General Cycling Discussion - it's time to change this "tradition"...

this whole "on your left" thing seems to work nicely USUALLY as far as other bikers are concerned. but for the general public, it appears to be some sort of secret code for "do a stupid little panicky shuffle/dance with your feet and proceed to your left, directly in path of bike."

three near misses today, one crash. the crash with an apparently mentally-deficient biker. "hello! this doesn't mean 'turn your head and steer bike into oncoming biker.'"

I've never had a problem with "On your left", followed up by "Thank you!"

It seems to work fine on cyclists, bicycle riders (there's a difference!), skaters, walkers, etc.

I make sure I know that the person in fromt of me knows what I'm trying to do too. I don't just blaze on by assuming they will yield.

usually does work...but today was apparently one of "those" days...

I'm gonna have to say that I agreed with this thread. I started to laugh when I read this. Its soooo true. People I think are amazed that someone else may be on the trail besides them and they just don't know their right from their left. Oh well it makes for a few good laughs. :lol:

I love the folks that walk or ride right down the dead center of the MUT. The only thing I love more is the rollerbladers that use the enitre MUT -and If I am lucky, its to music.

Maybe I need ask Usher to record "On Your Left"

Oh well- that's what my freindly little bell is for.

this whole "on your left" thing seems to work nicely USUALLY as far as other bikers are concerned. but for the general public, it appears to be some sort of secret code for "do a stupid little panicky shuffle/dance with your feet and proceed to your left, directly in path of bike."

three near misses today, one crash. the crash with an apparently mentally-deficient biker. "hello! this doesn't mean 'turn your head and steer bike into oncoming biker.'"

Cyclists are used to it... the general public is not... usually when I approach folks that don't seem to have a clue, I make noises just so they are not startled... I roll back on my pedals so my cluster clicks, I snap my break handles a few times... if I am going real fast, I announce myself early... let 'em get in their "dance" early. :D

How about:

"I'm passing on you're left"

If that doesn't work an ear-numbing scream seems to get results.

I ring my ding-a-lingy bell, and if that doesn't work, I say "Passing" or "Passing Left."

It is confusing for both neophyte bikers and peds to say, "On your left." I once had a neophyte biker run me off the trail because she thought "On Your Left" meant she was supposed to go to her left.

I have a whole bunch of walkers pretty well trained on my regular route!

I yell "on your left" and still assume the other person is going to do something moronic. Notification + maintaining a defensive status seems to work a lot better than notification alone.

What we really need is an international audible signal...like beep, beep...
Where I ride, I have to learn how to say "on your left" in at least three different languages.

I yell "on your left" and still assume the other person is going to do something moronic. Notification + maintaining a defensive status seems to work a lot better than notification alone.

Same here. Usually when I'm on the greenway, people will hear my warning, move a little to the right and wave when I pass. Some days, you get those 'dancers' that have no idea what "on your left" means.

I almost feel bad when I'm about to pass some older people, yell "on your left", and they jump and grab their chest :o

Ring bell, wait for them to make a hole wherever, use hole. This requires a bit more time, but you never guess if you wait for them to make the move first. Don't blame the pedestrians; they have the right of way and there are no rules of the road that apply to them. I generally stay off paths because the safe speed is too low.

I take a clue from bike messengers of old, I make police siren noises, that seems to do the trick. Works with cars too! My favorite part is the looks onlookers give me because that is the last sound they expect someone on a bike to make.

I find that most people (except for cyclists of course) don't respond to 'on your left' because it means nothing to them. So on bike paths if i'm passing joggers, etc, I say EXCUSE ME. Everyone knows what excuse me means. O course, if they're plugged in to their stupid walkman, tough **** if they can't hear me. Sometimes I just snap my fingers in their face- so rude! But too bad.

What we really need is an international audible signal...like beep, beep...
Where I ride, I have to learn how to say "on your left" in at least three different languages.

Try riding with an obnoxiously loud set of screeching brakes. Works every time and language doesn't matter.

get a bell. ring it. it works better than a voice because the walker just hears the bell, does not have to think about left or right. Most bikers who pass me who say "On your left" are already next to me, with no warning. I'm not slow on my bike, so those bikers are going very fast. If they come up on a ped, there is no warning whatsoever.

Get over your fear of having a bell on your bike. It works.

Get over your fear of having a bell on your bike. It works.
Plus I leave it on when I enter the occasional competetive 'non-race' event, and I use it. It drives the other riders crazy.

