I posted a short snippet over on the Racing Thread about a crash my SO and I experienced last weekend on our MUP. It's worth covering again here...

We were both headed north on our local Coastal Rec Trail. It's a two way paved path with clearly marked lanes, and strict rules of the road apply. Because it was Sunday and the weather was nice, there was a plethora of walkers, stroller pushers, runners, other cyclists, and families on bikes (herding small children). We were well past the most congested areas of the rec trail, but even so, you have to keep your head on a swivel.

I saw a child about 100 yards up the trail, in our lane, chugging along on a little "stunt" bike thing. At first I thought he was going in our direction and that we were going to over take him, so I was slowing (we weren't going fast, only about 15 MPH). When the child was about 30 feet in front of us, the child picked his head up, and that's when I discovered (much to my surprise) that he was headed towards us, not away! I yelled "LOOK OUT", which caused him not to react in a sensible way, but to panic, and he started weaving to and fro. I had no idea where he was going to go, so I dove to my left, and toppled over in the ice plant on the side of the trail. I just missed the little guy, but my SO didn't. I heard the collision, and then I heard the child crying and my boyfriend swearing a blue streak. I went to the kid first, got him calmed down (I had to tell my boyfriend to "quit yelling at him"), then checked him over. He was scared, upset, but unhurt. I looked over at my SO, and he had blood on his mouth and his right hand was bleeding. Right then, an older sibling of the child we had "encountered" came along, and I explained what happened, asked him to make sure the little one was okay, and then they moved on.

I checked my boyfriend. He had a nasty gash on his right index finger, and I found out the blood on his mouth was there not because of injury to his mouth but because he'd had his finger in his mouth. Thank heavens! I gathered a sock I had in my seat wedge and wrapped the finger. I asked my SO if he was okay to ride, we needed to go back a few miles to an Urgent Care to get the finger taken care of.

Long story longer, we ended up going to the ER at the local hospital, where my boyfriend was treated and sent home. Yesterday we went back for the follow up. The doctor ordered x-rays because my SO's left hand had swollen up and that right index finger was rather swollen, as well. It turns out he has a "rotational fracture of the fourth metatarsal" in his left hand, as well as an "exposed bone chip fracture of the right index finger". Today we are going to an orthopedist. Oh, my.....

We truly do not bounce when we fall! My boyfriend is fit as they come, a long time cyclist, and very healthy. Age is upon us, though. We're brittle, no longer supple, no matter how fit!

Oh. I've decided, from now on, when I encounter families with kids or kids alone on the MUP, I'm just going to pull over and stop until they pass. You just don't know what they're going to do.

I hate to say this but this is just one more reason to stay off a MUP. Nice for a slow pleasure ride but certainly not for "riding"(depending on traffic and how it is built). But glad the mishap wasn't worse. Hope his hand heals up well.

Had a kid on a bicycle take me out on my motorcylce in 1966. Similar scenario but on the street!! Little turd came off the sidewalk a 1/2 block in front of me, started to angle across the street, and then rode into me. I did everything short of pick up the Honda - he still got me and broke my ring finger. Why he was crossing the street and not bothering to look up or around I have no idea!!

At least your "little guy" was nailed on a MUP and not the street! Sounds like the older kid wasn't doing his/her job.

I too don't want to carp, but slowing down to 15 on a MUP around other traffic is not really slowing down. The first thing to expect on a multi use trail is that those using it don't know the "rules" and that many aren't familiar with "cyclists". They are simply "people" getting out, and in this case a child just riding along. Are they at fault, yes.................and no. I have a thought that had the child been injured in the 15mph crash that your boyfriend would have been fending off a lawsuit.

+1....must add that if you only noticed he was going the opposite direction from 10 yards back, you weren't paying proper attention.

I've never taken anybody's behavior for granted on our MUP since the time I saw someone using it to teach himself to rollerblade - backward.

MUPs are scary places. My wife likes to ride them, I hate it. Heads up folks, and go slow...

