Whizzer283

I just bark "BIKE!", and people shift to the right.

WrightVanCleve

This is what I do on our paved bike paths. I don't know about mountain bike or hiking trails.

If they are holding a steady line and hugging the right, I'll usually keep on cruising. That is the norm on paths around my parts.

If they have mirrors and they obviously moved to the right because the one was riding on the left of their partner, I'll usually just say thanks and continue. I know they moved because they saw me in their mirrors. Harder to tell when they have the mirror attached to the bill of a helmet or on their glasses.

Weaving back and fourth, I'll holler on the left.

If they have kids, I'll holler on the left. I also slow down a lot while I wait for the parent to corral the kid. Most are teaching their kids to stay on the right, that is what I usually see with kids. Sometimes a tyke is learning and is kind of all over. I don't mind, little one learning to ride after all.

If they have dogs, I'll holler on the left so they can get a grip on the dog, even if they obviously have control of the dog. There are some well trained dogs on the paths I ride. One I remember, the dog did not stop looking at the owner at all, just expecting an order from him and when he stopped, so did the dog, never taking it's eyes off the owner, wasn't on a leash. Very well trained. Most of the time, the dogs walking with the owners are well trained, very very few I have had want to chase, but the owners had a grip on the leash.

Runners and walkers I'll usually just keep on cruising unless they are running down the middle of the path. Most of them hug the right of the path or are walking on the side against the traffic, like you are supposed to do if you have to walk on the street, and they'll move when they see someone coming, usually step into the grass. These people often freak out if you holler on the left. Not sure why so I stopped saying it. I don't care to see them have a heart attack from being startled.

Most of the people on our paths have some kind of music in their ears so hollering on the left doesn't really do much, but they are the ones holding a steady line and hugging the right of the path and usually paying attention to what is going on around them.

I don't mind people having music, I use an MP3 player myself on our paths, but I hug the right and give plenty of room for passing. When they are all over the path and have music, I'll usually say something about needing to hold the right side if they are going to have music loud enough that they can't hear someone hollering on their left. They probably didn't hear me, but at least I vented and just in case they did, at least they know why I was a bit miffed.

When I pass, I'll pass on the far left unless the group split or for something unusual. I also look ahead to make sure there isn't any one coming the opposite direction. I holler from a decent distance for my speed. Usually I'll slow a little bit but I give plenty of warning. If they are obviously oblivious, I'll have to slow down quite a bit, I have good breaks. Once in a while I'll yell "bike path, on your left." I had to do that when the guy kept looking to his left but wasn't looking back. After I add in "bike path" they get the idea and give a embarrassed wave.

Some people have bells, occasionally someone has a bike horn. I've been thinking about getting a bell, a bit easier to ring a bell than to holler when I'm winded or getting toward the end of my ride and yelling something is more like a croaking sound instead of being clear.

I really just wish people would pay attention to their surroundings and were considerate for others using the path. If you are going to use the whole path left to right, pay attention to what is behind you as well as in front. They are pretty wide paths around here and you have to really be flopping all over if you are using the whole thing. Usually though, most of the people around here are considerate and pay attention, just a few don't. They get some heavy use so you really do kind of need to pay attention.

On a road, I'll make sure no car is coming before I pass, take the lane and pass. I don't bother yelling as people on the road have to expect stuff is going to pass. A car doesn't announce and usually you are not going to hear someone unless they have a glass pack or a really crappy muffler. Usually people on the road are paying attention.

RISKDR1

when I pass a mid 20's rider on the left I always warn him by saying "69 year old passing on the left"

megalowmatt

I use bells. A bear bell on the mountain bike and an Incredibell on the road bike. People seem to be less startled this way.

soslowrider

The first time I heard on the left it sounded like they wanted me to move left. Never made that mistake again. I find that you cant beat a good bell because runners and people in general associate a bell with a bicycle and tend to move to the right. Plus the high ring of a bell can penetrate most headphones.

