Cyclcist11023131

Admittedly I was out on a Sunday ride. You can't be too picky on Sunday, One it is the Lords day and Two, people go out on Sunday that have no common sense. Perhaps they have a sort of common sense that allows them only one day in public a week. So I will vent to clear my head and perhaps stop at least one instance of complete ignorance from happening by providing a forum for a little insight into these all to common blights on the trail. Here are my top five gripes about my Sunday ride.
1.) Camping in the bike trail. And dropping your bikes all over the trail on both sides. Make sure you picked the narrowest spot. And standing around watching your kids run back and forth across the trail. And telling me to slow down..
2.) Slowing down and flipping a U turn with out looking. Hey Bozo when you start slowing down, faster traffic will pass you on the left. BOOM !
3.) Going the wrong way in the bike lane. Not a good place to be comfortable. Do you drive the wrong way in your car. If you don't then why ? How is a bike different ? Head-on bike accidents are nasty !
4.) Cutting to the inside line on trail corners. Hey Lance/ Lanceta did you save a quarter second there in the Tour? Again you end up going the wrong way into traffic. I know there is nobody there...until there is.
4a.) Cutting blind corners. Really ? On a Sunday...really... What advantage can you get by putting others at extreme risk ?
5.) Spitting. Partially dodged a big nasty snot/spit combo. This gentleman just turned his head and unloaded on me. I chased him down and grabbed his water bottle off his bike and washed my face and shoulder off. He had no water left. Too bad for him...
Can you come up with better? This was just one ride....

Murray Missile 

I had #1 happen to me many years ago on the Sparta-Elroy trail in WI. I had quite a few miles behind me and was nearing the top of about a 2 mile long grade trying to keep my momentum going. I could see a couple with about eight 7-8 year old girls stop, ON the trail, with bikes scattered everywhere from tree line to tree line to take a group picture. Mom is trying to get that Pulitzer Prize winning Kodak moment and is taking her sweet time. She keeps looking at me like "Aren't you going to stop?" and I'm thinking " Lady, are you really THAT stupid?" I know if I stop before I reach the oh so near summit I'll bonk so I keep chugging along, dad finally steps in and tells her to move the kids and let me through. As I reach the group I see why this shot oh SO important. She was trying to get the cute little raccoon that was walking down the trail toward them in the picture..... I look at Dad and wheeze, "A raccoon approaching humans in broad daylight is NOT a good thing!" Dad finally realizes this 'coon is diseased , Kodak moment turns to "OH S#*T!!!" and Dad starts yelling for everyone to get on their bikes. Reality finally ***** slaps Mom who starts screaming and then mass panic attack spreads to the girls. As the raccoon and I meet and pass each other I ring my bell to scare it off the path but the poor thing is so far gone he doesn't hear the bell or even see me. My last glance over my shoulder before I finally hit level ground a few yards past all this leaves me the lasting image of Mom and all the kids fleeing helter skelter down the trail with Dad buying them "precious seconds" by throwing rocks to try to scare the raccoon off.

Number400

The trail etiquette here is awful. Most common things I see are:
- Riding at you head on two abreast and not moving over until the very last second, or not moving at all.
- Riding two abreast and not yielding despite ringing the bell, yelling "on your left", skidding repeatedly; until you have practically stopped behind them.
- Dogs on long leashes and not reigning them in as other walkers/riders/runners approach.
- Large groups of people standing in the middle of the trail, chatting.


I love to see all manner of people using the trails, especially old folks out on their bikes. I always say hello to everyone and smile. I know better than to think I am going to get a workout ride on the weekends but there are huge signs with the rules and many don't read them.

wphamilton

Dream on. There's a never-ending supply of these folks.

stanman13

1. Listening to headphones so loud that I can hear them as I pass you after yelling my head off to get you to realize I'm passing you.

2. The dog/long leash thing. Or dog totally unleashed. I love dogs, but if yours chases me on the trail, I'm gonna kick it.

That's all I got for the moment.

storckm

I agree with most of those. But I do think that children and dogs on multi-user paths, especially in parks, have to be given some slack. If I'm in a hurry and want to ride fast at a time when the paths are likely to be frequented, I take the road.

delcrossv

One word: Airzound.

I have also been known to follow behind enraptured ipod users, who are evidently getting their daily instructions from the alien overlords, and then watching them jump when they see me right behind them.

Murray Missile 

Kids and dogs I'll give a break and a wide berth, senior citizens as well although these days most of them aren't all that much older than me.............. The so called "adults" who should know better and probably do? Not a chance and NOW I have an Airzounds.

Cyclcist11023131

I give kids a wide berth too. If I would of slowed down anymore, I might of went down. Its funny how if you are not aware of your surroundings, everything is a surprise. I usually give the speech " I'm right behind you just so you know...". In my high volume low IQ area you have to be ever hypervigilant. Clueless ipod headphone wearing ever texting young people are the worst offenders. Long leash dog walkers are the second. Next thread will be five favorite things about my Saturday ride....