I think the worst is when their are two or more talking. Sometimes it takes a loud "oh S**t!" and screeching brakes to do the dance and you still windup coming to a complete stop in a big gear.........................damn it!

Bells do work and if used properly i.e. not at the last moment and not demandingly are polite.

Also the phrase for passing another cyclist is indeed "On your left" but for a pedestrian "Passing on your left" "Passing you on your left" clears up any confusion. The trouble stems from not realizing that the traditional phrase really is a cycling thing and doesn't indicate to the uninitiated just what it is you're doing. There's no reason at all a pedestrian or novice rider should know what to do or not do when it's encountered.

Try riding with an obnoxiously loud set of screeching brakes. Works every time and language doesn't matter.

Great idea! I'll start toeing out all my brake pads..... :D

I take a clue from bike messengers of old, I make police siren noises, that seems to do the trick. Works with cars too! My favorite part is the looks onlookers give me because that is the last sound they expect someone on a bike to make.
when i was younger i had this red thing on my bike, it was a light, but built in was a police siren instead of a bell this worked great! by the way does anyone have any expirience with one of those air horns?

this whole "on your left" thing seems to work nicely USUALLY as far as other bikers are concerned. but for the general public, it appears to be some sort of secret code for "do a stupid little panicky shuffle/dance with your feet and proceed to your left, directly in path of bike."

three near misses today, one crash. the crash with an apparently mentally-deficient biker. "hello! this doesn't mean 'turn your head and steer bike into oncoming biker.'"Let me guess... You were riding on a multi-use path.

when i was younger i had this red thing on my bike, it was a light, but built in was a police siren instead of a bell this worked great! by the way does anyone have any expirience with one of those air horns?

Yes I have used one of those air horns. Most people if I gave them time to react, and was a little ways away they did not think it was a bike, they thought it was a car on a nearby street,then did nothing. If I got a little closer they had a heart attack.

Now I start yelling "Passing" very far away, and keep doing it if needed. It seems to work the best.

Get over your fear of having a bell on your bike. It works.

are you kiddin me? i have a 100% elementary-school-girlie-bike-sounding bell on my mountain bike...not one of those conservative one-ding incredibells, but the full-blown briiing-a-ringa-ringa-watch-out-we're-late-for-a-holly-hobbie-tea-party bells...no fear here, sister! the dorkier the better is my philosophy... but i can't find one that'll fit the handlebars on my road bike...and i'm too damn lazy to figure out a way to rig it up otherwise...

I wonder if there is a way to mount the spinner portion of an air-raid horn to your rear hub and hook it up in such a way that all you have to do is pedal backwards in order to sound-off. :)

I have a police siren on my bike... that sure gets their attention... 140 dB... :) :D

are you kiddin me? i have a 100% elementary-school-girlie-bike-sounding bell on my mountain bike...not one of those conservative one-ding incredibells, but the full-blown briiing-a-ringa-ringa-watch-out-we're-late-for-a-holly-hobbie-tea-party bells...no fear here, sister! the dorkier the better is my philosophy... but i can't find one that'll fit the handlebars on my road bike...and i'm too damn lazy to figure out a way to rig it up otherwise...

zip-ties and duct tape man, thats all I have to say.

I wish someone would make the equivalent of deer whistles for your bike.

I find that most people (except for cyclists of course) don't respond to 'on your left' because it means nothing to them. So on bike paths if i'm passing joggers, etc, I say EXCUSE ME. Everyone knows what excuse me means. O course, if they're plugged in to their stupid walkman, tough **** if they can't hear me. Sometimes I just snap my fingers in their face- so rude! But too bad.

I noticed that quite a few people are mentioning the fact that other peds don't understand "on your left."

On the greenway that I ride, there are big signs posted at every trailhead with the rules. You can't miss them. One of the rules says to call out "on your left" when passing. I don't know how it is in your neck of the woods, but it's plainly marked here.

So the people I'm dealing with are either illiterate or dense.

Bells work great and are polite. If you can't fit a bell on your bike, I think you should stay off of multi-use paths. I found one that has screws on both sides. To get them to fit my dopped handlebars, I had to buy longer screws at the hardware store, but now the bell fits just fine.

I've also had luck by saying "I'm on your left" or "I'm passing on your left." All these take time and require you to slow down, but those are just disadvantages of using a multi-use path.

I've found it best to eliminate all confusion, so I shout, "Bicycle passing on your left" to make sure they know I'm coming up faster than another pedestrian. When I'm passing a bike, a "On your left" suffices, assuming they'll understand that a jogger ain't about to pass them!

