I hate the "on your left." I've had bad experiences with it. I'd much rather use a bell. If it's on a path, I'd use a "ding dong" bell or a "ching ching" bell. They seem less... harsh and annoying. Considering you're going to be using it constantly, you may as well get a pleasant sounding one.

That said, when I pass people out on the road, I just give the plenty of room (usually I move to the other lane or at least hug the double yellow) and blow past them. Occasionally I'll say "hello" if they're anywhere near my speed and I spend more than a second or so beside them."

I'm not trying to be a jerk, I'm just not going to slow down if I have an entire road to pass somebody and they're moving significantly slower than me.

Noisy brakes work too, if you slow down for everyone.

I wish every bike had a bell and people rang it instead of calling out. You can hear it from farther away, and everyone knows what a bike bell is.

I own ten bikes, and each one has a bell on it.

I also wear a Take-A-Look mirror on my glasses when I ride. I check it every few seconds. With practice, I've become much more aware of what's around me.

[MENTION=4588]Machka[/MENTION], what side do people ride on bike paths in AU?

On my Mtb, we use a small "cow bell", the same as cattle wear. It is constantly clanging a sound so that other riders on the trail can hear you before they get to see you, therefore are warned of your presence. Maybe that is what I will put on my rail trail bike, Hmmm.... food for thought.
On road rides, "on your left" works fine, except when pace lining, then the group effort formation takes over and you turn up the heat and punishment.
MUP's and rail trails are no place to show off your speed as that is not why the trail is there. A few trails in my area are speed enforced by local police. They will ticket you if you are traveling over 20 mph, and that's even too fast for a trail ride IMHO.

Liz33, Have you noticed the great majority of the posters in your thread are giving you suggestions on how to blow past everyone on you MUP? Last year I was much slower than I am this year and I can assure you next year you will be faster and more steady than you are this year. A MUP is nothing more than a linear park and I am pretty sure that any where in the country a bicycle has no right of way over any pedestrian and in my opinion that should apply also to overtaking a slower bicycle. I never pass anyone unless I first make eye contact even if I have to stop to say hello. Yes that means slowing down and making sure it is safe to proceed for heaven's sake it's a park full of kids and dogs after all. I'll rant some more after supper

As do I, except for children. They too often turn left while looking back. Behind you works better with them and some others.

Thank you

That's very true too. Thanks

Few bikers did this when I was on the trail, I didn't mind at all because I didn't feel any danger, they put a lot of space between me and them and I felt happy for them that they didn't have to slow down because of me. I think it's great when you have all the conditions to do that, but it was the others that passed me by really close (or I felt it close anyway) and didn't let me know before.

I'm surprised at the responses to OP. She is saying that it was helpful to her to have folks call out on your left but many are telling her why she shouldn't expect this.
I'm an experienced rider, and i appreciate when people call out on your left, or "morning", or ring a bell. I "hold my line", but if someone passes me without announcing, and i didn't hear them coming up behind me, it can sometimes startle me. It's not difficult to see how that could cause a rider, experienced or otherwise to swerve.
The only time i don't call out is for very small kids because they turn around and wobble. I give them a very wide berth and try not to distract them.
Happy trails Liz.

Hi, thanks, and I'm sorry, I keep seeing MUP all around, but I dont know what that isn what does it mean MUP?

Thank you for understanding. It's been educational reading all the responses and understanding more the minds of bikers out there, but you got me, thank you, and maybe I didn't express myself too well either, but anyway. ...it's all good. I'm learning

I find rollerbladers troubling. The full use of a MUP lane usually with the left/right/left/right gait. I've basically given up on MUPs and think that in general MUPs should have speed limits of no more than 12mph.. any path that includes strollers w/babies, dogs on 6ft leashes, joggers and hoverboards, shouldn't have unlimited speeds that go unenforced.

MUP = Multi Use Path - which means anyone can be on it except motor vehicles, sort of like a municipal park, only long.

99% of the paths I ride on are adjacent to highways or busy multi lane roads. Therefore traffic noise drowns out even loud yelling. A bell? That would be a joke. Maybe an air horn, but how courteous is that? I really don't like yelling as loud as I can when I'm in public so I don't do it. It doesn't do any good and does not enhance safety.

I always pass safely. If passing a pedestrian, I slow to a fast walking/slow jogging speed, so it's essentially like one pedestrian/jogger passing another. They don't yell at each other, they just pass safely.

Same thing when I pass a cyclist - I go just a tiny bit faster than the person is riding, and only accelerate when I'm past the blind spot.

Going this speed, I can stop or swerve safely if I need to and if they do something hare brained like lurch into my path while I'm along side, the collision would be as minor as possible.

When I ride I stay in my "lane" holding a straight line and always look behind when changing that line - in other words just like when I'm driving. I don't expect other cars to beep their horns when they pass me, and I don't expect other bike riders to yell at me when they pass me.

The trail that I live next to, and use frequently, has a 15mph speed limit (10mph on bridges and boardwalk). Most of it woks well. There are sections that go through parks. There a person has to be on alert.

The biggest alert issue is coming out of the tunnels. In many places there is a turn into the tunnels, that creates blind spots.

As far as passing people, as I said, I just say "Passing" and slow down so that I can avoid a problem if something unexpected happens.

