Gerryattrick

First sunny day for a while so went for a long walk with my wife on a MUP that I often cycle along.

We walked to the side allowing plenty of room for cyclists to pass, but I was amazed by the inconsiderate riding of so many cyclists. No use of a bell, no shouted warnings, riding side-by-side and swerving at the last moment around walkers, and riding as fast as if they had the path to themselves. I could see that many people, particularly the elderly and the very young, were often scared by people coming up on them fast from behind, with no warning, and even I could not relax and just enjoy the sun and the riverside walk. At least you can usually hear runners coming up behind you.

I know, as a cyclist, that walkers can often be a pain in the backside, but that's no excuse for cyclists to act the same.

We often complain about the bad press cyclists get and today made me understand just a little bit more that we often don't help ourselves.

JerrySTL

Along with cycling, I do a lot of walking including a couple of half marathons a year. I avoid walking on most busy MUPs. When the wife and I do walk on one, we go single file and I'm at the back as (1) I'm used to hearing bikes about to pass me and (2) I'd rather be hit than her. One MUP has a 20 mph speed limit; however, a lot of riders think it's a velodrome and go much faster.

However as a cyclist I definitely see the other side also. Many walkers and runners, plus cyclists, are listening to their music with ear buds. I've gotten to the point of not even saying "on your left" as most can't hear me anyway and a lot that do tend to veer to the left when they do hear me. Plus people walking their dogs with the lease all the way out. Or worse, a guy walking their dog while riding a bike!

wphamilton

"First sunny day for a while so" ... so it's a good time to dig the bike out of the garage or basement and go ride the MUP! That's the problem, a lot of these people are riding for the first time in who knows how long, and maybe will only ride once or twice more, but the first nice day is when they feel the itch. So it feels like everyone is out and few of them have any skills. My wife was out riding with me today and feeling the same way, getting frustrated mainly with the cyclists. I told her to just let it flow and move when it's safe, and don't worry about any fools because they probably don't realize what they're doing wrong. It will shake out somewhat after a few weeks of nice weather.

Jimbo47

I don't consider myself a cyclist! I'm more of an old man who rides a bike daily or tries to for exercise, and I prefer the greenway trails or MUPS over riding on the street.
Unfortunately I see much of what you are talking about, and what annoys me is the cyclist all decked out in their kits riding in a group or single and speeding around turns with little regard for those walkers, and some seem to get annoyed that they had to slam on their brakes to avoid someone or even me because I may not have been going up to their speed.
Don't get me wrong it's just not the "cyclist" but everyone needs to use a little common sense and a whole lot of just being considerate of others, and we can all enjoy those nice days.

Biker395 

I ride about 8 miles on a MUP most every day. I really don't see the majority of cyclists with the bad behavior you speak of ... they're pretty much the minority, as are the misbehaving pedestrians.

My gripe with the pedestrians are the ones who insist on running/walking right down the center of the path, and the ones walking on the bike path when there is a an adjacent surface dedicated to pedestrians (e.g. when the path is not a MUP).

I'm all OK when people run side by side to chat, even three or four abreast. But why the hell would someone running by themselves insist on running right up the center of the path? To me, it smacks of a complete disregard for others using it. It makes no flippin sense to me.

And the ones walking/running on the bike path when there is an adjacent pedestrian path? Even more galling, because to me, it makes even less sense. Same surface (concrete), the bike path is usually less well lit and has more sand on it. They are literally 10 feet apart, with exactly the same view. I generally follow Napoleon's theory on this (attributing to incompetence rather than malice wherever possible), but the same people do this day after day, and I know they've been told.

*Sigh* It's the utter lack of logic in it that troubles me most.

Anyway, there is no point in getting panties in a bunch about it. What I do is announce myself before I pass (a loud "heads up") and forget about them after I pass. I've been doing this for about 25 years now, and my advice to anyone riding on a MUP is to speak up and make sure people know you are there.

Zinger

I've refined my technique to just saying "hello" just before passing. Got that from a girl passing me once and thought it less confusing than "on your left".

Bikey Mikey

IMHO, earbuds, headphones, etc, and bikes don't mix.

Zinger

Man you've got that right.

