BengeBoy 

Wow, is that hard to learn a few sentences of Spanish?

umd

That wasn't the point. If you say anything to an inexperienced cyclist they are likely to be startled and swerve all over the place. I still say that for most circumstances if there is room it is often safest just to pass quietly with a lot of room.

GP

I agree. He should say "On your left" in English, then repeat it in Spanish, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Tagalog, Laotion....

roadiejorge 

Doesn't sound like you did anything wrong at all, perhaps the other rider said something because he got startled and said something because he was annoyed. I agree with umd about migrant workers on bikes though, I usually encounter the same thing with deliverymen here in NYC and their inexperience is the problem not language.

BengeBoy 

[QUOTE=GP;9305935]I agree. He should say "On your left" in English, then repeat it in Spanish, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Tagalog, Laotion....[/QUO

Plus have a runner out ahead using sign language for the hearing impaired.

KevinF

+1. If I'm passing somebody who is riding predictably , I'll usually say something... But if they're looking skittish, I'll just swing wide and blow past without saying a word.

Barese Rider

Why didnt you tell them to kiss this ? Next time yell it real loud about three times. Theyll get the picture. I did that today to some jerk with his belly hanging out of his bathing suit riding the wrong way who got aggravated with me because I couldnt figure out his head signals on which path he was going to take. I added a-hole at the end which made me feel both good and embarassed.

scotch

as you approach, shoot them with a pellet gun.

chriscook42

Maybe he was calling out to the person behind you and you just happened to be going by him?

notwist

what does the asian accent have to do with anything?

BengeBoy 

+1

Exactly.

BillStohler

Wrong answer. your point is moot

Zan

i find that many cyclists on the road 'round here look over their shoulder regularly... due to parked cars on the road (at least in the town... in the country things are different); you know, to check for cars.

if they're moving fast, and i'm just a bit faster, i'll hang behind 'em for a bit (not draft, maybe 10m). Once they look over and see me I'll pass. If they're one of those fools who never check for the kamikaze driver coming up from behind, i'll pass in the middle of the road, give 'em a "howdy" (white guy has to play the part), and continue on.

In your situation, I wouldn't have worried 'bout it. The other guy freaked. I don't see what trying to outrace you achieves... just a kid.

johndavis

It isn't her fault that she's new to the sport and isn't as good at handling her bike as you. It's your fault that you didn't bother to expend the one calorie it would have taken to give her a heads up, or better yet taken a couple seconds to slow before safely passing her. Jeez, man.

Zan

mmm, i think you should always pass on the left, despite the other cyclist. it's the rule of the road...

and besides... what's wrong with hanging behind a babe on a bike for a few seconds, eh?

Schnayke

I strictly do not warn people verbally. I do have a bell on all my bikes and use it as I come up on people. I have been wrecked about 5 times from pedestrians and cyclists swerving into me, after I yell out "passing on the left". All they here is left and jump that way, Even when they are on the bike path, and live in a town where every 1 in 2 people cycle regularly. I can't imagine what it is like anyplace else but I am sure it is worse.

cgjane

I try to make myself conspicuous by huffing and puffing like I am having mad sex on my ride. When I see them turn and look at me, I nod and SLAMDANCE my way around them.

acaurora

To address some things:

- Asian accent - it really doesn't have anything to do with it. Just something I noticed.
- I was doing a solo ride, so there was no one else behind me.

DScott

Just yell, "QUIEN ES MAS MACHO??" as you approach.

That'd cover every base worth covering.

grolby

Hey buddy, I DID make every effort to slowly and safely pass her. I'm pretty sure that was explicitly my point. And hey, I still got cut off! I was irritated because I made every reasonable effort to give her a wide berth, she just about ran into me and was annoyed at me for not calling out. Keep in mind that my pass was still made safely, but that I ended up accelerating past her (since I practically had to come to a stop) instead of passing smoothly at a constant speed. That might be more frightening, but it's not my fault.

