Please Excuse My 'On Your Left' Rant
09-07-15, 09:34 PM
#51
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Just don't buzz them, it's annoying, unnecessary and startles people (even I hate that.) I go very wide when passing people, and pass a gazillion of them here in LA, and nobody ever complains.
09-07-15, 09:52 PM
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Easy solution ... go ride empty country roads.
On the vast majority of my rides, you'd never encounter another cyclist at all.
On the vast majority of my rides, you'd never encounter another cyclist at all.
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09-08-15, 03:03 AM
#54
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First I have to say I avoid MUPs whenever I can. It's the Multiple Use in MUP that makes things crazy IMO. However, you've made a lot of assumptions as to what is behind someone wanting to know you are passing. If you were riding with my club and did not announce "on your left" I, and lots of other more experienced riders, would be annoyed. It's simply a matter of communicating. It is a safety issue. If another rider does not know you are there they could drift, swerve, turn, etc. into your path. You would be the one going down. I assure you that announcing "on your left" is ultimately to your benefit. Again, if you ride with a club or in groups it will be expected.
09-08-15, 04:41 AM
#55
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Yeah, and some have a speed limit of 15 mph, too. How's that rule work out in real life, when the pathletes with aero bars are out on a nice summer weekend like this past one? 
On the road, I only announce my pass when the rider I'm passing is so sketchy that I can't trust him or her not to drift into me. Even then, I usually have to yell to be heard over the ear buds. I also don't call out "CAR UP!!!" on a group ride, whenever there's a vehicle approaching on the other side of a long, straight road. Group rides are notorious for the town criers who call out every little unnecessary thing in and along the road---like an approaching car that everyone in the group can see.
On the road, I only announce my pass when the rider I'm passing is so sketchy that I can't trust him or her not to drift into me. Even then, I usually have to yell to be heard over the ear buds. I also don't call out "CAR UP!!!" on a group ride, whenever there's a vehicle approaching on the other side of a long, straight road. Group rides are notorious for the town criers who call out every little unnecessary thing in and along the road---like an approaching car that everyone in the group can see.
I don't have a problem with 15 mph limit 12-14 mph is were I can see things around me and get a decent workout . I speed was my goal I would not be on a bicycle . I bike to slow down in a world that goes too fast as it is
09-08-15, 12:42 PM
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Thank you, OP, for this rant.
While I try not to let stuff get under my skin and can mostly forget the discourteous drivers, novice riders or whatever else I might encounter, I can't forget this one pompous guy from a recent ride on PCH:
Much like you describe, this guy, an overweight 55-ish yr old bald man in a balloon-y bright blue jersey on an older-looking motobecane or something, was tootling along around 10-12mph in the bike lane/shoulder on PCH. In this particular area, the bike lane is almost as wide as a standard-width car lane. He was in the right-most half, where he probably ought to be, given his speed. Great, right? Sounds like he understands how/where to ride based on his speed, traffic, the road conditions, etc.
So, I and my riding companions had been pace-lining it in the 18-22 mph range for a good while and had now broken into a couple of ragged groups after rollers. I was kind of in no-mans-land between groups, trying to catch back on to the front group.
As I approached this guy, I thought, "Wow, good for you man, getting out here!" and as I passed (with about 3-feet of room, as much as I could give him, given the PCH traffic streaming past my left elbow) I gave him a cheerful, "Good morning!" to which he replied, "Gah, you should have said 'on your left!'" I could hear him also bark something similar as the guys behind me went by as well.
What kind of jack-rod does that? I can't stop thinking about this guy. Ugh!
While I try not to let stuff get under my skin and can mostly forget the discourteous drivers, novice riders or whatever else I might encounter, I can't forget this one pompous guy from a recent ride on PCH:
Much like you describe, this guy, an overweight 55-ish yr old bald man in a balloon-y bright blue jersey on an older-looking motobecane or something, was tootling along around 10-12mph in the bike lane/shoulder on PCH. In this particular area, the bike lane is almost as wide as a standard-width car lane. He was in the right-most half, where he probably ought to be, given his speed. Great, right? Sounds like he understands how/where to ride based on his speed, traffic, the road conditions, etc.
So, I and my riding companions had been pace-lining it in the 18-22 mph range for a good while and had now broken into a couple of ragged groups after rollers. I was kind of in no-mans-land between groups, trying to catch back on to the front group.
As I approached this guy, I thought, "Wow, good for you man, getting out here!" and as I passed (with about 3-feet of room, as much as I could give him, given the PCH traffic streaming past my left elbow) I gave him a cheerful, "Good morning!" to which he replied, "Gah, you should have said 'on your left!'" I could hear him also bark something similar as the guys behind me went by as well.
What kind of jack-rod does that? I can't stop thinking about this guy. Ugh!