I'm glad the SO isn't hurt worse.

Especially on the weekends. I see it all the time. Parents riding ahead of kids with training wheels who can barely control their direction. Completely oblivious to the kid behind them. People walking dogs on retractable leashes, with 20' of leash out. Walkers 3-4 abreast taking up the entire right hand half of the trail. Kids on skateboards who tack--or whatever you call it when they zig-zag all over the path--without any regard for other users. I only ride them on weekends when my wife decides she wants to take a ride, and then I take my fat tire cruiser. I really don't want to be clipped in on those rides.

We have an MUP here in Okeechobee called the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST) that I tend to ride every weekend. Early in the the morning is best, as the kiddies are all still in bed and the walkers are not in packs. We do have two pretty good looking girls in the area that put their ear-buds in and roller-blade side-by-side, in sync and can take up the whole path. Back when I had my catrike I rode up behind a guy on an expensive two wheeler, who was trying to get their attention so he could pass. He finally dropped back and was riding their pace, and swearing to himself. I rolled up next to the one on the left with my trike, and poked her in the leg with my finger to get her attention. When she realized traffic was stacking up behind them, she dropped back behind her friend and let us by. Seems like adults could pay more attention to what is going on around them than they were. I have met families out there with a pack of kids on various sized bikes (with and without training wheels) and to get around them can be a real nightmare, as they just CANNOT pay attention to what they are doing and use the whole path. I too have had several close calls with kids on bikes with 12" knobby tires on this MUP....

Tractor Tom in Okeechobee, FL

I was riding the local mup with my wife, it was a nice day so the families where out in full force. I usually say something to the kids like doing good, way to go, etc. Approaching is a little guy on a little bike with training wheels, with legs going what look like 100 rpm, and the most intense look of concentration on his face. When I got close enough, I held out my hand and said something like "Keep it up little buddy!" As we pass, the little guy doesn't break pace or concentration, and sticks out his little paw. We slap hands as we pass. All the while his mother is behind him on her bike, with another kid in a seat, going "no,no,oh no, no,no". The kid held his line like he did it every day, not even a hint of a wobble. I was laughing so hard I almost fell off my bike.

Most MUP's I've been on at some point list the top speed at 15 mph at most. Not that I've ever seen a cop with a radar gun out there, but I don't tend to go too fast on them unless it's a really out of the way area with long sight lines and no one around (except maybe a couple of other fast moving commuters).

I have both a bell and an air zound to let people know I'm there, but the air zound is mainly to interact with cars and I can't say I've ever used it on the MUP.

We ride the trail just about every weekend and we have come across some excellent little riders. But also some grown riders with poor judgement, It ain't always the little ones. I always praise the litle ones and their parents!

As far as the OP, I ride with several riders on my wheel and I will alert them with hand signals and verbals when we are approaching any type of hazard. If I lead my group into a crash, I'd feel responsible for not pointing out the hazard way ahead of time.

I learnt about 6 Years ago that I didn't bounce aswell as I used to. That was just before I went road after 16 years of MTB's. That last offroad fall hurt and hurt for a few months.

But MUPS--- I do not like them but use one on windy days when out to the coast. 99% of the users have enough sense to respect each other and look out for each other. It is the 1% that you have to watch out for. Kids and Dogs I don't have problem with as I don't trust any of them and look for them to give problems. Last problem I had was with a Young lad and his Girlfriend. They were so engrossed in each other that they only noticed I was there when I left the tyre marks up the boys Jersey. He just walked into me. I mean he walked into me--I had stopped because he didn't hear me yell out.

I guess the OP has been severely reprimanded.

Have to say the last time I was out on an MUP (trying a new shortcut on the commute home) there was a dog connected to its owner by about 40' of slack 1/2" diameter rope. Owner was on one side of the MUP and the dog was about 20 feet up on the opposite side. Didn't know what to do so I eventually offroaded it to get around. The owner made a token effort to pull at the dog as I rang my bell for the third time., but there was so much slack in the rope it just raised the rope a little way put the pull didn't even get to the dog. Thought about running over it, but then decided that if the owner did that again as I went over it'd get tangled in my wheel and I'd go down.

