bhikkhu

I ride mostly on the local bike lanes, which are also popular with people walking dogs, with kids, and with joggers. The trail is narrow enough that two people abreast or a person with a dog will generally have to hug the shoulder to let a cyclist pass safely, so I do the usual slowing up, yell "on your left", and say a quick thanks as I go past. Almost always its just nice people and no problems.

This morning for the second time I had a problem with joggers wearing headphones turned up so loud they couldn't hear me coming. The first time a little while back I just passed in the gravel off the shoulder and gave the people a look. This time the shoulder was heavy brush as I came up behind two guys jogging abreast. I shouted "on your left" twice and then "excuse me!" three times from right behind the guy on the left, eventually nudging him with the bike before he got the hint. His friend actually heard me before that and grabbed his jacket cuff pulling him to the side. Both of them had headphones on and loud enough that I could hear the music as I finally went by.

I don't listen to music myself while I ride for the same reason I don't wear headphones in the car - you have to be able to hear what's coming up and whats going on around you. So what would anyone else have done?

xenologer

I wouldn't have even tried to pass the guy, instead I would have turned around, rode home, and got on the internet to rant about it until the world was a better place.

daintonj

By switching to a 29er I found I could roll right over them.

cudak888 

I sympathized with you up to this point.

In the meantime, get one of these if you don't like being passive:



-Kurt

Phrenetis

You could just mount a foghorn. That would rule. I'm sure next time you would get to laugh as they **** their pants.

Phrenetis

Holy ****. Great minds, huh?

aaronechang

Airzound

unterhausen

that nudge is probably not legal. I understand the frustration, but unfortunately these are the realities of riding on glorified sidewalks.

I'm glad I don't have this problem much around here. In fact, at this time of year I have one section of trail about 30 feet long, and another section of trail about 100 feet long that I ride on daily, the rest are impassable. I have no problem riding at speeds slower than a walk. I'm guessing riding at their speed right behind them would get their attention.

cudak888 

I wonder what wonderfully Foo comment would get them to jump...

-Kurt

Da Tinker

Better yet:
https://www.deltacycle.com/product.php?g=1

Only uses air....

pipes

just get yourself a Airzound horn they WILL hear you .

dondub

gee, runners with headphones on a pathway, wow... what a pickle your in there! maybe ride on the friggin road? yelling at runners or kids or dogs is goofy on a paved mup man up and ride on the road! wtf? if your on a path expect those kinds of things! in fact, expect those people crawling all over the place, specially on a weekend... it pays not to holler at em, just go around them. a lot of people on the pathways are not seasoned enough to understand "on your left" they may jump right in front of you. 2 seconds to process if that... blast someone with an airhorn, and you may get jumped into! but im sure the jackhole that would blast someone with an airhorn is the same jack that would do it right behind them at a crawl, but then,what would be the point?

JinbaIttai

This frustration is going to turn into a new kind of enjoyment for you when you get your new air horn. Are you going to blast it if the jogger doesn't hear you on the second shout, or perhaps the third? Guaranteed to put a grin on your face every time they jump straight up into the air.

Santaria

Honestly, I run with headphones on because I'm usually out for a 10+ mile run.

If a rider came up on me and blew an airzone at me, I wouldn't be lying in saying I'd probably strike them. I'm not a violent guy - but you'd put me into fight or flight mode...and I'm already running.

Good way to maybe get some mace in the face, or (as I already said) find a 200 lb. 6 foot former linebacker standing over you as you're pulling grass out of your face.


I'd suggest putting the vehicle on the road, and avoiding the multipurpose path.

My wife, she'd probably scream in your face and cause a scene, because people tend to get pissed when you scare them like that. Try it with a woman and you might even find you're facing something worse -

Think they might be terrified you were an attacker?

xenologer

Somehow I doubt this.
When you get suprised by a car horn is your first reaction to turn and try to punch out the car?
Assuming the sensible answer here... if the horn was from behind and a surprise, how would you know it was a bike and not a car about to run you down?

dobber

How do we collectively feel about car drivers who come up behind us and blow the horn?