09-08-15, 01:18 PM
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More often then not, they sit in for awhile and then pass you. They can't maintain a high enough pace to keep ahead so eventually you have to pass them again. Rinse and repeat. When you are out for a 70 mile ride, all the extra energy you have expend passing a rider over and over takes its toll. You can't establish a good rhythm.
09-08-15, 01:44 PM
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MUP's...a microcosm of why there will never be peace in the world.
Last edited by bikecrate; 09-08-15 at 01:47 PM.
09-08-15, 01:53 PM
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I should preface my rant with how I might react differently if I lived in a different community where there actually was a more polite and courteous population. I am routinely treated with an almost laughable discourtesy and disrespect here so just sayin.
My rant is about how much it irritates me to have some ****** decide that he/she needs to remind me that I need to afford them the courtesy of announcing 'on your left.' This happened again today after I actually again did in fact announce 'on your left' but the person in question didn't hear me or wasn't paying enough attention. For starters I am able to determine when I feel it is warranted to announce myself and I attempt to do so accordingly. Is there oncoming traffic? Are there two people side by side taking up the entire lane that need to be reminded there are others riding too? Is someone obviously distracted and a potential hazard? I am guilty of this too and I appreciate the reminder if I do become distracted.
What sets me off is somebody who just wants to run their mouth like they are the hall pass monitor of jr high school or whatever their malfunction is feeling like they need to scold me over me not announcing myself to their satisfaction regardless if circumstances warrant it by my assessment.
Particularly if you're really slow and you're just out limping along at 10mph - get a grip on it! You're going to get your ass passed all day long by EVERYONE... it shouldn't shock you that you just got passed AGAIN! You're going to continue to get passed by EVERYONE who isn't going 10mph like YOU ARE.
Don't be shocked if you get a response from me that hopefully discourages you from ever barking orders at me ever again to announce 'On Your Left.'
My rant is about how much it irritates me to have some ****** decide that he/she needs to remind me that I need to afford them the courtesy of announcing 'on your left.' This happened again today after I actually again did in fact announce 'on your left' but the person in question didn't hear me or wasn't paying enough attention. For starters I am able to determine when I feel it is warranted to announce myself and I attempt to do so accordingly. Is there oncoming traffic? Are there two people side by side taking up the entire lane that need to be reminded there are others riding too? Is someone obviously distracted and a potential hazard? I am guilty of this too and I appreciate the reminder if I do become distracted.
What sets me off is somebody who just wants to run their mouth like they are the hall pass monitor of jr high school or whatever their malfunction is feeling like they need to scold me over me not announcing myself to their satisfaction regardless if circumstances warrant it by my assessment.
Particularly if you're really slow and you're just out limping along at 10mph - get a grip on it! You're going to get your ass passed all day long by EVERYONE... it shouldn't shock you that you just got passed AGAIN! You're going to continue to get passed by EVERYONE who isn't going 10mph like YOU ARE.
Don't be shocked if you get a response from me that hopefully discourages you from ever barking orders at me ever again to announce 'On Your Left.'
FWIW, those same people like to show up at criteriums and lecture the rest of the peloton the entire race. Nothing makes a race more enjoyable than some self-appointed drill seargent yelling "hold your line!" 50 times in a 40 minute crit.
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09-08-15, 01:55 PM
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09-08-15, 01:57 PM
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Assuming that this is in the MUP section of the Road forum, I can sympathize because it does bug me when people decide to instruct random strangers. The "on your left safety instructors" in particular tend to be clueless.
On the actual road, forget about it. Unless the rider is weaving all over the place or appears to have his head in the clouds, I'm just passing.
Regarding MUP rules here, I have searched in vain for the governing authority behind the posted rules on our Greenways. I know that years ago I read an ordinance that closed the trails after dark and required helmets, but I cannot find explicit statutes, ordinances or anything of that nature. "The Rules" are everywhere but without reference to an ordinance. Calling out to pass is one of these rules, listed under "rules of etiquette."
I have tentatively decided that this "rule" is no more than a policy, having no force or authority beyond that. And simply etiquette or courtesy at that. Since few of the other "rules" are generally followed, I don't really care about the self-appointed enforcers obsessing over one of them.
On the actual road, forget about it. Unless the rider is weaving all over the place or appears to have his head in the clouds, I'm just passing.
Regarding MUP rules here, I have searched in vain for the governing authority behind the posted rules on our Greenways. I know that years ago I read an ordinance that closed the trails after dark and required helmets, but I cannot find explicit statutes, ordinances or anything of that nature. "The Rules" are everywhere but without reference to an ordinance. Calling out to pass is one of these rules, listed under "rules of etiquette."
I have tentatively decided that this "rule" is no more than a policy, having no force or authority beyond that. And simply etiquette or courtesy at that. Since few of the other "rules" are generally followed, I don't really care about the self-appointed enforcers obsessing over one of them.
09-08-15, 02:10 PM
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If my intention was to ride wheels, I would have gone on a group ride. When out riding tempo, my goal is to ride at a high, steady rate. Speeding up and slowing down messes with that goal. If I knew they where going to just sit on my wheel or are strong enough to ride away from me, I would care less.
