Mojo31

If you took up pickleball you'd understand it better.

Broctoon

Don't even get me started on that game. I live in the pickleball world capital. As in, my state has seen the fastest growth in pickleball popularity or participation the past several years, worldwide. Lots of city parks are converting tennis courts, and this has started a big debate. Apparently, fights have broken out from time to time when someone stays on a course too long and others are waiting.

My impression of the game? There's a nice bike path running right past some of the courts in my area. Why not use it? To play pickleball, I'd have to buy a bat, take time to pickle some balls, take off my biking shoes... just not worth it.

rsbob 

Not to mention the fights by neighbors near pickle ball courts that are driven nearly insane from the high pitched PING of hitting the ball.

Black wallnut 

That rug really tied the room together.

A and B should already be going a safe and prudent speed. A should not slow down appreciably because that would encourage bad behavior by B. B should slow until it is safe to pass pedestrians. A and B should both be prepared for the unexpected from any party and take corrective action with everyone's safety in mind. If B makes a squeeze pass he should be called out for his ****** move. When I have been in this situation I have always been looking far enough ahead to anticipate safest move, when A speed adjustment to not let both of us to meet where the walkers are, if B slowing as much as needed to avoid meeting A at the same time as walkers.

IMHO part of the problem is when municipalities build bike trails as a way to get bikes off city streets they add risk to walkers using those trails. We as cyclists are compelled to operate with due regard for safety. How to communicate that to others so they understand and adopt safety driven cycling is a challenge.

Broctoon

Well that's just, like, your opinion, man.

Calsun

I learned that one should never expect people to do the right thing in any situation and to be prepared for them to do the wrong thing. If I have to come to a complete stop to avoid a collision then that is what I do. I want to avoid a collision or a fall at any cost. More of a problem in the distant past when I would be strapped into the toe clips and I had to make a sudden stop.

We have a great bike path near our house but we avoid it on weekends or if going on a Saturday or a Sunday we do so early in the morning before the mothers with their strollers and chat group get there. On bike paths that are poorly designed and provide insufficient forward viewing of the pathway I will be riding at less than 10 mph with my hands on the brake levers so when I encounter people who are tuned out and walking abreast I have a good chance of being able to avoid a collision.

Bike pathway etiquite is not something that is taught and so it is a lawless environment one uses at their own risk. In the event of a serious collision it does not matter who is at fault and attorneys are very expensive.

bald1der

I live in an area where sometimes I have to ride on the sidewalk ( riding in the street is a kin to suicide ). While I don't run into that many riders coming in the opposite direction I do occasionally come across walkers. Usually they have earphones on and don't hear you coming no matter how loud you are. Then they want too jump in front of you when you move over to go around them.

Calsun

People on a sidewalk have a reasonable expectation that people with a vehicle traveling at more than 3 times their speed will not be present. The city of Palo Alto in California mandated that bicyclists use the sidewalks and soon realized their folly and reversed the ordinance.

In the United States a great many people have a sense of entitlement and do not want to share the road or a bike path and take offense when others want equal access. It is what it is and best to accept this and do whatever is prudent. Overall I find city streets much safer for bicyclists as motorists speeds are much slower and so the drivers have more time to see a bicyclist and react if need be. Bike paths are fine if one is a mile or more from a parking area and so there are far fewer pedestrians wandering about.

Gresp15C

Indeed, there's always a chance that B is a beginner, or a jerk,or both. Sometimes the beginners have a hard time maintaining control at low speed, especially on, ahem, bikes weighing 60+ pounds, ahem.

Ghazmh

B needs to slow to 2.3 MPH and contemplate their decision to ride on a shared use path if they are unhappy slowing down for a few seconds.

sean.hwy

A clearly has the right of way.

I use common sense to figure out what rider B is going to do. As motorcyclist you are always scanning the road and have an exit plan for dumb as. like rider B.

If I see children, pets or a jogger with headphones on running in the middle I always slow down. I have seen a noob jogger with giant head phones just make a random u-turn without looking right in front of me. The fast serious joggers that always stay right or left or predicable and never do anything dumb.


What I hate is the same scenario you have in post one but TWO bike side by side B&B will pass the pedestrians at the same time. Like WTF dude.