Ask them why, if they're in such an all-fired hurry, aren't they on the freeway instead of a standard road. If they answer "because the freeway doesn't take me where I need to go" then you say "neither does the MUP for me."

I wish just one of these hate-filled, self-righteous drivers would stop to talk with me. Apparently a skinny guy in his mid-40s is very intimidating and they all race way before I can talk with them.

I guess I'm fortunate in where I live. I read about all these angry motorists and it just doesn't fit what I see here in San Diego. I am more likely to get a thumbs up than the middle finger. Maybe it's just the old man on an Etrike reaction. I've even had them pull over and ask me about the trike. Where can I get one? How much do they cost? How far can you go on a charge? How fast are they? etc, I rarely get a bad reaction and the few times I do it's some kid with his first license.

I was in your town in April, very nice place to ride. We didn't get a lot of miles, but enough to get a feel for it.

I find most issues are in the car-centric suburbs, where the 4-lane roads rule. These roads are higher speed (35-45 mph), without any shoulder or bike lane. Therefore, you need to take the lane and if there is a sidewalk or sidepath next to the road, a small number of drivers feel that they have the right to threaten a biker to force them to use the sidewalk. I have attempted to talk with a couple of these drivers; however, they clearly don't want to talk, just bully you with a 2-ton weapon.

part of why this country has become an uglier place .. or it has.. and this is a symptom.

Drivers here have been known to close-pass cyclists and stuff here too, but there's no MUP to force cyclists onto here.

The majority of our MUPs are either too far away from a street for any cyclist to be forced onto it, or run in parallel to a road with a 50 mph speed limit (traffic usually going 55 mph or faster).

Right about the time I accepted the fact that I, on a bicycle, don't have any right of way on a MUP over pedestrians I learned to ride accordingly and a tremendous weight seemed to lift off my shoulders to make my riding quite enjoyable. YMMV

For the most part the people that "hate" MUPS are pretty much limited to the self proclaimed fully kitted "real cyclist". They think that unless you are cranking on the bike close to puking you are not a real cyclist. They seem to have no concept of the idea that a bike ride should be enjoyed just for the sake of the ride. They of course are free to ride on the streets and hiways.

For many of us, the *ride for the sake of the ride* occurs infrequently because we ride to actually go to a destination. Sometimes the route chosen is because of the mixture of scenery, topography or some other attraction (like an bookshop or a vintage bike shop). Other times, the route is simply most convenient to get from where we are to where we need to be.

The MUP *might* be a part of a ride, if it goes in the right direction. But usually, it doesn't. The other pros and cons have been discussed.

If I'm heading out from home looking for an interesting or challenging or new ride, I'm unlikely to seek out a MUP as part of that. Kind of defeats the purpose. If I'm packing up my bike to drive to a riding location, I'm going through extra trouble to ride in a particular place. This is for a reason. Again, it's unlikely that any MUP would be a part of that ride.

My MUP rides are almost exclusively with weaker or more timid riding friends who wouldn't accept the risks to gain the reward of more interesting rides elsewhere...

That would inspire me take MUP's all the time. Here in the great white north, women dressed like that are only found basking on the beach of a large slough. But, on the MUP's during the summer, there is a lot of cleavage to see. Thank goodness for sun glasses so I don't look like a glaring and drooling pervert.

Interesting timing - this piece was published in Minneapolis around the same this thread was started.

"Pathletes" is a new one to me. These must be the wannabe racers who don't have the guts to ride on the road. ;)

http://www.citypages.com/news/pathle...-paths-7787845

They also seem to have an attraction to aero bars. :D

Bikeforums' software replaced the dbag word in the url with ***, thus breaking the link. To see the article you may have to go here first, then click on the link there.

Minneapolis Pathletes Opinion Piece

Love the name. (Reminds me of discussing the Rainbow Festival with a backpacking guide in Montana. He said many of the attendees posing as broke "hippies" are really "trustafarians.")There are a good number of patheletes on a major trail in the Philly area. Many of them are dangerous since they pull out to pass when there is oncoming bike traffic and nearly cause accidents. Selfish ****** will not be slowed for anyone.

I love MUPs when is is under 45 degrees or above 100 degrees as I have the entire trail to myself. :)

28 "incidents" (which includes accidents and thefts from cars parked at the trailheads) in all of 2013 and 2014. Looking at news reports, nearly all of these incidents occur in the midnight to 5 am timeframe, i.e. not when I travel. 4000+ people travel the Monon every day in the summer. I ride that trail every day. It's a little smelly in the southern part and crowded in the northern part, but it's not really unsafe.