09-08-15, 02:25 PM
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09-08-15, 02:30 PM
#68
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I rarely ride MUPs, where it's usually a trail rule that you warn others before passing. On the road, I act like a car; and cars do not have to blow their horns or holler "on your left" before passing a bike. So neither do I. If I ring my bell or say something, it's probably more of a warning, "you're acting like you might do something stupid, so hold off until I'm past!" I usually give a 3-5 foot clearance and try to get past them before they know I'm there to aim for me.
09-08-15, 02:32 PM
#69
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I ride the SART regularly-- it's northern starting point is about 8 miles from my house. So the "don't ride MUPs" thing is just trite nonsense. That's why the damn trail is there, to ride on it. And yeah, from day to any other given day I will experience any mix of encounters, from virtually no riders at all, to the locust-like cloud of joggers, to the four-wide 12mph club. I'm on the trail, I'm ready for any of it. Still better than working. But then there's the matched-kit tryhard jackholes calling "ON YOUR LEFT!" so they can paceline by at 0.5mph faster than my solo pace, only to peter out 1-2 miles down the way, where I will overtake them again, and we'll go back and forth for 20 minutes. It's a constant battle between their legs and their bravado. Or better-- and my personal SART favorite, the guy who will absolutely not let anyone pass him. I love that guy. Get a little closer, he paces up. Closer again, paces up again. Next thing, we're doing 23-24mph for a couple of miles, until one of us lungs out-- and I think I'm rolling about 50/50 on that one.
But more directly to the topic, I don't call out anything to anyone. No on your lefts, no cars up, nada. Take care of yourself. SART slowpokes get the bell if they're on the centerline, otherwise they get nothing at all.
But more directly to the topic, I don't call out anything to anyone. No on your lefts, no cars up, nada. Take care of yourself. SART slowpokes get the bell if they're on the centerline, otherwise they get nothing at all.
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09-08-15, 02:35 PM
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09-08-15, 02:36 PM
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I ride the SART regularly-- it's northern starting point is about 8 miles from my house. So the "don't ride MUPs" thing is just trite nonsense. That's why the damn trail is there, to ride on it. And yeah, from day to any other given day I will experience any mix of encounters, from virtually no riders at all, to the locust-like cloud of joggers, to the four-wide 12mph club. I'm on the trail, I'm ready for any of it. Still better than working. But then there's the matched-kit tryhard jackholes calling "ON YOUR LEFT!" so they can paceline by at 0.5mph faster than my solo pace, only to peter out 1-2 miles down the way, where I will overtake them again, and we'll go back and forth for 20 minutes. It's a constant battle between their legs and their bravado. Or better-- and my personal SART favorite, the guy who will absolutely not let anyone pass him. I love that guy. Get a little closer, he paces up. Closer again, paces up again. Next thing, we're doing 23-24mph for a couple of miles, until one of us lungs out-- and I think I'm rolling about 50/50 on that one.
But more directly to the topic, I don't call out anything to anyone. No on your lefts, no cars up, nada. Take care of yourself. SART slowpokes get the bell if they're on the centerline, otherwise they get nothing at all.
But more directly to the topic, I don't call out anything to anyone. No on your lefts, no cars up, nada. Take care of yourself. SART slowpokes get the bell if they're on the centerline, otherwise they get nothing at all.
09-08-15, 02:42 PM
#72
Non omnino gravis
From my front door, 77 miles of the SART (and a little bit of roads in between) will take me to the Huntington Beach Pier and the Pacific Ocean. So while I spend a good +80% of the time on surface streets, absolutely avoiding the SART seems like a bit of a waste. And not to expound on the differences between SoCal and Minnesota, but if I go on a ride anywhere locally, at any time of day, in any weather, seeing less than a dozen cyclists out is a rarity. During the spring when the Redlands Bicycle Classic is going on, it's just bikes everywhere for about a month. Like 10 pages of Strava Flybys.
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09-08-15, 02:50 PM
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From my front door, 77 miles of the SART (and a little bit of roads in between) will take me to the Huntington Beach Pier and the Pacific Ocean. So while I spend a good +80% of the time on surface streets, absolutely avoiding the SART seems like a bit of a waste. And not to expound on the differences between SoCal and Minnesota, but if I go on a ride anywhere locally, at any time of day, in any weather, seeing less than a dozen cyclists out is a rarity. During the spring when the Redlands Bicycle Classic is going on, it's just bikes everywhere for about a month. Like 10 pages of Strava Flybys.
09-08-15, 02:53 PM
#74
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Is it your Aunts bike btw?
Who rides it?
09-08-15, 03:13 PM
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valves not at 6/12 o'clock
Non Arundel bottle cages
Sky doesn't ride Bianchis
Saddle bag
Non carbon clinchers
Cross chained
Not hot. Try again.
lol.