Ring bell, wait for them to make a hole wherever, use hole. This requires a bit more time, but you never guess if you wait for them to make the move first. Don't blame the pedestrians; they have the right of way and there are no rules of the road that apply to them. I generally stay off paths because the safe speed is too low.
This is good advice. They key here is to give warning well in advance. I usually yell in friendly tones 'behind you' and let the ped make eye contact and shuffle in the direction they feel good going. The other key part here is that this works if there are only a few peds as it is clear who you are communicating to. If you are riding in an area where 'behind you' or a bell doesn't work because of more people, then you shouldn't be riding so fast in a shared multiuse area.
Al

I don't get it either... I say on your left when skiing, biking, running ect. What gets me is when they shoot you a look or say something like you are an out of control freak. I have started passing people as if I'm in a car. Slow down to their speed, pick a safe opportunity, announce "ON YOUR LEFT" and get around them quickly and safely as possible. It stinks! What else can you do?

Be safe.

As both a a frequent walker and bicycler, the very worst thing is when the biker gives absolutely no warning at all. This happens quite regularly. A road bike in particular is the ultimate stealth weapon, and it "jolts" me everytime one comes whizzing by with no warning as I walk.

That biker is making some assumptions about me that may be entirely invalid. He is assuming I am going to keep going in a straight line - that I won't step to my left to avoid a pile of dog poo on the walkway, for example.

He is assuming I am a rational being, and won't turn around to go the opposite way without looking back.

I think NOT giving a warning of some sort is a sign of an incompetent bicycler, yet it happens a lot.

About 50% of the walkers to whom I give a warning say thanks or wave their hand in thanks, which gives some sort of a clue about how many times they are passed without a warning!

Aslo, I have learned to always signal ANY turn when cycling, as I have been surprised a number of times when there was a stealth bicycler directly behind me about whom I had no clue, and who may be overtaking me or just following real close.

I wish someone would make the equivalent of deer whistles for your bike.

Thanks, get it outta my head... the image is frightening... a deer and a cyclist stopped in their tracks blocking the trail... just looking deeply into my cygolite......and now my brakes don't work.....ahhhh

I got weirded out on Sunday. I was coming up onto a Dad and Son riding down the street. I yelled the OYL and the dad stayed his line. The kid just started going picasso with his line. At this point I slowed down. The dad yelled at him, kid jumped the curb and went to the sidewalk. I started to pass them, as I passed I looked and said thanks, but then the Dad order the son to apologize. At that point in the back of my head "okay now this is not how it should go".

Get over your fear of having a bell on your bike. It works.

I've tried using bells twice. Both eventually started dinging whenever I hit a bump. Very annoying. Maybe I just had crappy ones though.

I prefer lungs & vocal cords.

Cyclists and runners..."On your left."

Everybody else..."Heads up, I am coming by on your left."

Dog walkers..."Heads up, I am coming by on your left. Could you reel your dog in please?"

this whole "on your left" thing seems to work nicely USUALLY as far as other bikers are concerned. but for the general public,

I agree, it is a horrible "tradition".

A bike bell works the best although nothing is a sure bet. Many people do not hear you say "on your left" as they are wearing headphones, bad hearing, or you are too far away. Or people don't understand right from left sometimes. Most times when I walk on a multiuse trail, the bikes will yell on your left about ONE SECOND before passing. The worse offenders are fashion roadies who watch their cyclometers instead of the scenery.

I have a police siren on my bike... that sure gets their attention... 140 dB... :) :D
Where do i get one?

I heard one the other day that sounded like a fog horn from a ship. Loud and jarring, but not expected on a Multi Use Path, so how does one react when hearing it?

Face it folks, nothing works 100%. People get distracted and into the scenery, their music or conversation with someone they are walking/running with. Sometimes they are just digging deep like we do sometimes when we suddenly come up on a stop light or stop sign. Yelling and making noise will often just startle someone enough to make them jump right in your path. I know how I feel when a car comes up quietly behind me and honks.

The best thing I've found is to call out as early as possible so you have time at a second chance before you come up on them. Then give them as wide a path as possible. I always say thanks when they move. The last thing i want to see is a wlker going to the city council to complain about being "buzzed" by cyclists.

Compare this thread to one of the many about how the motorist don't respect our right to be on the road and you'll realize their are two sides (sometimes more) to every complaint.

Just my two cents. Now play nice.

