What scares you more on a bike path
 

This is a toss up for me. Sometimes my routes take me through busy bike paths which happen to be full of families and squirrels. The squirrels freeze and at the last second dart IN FRONT of my bike to the side of the path. Children like to smile at you and at the last minute decide to make a 90 degree turn in front of me (the parents watch of course and do nothing).

Dogs off the leash.

I love dogs. But they keep ****ing with me on my bike.

Dogs by far (either unleashed or leashed but walked in the center of the path instead of the edge). For wild animals, rabbits are more of a problem to me than squirrels.

I am not fortunate to have access to bike path but i can picture the senario, try to find a different time of the day or another path,you can't change what's already there.ppl,animals,kids,etc.

Kids. I would feel awful if I hit one.

Dog on one side of the MUP, owner on the other, leash across the MUP.

It's not so much the kids as it is the unattentive parents of the kids.

Joggers/walkers w/ iPods.

I dislike people on the MUP, well, the ones that don't understand what "On your left!" means.

Squirrels do have a nasty tendency to run right out in front of me though.

Also @ DXRider - nice choice on bicycles. :D

+1. I haven't (knowingly) eaten meat in almost 20 years, but I wouldn't shed a tear about squishing a squirrel accidentally. I worry about kids (whether on foot or on bikes) because they're unpredictable. All the more reason to ride under control and with caution and courtesy on the paths.

Yeah, what he said.

Dogs, leashed or othewise.

squirrels will squish unless you have low spoke count wheels where they could get in, otherwise dogs and kids are both somewhat unpredictable, but dogs typically can move faster and kids don't bite!

Humans.

I want the path free and clear in front of me.

the idiots with their ipods not paying attention and hogging the path. I need to install a bull horn on my bike for those jackasses.............that and deer. I've seen what a deer can do to a car, hate to see what one could do to me on a bicycle.

Kids - for their unpredictability.

Soccer Moms - for their need to walk four or five abreast.

Babes in tight fitting clothing - for their ability to distract.

Rule of the MUP - slow down and enjoy the scenery. The MUP is no place for hammering.

I don't mind people, except when they don't share the MUP. I specifically dislike the people who can't or won't follow the rules posted on signs.

One of the local MUPs is setup so that walkers, runners, and roller bladers are supposed to be facing the bicycle traffic. There are two lanes and there are mulitiple signs that state that these people should stay in the left lane and bicycists in the right. Bicycles are only allowed in the left lane when passing. The idea being, the people on foot can see the bicyclist coming, since that's thought to be safer.

About 40% of the people on foot ignore those signs and it royally screws up the flow of the bike path. Especially at points when there is traffiic moving both ways and some of the people on foot are actually following the directions posted on the signs.

It winds up that there is slow moving traffic on both sides and no way to pass safely. Plus, the people walking on the wrong side can't see you behind them, so they don't know what's going on. I've gotten some nasty looks for ringing a bell at them or saying, "on your left".


Thanks, you too!:thumb:

This sounds confusing. Better if people just all went in the same direction.

Some of the paths I ride on have a lot of casual riders who are cruising along at less than 10mph. I shout "on your left" at them, but they're either not paying attention or riding with headphones cause they don't move. So when I squeeze past them, they get surprised.

I agree wholeheartedly. And they are too engaged in their conversation to bother listening for a "On your left!"

rabbits and deer- deer especially. i've had them come out of nowhere to within a few feet of me
i've hit one with my car before and i do not want to see what it would do to me on a bike

The deer I broadsided in February and their friends that jump out in front of me in the same stretch about 2-3 times a week.

-R

Tryathletes on their aerobars.

Kids.

I mean if I run over a squirrel it's not as though anyone will really care. The same cannot be said for running over a kid.

Young women with cellphones either on bikes or walking. Number 2- People with dogs on LOOOOOONG leashes. They often just lift the leash up high - as if to say: "Try Limbo-Dancing at 20 miles an hour!"