Road Cycling - "On your left... YOUR OTHER LEFT!"

Funny thing happened on today's ride... I was out early. A woman and her daughter were setting up for a yard sale. They were standing really close to the road with their backs toward me checking out their handywork and a car was approaching from behind. The mom looked as if she was about to step into my path and with the car coming, leave me no place to go. So I said in a loud voice, "On your left". Like two syncronized swimmers -- both mom and daughter looked over their RIGHT shoulders at their pile of yardsale stuff! Yeah, that's it ladies -- must have been the talking Ken doll!

You also could have slowed down, let the car pass, then go.

It amazes me how many cyclists fail to even consider slowing down to let traffic (or people) pass, like that roadie who slammed into a little kid in Central Park because he was too busy to slow down to let the kid (and his dad) cross the street.

The guy hurt the kid, himself and the cyclist next to him because he wasn't willing to, or didn't think of yielding.

what happen, did you hit them.
What you should have done was slow down, because if you swerved you could have been hit by the car, if you proceed you could have been hurt and at the same time injured the girls, and get sued....

Sorry, I guess my explaination was unclear and it did imply I was worried about hitting them. I was more concerned about startling them, not hitting them. I wasn't going that fast and could have easily stopped had they stepped into the road.

Usually when I come up on a pedestrian, or anything for that matter, from the rear I try to give a wide enough berth so that I don't startle anyone. There was no room to give that wide berth in this case.

I wasn't worried about hitting them and they never stepped into the road although they were close enough to it that if I had just cruised by, it might have startled them. Know what I mean?

It was a courtesy thing... Just thought it funny that they both looked at the yardsale stuff when they heard me.

ah, that fresh newbie smell :D

good story, but I like startling people cuz I'm evil.

ah, that fresh newbie smell :D

good story, but I like startling people cuz I'm evil.

Heh heh. Note: Apparently HA! is too short a message for the board, even for a newbie ;-)

Weird ride:
With the bad weather about to hit, I went out early on the bike path. One lane each way, lots of runners, and enough who take either the wrong side or the left side of the right lane to say lots of "on your left" and "good morning."

Well coming back, I come around the bend, not too fast, and there is a guy running on the middle line coming towards me. He sees me and drifts into my lane. I go left and he comes right, I go right and he bears left until i hit the brakes and stop right before I run into him. We end up face to face until he goes around me on his merry way. Not a word.

All I could think of saying was "staying on the right would be good."

I have always slowed down when it comes to a narrow road and a car coming from behind me. Some people just don't understand though, I am biking as slow as I can and waving to them to go by me so I don't go face first into a truck parked on the shoulder, as much as I signal to go by me.......they go as slow as they can around me, and putting me in more danger on the shoulder than on the road itself.

I don't bother to say anything anymore, because for some reason todays generation can't figure out their left from their right, and 9 times out of 10 when I say "on your left" they go left!!!! So I observe the walking pattern of the person, and if they are walking a straight line I just keep quiet and buzz past them startling them. I can do this relatively safely since my bike is so quiet no one ever knows I'm behind them till I pass then they shreik as if they just seen a ghost. If the person is walking all over the path then I will slow way down the say "on your left", then I say "your other left" idiot...I leave the idiot part off so I don't get shot at.

ah, that fresh newbie smell :D

You're pretty ripe yourself,
http://img47.exs.cx/img47/9131/1AndyGriffith18.jpg
:D

The new thing now seems to be on your left and thats where they go. Its something how many people are on a bike path and are SHOCKED when you came up behind them on of all things,a bike. Yesterday i bet i didnt maintain for more then 2 miles my cadence before i came upon 2 or more people across both lanes or in the other lane going the same way as me. Slow down,speed up,slow down,say something,speed up,slow down. Half look at me like i'm in there way.Sorry,i'm only riding on the bike path with my bike. Someday i'll ride all day on the sidewalk with the same,why are you walking here.Bet they wont like that but not a second thought about being on the bikepath across both lanes.

You're pretty ripe yourself,
http://img47.exs.cx/img47/9131/1AndyGriffith18.jpg
:D
Where's Clint? Wasn't Clint in every picture Ron ever made?

55/Rad

I sped by this two middle school girls who were walking on the side of a four lane road. I was doing about 25 when I passed by about six inches away from them and I screamed on top of there lungs like they were about to get hit by a car! I was the funniest thing ever. I assume they went home as fast as possible to get out of there soiled pants :D

Amazed at some people's remarks and the animosity towards pedestrians. While some of it is deserved but come on. I don't care how silly it looks but a bell might be a good idea. They are making 'em so small these days that there isn't that much of a weight penalty. I recently started riding and am already getting tired of uttering "on your left". I just pass if they seem to be going straight. If they seem to be looking around at birds, those are the ones I say "on your left" to. Thus far they all seem to move to the right as they should.

It's the dogs that scare me, especially the wee little ones. They are so unpredictable. Having said that, I was approaching a guy walking his Labrador. He was on the leash, everything seemed to be good except a chipmunk ran right across the road. The Lab takes off after him, right in front of me. I hit his tail and kept on going. Now, that was close.

Happy trails.

Weights not an issue,i just dont want a bell,horn or streamers on my bike. Maybe a card and clothspin for my spokes would be cool but not the other stuff.

Weights not an issue,i just dont want a bell,horn or streamers on my bike. Maybe a card and clothspin for my spokes would be cool but not the other stuff.

The card's only cool if it's a Carl Yastrzemski ;-)

The new thing now seems to be on your left and thats where they go. Its something how many people are on a bike path and are SHOCKED when you came up behind them on of all things,a bike. Yesterday i bet i didnt maintain for more then 2 miles my cadence before i came upon 2 or more people across both lanes or in the other lane going the same way as me. Slow down,speed up,slow down,say something,speed up,slow down. Half look at me like i'm in there way.Sorry,i'm only riding on the bike path with my bike. Someday i'll ride all day on the sidewalk with the same,why are you walking here.Bet they wont like that but not a second thought about being on the bikepath across both lanes.

Exactly why I don't ride on the bikepath.

do y'alls "paths" actually say for bikes only? We have a lot of paths here and they're multi-purpose. Some places (eg Wash Park) are big enough that they divided the path between wheels and non.

The ones i use do. The only signs say bike paths and they even have stick figures on bikes painted on some walls. That doesnt stop everybody else from being there and alot of the paths runs next to parts that have nice walking paths.