Fifty Plus (50+) - Give 'em a bit more room...

On yesterday's ride on an MUP I saw a guy give warning with, "Passing left." Then after passing a woman pushing a stroller with little girl inside, cut back over to the right. Unfortunately, he hit a stone, which kicked back and hit the little girl on the forehead. She had a bit of a cut and quite a welt forming. She'll be OK, but I kept thinking about what would have happened if it hit her in the eye.

So, those of us who ride MUPs - please give the folks you pass just a bit more room before you cut back over to the right.

And slow down when passing pedestrians!!!!!

That kind of thing has been a problem around here for years. We have a nice riverfront MUT that runs for about eight miles, from downtown Reno out to east Sparks. Bikes are legal there, but on summer weekends, especially, there are a lot of macho dressed-like-superhero wannabes running out there a lot faster than is safe. Some of them make a game of brushing back grandma in her walker or slaloming through crowds of walkers or slower cyclists.

On yesterday's ride on an MUP I saw a guy give warning with, "Passing left." Then after passing a woman pushing a stroller with little girl inside, cut back over to the right. Unfortunately, he hit a stone, which kicked back and hit the little girl on the forehead. She had a bit of a cut and quite a welt forming. She'll be OK, but I kept thinking about what would have happened if it hit her in the eye.

So, those of us who ride MUPs - please give the folks you pass just a bit more room before you cut back over to the right.

Well, I don't think it is fair to blame the cyclist for cutting back too soon or for going too fast. The speed to the rock isn't necessarily a function of the speed of the bicycle and the rock can be thrown to the side as well as to the rear, so taking more time before cutting back over is not going to prevent this sort of accident. Even when going slow a rock can get up quite a bit of speed from the rebound off the tire. This because the tire acts sort of like a rubber band and the band is loaded by the weight of the rider and bicycle, not by the speed at which you are going. I have hit cars with rocks this way many times on my commute. So far the drivers haven't seemed to notice or, in any event, they haven't complained.

And get the rocks off of the MUPS!!

We don't seem to have any problems with rocks on our MUPS here - just lucky I guess.

Well, I don't think it is fair to blame the cyclist for cutting back too soon or for going too fast.

So how is that different from the cars who pass bicyclists unnecessarily closely on the roads?

And slow down when passing pedestrians!!!!!

Or just stay off the MUP if you want to go fast.

I'll take my chances with the cars as opposed to the side by side walkers taking the entire MUP, or with their unpredictable kids and dogs on long strings.

Bicycles are the SUVs of the MUPs.

While I agree that excess speed and close proximity to others on a MUP can cause dangers and is irresponsible, it seems this was just an unfortunate accident.

NOS88, I like MUPs for working on my knee and making fit adjustments without the hassle of car traffic and plan to be out on one later today. There are other 'challenges' that come with "multi use", however. While this particular cyclist may've done nothing wrong, this was a perferct storm type incident, cyclist vs. infant.

I've absolutely rocketed on MUPs, but we (my friends and myself) back down nearing any kind of other traffic and have an unspoken non startle rule when passing and approaching head on. Because of the poor behavior of a few cyclists we try to show a courtious demeanor as cyclists have been banned or time restricted in some places.

One other point. Last weekend was pleasantly uneventful as everyone on the MUP seemed 'experianced' and I'm hoping for that again today. :) I was passed twice by cyclists when my knee started to crash, they displayed the best of how cyclists should behave. (First time I've been passed in a very long time and I certainly can understand how walkers/joggers can appreciate such behavior.)

Brad

And slow down when passing pedestrians!!!!!

And if you are a fast rider, slow way, way down.

My little personal rule for passing pedestrians on MUPs is that if I haven't slowed down enough to exchange a friendly greeting then I'm going too fast.

The exception for me is familiar walkers or joggers who can be trusted to hold their line.

Well, I don't think it is fair to blame the cyclist for cutting back too soon or for going too fast. The speed to the rock isn't necessarily a function of the speed of the bicycle and the rock can be thrown to the side as well as to the rear, so taking more time before cutting back over is not going to prevent this sort of accident. Even when going slow a rock can get up quite a bit of speed from the rebound off the tire. This because the tire acts sort of like a rubber band and the band is loaded by the weight of the rider and bicycle, not by the speed at which you are going. I have hit cars with rocks this way many times on my commute. So far the drivers haven't seemed to notice or, in any event, they haven't complained.

I don't think I blamed anyone, and I'm sure I said nothing about going to fast. While I appreciate the reality of your assessment of how rocks can fly off of bike tires, my point, perhaps poorly made, is that if there is more space between the bike and those behind it there is less likelihood that anything coming off the rear wheel will hit them. I've seen riders in the rain cut so close that the mud and debris flys up into the faces of the walkers they just passed. I just think staying to the other side for 10 additional pedal strokes is a safer thing to do.




Bicycles are the SUVs of the MUPs.

:) Yeah, I suspect there are those who feel that way.

And slow down when passing pedestrians!!!!!

+1


So, those of us who ride MUPs - please give the folks you pass just a bit more room before you cut back over to the right.

+1

While a bell works nicely, I have found that whistling a tune when approaching pedestrians from behind seem to work much better. I can do "The Addams Family", and the theme from "Andy Griffith".

But,,, with some Pedestrians, it doesn't matter. They turn slowly, see you, do that "panic dance",
then maybe swear at you as you pass. This is generally accompanied by a death look.


My experience with "Passing left", or "On your left" has not been positive.

Bicycles are the SUVs of the MUPs.

+1

While a bell works nicely, I have found that whistling a tune when approaching pedestrians from behind seem to work much better. I can do "The Addams Family", and the theme from "Andy Griffith".

But,,, with some Pedestrians, it doesn't matter. They turn slowly, see you, do that "panic dance",
then maybe swear at you as you pass. This is generally accompanied by a death look.


My experience with "Passing left", or "On your left" has not been positive.

Bell benefit depends on where you are. I don't ride a lot of places. But, of the places I do, in only one do cyclists use a bell and the pedestrians know what it means. Even there bell use is not routine. Also, I've seen several folks use bells in a very aggressive manner.

A person is on a MUP, approaches another cyclist or pedestrians from behind, rings bell without slowing, other person either doesn't hear bell or doesn't know what it means, near collision.