pdlamb

You forgot to mention the golden retriever they're walking on a 20' retractable lead.

Riding fast towards geese while growling and barking will usually scatter them...

noglider 

Be careful of geese during mating season and when they have goslings. They can attack.

chas58

Yeah, I ride in one of those groups sometimes. I (and others) yell at the leaders to go slow and be respectful on the MUP. On the open road we can open it up, but not on a MUP. Its a a constant battle with guys with too much testosterone who think a club ride is a race.

Same thing on the road - some people swarm cars at red lights. Geeze - if we can just leave them alone and let them go first (i.e. not ride around them and then block the road when the light turns green). Its a constant battle with those with small p*n*ses and too much adrenaline.

Personally I try to be respectful on MUPs and for the road - I go to the back of the light and draft off the traffic as long as I can. ;-)

KraneXL

A well designed MUP should be able to support and sustain all types of cyclists. If it doens't don't blame the cycling club, blame the designers and your elected official. BTW, cycling was the impetus for the MUP in the first place.

CliffordK

Around here, we have a central riverfront path system that makes an excellent commuter network, depending on where one is going.

The path essentially radiates out of a central park.

The local GEARS cycling club frequently meets at the park which is a convenient meeting spot. Then rides the first couple of miles along the bike path before hopping on to streets and heading towards rural roads.

They aren't doing loops on the paths... simply using them as bike commuter paths just like you are doing.

Hopefully the riders are courteous of other path users. At least that is generally the case with the older cycling groups. I don't know about the younger cycling groups.

Archwhorides 

In my area the federal and state legislation for MUPs was officially intended to create bicycle *commuting* pathways as an alternative to driving. Recreational riding and dog-walking were considered to be secondary benefits. I look at both dogwalkers and roadies on the MUP as potential hazards during my commutes, and for different reasons.

gear64

My opinion is MUP is more analogous to sidewalk than street. Pedestrians should have reasonable expectation they won't be taken out by fast moving vehicle. While I have yet to see a direct hit, I've seen numerous near hits to a degree if I were the pedestrian I would think twice about coming back. Particularly among the very young and elderly. Cyclists are constantly taking high speed risks painting the yellow line between groups in opposing directions, rather than waiting for proper opening. I think parents should make a concerted effort to teach awareness, but kids occasionally stray, that what kids do. Parents shouldn't need to worry they're endangering their kids by talking a walk on a nice trail; or helping to instill confidence with the training wheels off their own bikes.

And to the primary point of OP yes I've seen pace lines flying down the MUP...

CliffordK

When I was in Jr. High or High School, I joined the school cycling club. And, one of the things they decided to do was to have a bicycle race along the MUP.

Outwardly, it would seem like a great idea, but even as a kid, after the race, I realized how absolutely stupid the whole concept of sending a bunch of kids out to race flat out along the MUP was.

On the other hand, years later, I did a DRT cargo bike race that used the central park as hub & spoke for race. While the route wasn't specified, several of the spokes naturally went out along the bike path... and that was much more mellow than I had experienced as a kid.

KraneXL

The only place a parent should have that expectation is on the playground. On the MUP, ALL adults are equally responsible for their own safety. As for kids safety, even a slow moving cyclist/jogger can cause injury if inattentive parents aren't doing their job.

Archwhorides 

Slow-moving joggers and cyclists have time to safely react to changing circumstances, fast moving cyclists in close quarters do not.

We all know that *in theory* dog-walkers, children and the elderly should be held to the straight-and-narrow, but let's be real about the risks that crop up when we are dealing with the unwashed masses on a trail.

KraneXL

On the other hand, every zoo animal has its own enclosure. Also, if my car breaks down, I move it to the side of the road. Living in the 21st century, has its perks.

Harhir 

We don't have dedicated bike paths out area. Only multi use paths used by cyclists, pedestrians, joggers and people walking their dogs and and there is an official speed limit of 15 mph on these trails. Often they are narrow and with sharp bends and can get slippery when wet. So no I have never seen a cycling club using these because they can't ride fast on these. I am more annoyed with pedestrians walking or jogging in the middle of these paths who are wearing ear plugs or headsets with music on. You can ring and shout and they still don't hear you.

KraneXL

Its rare to see cyclist on dedicated pedestrian paths, and in congested areas there's a monitor there to tell you to dismount. Pedestrians on the other hand, routinely walk wherever they want and typically use the dedicated bike lane (on streets) as expanded sidewalk. To make things worse, they just jump in without even looking.

Clyde1820

In my neck of the woods, nearly every "road" bike club looks to be using the regular paved streets.

The "paths" are where some commuters go, where slower cyclists go, and where the multi-use others (pedestrians, folks walking dogs, skateboarders, etc) go.

Seems the proper way to use the paths, around here. Faster folks are where the cars are; slower folks tend toward the MUPs when MUPs are available. Works well.

In some of the larger parks, there are some very wide, purpose-built MUPs designed for a greater number of cyclists, and many of those appear to easily deal with somewhat faster-moving cyclists.

If there were vastly more MUPs around, I suppose it'd be far more usual to see "group" cyclists and faster-moving cyclists using such paths. But, there aren't.

nayr497

Haven't seen any clubs or even packs bigger than 5 or so on the MUP I use 5 days a week, but have been seeing a lot more users as cost-of-living situations in other cities makes my city more and more attractive.

Lots of distracted and otherwise careless users these days. The worst is a new nerdy dude on a motorized skateboard who flies along the path at around 30 mph. Anything with an motor is prohibited on the trail.

nayr497

Ugh, really, really hate the fact that other people on bikes don't observe the obvious rule of...If you side of the trail, as demarcated by a lane line, is block, YOU need to wait. I should have to brake while you pass them by using the wrong lane. Motorists are bad enough, really hate it when someone else on a bike is also a threat.

This morning I had a dude in a Prius WITH a bike rack on the car pass me FAR too closely on a double parked city street. Oh man, I have a special hatred in my heart for people pretending to a) care about the environment b) ride bicycles...who are just as bad as every other aggressive motorist out there!

fietsbob

Nope, not here..

KraneXL

That's where you need to "take the lane" to prevent that. On trails like that away from the beaten path you get rid of all the baby stroller/soccer moms, dog walkers and kids. Your only challenge will be the rare distance runner, and other cyclist.