Mups suck. Just yesterday I had an older man in front of me walking in the middle, he had a limp so I slowed down to about 5 MPH and called out "passing on your left." He than jumped to his left and I hit the grass. He than cursed me out. Same area 2 miles a head I was doing a good 25 mph on a good flat when some 19 year old college kid was walking in the middle of the MUP. I yelled out "passing on your left" from a good 30 yards out, he turned and saw me, panicked than ran to his left right as I was about to pass him. Had he stayed where he was it would of been fine. But I had to swerve to my right and ended up in some trees, oh I wish I could of thrown this kid into the river. Than there were these 2 people, man and woman, the woman had issues with her bike and he was trying to help her, they were both blocking the MUP. I slowed almost to a stop and asked " can I pass through please?" The guy looked at me and cursed " can't you see we are busy?. Why aren't you in the road?" I was thinking the same thing about them. Than as I picked my bike to walk pass them, we were surrounded by bushes, he looks at me and rolls his eyes.

Of course on another ride behind a popular party street full of bars, the MUP goes up a small hill surrounded by railing on both sides there were 3 fine ladies in yoga pants aged 22-24 years old walking next to each other blocking the MUP. Wanted to crush the climb I called out " passing through ladies." All three turned back and put their hands on their thighs and said they weren't gonna move unless I gave them my number. That killed my strava time!

Things like this happen all the time, one time I called out passing on left to a lady and her son, the kid who was 6 yrs old moved over, but the lady, 26 years old was too busy telling the kid to move over she didn't move over. Of course I could of just slammed my breaks ( cruising around 25 MPH on a small down hill.) But the lady panicked so I slowed down a little bit and purposely crashed myself into some bushes. As of now we have been dating for 2 years and she is still mad at me :( for almost "killing" her.

Whenever I have a chance I take the road now. I've only seen a couple of idiot drivers but for the most part it feels safer and is less stressful than riding the MUP. Whenever I'm on the MUP I slow down and cruise like most of the others on it.

A) An MUP is NEVER a place for Strava segments. Ever. No sympathy

2) Welcome to MUP usage. That is how it always is everywhere, no one understands what "on your left" means or what to do...if they hear you over their blaring earbuds.

[QUOTE=Marcus_Ti;18288873]A) An MUP is NEVER a place for Strava segments. Ever. No sympathy

I was joking about the strava thing.

Crowded = unsafe.

Eagle Creek Park is a pretty nice place to ride. It's crowded on the weekends too, but not like the Monon. Not unless there is an event taking place, such as a triathlon. During the week it's great.

I meant 'safe' in regards to crime, which was the focus of your post. People try to tell me I'm going to get shot/stabbed/robbed on the Monon, but the fact is, riding at anytime of day, it's pretty unlikely to happen and riding at the times I actually ride, it's really, really unlikely to happen.

I don't ride that fast, because, well, I'm just slow in general, but I very rarely feel like I'm going to run into anyone. The mile or so around Broad Ripple and between Carmel City Center and Carmel main street on a nice weekend/early evening are the only time/place combination I get frustrated. Going south from 52nd to downtown (my most common route), I encounter almost no one any time of day, any day of the week. When it turns cold in the next week or so, the path is going to empty all the way from Westfield to downtown.

Eagle Creek is fine, but the Monon is more convenient for me.

Lots of very specific ages of people you passed. You should be one of those carnies that guess the ages of people.

I try ti avoid MUPs as I figure, based on experience, that they are often dangerous to ride at any speed. Thus a nearby road is the faster if just going from point A to point B.

The problem with MUPs is the Multi-Use nature of them. We have a number of rail-trails in my area. these trails are covered (mostly) with a crushed limestone layer. We have dog walkers with their digs on LONG leasshes and hence the dogs are wandering all over the trail. Many walkers wear earbuds with the volume set on high. If they do hear a bell most walkers stop and look up at the sky. I haven't been able to figure out why they do that.

Many bicyclists on a MUP are extremely casual riders and have absolutely no idea as to what, "PASSING ON YOUR LEFT!" means. Often times they too wear earbuds and the volume is on high. Then there are the gaggles who just won't move to let faster riders pass safely. With my MTB drop bar bike that's usually not a problem IF I can find a spot to ride around them.

A number of MUPs have blind corners too which are hazardous if someone coming towards you rides at speed or if you take it a speed and then discover a stopped bicyclist or walker at or in that curve. thus you need to slow down for each one. Many times sight-lines are poor too so speed needs to be kept down on MUPs.

In short, I find MUPs more stressful to ride than roads. I'm fortunate because I can ride for 15 minutes heading east, south or west and be out of the city and onto relatively quiet country roads many of which are paved.

Cheers

For all the MUP haters that post here that whine about people being in their way, there are probably 10 drivers that say the same thing about them when they are on the street. Why are people so self centered that they think everyone should get out of their way?

LOL and good article! It's a constant tug-of-war. Op Ed piece hating fast bikers on the MUPs and bike trails; then another hating the bikes on the roads... Never going to please everybody.