually means is not a big issue. Depepnds on what I think of the person. If I think they're clueless I try to pass as quickly and quietly as I can. Giving the clueless information only increases the likelihood they'll do something stupid. Someone who looks experienced I wili talk to. 'Good morning' works about as well as anything else.

In case you're wondering where the last few posts have gone - I deleted them.

Name calling is childish and contravenes forum guidelines. While only one person indulged in name calling, several other posts referred to that post so they have also been removed.

Let's maintain the high standards of this forum by arguing the point, not by name calling.

So..I'm riding home from work yesterday when these two guys pass by me. "Over to your right" the guy in front tells me...wtf? Maybe if he would have asked me....I made them pull out into the right lane..Whats up with roadies being such snobs? I ride road and off-road bikes and people on the road are just not as friendly...I know this has been brought up in the forum before, and I'm sure you all have your reasons, but the truth is its seems that its just part of the whole roadie 'thing'...whatever. I'll never subscribe...a year from now when I'm riding 76 up to palomar and I pass by a large group, I'll say hi to every single one of them... :)

Well, I have to say I would be a little ticked off, too. The difference between "on your left" and "over to the right" is that the latter is a demand, the former information on what the other person is about to do.

In case you're wondering where the last few posts have gone - I deleted them.


Alright I'll try this again then.


The point that you are the one with a bad attitude and a chip on your shoulder?
Or your mistaken assumption that I am a "roadie"?

I see that you prefer efficiency while riding instead of pointless conversation.

I'm not a roadie because I ride too slowly and too few miles.
So I'm out of the whole etiquette circle :)

I usually say nothing then give them a good kick in the knee as I go by. Then I'll call them something profane as they are scraping the asphalt. I'll usually end the encounter by saying something like: "dinner better be on the table when I get home biatch".

Then I wake up, go riding and greet and smile anybody willing to look at me. And not think ill of others that don't see the world as I do.

55/Rad

It depends on the situation. There is a road that I ride on daily that has a bike lane next to an always empty car parking lane. Sometime I come upon a slower rider, in the bike lane, and am tempted to pass using the parking lane, instead of moving out into the traffic. So saying something like "over to your right (left down here)" would actually make sense. Either way roadies generally cover thousands of KM's, solo and in groups and have a whole language of their own. He wasn't being rude, just talking the lingo.

CHEERS

Mark

Alright I'll try this again then.



I see that you prefer efficiency while riding instead of pointless conversation.

I'm not a roadie because I ride too slowly and too few miles.
So I'm out of the whole etiquette circle :)

I love to chat when riding with my friends. If someone is riding and wants to talk, I'll chat. But the whole attitude that people should act the way you think they should act is silly.

So someone zips by and grunts a few words. So what, why is that anything to get upset about? So now all "roadies" are snobs? And then there is the ineveitable ego-soothing comment that "I could blow them away if I really wanted to".

Really, who cares and why the chip on your shoulder?

If I'm on a harder ride, I'll still call out a warning that I'm approaching if I'm going to be close to a cyclist or pedestrian.

Anyway I know you are kidding about the short miles and riding too slow but who cares about all that. Cycling is cycling.

And what would you have them do? Slow down to your speed and say, "Excuse me but we would like to pass you so can you please move over to the right. THank you and have a good day. BTW how is your family and do you have a recipie for snacks because Martha isn't on tv anymore."

He should have said "on your left" to indicate where he was but big deal. It seems like you are the one with an attitude.

When riding up behind to pass a cyclist or pedestrian I call " BIKE", this has a much better result than ringing a bell.Less confusion.

haha, this is one of those arguments that i see pop up frequently... 'on your left' might seem obvious to some but its still vague to others


thats why my friends and i prefer the more succint declaration "passing left" (to pass) and Command "move right" (ie. car behind you)

'Auf links' or 'Auf Ihren links'

'Blöde Kuh! Gehen Sie rechts !' would be the nice way to say it.
ich denke, dass sie angeschlagen sein wuerden

It is not usual to call ahead with any warning here in the UK. On the other hand it would be considered exremely rude to suggest that I move over - and this would likely provoke a very sarcastic response, perhaps "sorry, Mr Armstrong" ;)

A vehicle of any kind does not have the right to overtake simply because they are able to travel faster, and should not expect everyone to clear a path for them. It is the responsibility of the overtaking party to choose a safe opportunity for their manouver - if this means being stuck for a while, tough. I frequently find myself behind slower cyclists and always wait my turn to pass safely, checking their position behind me before I move back into position (occasionally they speed up and are closer than you think). No big deal, and I'm fortunate that no other cyclist has treated me with any less respect, "roadie" or not.