ETA: I'm not trying to come down on this lady for being a "n00b" or stupid or anything. I'm just using it as an illustrative example: new riders may think that they want a verbal warning when they are startled by a rider passing, and that the passer is rude. But the problem is not that the passer is rude, it's that the new rider is, well, NEW, and are simply easily startled, all the more so because their poor handling skills make close encounters more likely. Time and experience solves this problem, usually.

Cause, see, here's the deal: why should I give a verbal warning when my experience, over and over, has shown that it does no good and people still veer in unpredictable ways? Or even worse, that they behave even more unpredictably? Give me a break. No, it's not her fault that she's new to the bike and not as good a bike handler as I am. But we are talking crossing from one side of the road to the other without so much as a backward glance. And somehow this incident is my fault? Okay, right.

Listen, here's my point. Write this down: if you feel that providing an alert to anyone you are about to pass is necessary, put a friggin bell on your bike, but don't rely on a verbal warning! People react pretty predictably to a bell, tending to slow down, move over and otherwise anticipate a pass. When you use your voice, people react in unpredictable ways, often by assuming that the speaker wants them to move in one direction or another. I don't have a bell, so I generally wait until I have a wide berth for passing or make sure that my overtake speed is relatively slow, or both. This is not impolite, and it's very safe. Sorry, I have lots of sympathy and understanding for new and/or inexperienced riders, but if you are startled by another cyclist passing two or three feet away, it's you that needs to work on your comfort level, not the passer.

The entire point I'm trying to make is that it's perfectly reasonable to safely pass someone without warning, and that trying to give a warning in the interest of being "polite" can easily backfire. I'm telling the OP not to worry about it, and anyone who gets up in arms about not getting a verbal signal to get the F over themselves.

Hmmm. You're going to have to explain that one - there's nothing wrong or moot (how quaint!) about this point.

Kai Winters

LOL this is becoming much ado about nothing.
The "riders" involved have already forgotten about the incident.
"On you left" only works on riders that understand the term.
Quietly riding up to an unknown persons wheel before making yourself known is likely to startle the hell out of them and never has positive results.
I've seen people riding bikes in street clothes that are very savy riders and I would ride with them anytime. I've ridden with people in full kit on high end bikes that I would not ride near or with ever again.

FLvector

I'm more concerned about the skittish riders doing something stupid, rather than the experienced rider who stays on a steady line. The experience riders rarely get startled when passed, but the ones with little experience and weaving all over, sometimes get all freaked out when you come up behind them. I'll give them the heads-up when approaching. I don't think it matters so much what you say, but just let them know you are passing.

I don't think you did anything wrong. He was probably pissed you passed him and wanted to get back in front of you asap.

coachgeorge

ON the street, I am more concerned about cars running me off the road then other bikers. On a path, I will always announce "passing on left" as a courtesy. It doesn't cost me anything, lets the person know I am coming and just makes for a safer ride all around.
Many times, especially when I am going downhill, I will slow down and ride behind the other riders. If I am going to push myself it will be up grades or on straight away's. What's the point going down hill?

Can't we all just get along????

kamalster

I've found that I tend to use the following pattern, if necessary:

- for cyclists who look like they'd be familiar with the term, "passing on your left"
- for other cyclists and rollerbladers, just "passing!" - in my experience, they tend to assume you're passing on the left
- for pedestrians, "coming through!"

Peds and bladers tend to be the most unpredictable, so I yell it as early as feasible so I have time to react to their reaction. Sure, once in a while I have to slow almost to a stop because a large group of people is scattering in every direction, but that's pretty infrequent. I think "on your left" just confuses pedestrians because they don't think in terms of lanes and direction of travel as clearly as people going faster, and their "left" can be almost any direction and changes way too frequently.

That said, fwiw OP, I don't think you did anything wrong.

BarracksSi

Yet another thing to say, especially to wobbly newbie riders (I pass them slowly anyway) -- "You're fine, don't worry"

When I call that out, they seem to quickly relax, stop looking around so much, and just keep pedaling, which together makes them start holding their line better. Plus, they don't react like they're being talked down to, sometimes smiling for a second (if they're not already suffering too much ) and usually responding with a "Thanks."

Anyway, back to the OP -- no, you didn't do anything wrong. A bell would've been nice, but I think the other rider kinda overreacted.