One major drawback to the horn, you're more than likely to meet that person again. Tit for tat, you might wind up with a stick in the spokes.

Assuming I'm on a path, I'm not expecting an automobile.

xenologer

That's the beauty of it! they never expect the loudness of a horn that rivals that of a car.

apricissimus 

If you're anywhere where there might be traffic, (MUP, road, shopping mall, whatever), don't be oblivious. I think joggers do this a lot. They get in some zone and block out the rest of the world. This is probably fine if you're running alone and are at the far right of the MUP, but it's stupid if you're running two abreast, or running in the middle of the MUP.

That's another thing I really don't get. I used to run on the MUP near where I used to live all the time. I always kept to the right, for obvious reasons. I could never understand why people felt compelled to run right down the middle, but they did it a lot.

If they have headphones on and you're trying to pass them on a bike, it can be tricky. I've had it happen many times where I pass one of these runners slowly on the left after they do not respond to any verbal signals, and they get startled and jump out of the way as soon as they see me out of the corner of their eye. Like another person on the MUP was the last thing in the world they expected

Santaria

The problem with your assumption is that it holds no logic.

You're assuming 100 of 100 people running on a path with loud music are going to panic and jump in fear.

If I walk up onto my wife in a dark hallway and startle her, is she going to scream or is she going to swing out of instinct - there is no way for me to predict if I don't know her.


Trust me when I say my instinct in every case involving strangers on an empty trail that startle me is to take an aggressive, and defensive posture. To assume I'm a victim and will fall to the ground like a fainting goat is as ill-informed as your response to me.

I'm not a violent person, but if I'm already in flight mode - you've now got me cornered if you illicit a fight or flight response from me. Make sense?


Cars can not be part of a variable on a MUP, unless my brother has had too many Guiness again and wants to talk about his ex-wife again

Kurt Erlenbach

The worst crash I ever had was on a path when I ran into a small child pushed into my path by an inattentive mother. I've not set foot (or tire) on a path since. I suggest staying on the road whenever possible. If you have to ride on a path, I think the OP's actions were reasonable.

bhikkhu

come spring riding on the road for my commute may be the better choice, but for now I'd rather not ride with snow, ice, and cars. The MUP is at least safe.
I should add that this is a small town and there is a high probability that anyone I see on the lane I know already through 1 or 2 degrees of separation, whether from the neighborhood or school or work. Last summer driving I got rear-ended by someone - turned out to be my daughter's pre-school teacher's teenage daughter...
We also don't have much of a biking town, so when I yell "on your left" I think it may be the first time people have heard it, but it also accustoms them to the norms of bike and pedestrian interaction. It is still beyond me, though, why people would render themselves oblivious to traffic and then block traffic.

Pscyclepath

Pedestrians always have the right of way, on both the multi-use paths and sidewalks. It's up to you to be courteous, and yield to them. Well-mannered cyclists who abide by all the traffic laws are ambassadors for cycling everywhere.

For the rest of you guys, yeah, the AirZound will definitely trump the iPOD ;-) In the dark, coupled with a headlight that will burn a hole in the ozone layer, it's particularly effective.

And the 29er (as well as my MTB and cross bike) lets me take the shortcut off the paved trail to get around these morons without disturbing their communion with nature.

no motor?

I'm not a violent guy either, and 3 1/2 years of martial arts taught me the value of not putting yourself in a situation where you're going to be vulnerable, as well as value of knowing when to just walk from a bad situation. Gave me faster reflexes too. If you feel the need to make yourself vulnerable and lack the maturity or discipline to avoid striking someone without forethought, why don't you think about staying away from the public and running on a treadmill? After all, how do you know that the next person that startles you won't be your wife or someone's toddler instead of someone who wants you to share the public space you're in?

bhikkhu

I agree that that's a good overall approach to life, but in this case I had to get to work...

Fissile

I've never had a problem with iPod joggers. Joggers tend to hold a straight course, so it's easy for me to get around them. I've had numerous problems with iPod roller-bladers -- I'm astounded that most of the iPod roller-blade crowd are not killed by their own stupidity.