shurin

Bells are actually mandatory here, but it's rarely, if ever, enforced. I don't have any because: 1) no room for them on my drop bars 2) I could install one on stem, but that requires me to take off my hand from the brake lever when I actually need it there 3) motorists can't hear them 4) bells are redundant anyway. If I can't slip past I just slow down and click the brake levers, that works well enough most times (scared the cr*p out of a guy with obvious hangover in one Saturday morning), if not, I say "excuse me" or "attention!". If a serious situation develops (like when doing 40 km/h on the road and some pedestrian/animal jumps in front of me) a good, loud, bloodcurdling "AAARGH!!!" works wonders .

Medic Zero

I use my bell. Often I'll thank pedestrians for moving aside.

I'm getting irritated with all the people passing me without bothering to use their bells or say anything. All winter I had the streets largely to myself, now there are tons of people out and all of them seem to be rude.

Every now and then I'm tempted to use my Airzoundz on a pedestrian wearing earbuds, but I have yet to get frustrated enough with one to be that rude. It'd probably be pretty funny though!

Medic Zero

I nod my head, which is quite visible as I have a blinky on the rear of it and a long aftermarket visor, plus the bulk of the forward facing light on top of it. I do like to acknowledge when someone is polite enough to let me know that they are going to be passing within arms reach of me. If I have to dodge a pot hole or suddenly signal a turn they are either going to get smacked, or we're both going to go down in a crash.

cplager

I find "Passing on your left" to be better understood and processed than "On your left".

As far as the air zound on people with head phones, I've only done it twice, but it's fun. (I did yell first both times).

spivonious

I'm not on MUPs very often, but when I am my bell works fine. Just remember to sound it from far enough away that they have time to process what they just heard.

danmc

Ah, the joys of the MUP! I avoided the MUP like the plague last year but now it's convenient to ride on one for at least part of the ride. I yell out "on your left" but, as others have said, half the time that ends up startling the pedestrian or biker and they jump or veer out in your way. So far this year I've had a dog dash in front of me because of course it wasn't on a leash, and one young boy play chicken with me. And then there's the joggers with the earbuds running two abreast and blocking the path...you can go hoarse shouting at them. So I've adopted the Zen attitude of "it is what it is" while riding on the MUP. You can't really change human nature.

Leebo

I prefer a loud " Passing left" combined with a nice crane brass bell work well. Not rude, but per MA MUP law, peds need to stay right. I get the sharing and all that , but some people need a gentle reminder themselves.

cplager

I think most MUPs are flawed as they have both the bicycles and the pedestrians on the right side. I find they work much better as it does on the street: bikes on the right, pedestrians on the left. (As a bicyclist, I want the pedestrian to see me coming and as a pedestrian I want to see the bikes coming).

Regardless, if you are passing somebody who is not facing you, I think it's better for everybody if everybody knows this is going to happen. Since they aren't facing you, announcing both your presence and your intention is the right thing to do (and I find, most often appreciated).

gcottay

I do not trust pedestrians to respond as I expect so slow way down and provide plenty of clearance. As far as I'm concerned populated paths are not a place to make time. If we aren't going slowly enough to exchange greetings we are going too fast.

If I were a commuter for whom a path were the only safe route I would not be a happy rider!

merlinextraligh

This is really pretty simple. You're passing them, it's your obligation to do so safely. Also as the faster user of the MUP, you've got an obligation to yield to them (whether that obligation is legal or simply practical doesn't matter-- in other words you're going to get hurt if you don't).

The other users owe you nothing. You cannot expect them to do any specific behavior, and you have to assume they are going to do the stupidist thing possible, and they often do.

From this follows:

1) you only pass when you can safely do so, even if they do something stupid,

2) on your left, doesn't work. It implies an obligation their part they don't have, and creates an expectation, you shouldn't have. And it often invokes the behavior you're trying to avoid.

Thus, I pass only when safe, at a speed that is safe, and prepared to deal with completely bone headed behavior.

Other wise, it's only a matter of time until you have an ugly accident.

I do say good morning, or good afternoon, just to announce my presence so as to not startle them, as a courtesy, but not because I'm relying on them to hold their line.

slowpedaller

I used to use "On your left". Some wouldn't hear me, my voice isn't loud. Some would step right, some would step left, and some would turn around to stare at me. A bell, they might turn around first, or just step to the right, but they seem less confused. Maybe they don't know their left from their right.

leob1

Every time I ride the MUP I swear I'm going to get one of these things. People are unpredictable, if I ring my bell, or say 'PASSING', or 'PASSING ON YOUR LEFT" or just 'ON YOUR LEFT' there is no telling what they will do. Some people move to the side, either side. If there are two or more, half the time one will move to either side. I've had people turn around and look at me, then step into my path. Or are so absorbed in thier own worlds that they don't\won't hear me until I'm right behind them, screaming to get their attention. Folk with earbuds or headphones I usually don't bother.
I always back off the speed a bit cause if I ever do hit one it will be my fault, and I'd feel bad I couldn't prevent it.
If there are kids I slow down a lot. Again I don't want to hurt a kid, and I want to set a good example for a future cyclist.
And I always say 'Thank You' to those that do move to the side.

alhedges

Bells work best where I ride: pedestrians have become trained to move left when they hear them, and I think that they penetrate through headphones better than talking.

