Some bikers are faster than others. When a faster biker yells at me in traffic "on your left" I always thank them. When I yell it at slower bikers, they tend to thank me. However, some people get freaked out and swerve around. What is the general consesus about alerting other bikers in traffic?

don't do it. i feel bad when i feel like i've snuck up on someone else, but doing this has caused too mamy problems. yell "on your left!" and half the time they look over their left shoulder and swerve left, too,

Yep, I agree, just make sure it's safe and go around them, make it wide too.

I generally only use "On Your Left" when I am using a bike/foot path. It helps keep things safe on the narrow area, however I have stopped saying it to older people on foot, because it generally makes them nervous and they freak out.

How do yall feel about bells? It seems like a nice gentle way to let someone know you're coming up on them *and* specifically that you're on a bike. Do they work? I was considering getting one, mainly for peds on the trails up to where i go to school.

If I'm passing a guy who's in the bike lane, and I go out well into the main lane giving him plenty of space as I pass, I usually don't say anything. Is this bad form?

nobody hears bells. it's like the average person (especially pedestrian) has been programmed to filter it out of their audio periphery.

i used one for a few months until i realized yelling "heads up!" or "hey!" worked far better.

no. just pass people. i have to agree with above posts, people do tend to swerve in the direction you say you are coming from about 30-40% of the time, its just a lot safer to go right around them. i only say anything when they are being hogs and ride right in the middle. even then sometimes i go around them real close so they just learn their lesson and will be safer themselves the next time.

Maybe it's better to yell it at bikers who look like they know what they are doing?

If Im on the bike path, I say "on your left" because thats what I was learned in boy scouts. I use my "incredibell" when Im on the street, bikers usually hear that thing as well as the pedestrians.

Bells work.

i never say anything, but i just dumpstered a bell and will probably be using it. ding ding!

I feel like an ******bag when I say 'On your left', so I don't say it any more. It's like, 'HAHA I'M PASSING YOU ******!'

bell or i just draft em thanks for blockin the wind

Why would you feel like a ******bag? Like I said, some bikers are faster then others, no one gives a **** unless they are ultra-competitive.

I don't know, I just do, especicially in situations where I could just pass someone safely without calling attention to the fact I'm passing them.

yeah the wheelmen in the spring time hate me

In my experience bells don't do ****. They certainly are not more effective then yelling "look out!" or "heads up" etc. The same people who are likely to swerve if you yell are likely to swerve/freak out if you ring your bell. Also too many idiots use a bell as an imaginary safety net. They come up on a group of cars or pedestrians or whatever and just ring the **** out of their bell assuming that everything will be fine. Making your presence known is a good thing but being aware, slowing down when things get congested and just generally riding defensively takes you a lot further imo.

I say "left" and they usually say thanks.

I haven't had the swervers. But, I am probably one of them.

I try to say something like "good morning" or "great day for a ride" when I'm still behind them but they can't see me. Then once I know I have their attention I say "on your left" as I pass since I know they know I'm there. But, alas, I'm not that fast yet so I don't get to do this much.

I usually preface "on your left" with "I'm going to pass you". It seems to work well, and I've not yet had someone freak out or swerve into me.

By the same token, I appreciate hearing it from behind me. It always makes me jump when someone just blows by me.

Prefacing "on your left" with things like "out of control" or "I'm going to run into you" I find usually get their attention...but maybe in the wrong way, now that I think about it.

I don't usually bother saying anything. I trust myself going around people more than them moving for me at all.

Intellectually, I think "on the left" is the way to go, but in practice, it seems to cause more problems than it solves... people generally don't process the words, just respond to the sound, which is generally to stop or swerve in your way. People generally aren't on the ball, especially label-*****s in $400 jogging suits blasting Gwen Stefani on their Ipods. I generally just go double wide on the trails.

I'll do "on the left" on a slow pass, where I have time to respond to the passee's response.

I prefer, "Move your ass MFer!!"
Just kidding..thats probably what all the people passing me are thinking.

I've just passed silently for years until a friend of mine insisted that I try "on your left" last year....I tried it, the guy I was trying it on just moved quickly in front of me (TO his left), I took him out in a bad way, felt terrible, and will never do it again. Just trying to give people as much space as possible while trying to anticipate where they might go works best for me.