NoviceJohn

When I'm about 20-30 yards behind a slower rider or a jogger, I literately would yell "on your left" to assure that they hear me coming. Now, when I yell / raise my voice, it sounds a little authoritative so the second I pass them, I would thank them for giving me room to pass to appreciate their cooperation on sharing the MUP. There are times, however, I would not say anything because there is like 10' of room to pass. I only give a verbal warning when there's a 3-5' gap to pass

NoviceJohn

I rarely encounter those people and I hate them both times. Both times were a near miss because both times I had to stop abruptly to avoid running into them. Wearing clipness and stop abruptly is a bad combination IMO.

Niloc

For to the OP - you did nothing wrong. You were on a century ride for crissakes and biked past a slow moving family giving them 5 ft of space? In that situation slow moving cyclists can expect to be passed frequently by others in the ride - it's not like it's going to be startling or unusual. I don't think it's necessary or reasonable in that situation to call out "on your left" all day long. Kinda ridiculous actually. Especially on a road, if I approach a slow cyclist holding their line and I can give them plenty of room I just cruise on by holding my line.

On MUPs and whatnot my preferred warning is a bell. I'm going to go ahead and plug this cute little thing Spurcycle Shop The price is a little too precious, but it's very discreet on your bars, easy to tap with your thumb and has a nice friendly ding. An incredibell or whatever works fine too. I find bells to be polite and people instinctively know the ding means "bike approaching on the left" and they react appropriately. Somehow dinging a bell is less ostentatious than calling out something, which can sound a little self-important. And as many have pointed out some folks react to "on your left" by moving to the left or looking to the left.

Dunbar

I pass hundreds of people/bikes on the beach path every week on my road bike in Los Angeles. I rarely ever say a word. Just go wide and pass them quickly. If there's not enough room to comfortably pass then I slow down. In the bike lane I pull out into the traffic and go well around other cyclists. Nobody ever says anything to me so I must be doing something right.

I can't stand roadies who pass so close you can feel their slipstream before you hear them. Scares the hell out of me every time.

On your left does work IME if you announce it well in advance and raise your voice. The cyclists you are passing tend to ride a straighter line IME. I just can't be bothered to shout it most of the time.

bikecrate

The only thing that seems to work most of the time for me is to just slow down and pass quietly when it’s safe to do so. When people are blocking the path they get an “excuse me” or “I’m passing on your left”.

Rootman

No matter WHAT you do you are always going to find a few people who get scared, jump into your path on the left, get angry, refuse to cooperate or some other stupid thing.

Ring a bell, shout, look carefully to see if they're wearing earbuds, slow down, give yourself plenty of room and then try and pass on the left (if that's the law for your system). Brace yourself and be prepared for the worst. It's almost worse on a MUP then it is on the road at times, but getting knocked off your bike by a human is usually but not always better than getting bounced off a car.

wphamilton

Does anyone here call out passing on the open road? I don't, not that it happens very often, but what's the point? Cars are passing, bicycles, other vehicles, what makes the bike exceptional that only the bicycle requires a special warning?

LesterOfPuppets

I gave up announcing my passes a few years ago. I just try to give at least 3' berth and say hi as I roll past.

On the MUP announcement results are negative just as much as they are positive.

dicktill

I only ride on public roads. I can only speak for myself, but I can hear a car, truck, or motorcycle coming. I can't hear a bike, and it can "spook" me sometimes to be passed unaware. Again, speaking for myself, I appreciate an "on your left" warning. Thanks in advance!

Regards, Dick

LesterOfPuppets

Nope. You'd probably speed up if I announced a pass.

mrodgers

I don't have experience on a crowded path as I may only see 2 or 3 others here in the middle of nowhere in a 2 hour ride.

Riding in Pittsburgh on Monday morning was quite a shock, especially when lunchtime came and I was heading back to the car.

I encountered a lot of single people, mostly walking or jogging and a few bikes. Every one of the single walkers and joggers had wires coming out of their ears so announcing wouldn't have done anything. I just slowed down and eased past them.

The groups of walkers all seemed to take up the width of the trail and every one of them would split to both sides of the trail when I slowed behind them and announced, usually withh "Good morning, coming through."