Our MUP has two rules: bikes yield to peds, and communicate before passing. Communicating doesn't give you the right to blow through peds. But I think it does make everything more predictable for everyone.

Chitown_Mike

I personally use the phrase "PASSING on your left" when out on the local MUPs. But I have recently been trying to go out when there are less people (early morning), people that are used to cyclists, and/or on the road as often as I can. And follow up with a "thanks you" of sorts.

There are some running groups that are familiar with cyclists on weekend mornings and they give an audible response when they have heard me, and I give a polite "thank you!"

I personally don't like when a faster cyclist comes blasting past me without a noise, it startles me at times but I have taught myself to hold my line. But most give a click or heads up. I just make sure I am alert.

However people with ear buds are useless. There have been times I have ridden behind other cyclists or runners for quite some time just to see when they would finally notice me. Sometimes they do, or sometimes we stop at a stop sign or light and I make my move. But many hold their line because they know they can't hear crap.

dynaryder

No one is talking about making peds get out of their way,we're talking about letting them know we're passing so they don't get startled or decide to suddenly do an Immelman.

And BTW,the rules go both ways. It's not ok for peds to walk 3-5 abreast,jog on the center line,or let their dog leashes go completely across the path.

Notso_fastLane

I like the airzound, because a very short burst from a long way off (typically, first and only blast is from over 100 feet away) can be heard. It gives the pedestrians or other casual bikes plenty of time to look around (usually drifting left as they do so...) then move over. I never just use it from short range, although I've gone past the occasional earbud zombie who still didn't hear the airzound even from less than 30 feet away. I don't mind that they often jump out of their skin as I go by, though.

-=(8)=-

If they are phonies or ear buds, I dont worry about it.
My bike is whisper quiet, so others, an "excuse me" while slowing down(brake sound) usually works.
I wish someone would invent a bird-chirp or cat-meow audible device--Thats what I would/will use when
I can find one.
Airzounds or other loud devices are no different than open-pipe, look-at-me's on motorcycles, to me.

Yo Spiff

I experimented with a bell for a while and found that at least 90% of the time, pedestrians either don't hear it due to earbuds or filter it out as unimportant background noise. I passed a couple of ladies out running one morning before dawn on the local MUP. There was no one else around and it was quiet. No reaction to several rings of the bell, but they shifted over when I called out "Passing on your left". I stopped and asked them if they even heard my bell and they both said they did not.

I'll use the bell if things are quiet, but I do it early enough to call out verbally when it fails to register. Many times I will pass someone after announcing myself and as I'm passing they will thank me for the warning. I suspect the majority of riders just blow past.

vol

When people used their voice instead of a bell while passing me, often either I didn't hear (not hearing impaired), or I didn't know who was talking to whom. In the cases when I did realize, they are already passing me. Bells distinctively tell people that a bike is coming. (Although some people just don't hear no matter how loud you ring or shout.)

Yo Spiff

It's really interesting to see that many of us have had completely opposite experiences with the bells vs voice thing.

lubes17319

Bell on all my bikes. I have had many people thanking me for using my bell on MUPs, & MTB trails, "your bell isn't a natural sound, so it stands out much more than a voice/whistle"

I begin w/a friendly DING at about 50m-75m, then again if they haven't heard, and repeat over & over for the headphone wearing oblivious ones. (for them, I often cruise at walking speed a few feet behind ringing over & over until they finally realize they're not the only one out there)

ZmanKC

This is why I say "Passing on your left".

ZmanKC

I'm not expecting anyone to move. I just want them to be aware that I'm going around them.

Six jours

Re. bells: I really like the brass "temple" bells, either with a little spring mounted ringer or a more significant lever arrangement. But those are also the ones that produce an attractive little "ding" that gets completely ignored.

I do have one gigantic bell, purchased from the very pleasant Don Speden at 3 Speed Touring in Japan, which makes a loud, classic "ding-dong" sound immediately identifiable as a bicycle bell. That one really works, and generally produces smiles from pedestrians. Unfortunately, it's a pound and a half of chromed steel and takes up significant real estate on the handlebar. It fits in with my Raleigh three speed just fine, but I can't bring myself to mount it on anything more "serious" than that.

downtube42

Some people will freak out when they become aware of my presence, no matter how it happens. Near or far, bell or voice, "Hello" or "on your left"... are met with flailing arms, zig-zaging across the trail, yelling at their partner (usually husband) to get out of the way. So that's what I expect from every pedestrian who has not seen me coming from a distance. I slow to just above walking pace, make my presence known, and wait for the flailing to end.

Given that, I prefer a bell.