MikeWMass

I don't use MUP's or bike paths, but I do drive and ride my bike on the street, and I walk and run. I walk and run on the sidewalks (my town has them on most streets) unless they are icy. However, even in the summer there are lots of people who walk and run in the street. The runners tell me it is because the asphalt is softer than concrete (to which I say buy better shoes), I have yet to get a reasonable answer from the walkers.
I think many people are so self-centered that they don't even think about how their actions affect others.

bhchdh 

I say " cyclist passing on the left."

OldTryGuy

I come across dog owners walking in the center of the road with a leashed dog walking at the side all the time so on a MUP, no big deal. Two or three abreast walkers as bad as two or more bicyclists slowing traffic.

On Your Left WHAT? Is there a bug on their left shoulder? Is there a deer coming out of the woods on their left? Is there a rattle snake curled up on their left just ahead of them so they should jump to the right?

PASSING LEFT More logical to me, so that's what I use whether it is on a MUP or in the street and most certainly during a triathlon since the roads are open to traffic and many times the rider I am passing is not far right.

qcpmsame 

Good points here, as much as we want vehicles and pedestrians to respect us and everyone to follow the rules of the road, we have to be courteous, too. Here I have always called "on your left/right" ( no offense intended OTG) as the situation requires (the walkers seem to prefer moving across the street if no one is coming at them that direction.) Only rode the local Rails to Trails pathway once, a century ride's starting portion.

The horseback riders get extra caution from me, our daughter rode for years so I don't want to spook a horse by shouting when I draw up beside them, and we have many here in our rural area.

Bill

TakingMyTime

Slow traffic and walkers should stay to the right. We have a few specific "bike" trails and there are always people walking along right down the middle of the lane. I know nothing I say or do is going to change anything but it would be nice to see them move to the right.

Floyd

Not much of a MUP in the small town where I am and not much traffic either, so I ride streets most of the time...Next time you go walking try your rear view mirror on the glasses...then you can see them coming behind you...peace

02Giant 

This...I believe covers 90% of the problems.

02Giant 

I find a fair number of people on the paths are confused as to what their left is.

JanMM

MUPS - glad there aren't any on my side of town. By comparison, bike lanes on streets work much better.

02Giant 

If your local roads are so equipped.

Biker395 

... and you don't have joggers running in them.

CharlyAlfaRomeo

Two things I've noticed while riding local paths:

1. Ringing a bell or otherwise warning someone that I'm coming more often than not results in them panicking and doing everything but what they're supposed to. I keep doing it because I get annoyed when people don't warn me when I'm walking and also because it's in the bylaw.

2. A good percentage of people on the local paths seem to have a fair bit of hearing loss. On at least a weekly basis in the summer I get yelled at by someone who didn't hear me ring my bell, which I typically do 3 to 4 separate times as I approach. I even had a 60 or so year old man who was walking an unleashed dog (which is illegal on our pathways) threaten to fight me after I'd rung the bell about 8 times on approach, as well as vocal warnings, because I could see he wasn't hearing and reacting to it.

Gerryattrick

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't the majority of cyclists who were riding badly, but a sizeable minority, enough to leave a bad impression.

I agree with what everyone says about walkers, but, again that doesn't excuse bad riding.

One gripe was cyclists, two or three abreast, which is probably the equivalent of walkers five or six abreast. We can't change others' bad habits, but we can improve our own.

RoadTire 

My experiece with a bell has been very positive, to the point I get a "I like your bell..." kind of comments. I've rarely scared anyone, probably because I ring from quite a ways back and if not response then ring again when closer. "No response" gets a wide berth and sometimes I slow more as I pass them. Just think of the extra training I get as I have to accelerate after slowing down. Not such a bad thing at all.

Dudelsack

I was just watching this yesterday on my trainer, footage from the MUP this summer.



Complete with girl with Hello Kitty helement, kids scattered all over the place, and someone in a a wheelchair. They all scattered with a ding from my Hello Kitty bell.

It's also why it's best not to turn the MUP into your own personal velodrome.

Gerryattrick

Agreed. Normally, when I ride this trail it's very early in the morning and not many walkers around. I steer clear of it at busy times and find less crowded routes, mostly on roads. Not fun to cycle at all.

Bill Kapaun

I'm of the belief that to justify the money spent on MUP's that they have to be too busy to be safe.
Give me a couple more streets with bike lanes transversing the town so parallel ones aren't a mile apart.