Whodat

I'm afraid I may be pulling the pin and dropping a grenade with this, but here it goes:
I always thought that "On your left!" meant "I'm passing on your left so don't move to your left!". Over the weekend, I was passed by a line of riders who seemed to think it meant "Get the @#^! out of my way!" which I couldn't really do without hitting the riders that I was overtaking. So is there an "official" convention?

rpenmanparker 

Your understanding is correct. "On your left," means I am coming by on your left.

AlphaDogg

The worst is when all people hear is "left" so they start to move over to the left as they look over their shoulder, see you, get scared, and then swerve back to the right.

halfspeed

"On your left" generally translates to "I'm a massive fred and I'm cat sixing your pathetic ass".

cccorlew

In my area it means "Look left, and swerve into my path while doing so." Bonus points are awarded if you have a dog on a long long leash that makes a death line across the cyclists path.

But that may just be a local convention.

AlphaDogg

Headphones too

3alarmer 

....................................this ^^^^

Nick94804

you've been riding on the bay trail in Richmond haven't you...LOL

OldTryGuy

I know what bicyclists think it means, but to a person not familiar with passing cyclists, **********?? sort of like Wie ghet's?

Maybe, SNAKE on the ground on your left! or SPIDER on your left shoulder! or a hundred dollar bill on the ground to your left!

Guess that's why I give a....PASSING on your left, so there is a little clarity as to what is going to happen.

Whodat

Ah yes, "let me make my lack of situational awareness complete."

bbattle

Don't forget to add texting while wearing headphones while meandering all over the MUP as your three small children scream in terror at the approach of any cyclist.

FLvector

If you were passing a group of riders the paceline behind you should have been patient enough to allow you to move over so they could safely pass you. Some groups don't like to slow down a few mph to make room for these situation, but would rather you just simply get out of their way. It's also possible that they might have just been announcing their presence so you didn't swerve into their group, so hard to say what was their intention.

StanSeven

This is a big part of riding on busy MUPs. You need some way of alerting people or crashes happen. Otherwise doing it is definitely a fred label.

Dryvlyne

I've been have this problem on several local bike paths where I live. Either the person(s) don't hear me because they are on their phone or otherwise distracted OR if there are multiple people they split and go to either side!

Actually just the other day I almost hit a small child coming around a bend. I announced my presence and the mother saw me though her reaction to get out of my way was delayed let alone know the exact presence of her small child. Fortunately I was already on the brakes because I wasn't sure if the mother heard me, but the child did panic a bit and wander back & forth before I was able to safely go around. I would have felt really, really terrible if I accidentally struck a child.

Anymore when I'm approaching up behind someone, even if I know they heard me and are starting to move over, I typically start coasting & always ready my fingers over the brakes just in case.

calgarc

i had it worse yesterday, a man talking to someone else on the left with his 2 dogs on leashes stretched across the path... on a side not, shimano makes great brakes

lsberrios1 

That's what i yell when the rider on the front has a bee on the left buttcheeck to let her know i need to smack it.

merlinextraligh

This thread exemplifies the problem with "on your left". It can confuse people and get the opposite of the intended result. It also may foster an incorrect belief that the rider being passed has some duty to get out of the way of the rider passing.

If you're passing someone, it's your obligation to do it safely. If you're relying on the rider you're passing to "hold their line" because you said "on your left" you're passing them too closely.

Passing slower riders, I typically say hello, or goodmorning, just to avoid startling them. It keeps them from being Po'd, it doesn't imply any required action by them, and I just assume they will make the stupidist move possible, and oass in a manner to avoid them if they do.

Dryvlyne

That's a good point. It really is you, as the cyclist, to be responsible for safely passing. Anymore I find myself saying, "Coming up behind you" to 1) announce my presence 2) let them decide how to react to my presence and then I react accordingly once I see their reaction. Of course this only works if you, as the cyclist, are willing to be patient and possibly lose your speed/rhythm as a result which admittedly can be frustrating if you're in a groove.

spdracr39

Again I use my announce as I deem necessary. If the riders are riding straight and there is plenty of room I don't say anything. If they are wandering or there is a traffic issue developing I try to say something just to let them know I am back there and trying to pass. What burns me up more than anything are the oncoming walkers/riders that can see you coming and still block the path. That warrants a rude comment as I go by.

gregf83 

The biggest problem is while you think you are clearly saying or yelling something the person you are passing is startled and doesn't hear anything clearly. Their first reaction, because you yelled, is to move one way or the other. There's a 50/50 chance they'll move the direction you hope.

Better option is to do as Merlin suggested above and just pass safely saying hi as you go by. Anything else is pointless.

halfspeed

Riding on busy mups makes the "I am a massive fred" part redundant.

Nachoman

Yup. When you say 'passing', who are you referring to? And does that mean that you're passing on their left or your left? Or does that mean that you want them to move to their left as you pass?

practical

Walkers have the right of way and cyclists should always slow down when passing. It's nice when walkers keep to the right side of the trail, but frequently you have 2 or 3 friends walking together taking up the whole path. It's annoying but that's too bad, just be polite and safe when passing. Give walkers the same kind of courtesy and respect you expect a motorist to give you on the road.

On a related note, I think all cyclists should have mirrors - they make riding much, much safer on both MUPs and roads.

02Giant 

That doesn't prevent those being overtaken from looking left, drifting left and still be an obstruction.

Ridelots24