Cheers,

Ed

It is not usual to call ahead with any warning here in the UK. On the other hand it would be considered exremely rude to suggest that I move over - and this would likely provoke a very sarcastic response, perhaps "sorry, Mr Armstrong" ;)

A vehicle of any kind does not have the right to overtake simply because they are able to travel faster, and should not expect everyone to clear a path for them. It is the responsibility of the overtaking party to choose a safe opportunity for their manouver - if this means being stuck for a while, tough. I frequently find myself behind slower cyclists and always wait my turn to pass safely, checking their position behind me before I move back into position (occasionally they speed up and are closer than you think). No big deal, and I'm fortunate that no other cyclist has treated me with any less respect, "roadie" or not.

Cheers,

Ed

"Sorry, Mr. Armstrong." :D I'll have to remember that one. Humor is a great tool.

Ed is right on substance, too. Sometimes you slow other people down. Sometimes other people slow you down. That's just the way it is.

Ed,
Excellent point! I have been driving for almost 40 years and it has always been my understanding that the OVERTAKING vehicle bears responsibility for passing safely. Which makes me wonder about why a motorist is excused for killing a cyclist because the cyclist "swerved in front of" the vehicle. That tells me that
1. The vehicle was following too closely - a traffic violation.
OR
2. The vehicle was attempting to pass too closely - a traffic violation.
Yet is always an unfortunate but "unavoidable" accident and the "driver was not charged."

What was the question?

I usually say nothing then give them a good kick in the knee as I go by. Then I'll call them something profane as they are scraping the asphalt. I'll usually end the encounter by saying something like: "dinner better be on the table when I get home biatch".

Then I wake up, go riding and greet and smile anybody willing to look at me. And not think ill of others that don't see the world as I do.

55/Rad

:roflmao: :lol: :roflmao:

And what would you have them do? Slow down to your speed

God forbid! Isn't this the exact same reason we have problems with drivers of cars?

Suck it up, and ride.

The roads around here don't have shoulders and those that do have shoulders are covered with broken glass. When I hear "on your left" I just ignore it and hold my line. If you want to pass me that's fine but don't expect me to move over.

I agree with most of the oher responses as well, but this one is worth seconding!! Road conditions and safety (of yourself and others) dictate how you respond. In my area "on Your Left" does not do anything by announce your presance and intention to pass someone ON THE LEFT. Please don't come up and try to pass me on the RIGHT!! I WILL NOT GIVE WAY AND YOU MAY END UP IN A DITCH!! Passing on the RIGHT is very dangerous (on open roads especially) because it can force a rider into traffic to avoid a colision with you!!

"Rodies" are a very diverse group as someone else already said better than I can. The quote that comes to mind is, "don't judge a book by its cover." Yes I dress in "roadie" cloths for two reasons 1 - they fit better!! 2- I like the look. The fact that my kit (slang for cycling attire) says USPS or Team BBC (My racing kit) doesn't make me a snob or a jerk! In fact, most of the guys I rde with are very nice, polite and (imagine this) helpful to other riders (no matter who they are). And yes, we do ride in a paceline and yes most of us have the same kit on (when out as a team). Racers tend to be commetative by nature, dugh!! A true "roadie" will not blast by you without some sort of acknowledgment because they know how upsetting it can be to be startled (also potentially dangerous).

Enough ranting for now...Bill

I've called out "on your left" and "passing" or "passing left" many times. Works most of the time. Once in awhile I've had to call out "passing right". That gets scary.

one point is wotever you say make sure u have a safety distance. Many people are unaware of other cylist closing up to them and when they get a call u sometimes get some 'erratic steering' from them

God forbid! Isn't this the exact same reason we have problems with drivers of cars?

No, safe passing and overtaking slower traffic is a part of our traffic system.

Originally Posted by Feltup
God forbid! Isn't this the exact same reason we have problems with drivers of cars?

No, safe passing and overtaking slower traffic is a part of our traffic system.

You missed the sarcasm. Sometimes we wait for cars because there's no safe way to pass. Sometimes cars have to wait for us because there's no safe way to pass. And sometimes cyclists have to wait for other cyclists because, you guessed it, there's no safe way to pass.

You missed the sarcasm. Sometimes we wait for cars because there's no safe way to pass. Sometimes cars have to wait for us because there's no safe way to pass. And sometimes cyclists have to wait for other cyclists because, you guessed it, there's no safe way to pass.

So what have I said to indicate I advocate unsafe cycling in any way?

So what have I said to indicate I advocate unsafe cycling in any way?

I didn't say you said that that. The point we were trying to make (and that feltup made with appropriate sarcasm) is that sometimes you just get stuck behind someone going slower than you. Even if you are a commuter trying to get to work or a racer in training, sometimes traffic forces you to go slower than you want to. Cyclists, like everyone else, can't expect traffic to part like the Red Sea for them.