At 'only 15 MPH' you don't belong on a MUP.
I don't belong on a MUP as I have a roadbike, not a MUPbike.

Okay, clarification IS in order.

I/we slowed to 15 when I (leading) saw the kid, when he was still out in front of us. By the time the incident happened, I was virtually stopped, as was my SO. The kid hadn't slowed at all.

As far as "doing my job", I was! The little guy was dressed in dark clothes, had a dark helmet on his head, and HAD HIS HEAD DOWN, not looking where he was going. He looked all the world to me like he was traveling in the same direction we were, and it wasn't until he looked up that I could tell he was headed towards us. By then we were close, and if he had not panicked and slowed down himself, this would not have happened.

Law suit? Yes, against his parents, who were not minding him.

Where this happened was a MUP, yes. It was a section that parallels a freeway. If you're on foot or on a bicycle, you must use it. It is also a section that is well beyond the "heavy use" area. Still, I am cognizant of other traffic, and always slow to pass people, either on coming or overtaking.

The case here was poor parenting, period. The kid did not have the skills to be outside of the watchful eyes of his parents or older siblings on either the MUP or a road. That was obvious.

In our case, we did what we could, were not riding "beyond the conditions", and still, an accident happened.

My point of the thread was to point out that our bodies, at our age(s) do not withstand even minor falls without injury. The potential exists for major injury in a seemingly minor incident.

That's all...

I guess I have been, deserved or not. I wish people would RTFQ...

You are right Sarals- May be a Mup but that means that everyone has to take care- Even the Little people that are not used to "Traffic"-- or rather the parents.

But MUPs are Dangerous for bikes. You can cater for cars on the highway as they can only do certain things- But Kids **********

Now I'm going to defend OP a little bit. She may have erred in judging the situation but she did what she had to and avoided the problem. I don't think 15mph is all that bad on a MUP if you're keeping your head up.

An in-town or normal use MUP is really for pedestrians and that strange hybrid called a "skater". Too many different rhythms: little kids in strollers, dogs on leashes, unpredictable walkers and toddlers of all ages and impulses.

As for brittle, I got multiple fractures in my pelvis several months ago (cycling crash) and was reassured by the specialist that male bones, especially those that continue weight-bearing exercises, don't particularly grow more brittle or easily broken with age. Joints and connective tissue may stiffen and "dry out" and flexibility may have to be worked on, but we don't necessarily shatter more easily. However, he was telling me this while tracing fracture lines for me all over my x-rays. I know, it seems somehow counter-intuitive. Just to be sure, I don't ride 3 inches off anyone's wheel anymore.

MUP's suck. I won't ride them. That's what roads and trails are for IMO.

We have some nice MUPs in our neck of southern NV. It is well marked. The kid was not properly supervised and even with my eyes, a smaller rider with his head down would be an optical problem. It also sounds like the MUP is the best travelway for the destinations you were seeking. I'm glad no one was hurt worse. It seems to me that you don't need to be lectured about safety. I am glad that no one was hurt worse than the current report.

If the posters here aren't comfortable with your speed, they should try the River Mountain Loop around Lake Mead. Several Local teams train on the loop and everyone knows to give them a wide berth. Part of that is just knowing your community and environment. Defensive riding is also helpful.

Really? You got two riders (OP and SO) heading toward a hazard and neither has a clue? Wow!

But you are right, defensive riding helps, it's just that some of us don't know what it is, we'd rather just blame somebody else!

Hard to defensively anticipate that lady's beagle-on-a-leash who suddenly decides he'd rather pee on the opposite side of the trail and stretches tightly that leash in front of your 15mph bike reminscent of that scene in "The Great Escape" where Steve McQueen clotheslines that Nazi SS motorcylist. Twang.