Got hit from behind while riding on a bike path this weekend by a careless cyclist. No warning whatsoever- no "bike on your left". I had slowed and was beginning to turn off the path following my two friends who had just exited the path a moment prior. My friend yelled but it was too late. This guy crashes into me sending me and my brand new ride flying. I am fine, just a scraped up left knee and forearm. My bartape has a nice sized chunk missing and the rear quick release shows some road rash. It's sad that I was more concerned with the bike.

The other guy didn't fall off his bike- he just stood there watching me pick my bike up. I told him to slow it down and to say something like "bicycle on your left" next time. The only smart thing he did was high-tail it outta there. Dumb$h!t.

Sorry to hear about your crash. Glad it wasn't worse.

To get off the bike path, were you turning left?

Before you ever move laterally, I suggest it's a good habit to always look back over the shoulder on the side to which you are moving, to make sure it's safe and clear to move laterally in that direction, and also to serve as an indication to others that you intend to turn in that direction. Once that habit is ingrained, you'll find it almost impossible to move laterally without looking back first. I'm not the only one here who has reported catching myself start doing shoulder checks while walking. That's when you know the habit is ingrained.

Yes, I was turning left. It was totally obvious where I was intending to go since the three of us were riding together. It was on a straight-away at roughly two o'clock in the afternoon, perfect weather conditions, and this guy just refused to yield.

I think I'll be doing the over the shoulder looks from now on

No apology? No "are you okay"? He just took off? What an ass.

The guy was a complete jerk for taking off and an idiot for not forseeing a potential situation after seeing your friends turn. With that said, I think it was much more important for you to communicate your intentions and hand signal your left turn than for him to call out "on your left".

Maybe that's what it takes for 5% of the cycling population to realize what would be obvious to the other 95%. By the way, I always use hand signals when riding in the street, which I do every day.

It doesn't excuse the other guy for not giving a passing warning, but did you signal?

forget about the over the shoulder stuff, and just get a mirror

As cyclists, do we realize just how silent we are to others, even at speed?

Just because we hear the wind in our ears doesn't mean anyone else can hear us.

We get used to being able to hear cars behind us, but can we hear approaching cyclists?

(I know, none of us on this forum ever get passed )

He should have given warning he was going to pass.

Glad you're OK.

Maybe we should all put a card in the spokes when on a MUP or bike path.

Hehe...

There's a well-traveled 3-way intersection on one path I frequently ride, and it worries me every time I approach it even if I don't see anyone coming.

As far as the OP's left turn being "obvious" because of his friends, there really is no way to reliably know who's riding with whom out there on the path. Anyone could guess that the first two riders were together while the third was going separately, or two just happen to be going in the same direction, etc etc. Those guesses would be wrong, of course, but they're still attempts at making informed decisions.

When turning on a path, it only takes a half-second to completely block the other side; that's nowhere near enough time for a passing rider to react when they don't imagine it happening.

Back out on the street while driving a car, remember that a three-way intersection where a car's trying to turn left (say, a two-lane busier street with a smaller residential street coming from just one side) will often have some passing space on the right side for cars to get past while a left-turning car is waiting for a space in traffic.

Hate to say it, but I think both parties screwed up this time:

- The OP for not "checking his six" and not giving some kind of signal;

- The passing cyclist for not slowing at an intersection and/or passing in front of a potential right hook instead of going around the outside.

I gotta ask the OP, though -- in the moment before making the turn, were you edging left on the path, or were you edging to the right side before turning, hoping to make a wider-radius turn? I could imagine the oncoming rider getting confused if you had gone wide to the right; he could've thought that you were moving to the side to let him pass. If you were moving left (even spending a couple/few seconds in the oncoming lane if traffic allowed), he would make a better guess that you were going to turn left off the path.

We could all switch to Campy for the Angry Swarm Of Bees® sound.

I often notice cyclists ahead change lateral position or make sudden left turns with no signal or look back. I think far to many rely on hearing.

Here is a related example. This cyclist hopped off sidewalk into BL without a signal or shoulder check:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdmU2onWc6M

Al

In my always humble opinion:

1) It is a very good and happy sign that it all worked out so the OP first thought about bike damage.
2) If/when I am hit making a left turn, it will probably happen where I am feeling very safe, relaxing caution, ignoring mirror, and doing a lame or late signal.
3) If/when I hit another rider who is turning left, it will probably be because I was all wrapped up in going fast. (Fast for me, that is and not to be confused with true fast.)
4) The hitting rider in this case was a conflicted lawyer. His residual humanity required him to stop but his legal instincts would not allow him to communicate appropriate regret for his action.
5) Bike paths are nice and all, but often exactly the wrong choice for riding at speed. (Remember, this is a humble opinion, not to be confused with fact.)
6) If road rash were to be the frequent price of riding, I would gladly pay.

I just thought (in an anal sort of way) that perhaps this should really be called trail rash in this case.

I wouldn't think the guy was a jerk if he apologized or something. But, anyone who knocks someone off their bike like that and just stands there ought to know better.

Better yet, get a mirror so you don't have to look over your shoulder, you see who's coming from behind. I wear a helmet mirror and found it to be safer than looking over your shoulder.

I'd be willing to bet that this is what was going on in this cyclists head. I try not to brake if I don't have to, but I always stop pedalling when coming up on a potential dangerous situation.

Nothing wrong with going fast on a "Bike Path". The term itself means non-cyclist should not be on the path. Cyclist on a "Bike Path" should know the road rule and be able to operate safely at speed.

Now, if you mean MUP, that is a different story and very dangerous for cyclist.

MUP very dangerous for cyclist ha ha ha ha


dude, you should have been 'destination positioned' for the left turn!

the cyclist behind shouldn't have moved to pass at an intersection IMO.