Originally Posted by livedarklions

I'll go you one better, literally. I hit 26 mph on a MUP yesterday. I also didn't see another soul on the straight flat section during the time I was going that fast. MUPs vary so much that specifying a speed limit universally applicable is absurd. You seem to be picturing the highly-populated urban path with poor sight lines. I'm riding that fast on a section of the path that basically has a swamp on both sides and is too full of bugs right now to be much fun to walk on. I might as well be on a private track.

On that ride, I also slowed to single digit mph to pass dogs, children, inattentive pedestrian, and for crossings. I announce my passes and have no close calls.

I did have one close call a couple days ago when a child who was looking right at me discovered the phenomenon of target fixation and started crossing the path to get in front of my front wheel. I was going slow enough that I was able to evade him in what was clearly a worst-case scenario. All the situational awareness in the world wouldn't have allowed me to predict that move in advance. The child was staring right at me and changed his course as if he was drawn to me like a magnet. Like I said above, ride near children like you expect them to do the absolutely worst thing possible and you'll have time to react. That theory really paid off that time.