passing pedestrians
Yes, I did try to find posts on this topic, so forgive if I'm bringing up a pet peeve again.
I not only ride the trails, I walk them. Regardless of whether I'm on foot or wheel, I get a lot of cyclists passing, often without so much as a grunt of warning. When I'm riding, it's not so bad—I learned the habit of "check six!" long ago, so I'm rarely surprised.
However, I think many cyclists don't realize how stealthy a well tuned bike is. People on foot simply don't hear you approaching. It's not merely a matter of courtesy, it's also a matter of safety: You have no idea which way they will jump when they suddenly discover you. I've actually had someone on foot nearly jumping into my path when I called out a little too late.
Sing out before you pass. There's no reason to behave like a motorist…
I not only ride the trails, I walk them. Regardless of whether I'm on foot or wheel, I get a lot of cyclists passing, often without so much as a grunt of warning. When I'm riding, it's not so bad—I learned the habit of "check six!" long ago, so I'm rarely surprised.
However, I think many cyclists don't realize how stealthy a well tuned bike is. People on foot simply don't hear you approaching. It's not merely a matter of courtesy, it's also a matter of safety: You have no idea which way they will jump when they suddenly discover you. I've actually had someone on foot nearly jumping into my path when I called out a little too late.
Sing out before you pass. There's no reason to behave like a motorist…
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tank-Ridin' Ryan on
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Ross,
I don't think this has been discussed here before. That said, thanks for bringing it up. When I'm out on the NBT or such, I go all the way over into the other lane to pass if I can, so I usually don't say anything. However, I honestly never thought of how quiet a well-maintained bike can be, so I'll be sure to give a shout out now.
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Permalink Reply by Mateo Fitz on
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On the bike path there are too many people walking/running to tell them all. Too many slow bikers also to tell them all that I'm passing. I do it when I think they need to know. Females appreciate it more than males.. who for some reason feel their masculinity fade when you pass. I use to have a bell, but I broke it by using it so much.
When I am passing a lot of pedpeeps I click my brake lever so that they can hear that something is coming. But 50% of the time they have earbuds in and I would have to yell before they can hear me.
Maybe we should have a noise maker, like cards in the spokes:)
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Permalink Reply by Ross Martinek on
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Grayson, I know what you mean: hard-guy wannabes look at me and see Santa in a bike helmet. Sometimes they find out I spell the last name with a "w" instead of a "u"—
S. Claws
And what does the "S" stand for?
Sharp.
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Mateo, since I ride a bent, I use a train whistle—that shriek gets right through the ear buds, no matter how high the volume. You can find these gems at any hobby shop that caters to model rail nuts.
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