nikos

How do you determine whether to say on your left or not to say it. I ussually say it when its someone (or two) that are drifting in and out of both lanes or have that potiential. If they are well to the right of that right lane, I just go by with using the outside of the left side. Well I was out biking saturday around the local lake here in Madison,Wi and there was all sorts of bikers and walkers. I had some older lady tell me I was rude for not saying anything, even though I slowed down and she was well away from the median. I think I would have a hard time biking if I had to notify every person that Im passing!

LittleBigMan

Nikos,

Usually I am on the road, so if I scare anyone, it's not my fault!

Seriously, though, there is a one-mile stretch of path I sometimes take. Joggers, walkers, dog-walkers and so-on, I always shout, "LEFT" (or "RIGHT", whichever applies.)

Pat O'Malley

I have a small bell, and I ring it till I see the person cock his head, letting me know that they heard it. If they don't respond I yell "On your left" as I never pass on the right, just as if I were in a car.

nikos

Im not so sure sometimes that Im not scaring the person more by blurting out left! in a loud fashion, but one that needs to be done so that the person hears you.

D*Alex

Bells are useless, and should only be installed if you need to fulfill some "audible warning device" law. Otherwise, shouting is quicker, louder, and more reliable.

MichaelW

The problem with shouting is that if you need to allow a reaction time, and for your own speed, so the distance at which a warning can be useful is quite large. You then need to shout loud enough to cover this distance. I only do this in emergency situations, eg when a pedestrian is about to step off the sidewalk onto the road in my path. I give a very loud aggressive "OI" to grab their attention.
Shouting effectively to a pedestrian wandering on a bike path is usually taken to be a rude insult.

Often I give a 2-tone whistle, which has less aggressive connotations.

Chris L

I just ride on the road. I never have any problems in this department.

Gus Riley

B]Bells are useless, and should only be installed if you need to fulfill some "audible warning device" law. Otherwise, shouting is quicker, louder, and more reliable.[/B]


We have a bell on our tandem. It is about 50% useful around pedestrians, joggers and walkers. Around bicyclists it is much more effective.

We ring the bell and voice "On your Left" when hammering at a good fast pace. When going slower, we voice a "On Your Left", no need for the bell.

epicycle

I generally yell "on your left" if is more the one person or if I think they will be scared. If I see that they have their headphones on I don't bother, I just take a wider than normal path around them. If it is a group with small kids I generally slow down to a near stop until I get past. Those tots can do the weirdest things at times

ViciousCycle

On bicycle trails, some cyclists zone out and don't pay attention to the world around them. Instead of shouting "On your left!", maybe one should take a pseudo-zen approach and shout, "PAY ATTENTION TO THE PRESENT MOMENT!"

On busy city streets, I see less of the cyclists who don't pay attention. But if I do encounter them, maybe the appropriate thing to yell is, "ARE YOUR LIFE INSURANCE PREMIUMS PAID UP?"

MichaelW

Has anyone else noticed, if you do warn a pedestrian that you are passing, they often move to "get out of your way", and sidestep into your path.
I even have problems with other cyclists on bike paths, who dont keep to the appropriate side. Even when I signal that i am keeping to the left (UK) riders try to ride on their right towards me.
There seem to be no conventions for safe use of these "facilities", so Ive had far more minor dings than I do on a proper road.

Greg

It is the passing person's total responsibility to make the overtaking maneuver in a safe and logical manner.

If the person I'm passing looks stable I'll give as much room as possible and pass without saying a word. If the person looks unstable (which is more often than not) I'll yell "on your left".

Children deserve a slow pass.

D*Alex

Keep your comments as short and pointed as possible. Usually, simply yelling "left", "move', or "hey" will give the best results. For people in Australia and England, "oi" may work better than "hey". As an insult, "jerk" is easily understood, and carries better than multi-syllabic profanities. Hand gestures may compromise control, but I find that an oustretched hand, palm vertical, moving from centre to left conveys my desire to oncoming cyclists that they move to the right, and works well before yelling is a possibility.