I don't use "on your left"...I have been using my bell for many years when riding on MUPS and it never fails. I even had other people thank me for using a bell. I wish more cyclists would use bells instead of yelling "on your left" or worse just blow by somebody without announcing themselves.

[QUOTE=noglider;18921224]I wish every bike had a bell" and so does your city. I understand they've been ticketing.

But I agree about the bells. Got 'm on my three bikes, and also air sound air horns. But I don't use the horns for pedestrian, just cars. I used to honk if the bell didn't work, but the older I get the more I yield on the MUPs. I also love my tak-a-look glasses mirror.

Liz33, you will gain confidence. You sound like a thoughtful courteous cyclist, and we could use more worth your attitude.

Thank you

So you pull up along side them and stare at them until they make eye contact with you? That's not creepy at all.

In some places there are MUPs, in some places there are dirt/gravel trails, and in some places there are Cycleways.

I'm not keen on the first two most of the time, but I do like riding Cycleways -- cycling highways -- because I can maintain road speeds on them.


Liz ... what kind of trail, path, or whatever were you on? The behaviour of cyclists will vary depending on the cycling environment.


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This is a tow path in France ... it is a MUP close to towns because there are lots of pedestrians and cyclists, but more of a cycleway out in the country between towns where the traffic thins out. We slowed down as we went by/through the towns, and announced our presence etc. and then picked up speed again once we were out in the country.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2691/5...248c09dc_z.jpg


This is a MUP in Adelaide ... because of the number of pedestrians you wouldn't cycle very quickly and you'd keep that situational awareness about you because there will no doubt be dogs and children and everything running everywhere. You'd also use your bell or call out as you approached people.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5109/5...8669fd62_z.jpg


This is more of a trail. On something like this, you'd want to warn others that you were coming up behind because it could potentially be a tight squeeze going around.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7063/6...c6a881f3_z.jpg


This would be more of a cycleway ... it's one of the nicer parts of the Rhine Route in Germany. We could get a decent pace up here ... even though it was up in the high 30s. One of the hottest days of the whole trip! There was really no need to announce our presence, if we didn't want to, because there are lanes and ample room to pass.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8042/8...9f0b6fd8_z.jpg


One of the nicest rail trails in Victoria, Australia ...

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8385/8...552db5ec_z.jpg

One of the longest rail trails in Victoria, Australia ...

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7430/9...84d87147_z.jpg

These rail trails are like cycleways, even though they are mostly fine gravel rather than paved (the nice one is paved ... thus making it the nicest one. :) ). You can get up a good speed and there's lots of room for cyclists to pass each other. If you glance in your mirror now and then, and keep your ears open, you can see and hear other cyclists approaching.
.

A few random thoughts after reading through this thread:

1. I believe an approaching rider should always signal their intent and location when passing - especially on MUPs. I generally say "Coming behind you", and then pass when the rider has settled into their line. And I almost always greet them when I pass.

2. Most popular city paths where I live have a 10mph speed limit which many bikers ignore (myself included, at times). Commuters use these paths quite often, but the blow-bys are most often kitted-out riders trying to move as fast as possible. These are the most dangerous riders.

3. If you don't let me know you're behind me and intend to pass, you most likely will scare the snot out of me when you go by, thereby increasing the chances of me overcorrecting or making a twitchy move.

4. If you are riding on a MUP, regardless of how fast a rider you are or how experienced you think you are, you are part of a community, and should probably acquit yourself as such. That would seem to include safely interacting with other riders.

From my experience, a safe interaction is when faster cyclists just simply cycle past me ... without shouting at me or dinging a bell.

If I'm on the Cycleway, I know there will be other cyclists out there. I know there will be faster cyclists out there. I know there will be a lot of cyclists out there. The last thing I want is people shouting at me throughout my entire ride.

I much prefer if they just glide on past. :) Although if they want to say "hi" or "nice day" or something that's all right too.

But having someone shout "ON YOUR RIGHT" every 30 seconds on our Cycleway would get really annoying after about 2 minutes. Yes ... I know you're coming up on the right. 15 other cyclists have passed me in the last 7 minutes. That's why I'm over here in the left lane where I belong, holding my line and freeing up the right lane for you to use to pass me. :)

Fortunately most of the cyclists on our Cycleway remain silent ... except when there's congestion or small children or other hazards, of course.

As I've said before ... it's a compliment when a faster cyclist goes by a slower cyclist without saying anything more than a little "hi" or nod of the head. :)

On the left, of course. That's the side of the road we drive on, therefore that's side of the road we cycle on.

When you look at these photos ... if there were cyclists on those cycleways, they'd be in the left lane going away from me, and in the right lane coming toward me.

Everything near me is 15MPH. At least on the ones by me, the only areas that are truly a concern are within a mile or so of the parking lots, even though they run through populated areas there is little congestion elsewhere on the path.

I ride a trails that is about as close to the shoulder of an interstate as you can get, in some areas the only thing between you and the highway is the concrete pillars for overpasses. Never had an issue hearing bells or people shouting. It is not a popular path for walking and has quite a few hills, so bikes tend to move quite fast on it, I always like to give and get warning.

People around here seem deaf to bells. I can ring and ring and ring and ring, and get no reaction at all. Then I yell and that usually wakes them up. Perhaps they think all that dinging is someone's phone.