rumblebelly

I have a nice quiet, flat path I take for cool down rides. It's back in a park, made specifically for bikes and walking. It's pretty wide/long too, almost exactly a mile per loop. Road is very smooth. It's close to home and I can fit 20-25 miles in on an off day quickly and still stay cool since it's shaded by trees. It's practically perfect (save for when people don't clean up their dog crap on the pavement).

Then the walkers come. Random times every day. They take up the entire path, sometimes with dogs/kids. So I try shouting behind them "behind you" but apparently they don't hear this, and I end up going from 20 to 0, in the foliage off the path and then around them by the time they realize I'm there. And this is on the second time passing them, do they not expect me to come back?

Yesterday after shouting twice I just turned around and went on a different route since the 20 people there apparently couldn't hear me coming, or weren't even looking at all. Should I start sticking baseball cards in my spokes? I don't know what to do with these people. I wanted to throw an acorn at them to let them know to turn around, or look up. I could switch directions but then the family going the other way taking up the entire lane won't hear me.

Airhorn tied to my handlebars? Handlebar speaker for ipod? Idk..

dcbikeguy

It's not a bike path dude.

tombailey

Accept the benefits of the shared path and its limitations?

urbanknight

I now avoid bike paths and MUPs, unless it's a recovery ride (then they actually help keep me slow). Barring that, I noticed one of my friends has a bell, the kind that you flick the ringer with...

and he gets a far better success rate with a little DING DING than I ever did with my loudest voice.

furiousferret

I try to avoid areas with alot of pedestrians, there's no real way around it, they don't listen. The scary thing about a mup for is the day when I run over some 2 year old being unattended. I stay away from those.

If you can find a road with better conditions, I'd stick to the road.

sijray21

i would find a not-so-short loop. typically i find that 'on-your-left' works better since it tells them where you're going to be. behind you kinda leaves it open. either way a lot of people who are not regularly on the path don't respond well to any sort of audible noise.

i would just go find a road or another path. the ideal situations like the one you're describing isn't worth a potential crash/injury IMO.

edit: the things that really suck are those with dogs that continually cross the trail...i almost got "clothes-lined" before the owner darted with the dog (back wheel got pretty light...)

bkwentz

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as much room as you need. I find they work best if mounted pointing down and slightly out on the bottom of the drops.

urbanknight

fixed

Mose

I think I'd almost rather not ride, than ride 25 laps around a 1 mile MUP crowded with pedestrians. Why not just take a road ride?

Paratrooper

I offer pedestrians the right of way on paths designated for both of us. It would be nice if they kept to one side but they are under no obligation to do so. If I don't like it, I can go find a different route that doesn't accommodate foot traffic.

Rolling off into the grass for a second or two isn't going to ruin my day. And if I'm doing 25 laps I should EXPECT and ACCEPT it as an inevitability.

rumblebelly

Lol at the airhorn.

Generally I go when no one is there, it's just me and nature all around, but when people do come that's when I need something to let them know I'm there. If I see kids I go slower, go the opposite direction (assuming another family of kids isn't going the other way, if it is I'll likely go somewhere else like I did yesterday) etc. Just frustrating they can't hear me. Yeah I'll try on your left, or right depending on which way their dog's trying to crap on the road. That does make more sense.

Like I said it's close to my house, shaded, easy for cooldown rides since it's all flat. Especially when it rains it's nice since the tree cover stops most rain and I can continue on. Plus it's not usually crowded, there are days where it is but not always. I would still like an easier way to communicate with these people though.

And I never called it a bike path, I just said it's a path made for walking and bikes, which it is. I would assume the police officer that I periodically see and chat with that stakes out the park would have told me not to go there on my bike if it wasn't made for bikes. The walking path continues across a bridge and onto some non paved trails (very wide for kids and stuff) and no one ever takes it, even though it's the same length. I can't go there though, too many rocks and branches and holes and what not. I love it on my MTB though .

Nachoman

Just got to live with it. It's part of the game.

cofgrn

I like the idea of the air horn - but I'll set that piece off 1" from the offenders ear if they fail to move for the basic courtesy warning. I ride a bike path sometimes and it is hands-down the consistently sketchiest riding I've ever done due to the people. I agree w/ the dude who'd almost rather not ride.

Namenda

If you want to do laps on a walking path, rent security. You know, crowd control. Maybe a water cannon for the real pesky folks. Go big, or go home.

Brian Ratliff

Live with it. Some things are what they are. If you want a "go fast" route, ride on the street. Otherwise, you are stuck going at walking speed and saying "pardon me" (more polite than shouting "behind you") a lot.

cofgrn

I have blasted particularly reluctant folks on the MUP with a water bottle before. They love it as they get out of the way!

I don't think there's any solution to these "people problems." For example, even if they hear you say "on your left," as often as not, they'll move to the left. Here is where I'd like to try an air horn blast @ 1".

rumblebelly

Was just wondering about things to warn people I'm coming, not directly to rant about people on a walking path.

I know there's bells but they seem a little.. childish? Idk. Was wondering if the card in the tires for the days I go to that path would work.

I know when I'm waking to class, I have no problems hearing bikers behind me and I usually skip to the right when I hear'em. That's with cars driving all around me and horns blaring. Idk how these people on a quiet path can't hear me .

lshaped

save yourself the trouble and get a bell- if you're not riding on the road it's a must. i had the same trouble until i put a bell on my trek fx for my commutes-problem solved. the sound of a bell will stand out enough to make pedestrians look around and then you'll be noticed. my road bike doesn't have a bell on it because i don't ride it anywhere but on the road

Snoots

I'm in the "accept the limitations of MUP's" crowd. They're not meant for road racing, they're meant for leisurely walking/riding with your family/kids/dog/iguana. If you want to get up to speed on a particular MUP, go there at 7 AM where the only people out and about are serious cyclists or runners/walkers.

geneman

Just so I have this straight ... a bell is a little childish, but a card in the spokes isn't?

ok_commuter

+1

MUP != Velodrome

ok_commuter

That makes you quite literally a doosh.

uspspro

Seriously... if you want to ride the MUP.... a bell is your best bet.

No, they are not childish.

https://www.velo-orange.com/bellsdingding.html

lshaped

save yourself the trouble and get a bell- if you're not riding on the road it's a must. i had the same trouble until i put a bell on my trek fx for my commutes-problem solved. the sound of a bell will stand out enough to make pedestrians look around and then you'll be noticed. my road bike doesn't have a bell on it because i don't ride it anywhere but on the road

johnny99

Maybe people are just more polite in California, but when I am riding on a MUP and I say "excuse me" to a pedestrian, they move to the right 100% of the time. Of course, you do need to be patient when riding on a MUP. If you want to ride fast, use the highway.