Yesterday I finally had an opportunity to get out and do some decent riding. Part of my ride is on a fairly narrow rolling section with a golf course and steep drop on one side and an airport on the other. There is a very clearly marked "Bike Path" on the side of the road. It has both words and Pictures of Bikes. In 1 mile I was blocked 3 times by joggers who would not move out the way. It would be very simple for them to take one step sideways instead of forcing a bike to go round them. This is not a multi use path but a "Bike Path".
It just p&^^&s me off and spoils the ride !

What trail is this? I live in the area and I'm not aware of any trails for bikes only.

Blue Ash.

Glad I found this string early! My gift to you - the best "Bike Path" rant EVER!

Laughter is the best medicine sometimes. Check it out:

https://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=579261

Brilliant, I really like the flamethrower idea. I was actually thinking of one of those 120db air-horns that Nashbar sell. Scare the P@#s out of them as I blow past .

Ever notice how much bicycle riders resemble car drivers when we get on a bike path or MUP?

Harsh Darwinian processes at work, over which we have no control. Les neufs, c'est tous.

I must disagree with the above. This is, I think, the best MUP rant ever: www.craigslist.org/about/best/bos/70245362.html

To whit, I thought the post on everything was a pretentious pile of poodle poop, but if you follow the links it takes you to some funny American jokes:

1. What do you call someone who speaks three languages? A trilinguist.
What do you call someone who speaks two languages? A biliguist.
What do yo call someone who only speaks one language? An American.

2. What do you call three Americans in one room? A Weight-watchers meeting.

Someone aptly called them "trail zombies". I dodge them a lot when I ride the Joe Pool dam road. They typically spread out to cover the entire path, don't look where they're going, carry their dog's leash in their hand but never bother attaching it to the dog, and scatter their kids everywhere. If they were to stick their arms straight out in front of them, they would, indeed, look exactly like zombies.

I am sympathetic. But, the question is. By ordinance does Bike Path mean Bikes only. ? THose I find difficult to pass are roller bladers. Now when they are out in the bike lane of a public street, i do feel agitated.

Joggers, dog walkers, bladers, parents teaching kids to ride, et al are the reasons I avoid bike paths (ESPECIALLY near parks and such) like the plague. I will occasionally ride a pathway but with in a few kms I am reminded why I prefer to play in traffic. Sig says it all.

I almost had a horrible crash in a corner years ago when the Cleaver family came wobbling along in the other direction on a path with Jr. wrong wayin' on his tricycle in front of everyone. I screamed, rode off the path, missing a tree by inches and rode through the bushes and hedges. The family continued on like nothing had happened, and I needed to lie down and look at the clouds for a few minutes b/c I was so freaked out by the fact I'd almost wiped a little kid. That ended my weekend path riding for many a year.

And one more thing before I go back into exile. I read about this and it really works. I mounted a Mirabell on my beater bike. Whenever I approach dog-walkers, weight-watchers, codeine-poppers and brain-dead Ipod-ers, I start ringing my bell like crazy and they share the path with me. I mean, it sounds like I'm the Good Humor Ice Cream Man, and who can get mad at the Good Humor man? That and a wide smile and a "great day, isn't it?" no matter how crappy it is. It always works. And I carry 10% pepper gel in case it doesn't.

Nice rant.

I like the part about cyclists wearing lycra head-to-toe riding 12 miles per hour. I like to pass them on my Pugsley wearing jeans and hiking boots after yelling "On your left, ladies!" regardless of their gender.

Nothing against lycra shorts really, but why wear a skin-tight jersey displaying the logos of all the companies that will never sponsor them on a bike path crawling along at 12 mph?

I have never used a bike path that didn't have joggers on it. I yell "on your left" as i pass them and most will quickly move aside. the ones i can't stand are the roller bladers who go side to side and take up the whole path. they are dangerous.

I find "On your left" useless these days thanks to iPod.

When I walk any fitness path chit-chatting with my wife we always walk facing traffic. Even if it is against the path rules. When we see a bike on the horizon, we look behind us, access the situation, and either step off the path to the left or move to the other side of the path long before the cyclist has to make a decision. As a walker, I have never had a problem with a cyclist because (A) We are paying attention as we would on any roadway, and (B) I am a cyclist and HATE it when other path users that don't pay attention.

A "Fitness" path by it's very nature not a place to relax or be mindless. If there is a speed limit posted, it's not a fitness path. It's a promenade. That's where you walk to relax. I often take a short cut on a path marked 10mph speed limit. I don't work out on that path. I think most fitness paths have improper signage too. Often bikes must yield to walkers. Some walkers think that means they own the trail.

Those nice long speed skater style kicks are evil.
I'll never be against lycra.

Just to clarify, this is not a converted rail line MUP. It is a fairly busy road that because of the topography it is only possible to ride a bike on the "uphill" side no matter what direction you are traveling, so the city put in a 7ft wide clearly marked Bike path. Marked with both Words and a Picture of a Bike. Unfortunately with the growth of the subdivisions joggers now also use it. They could just as easily cross over and use the golf course path and be completely out of traffic.

I'll never bother with "hey this is a bike path", as long as cars tell me to ride on the sidewalk still. It might be a hassle but I can't just pass the buck in the "don't share" mentality.

I'll go out of my way to share with all. The only ones that get my goat are the angry ones that walk toward me not making eye contact, trying to intimidate me or cause a crash. Thats what folding mirrors are for.

On the MUP near me, there's a line down the middle with lots of markings (signs on posts, signs on the pavement) clearly indicating that one side is for feet, and one side is for wheels. The wheeled folks pretty much obey the signs, while those on foot are everywhere.

What if the joggers paid attention to their surroundings and were courteous? Or is the path just too narrow altogether? Just wondering...not that joggers in general are all of a sudden going to start paying attention to what's behind them.

They could easily step onto the wide grassy verge, but with their I-pods they probably dont even hear me yelling. The path is at least 7ft wide.

My biggest gripe is with joggers who take up the entire bike lane on Coast Highway 101 through Carlsbad, when there is a perfectly good (and quite wide) sidewalk available. I do enough running to acknowledge that asphalt is ever so slightly more forgiving than concrete, and I sometimes jog in bike lanes myself -- all I ask is that they make an effort to share the road safely and courteously, which would entail a bit of single-filing, etc.

I think that is a huge part of the problem and one reason organized running events ban earbuds.

I run into a group of joggers on a regular basis that like to spread out over the entire trail. They move over a fraction of an inch if I call out. I suppose it's rude to blow my nose on them?


Skaters are fine if they know what they are doing. It's the weekend wobblers that create the danger.