On my right! On my right!
#101
Senior Member
I wait for wide enough area to pass safely. Sometimes I have to wait a while, from a good distance back. I try to size the situation up beforehand and decide whether I should announce the pass or not. Some people get startled if you say anything. It also depends how much room I have, I want enough leeway that an inexperienced cyclist can veer sideways while I pass and we'll both be ok. Mainly, I avoid the MUPs, and just accept riding real slow when I'm on one.
Otherwise, I agree 100 %.
Otherwise, I agree 100 %.
In general:
If you're riding so fast that you don't have time to announce and respond to a pedestrian's reaction, get off the MUP and onto a road.
#102
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I've startled people. Some people are just jumpy.
#104
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Saying "Left" or "Right" to a walker is usually enough to get the walker to move in that direction, in my experience. I've stopped warning, I just give wide berths. My 105 drivetrain *isn't* noisy, so there's no noise until i'm past them. They may startle, but by that point i'm gone anyway.
#105
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If I say anything at all I try to be more direct like "I'm passing you on your left" or "excuse me".
Speaking of weird encounters...last weekend I was riding on a MUP that actually had hills and curves (for FL). I was coming down a hill and another cyclist was coming down the opposite hill towards me. In front of me was a couple of pedestrians. I was already slowing down waiting for the other cyclist to do his thing before I passed the peds when he yells out "BEHIND YOU!!" to the pedestrians. As he passed me he was muttering all sorts of unhappy sounds. I'm not sure what his point was. No one was in his way. When I caught up to the peds I made a joke about me being "behind them" and we had a little laugh.
Speaking of weird encounters...last weekend I was riding on a MUP that actually had hills and curves (for FL). I was coming down a hill and another cyclist was coming down the opposite hill towards me. In front of me was a couple of pedestrians. I was already slowing down waiting for the other cyclist to do his thing before I passed the peds when he yells out "BEHIND YOU!!" to the pedestrians. As he passed me he was muttering all sorts of unhappy sounds. I'm not sure what his point was. No one was in his way. When I caught up to the peds I made a joke about me being "behind them" and we had a little laugh.
#106
☢
No matter how you put it, people will always stop to interpret your language. Use a warning sound/bell. That's what its for. Then they instantly know where you are, and what that means.
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Utahan
I live in Utah and have for about a decade and have never heard of this.
#108
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Boats, airplane, cars, in fact everything I can think of provides the right of way to the slower or less maneuverable. I don't care what the laws says or what you think is the "right" answer, you tag somebody and didn't call it out a good lawyer will simply take a jury and hang you out to dry.
And did we forget many bicyclists like to claim they have the same rights to the roadway as a car? Now some can't accept they are responsible to not hit somebody?
Sure some don't know what "on your left" means, but most do, and the rest learn in a big hurry.
I don't have a bike bell, but I just decided I need one. I don't care what the law, folks experience, or the purple pumpkin eater says: if I can not hit a kid, or a little old lady, or a whatever, then I made the right decision. To those that brought that up, thanks!
And did we forget many bicyclists like to claim they have the same rights to the roadway as a car? Now some can't accept they are responsible to not hit somebody?
Sure some don't know what "on your left" means, but most do, and the rest learn in a big hurry.
I don't have a bike bell, but I just decided I need one. I don't care what the law, folks experience, or the purple pumpkin eater says: if I can not hit a kid, or a little old lady, or a whatever, then I made the right decision. To those that brought that up, thanks!
#109
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I use a bell and get a lot more thank yous and hand waves than startled jumps. Of course, the startled ones are the least clueful pedestrians and "bikers" who meander to and fro. I figure startling them once is necessary education to prepare them for future encounters on the MUP.
Also, I swear I posted almost this exact same response on BF a few months ago. And a few months before that... I'm beginning to understand why the majority of a certain poster's content is just previous quotes of himself.
Also, I swear I posted almost this exact same response on BF a few months ago. And a few months before that... I'm beginning to understand why the majority of a certain poster's content is just previous quotes of himself.
#110
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My only problem with this is that the bell doesn't give notice about what you are going to do. As in "passing on your left."
#111
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Yeah a bell can be any number of things. Even I wouldn't assume it was a bike coming through.
#113
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Had a young adult looking right at me a veer into my lane coming right towards me, then get freaked out when we almost collided..
When I got home I ordered a replacement 1200 lumen light for my bike... Should be here tomorrow..
this was in Milford, Ma. People are constantly walking side by side taking up the entire path, not paying attention. Annoying to say the least.
When I got home I ordered a replacement 1200 lumen light for my bike... Should be here tomorrow..
this was in Milford, Ma. People are constantly walking side by side taking up the entire path, not paying attention. Annoying to say the least.
#114
☢
In my experiments. At least 50% of the time peds move to the side without even breaking their stride.
The only issues arrive is with groups when they divided to both sides forcing you down the middle. When that happens you have to needle through focusing on moving targets on both sides with no open way out in the event of an emergency maneuver.
#115
Lostfreight
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I rely on my bell constantly. In Fact, having a bell on one’s bike is law In Toronto. Most people on an MUP will step to the right when they hear the bell. Simple. I also realize a lot of road bike riders don’t have a bell on their bike. What do others here think of bells? I get the sense from some fellow riders that this accessory is just not cool on an expensive road bike.
#117
☢
I rely on my bell constantly. In Fact, having a bell on one’s bike is law In Toronto. Most people on an MUP will step to the right when they hear the bell. Simple. I also realize a lot of road bike riders don’t have a bell on their bike. What do others here think of bells? I get the sense from some fellow riders that this accessory is just not cool on an expensive road bike.
#118
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Another one worth repeating. Totally common sense, and I think most experienced riders know this. Unfortunately, too many people use shared paths as training grounds, they'll start putting forth an effort, and common sense goes out the window..
#119
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I was complimented by a pedestrian who caught up to me at a stop light while getting off of a MUP. I had said 'passing on your left' as I usually do and he thanked me for my civility. 80% of the time my call-out falls on deaf ears, though, as most folks are actively tuning out the world with earbuds.
#120
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I rarely announce my passing. It just isn't necessary most of the time, and I find it is more likely to create a problem than solve one. I will use my bell if I think there is a decent chance the person may not hold their line. Very few people announce their passes where I ride. I can't remember the last time someone did when passing me.
#121
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#122
Senior Member
I was complimented by a pedestrian who caught up to me at a stop light while getting off of a MUP. I had said 'passing on your left' as I usually do and he thanked me for my civility. 80% of the time my call-out falls on deaf ears, though, as most folks are actively tuning out the world with earbuds.
I rarely announce my passing. It just isn't necessary most of the time, and I find it is more likely to create a problem than solve one. I will use my bell if I think there is a decent chance the person may not hold their line. Very few people announce their passes where I ride. I can't remember the last time someone did when passing me.