StephenH

That's a pretty good reason not to ride on bike trails.

Essex

I think the folks committing most of these actions do not belong to bicycle -related forums. Much of the list has to do with common cycling sense, etiquette and a minor bit of experience. I see most of the listed behaviors on a daily basis here in NYC. Maybe, a visual sign at the trailhead makes more sense.

Jimi77

My personal favorite, is the guys in full kit blowing by me and narrowly missing the oncoming cyclist as they cut me off, while I'm towing my kids. I guess that's really my fault for taking my kids out on the Tour De Weekend route. I like the guys (and occasionally gals) who pass on blind corners too. I have to admire their dedication to shave every last fraction of a second off their time even if it means endangering other MUP users including my children.

spdntrxi

Kids (usually boys) who can barely ride a bike... practicing the couple seconds no hands technique while I pass going the other direction.. I love that one.

Ghazmh

I love to ride on the Minute Man bike path just outside of Boston. When Im going fast on my Madone I will aviod the path all together. When Im out (like yesterday) enjoying a slower Sunday afternoon ride on my Trek 520 I will ride the path end to end before continuing with my ride. just because you bleat out "on your left" does not mean its always a good time to pass. I watch folks say the phrase and drive blindly into oncomming traffic to pass a slower rider/runner. When on a path like this the faster rider needs to be aware of families with small children. Once I saw a roadie give a small kid lip for getting in his way.

Keith99

Only path I ever rode much was het beach bike path. If I planned on riding fast I'd start early and most of the fast stuff in.

Then on the way back I'd concentrate on girls in bikinis.

BruceHankins

The path W&OD path I used to ride has heavy traffic all times of day on the weekends. I really enjoyed all the people who thought they were the next Lance Armstrong fully kitted out yelling at me pulling my trailer with my family when they almost hit someone head on to pass me. When I would go out on my own I love the guys who draft you for a while before passing but get irate when they finally do pass and you start to draft.

HBxRider

I agree with these don'ts to follow. But I have a don't for the avid cyclists. Some of them really need to learn when they need to slow down, and when other peoples safety is more important than their strava times. Example, a lot of cyclists, on the huntington beach bike trail, around the hb and newport beach pier, they will be going 20mph, on a saturday afternoon with huge crowds of people, many who are renting beach cruisers and are very unaccustomed to biking and sharing a trail. Little kids everywhere too. If they want to go full speed their whole ride they need to go on PCH.

tom cotter

+1 on slow down on crowded trails and giving families a break. Not so much with the dog people. Many of these people are arrogantly irresponsible.

As a dog owner i never let my dogs harass or interfere with strangers. ( they are free to harass and bite the crap out of my friends!)

Fargo Wolf

To add to your list:
Wrong way cyclists on the Stanley Park Seawall. The bike path there is one way, counter clockwise. If every cyclist AND pedestrian is telling you that you are going the wrong way on a one way bike path, logic would dictate that you turn around and go the CORRECT direction. Also had that happen to me on both the Lions Gate and Second Narrows (Ironworker's Memorial) Bridges.

I've encountered people (mostly racing cyclists) pull a #4 on your list on the Seymour Demonstration Pathway. In fact, there was a story by both the North Shore News and Global Vancouver on a head on crash between two cyclists, one of whom was killed. The same in Edmonton years earlier. In that case both were killed and neither had any lights.

Floyd

I am glad I live in a small town where I can ride the streets and not have to worry (much) about traffic. peace

Cyclcist11023131

Dog crap all down the center of Santiago Creek Trail. They don't even take their dogs off to the side. Makes it bad for all the dog walkers.

kelsodeez

on the bay trail in san mateo, we have to deal with people that have these massive inflated kites for kiteboarding on the bay. they will take up the entire trail walking from the rental shack to the beach and have no remorse when the wind picks up and slams into you.

gregjones

However, there are some kite owners that can walk as slow as they like with no complaints from me.

phoebeisis

Yeah-you might get a lot more sympathy if you showed some "pretend thug" guy with backwards baseball cap-goofy haircut-overdone tattoos-but an victoria's secret model?? Yeah run her off!!


OP is that typical anaheim behavior or typical CA behavior-folks any less polite in CA than anywhere else in USA?
We-rest of the country- are always looking to rag on CA-so give us the word that this is typical CA behavior-and worse there than say Omaha-and we will unload on you left coasters-
heck we pretty much hate you-all anyway-nice weather hot and cold running super models littering the beaches-crummy movies and TV you folks produce- Governor Moonbeam- " I'll be back governor"
yeah let us know-we'll dump on you folks!!
NYNY too now that I'm getting warmed up to "hate rant"

rumrunn6

I don't care for the creeps that tend to loiter especially near dusk