Yeah, "On your left" doesn't often work for me on MUTs. Basically the way I see it, MUTs are only for bikes if you're going 3mph or less. Otherwise it's a hassle.

And those freakin' dog leashes that are a mile long, ugh. But then hey, I can use a road more easily than a ped can, so I guess they get the right of way.

I hate that little jig peds do when you announce you're passing! Ha it's funny. My dad jumps around all over the freakin' place if we're walking a trail together and it's ME that says a bike's coming. He's 63 or something and he's just jumping all over the place, you'd think I yelled, "Incoming!" or something, jeeze!

He's 63 or something and he's just jumping all over the place, you'd think I yelled, "Incoming!" or something, jeeze!

I am 65, and I don't jump at all when a bike comes by.

Yeah, I believe you. I think you're as old as you want to be, to some extent. My pop decided he wanted to be the oldest man in the world as soon as he turned 50, it drives me nuts.

I'm 33 and I ran a half marathon last year, and a 72 year old guy beat me by like 15 minutes.

Get over your fear of having a bell on your bike. It works.

Well said Velogirl!
I've got a very loud bell on all my bikes. They work instantly, with the desired effect. Nobody has to interpret anything. No translation necessary.
People start moving to the right instinctively before the bell has stopped resonating.
To me, ringing the bell is like hitting the <enter> key. Puts you on a brand new line.

I'm gonna have to say that I agreed with this thread. I started to laugh when I read this. Its soooo true. People I think are amazed that someone else may be on the trail besides them and they just don't know their right from their left. Oh well it makes for a few good laughs. :lol:

Four pedestrians, one path, one "on your left" and 7 different directions. If they would have had dogs with them, I think they would still be there, tied in a Gordian knot!

Stuart Black

I use these:

http://sptimes.com/2004/02/14/Business/One_man_s_toy_story.shtml

Take the time to read the article, too. This guy's certainly got an optimistic view about how successful his toy's going to be.

Four pedestrians, one path, one "on your left" and 7 different directions. If they would have had dogs with them, I think they would still be there, tied in a Gordian knot!

Stuart Black

I got one like this last month. 6 foot wide path. 7 pedestrians: 4 adults, 1 toddler, 1 baby in stroller, 1 dog (ped?). 2 adults + stroller on left. 1 toddler in the middle. 2 adults + 1 dog on right. If you can make an equation out of that, I can tell you already that it = a mess.

I had no idea what to do. Decided to have a little fun with this one.

I pull up slowly and about 10 yards away announce that I'm passing. But which side? Mua ha ha. They scatter in every direction in utter confusion. At this point, I'm only going fast enough to stay upright and watch from about 7 yards away, on the brink of laughter. As soon as they regroup and pick which way to move aside, I slowly pass them and nod as I say, "Thanks."

My motive for doing this was that they clearly did not read the sign at the trailhead that plainly stated, "All traffic keep to the right."

I got one like this last month. 6 foot wide path. 7 pedestrians: 4 adults, 1 toddler, 1 baby in stroller, 1 dog (ped?). 2 adults + stroller on left. 1 toddler in the middle. 2 adults + 1 dog on right. If you can make an equation out of that, I can tell you already that it = a mess.

I had no idea what to do. Decided to have a little fun with this one.

I pull up slowly and about 10 yards away announce that I'm passing. But which side? Mua ha ha. They scatter in every direction in utter confusion. At this point, I'm only going fast enough to stay upright and watch from about 7 yards away, on the brink of laughter. As soon as they regroup and pick which way to move aside, I slowly pass them and nod as I say, "Thanks."

My motive for doing this was that they clearly did not read the sign at the trailhead that plainly stated, "All traffic keep to the right."
I think in these cases the cyclist needs to adjust mindset and treat situations like this as enjoyable obsticals instead of annoyances. I know that it is a multiuse path. I know that there is a sign that says stay to right. But the reality is that these are probably nice folks out for a weekend or afternoon stroll and walking single file and/or watching over ones shoulder at all times and having a 'coordinated bicycle approach plan'' just isn't condusive to this type of social event. So smile that others are out enjoying the outdoors, slow to 1mph or even stop if needed and if you have those feelings, say 'hi' 'what a great day' or whatever other good willed thing you feel. If ones need is to work into a cycling workout trance with no need to accomidate ones environment, then a MUP path is not the place to ride.

That said it would be nice if peds and other cyclists better knew and followed the guidelines of a MUP, but glaring, snide comments, etc. isn't going to develop that.

Al

If I could just learn to bunny hop the pedestrians. Yeah, that's the ticket!