This is true for all situations, from casual road riding to racing on the track. It's on the rider passing to make sure that there is ample room, safest for the rider being passed to do nothing. There is certanly ample evidence that "on your left" is mistaken for "move left" far too often. If your are a fast rider in mixed company you just need to cool it when necessary. Give ample room, Slow down if you have to and quietly ride past.

Especially when going downhill. I made an "unpredictable" move a foot or two over to avoid something on the road, and wasn't aware that a faster-descending rider was coming up behind me.

This is one of the specific reasons I wear a mirror. If you're bombing down a hill at 40mph+, you can't hear anything and you definitely don't want to be throwing glances over your shoulder. I've seen some horrific wrecks on descents and hope to never be the cause of one.

I just carry a stick and when I come up behind another cyclist I simply jam it through the spokes of their rear wheel. They usually stop to let me pass soon after that.

Say nothing. Leave enough room to compensate for potential "unpredictable" motion from overtaken rider. Pass by smoothly.

/thread.

That sound like a good idea! I will give it try tomorrow morning....

"There is certainly ample evidence that "on your left" is mistaken for "move left" far too often. If your are a fast rider in mixed company you just need to cool it when necessary."

I *still* get startled and move to the left when I hear this. I personally hate when cyclists yell this. It's their responsibility to make sure they have enough room to pass safely. IMAGINE if cars honked at you just to let you know they're passing closely?!?!?!

I say nothing to people on the road. There is plenty of space to pass them. On the MUP I'll say something, but I'm also going super slow there and have no expectation that they will move out of my way in a reasonable amount of time. I only ride the MUP for 3 miles on the weekday to get to the place where I do laps, so I'm in no rush.

I ride on a multi-use paved trail quite a bit, and I try to warn pedestrians and other cyclists when I'm approaching, and also slow down a lot under certain circumstances, especially if there are pets or children up ahead.

One situation that has come up multiple times, occurs near road crossings, where this trail has metal posts set into it, presumably to prevent cars from turning onto the trail. Typically there will be two or three of these metal posts, spaced three feet or so apart, so there is just enough room to ride your bike through. This creates three (or perhaps four) "lanes" in the path.

On more than one occasion, I've been approaching a walker from behind, and the walker is obviously headed for the rightmost "pass-through" between the posts. If someone is also coming the other way, then I will try to ride through the middle pass-through.

But sometime the walker is using the metal posts as their turn-around marker, so to speak, and so the walker will walk through one pass-through, and then, holding on to the post, they will do a quick U-turn around the post, to come back on the adjacent pass-through. (Which is sometimes the one that I'm trying to ride through....)

Calling out "on your left" doesn't always work, so now if I am approaching a set of these posts, I wait for any pedestrians to go all the way through and keep going, before I assume I can use the adjacent slot.

I don't bother doing it most of the time either.

One half of people ignore you or aren't listening, the other half jump right out in front of you. The one's who give you room to pass are actually aware of their surroundings and don't need to be shouted at.

I couldn't care less if I spook them or not. I do slow down when passing pedestrians, but clearly whatever results in me not plowing into them even at low speeds is the best.

I only announce my passing when on an MUP and I'm passing a group (peds or other cyclists) that are 2 or more abreast or otherwise blocking a good chunk of the path. If someone is gonna react to my passing, I'd rather it happen after I'm already ahead of them.

Like I said earlier, I always say, "bicycle" (usually pronounced "biiiii-cycle..."). Hadn't thought of a simple "passing," although "bicycle passing" might be even better.

Of course, all of this is out the window if the person you're passing has some of those idiotic ear buds in. Those things should be banned from all MUPs.

I just make motorcycle noises as I approach from behind and pass.