mcours2006

If everyone adhered to this, it would be a very dull place indeed.

rumrunn6

it's summer. time to get off the "MUPs"

indyfabz

The thread title has gotten "Panic in Detroit" stuck in my head.

BTW...Next time, try waving.

DomaneS5

People suck. But I've noticed people are generally nicer in the morning on the local MUTs and rail trails. That's why I try to get there as early as possible. Seems like there's more negative ****** in the afternoon and evening hours.

redlude97

I do some racing and alot of fast group riding and also commuting in traffic with not a lot of bike lanes. I'm comfortable with contact and any car that doesn't make contact is a good enough pass for me. But to me any pass on the MUP that could even possibly involve the word "close" is a bad pass. Its simply not the time or place, and there is never a need to be in such a rush on the MUP that waiting until it is clear isn't the correct option.

Iride01 

I've been known to shout at riders that didn't let me know they were approaching from behind. Particularly when it happens at a time that I'm about to do something that might require me to use more than normal lane. IE. Swap my full bottle to the downtube that now has an empty bottle. Or when I'm about to pass someone and notice that I'm being passed right as I'm about to change lanes.

So was that maybe their provocation to cuss you?

However there was another thread recently that a lot of people seem to think it's wrong to come up on someones wheel to pass. I don't agree with them. If you let me know you are there, you can have my wheel anytime. Some parts of the trails don't permit you to stay several bike lengths back and have time to safely pass.

tigat

Sorry OP, but I am going to yell at you. I've written on this before, but it bears repeating.

On weekdays, I'm lucky enough to commute on a well designed and maintained MUP that keeps me out of the way of cars for 15 miles each way. The cycle-run-walk traffic is light and purposeful enough to permit whatever speed you want to push, and safe passes as long as you avoid blind corners.

Weekends are family times. They also happen to be the times when the Special Olympics cycling team I coach hits the trail in their matching, brightly colored kits with SO training signs on the back of their bikes. Since some of the riders are not street ready, we use the path. They average a respectable 13 to 15 mph. Over a 7 mile stretch, on any given Saturday, I'll see at least 10 questionable passes and my athletes cut off or run off the trail numerous times. Last Saturday, a rider merging from the trail on the right spotted our entourage coming, my daughter in the lead. Up off the seat he goes, hands in the drops, Cavendish style. His sprint gained him six inches of clearance from my daughter's front wheel. I'm sure he thought the execution was superb. On the other end of the maneuver, athletes and coach were pretty shaken.

When I have better coaching coverage and can leave the group, I chase down the worst offenders to not so gently ask for some consideration and perspective. On days when I'm alone with the group, I yell.

DrIsotope

I both do and don't want to see what "MUPs" look like in other parts of the world. The only things I have close to me is the Santa Ana River Trail (SART) and the Pacific Electric Trail (PET.) The PET has about a zillion cross streets, but it's almost always empty, so speed isn't determined by traffic level, it's regulated by intersections. On the SART you can go as fast as you want whenever you want (at least at the north end, where I live.) It's like a bike highway. I guess I just imagine this is how all bike trails look.

big chainring 

So the path I am referring to is the North Branch Trail in tge nirthern burbs of Chicago. I've been riding it for 40 years. Its a winding two lane paved path. It does have lots if blind corners. I was on the northern end of the path that gets a little less traffic.

So in the midst of passing a slower rider, up ahead appears the oncoming rider. Sure it was close. But I darted back on my side of the path before he passed. And the path is wide. Three abreast is no big deal and that is often the case when passing people when it gets crowded on the path. The guy was a jerk. Unfortunately its the attitude displayed by many cyclists these days. Maybe brought on by adrenaline, who knows.

ColonelSanders

Was it the misery guts known as @eja_bottecchia ?

DomaneS5

Not to get off topic and I have a dumb question... but is a MUP the same thing as a MUT? People refer to our paved biking/"multi-use" trails in my area as MUTs... multi-use trails.

bikecrate

Yeah, but if the OP was droping the hammer at 400 watts on a guy who looked like lance and was wearing flip flops on a Cervelo, I'd yell too.

DiabloScott

If you have to dart back, you cut it too close.
Maybe not enough for an angry outburst, but you should've waited until you could pass safely and courteously to both riders.

Skankingbiker

Let me paraphrase the great Marcus Aurelius: "Today, I will encounter malcontents, ******-bags, ********, and people out to do me ill. I shall not let them bother me, for I am one with the force."

Iride01 

If the oncoming rider was unexpected, then a dart is appropriate if you are already ahead of the person being passed. There is no way a slower vehicle is going to hit a faster one that moves in front of it.

However, when that happens, the persons passing should ask themselves if it was right and really safe to pass in conditions that let an unexpected rider surprise them.

MPT's, MUP's, MUT's, etc. won't be very multi-purpose if everyone has to ride at the lowest common denominator. We all should make sure we are reasonably safe and don't interfere with others use of the trail.

Jadesfire 

Olefeller77 

I am quite fortunate. I ride 10 miles to gain access to a popular 65 mile long trail. That 10 miles is small town streets, paths, highway, and back roads . Lots of changing conditions. I have never been yelled at and the few waves were sent with a smile and all 5 fingers. lol
The river path is heavily used on weekends but I have not run into anger at all. I have stopped along the trail with a flat and had more than one rider ask if I am OK.
When the trail is not busy I often say hello when I come across another rider. More often than not I am ignored but I've accepted that as the modern norm. Hmmmm, with my hearing they may have returned the greeting without me hearing it. lol Ride safe

Sojodave

You forgot to scream "ON YOUR LEFT". This would have solved everything.

GrainBrain

Mmm middle of winter and I once again dream of those weeks before RAGBRAI when the barren rail trails are packed with individuals and teams practicing their skills. Echoes of "Bike up!" and "Bike back!" literally every few minutes

Litespud

if I saw another cyclist 20yds away, approaching me in my lane at whatever our combined closing speed was, I’d yell at you too. You might know what you’re doing, but I don’t know you from a hole in the ground - all I see is some dipsh1t barreling toward me in my lane

datlas 

What's better than a Zombie thread and a MUP thread?

A Zombie MUP Thread!

phtomita

Yesterday riding on a mup, I had a group of 5 approaching and passing ... and after some 900 feet they slow down and stop.
Mup is like 6 to 7 feet wide. The front riders stopped at far right. The third kind of in the middle and forth at far left.
The fifth one was kind of at left and as I approach (already slowly) kind of cross to the right .
The person sees me right behind and apologizes as moves far right and stops.
I passed the group and go on my nice Sunday morning ride

Couple miles ahead I find out there is water in the mup due to recent rain and river is like 5 feet high.
So I yelled and had to walk the bike on an elevated portion along the mup and soon after I got out of mup to a road.

seypat

Time to call in the Sexton to fill that hole back up with dirt.

tomato coupe

Zombie(ish) thread, but ...

I'd be pissed as well, if the OP splashed me with soup as he passed.