canuckjgc

I'm seeing more road cycling clubs on paved MUPs (not bike lanes, but dedicated paved paths). It annoys me - they are too fast and they take up too much room. I think if you are training for road competition stay on the roads. MUPs are full of walkers, upright slow riders, dog walkers hell even horses are allowed. Everyone happy to avoid being near any vehicles. Don't know why I'm seeing this more - could be just typical entitlement that seems to be fashionable now.

superdex

yawn.

ThermionicScott 

What does this have to do with commuting?

canuckjgc

Many of us commute on MUPs to avoid traffic. Now early morning road sessions are on the MUPs in my neck of the woods. Curious if this is a growing thing.

rhm

It's in the nature of a shared space that we don't always get to chose whom we share it with.

acidfast7

I always assume that spandex-clad people are American commuters based on the posts here.

Gresp15C

Sharing the cycling paths with cyclists is the price we pay for encouraging cycling. With more cyclists, there will be congestion. With congestion, there will be an evolution of rules, both formal and ad-hoc. I see it as a good thing overall.

canuckjgc

If so might be time to start advocating for speed limits on MUPs (we don't have speed limits here). A group going 40 kph or more on a relatively narrow MUP is dangerous.

caloso

Most racers I know also have jobs and families so they have to schedule training time efficiently. One way is to combine commuting and training. I've done this for years, but usually solo or with one or two training partners. Bigger than that and it becomes too unwieldy, especially on a MUP.

RoadKill

You sound entitled, but I guess that's fashionable now.

pdlamb

Sometimes I hit the speed limit on a MUP I use occasionally, but it's usually slowing down that I hit 10 mph. Be careful what you ask for, you might get it.

acidfast7

I love the tough guy commuters on here

Gresp15C

What I've noticed in my locale is that the roadies (i.e., people who look like they're out to ride fast on roads) use the bike paths to get themselves out of town, but then hit the regular roads when they're ready to go balls to the wall. For one thing, the bike paths turn into gravel after a couple miles.

autonomy

This thread is getting too serious, so here's a picture of a very serious MUP user.

wphamilton

Nope, never see road cycling clubs on the path. 2 or 3 roadies at the most, and those are generally less disruptive than other bike riders.

Colnago Mixte

Small town, not a bike path within 25 miles, and I wouldn't ride on one even if it existed, those paths are too dangerous.

alan s 

acidfast7

My crew and I aren't any better I guess. It's a little more dense than a standard MUP over here through, which adds to the conflict and is a little more challenging slightly more dense where I am then where you guys are so that's always a conflict for space.

rhm

The BRB 1200k with DC Randonneurs in May started out by taking the W&OD path from Leesburg to Arlington. A group of about fifty started out, in the dark, and the group stretched out quite a bit by the time we reached Arlington, presenting a long and erratic obstacle to the bike commuters using the path. Some of them got pretty ticked off about our presence, and I sympathize. I mean, sure, here's fifty cyclists obviously going for a ride together, on Thursday morning, when everyone else was going to work. Oh, well!

Steely Dan

since moving to our new home 9 months ago, i'm back to being a MUP commuter (6 miles out of my total 8 mile one-way commute are on an MUP).

i have not seen any large groups of "roadies" riding on the MUP i use in that time.

in fact, i'm kinda surprised how lightly the MUP i ride on is used in general.

of course i see the occasional jogger or dog walker or cyclist here and there, but sometimes i can ride for up to a half mile without seeing anyone else on the path, which is just kinda weird living in the heart of a big and crowded metropolis of 9 million people.

it's a night and day difference from years ago when i used to commute along chicago's very congested lakefront MUP.

Rootman

Yeah, usually every trip out on Saturday or Sunday morning I see whole clubs riding together. I don't mind - usually. Last time it was 11 or 13 riders, and they rode side by side 2 up, I guess the tailgunner felt left out being the odd man and he tried to squeeze in 3 wide in the last row. When they cam around a blind sharp corner just after a narrow underpass with signs and markers warning to stay right and go slow he nearly collided with me. I was swinging wide towards the outside on a left hander just in case when he suddenly appeared right in front of me. We both had to do some quick maneuvering to avoid a collision. I got a little upset. It doesn't happen like that every ride, but maybe 1 in 3, but usually not that close. I've been driven into the grass more than once.

This issue like any other is an individual issue and banning roadies (or trikes, or ebikes or what have you) is not a solution. As these MUPs get more prevalent and popular it's going to take some law enforcement. And I know the cops are loathe to chase someone down on a bike to give them a ticket. So I have no idea how it would be fixed. If you finally get through to one group, by perhaps a bad accident, another group just pops up and is oblivious to the issue.

JanMM

No MUP/MUT on my side of town. To and from work on roads.
Sorry to hear that so many cyclists are using them for frowned-upon riding in some places. (Not referring to obviously unsafe riding.)

Archwhorides 

3speedslow

I-Like-To-Bike

Sometimes a whole gaggle of serious users may threaten timid cyclists with their silly goose technique.