I am just gonna post my little rant and you all can ignore me... I have been riding for about 40 years. Fairly seriously at times. Have done alot of club riding in the day.

I've notice, unfortunately, alot of folks out there no longer call out anything (which apparently is most of you!). I will be riding along and "whoose" some doosh comes flying me within a sound. Just imagine what would happen if I did something silly like move off my line furtehr into the bike lane. We would both go down.

That said... learn to call out even if people aren't around or can hear you (yes even if people are wearing iPods as most do now adays). Get into the habit of calling out hazards (hole! glass! rider up!) as well. You never know who can be following you. It's just polite, common courtesy which apparently everyone has forgotten. And oh yeah, pedestrians have the right of way on multi-use trails (horses first, hikers/pedestrians then cyclists) so always past with caution and notice giving the leeway to the walker.

Oh yeah - iPod, headphones are against the law if riding a bike on the street or bike trail. Dirt trails I guess are OK but frankly I don't understand why people do this. I want to hear the sounds out in nature and I especially want to hear if a car or other rider is coming up on me. I would never wear them - again - get off my lawn!

OK off the soapbox... go about your business and stay off my lawn!