The easiest group was the 2 parent with kid. They would be all over the trail but as I slowed behind and announced, I always heard them telling.the kid to move and stay on the right with someone passing by.

Lunchtime was impossible. It wasn't how those I wanted to pass that was the problem. It was a constant steady stream of people coming the opposite way and there was no room to pass anyway with oncoming traffic and oncoming bikes trying to pass in their direction as well.

I was stuck behind a group of 4 younger joggers because not only did they jog the whole width with 2 in front side by side on the right and 2 behind side by side on the left, but also it was a constant stream coming the opposite way. The 2 behind kept moving left to right for oncoming and back to the left. They finally noticed me and told the 2 in front and now they were like a comedy sketch moving back and forth in opposite directions to let me by. They laughed and apologized and finally synced to give me room. I let them know I wasn't in any hurry, no problem and thanked them when I finally had room from oncoming traffic. By then I was just about back to my car anyways.

The worst was in the heart of the trail right next to all the sports parks where the trail was quadrupled in width and everyone was out on their lunch break. People were just walking everywhere and it was like a slalom trying to get through on a bike.

wphamilton

But they're passing in the vehicle travel lane, with lots of clearance? Even if it startles you does it really make a difference in your options for the bike to call out? I mean, you're not likely to swing left into the road just because you don't hear anything, right?

... OK I thought back to my intervals on a popular stretch a few weeks ago, and I did ding my little bell before passing a couple of cyclists. It was more to let them know I was there since I had to wait for traffic, and maybe just a bit smartalec, but I do see the point sometimes.

Tusky

I have found that a blast from a little air horn works the best from about 50 feet out.

DXchulo

I don't know...it can be "spooky" to hear a voice out of nowhere when you're not expecting one.

Carbonfiberboy 

I holler way early, and use a longer string, like "I'm coming on your left." A listener needs an opening to activate their brain. "On your left" is over before they realize someone is shouting at them. They mostly don't know what happened. Sometimes I'll say it twice, but that's how early I start hollering, so I have time to say it twice. For kids, I say, "I'm coming on your left. Just ride straight ahead. Thank you." For path cloggers again I start way early with "Hello! Hello! Bike coming! Hello! Anybody home? Move right please! Bike coming! Etc." For people with wires I say, "Unplug your ****ing ears, you idiot!"

I do the same thing on the road.

Rootman

No, because I never pass anyone I'm soooo slow everyone passes me, and I have been spooked as someone passed me on the left closer than a car might pass. So I DO appreciate it when someone passes me an lets me know they're coming around.

joeyduck

What do you say to cyclists who shoal you? I had this happen a lot today and it is frustrating, especially along a few point of my commute where it gets busy, curvy and narrow. That being said two of them were on light race bikes and were working pretty hard and glancing back to see they were not really losing me. But those wobbly mid 50 year old guys on clunky mountain bikes (not to be mistaken for court appointed cyclists). I would like to get an air horn and blast them.

Athens80

I'll call out if the space to pass is narrow and the rider appears to be unskilled/easily startled.

If there is plenty of room I pass with plenty of room. If the rider appears experienced (look at the bike, the kit, the pedaling, etc.) and there are no special circumstances, just pass. Everybody around here is passing or being passed many times every ride -- especially by cars and trucks. Very few riding around here get any benefit from "on your left." Saying that is suggesting that the other rider probably can't stay upright in normal traffic. It's not worth disturbing everyone's peaceful ride with a passive-aggressive insult. Size up the situation, and say "on your left" if the situation calls for it.

Thankfully, almost no-one "on your lefts" me and I don't miss it at all.

bikecrate

In spite of my previous MUP advice, I mostly ride on the road and I would say no I almost never give any warning, but I'm also going to pass with plenty of room. There would have to be some unusual circumstance for me to shout out. Heck, if riders get spooked that easy on the open road they probably need to buy a mirror. Not that's a bad thing. I have one.

indyfabz

+1. I once did Velo Quebec's Le Grande Tour, which is a large, week-long supported tour in PQ. I found out quickly that, unlike here, people generally do not indicate passing and they often pass close.. It was very startling at first.