Tom_The_Bikeman

Back in my racing days, I used to ALWAYS say this on bike trails, but I've found it to be often counterproductive on this side of the pond (I live in Switzerland)

Basically, I only holler if I notice them about to do something stoopid, otherwise I just ride by carefully. *zoom*

M_E_B_S

How about "on MY right"

UncaStuart

If the person looks experienced (cyclist, blader, whatever) I'll usually give them the minimum, "LEFT side!" or "on your LEFT!" but if they look a little sketchy I start off with "comin' UP . . ." (they get over their startle response) ". . .on your LEFT!" (they actually hear what I say). Seems to work.

Allister

I like this, but it's a little wordy for such a brief encounter. I sometimes shout "WAKE UP!" at 'ignert' jay-walkers, which has essentially the same meaning. On shared paths slowing down and saying "excuse me" is remarkably effective, but usually I just ride by without saying anything (slowing to a reasonable speed and giving plenty of room, of course). I don't ride on these paths to get somewhere, the path is the somewhere I want to be, so there's no hurry.

cycletourist

Allister, that is an excellent bikepath philosophy.

Bike paths truly suck as avenues for transportation. The only way to enjoy them is to remind one's self, "I'm not here to go somewhere... the bikepath IS the somewhere."

Gus Riley

>>>If the person looks experienced (cyclist, blader, whatever) I'll usually give them the minimum, "LEFT side!" or "on your LEFT!" but if they look a little sketchy I start off with "comin' UP . . ." (they get over their startle response) ". . .on your LEFT!" (they actually hear what I say). Seems to work<<<<

I try to do the same, especially when we're riding in Florida (While on vacation). Works well.

mwmw

I agree with Gus and Pat O'Malley re. a bell--I have one that mounts in the bar end and find it to be effective most of the time.

LittleBigMan

I must be completely honest about this issue.

I don't think mixing cyclists and pedestrians is a good idea.

But motorists seem to think that as long as cyclists are out of their way, cyclists are in the right place.

cycletourist

I think you hit on a key issue, Pete. The auto industry loves bike paths, rail-trails, and mountain biking because it gets us off "their" roads. Even better lots of people will buy forty thousand dollar SUVs so they can't transport their MTB to the trail.

Chris L

Once again Pete Clark makes a lot of sense. Off-road bike paths are just a waste of money that could be better spent on providing roads with a decent shoulder. I noticed this today when riding the Tweed Coast. The road already had dirt shoulders anyway, so there was no need for that other path that disappeared in the middle of nowhere. I just think the money could be better spent.

ViciousCycle

Maybe the money could be spent on off-road SUV paths, and then SUV drivers would be required to use those and not the roads. This would make roads better for biking.

Historically, the earliest paved roads were paved for cyclists. Those motorists who act like they own the road are forgetting history.

P.S. Chris L., when you reach message 2000, will you oberve another 24 hour period of speaking in the third person?

UncaStuart

Hear, Hear! on all the bike path comments. The only way we're going to be able to claim our rightful place in traffic is to be in traffic, not shunted off to some separate-but-unequal ribbon of asphalt that only reinforces the bike-toy and nonstationary exercise machine mentality.

Having said that, I'll relate a little story that convinced me to call out at all times when passing a cyclist in the roadway. I was commuting through an untrafficked suburban neighborhood when I saw that I would overtake another rider who was riding a hybrid with wire baskets and had the look a seasoned commuter. I thought to myself, I don't need to call out, I'll just swing way wide. As I got to a bicycle length behind her, she, in an exhibition of exurberance, took her feet off the pedals, stuck her legs out to the sides, and swooped in an arc across the road in front of me, shouting "wheEEE!" I came to a screeching halt, she whipped her head around, turned beet-red, and rode off much more subdued. I felt bad about putting a damper on her high spirits--after all, I "wheeee!" all the time, but mostly in my head! Anyhoo, so now I alway call out, regardless.