Originally Posted by
matimeo
I think someone else said it, but it doesn't hurt to announce your presence way in advance. Either that or you need to be prepared to stop. I belt out a "bicycle, on your left" well before I get to the people on the path, and then usually look back to see. By then I've already moved to the left of the trail so they usually get the drift and shift to the right. That doesn't stop some people from being oblivious, but that's not my problem. I just slow down.
I have given up on calling out because of the unpredictable response. Bells seem to evoke a more reliable response, but ringing way in advance allows time for the ped to hear, take a look, and then react. Once they react, you know how to pass them. Also, you really need to keep your speed down for the same reason: to not only allow the ped to react, but also for you to react to the peds reaction.