XxHaimBondxX

Fell off the bike this morning, while riding. Two ladies were standing with their dogs on opposite sides of a trail, so I assumed they were letting me pass. While I was passing and observing the younger and more interesting female, the other lady decided to get back on the trail into my path. I avoided hitting the dog by a few inches, but momentum carried me off the bike and I rolled off the trail. Got away with a decent scrape on the palm and a thumb sprain. I hit the shoulder too, but so far don't feel any issues. Women 😂

CAT7RDR

Mups

shelbyfv

Dogs....

Iride01 

I always make certain that others know I'm there. If I don't see them look at me and obviously become aware of me, then no matter what I announce my presence. Sometimes just a hello. Other times "bike up", "heads up" or if I'm behind them and passing, then "passing left" or "on your left" and etc.

You understand the term misogyny, don't you?

XxHaimBondxX

tbh I wasn't riding with a dictionary.

Usually I ding a bell when passing and it works 99%. This one time I didn't and stupidly assumed I was seen.

FBOATSB

Pro tip: Don't yell "Misogyny!" When passing ladies.

SpedFast

Never leave home without it!
Glad no one was hurt.

XxHaimBondxX

Yes! other than me no one was hurt😂

BlazingPedals

Pedestrians have the right-of-way on a MUP, no matter what dumb thing they do. So, what will you do differently next time?

veganbikes

BlazingPedals that is very much true but also people are idiots and sometimes when in a group seem to share half a braincell between them all. If you are going in the same direction you stay on one side and if you are going in opposite directions you are each on different sides, you look both ways before crossing and you treat it almost like driving in a sense. Using a MUP like it is your own personal path and you can do whatever you want and screw other people is just wrong for anyone who does it and I do mean anyone including cyclists. You have to understand some semblance of "the rules of the road" and have some basic respect for other people.

In this particular case it was not gender or species that had anything to do with it, it was just general bad MUP behavior and also maybe being distracted by checking out someone else rather than staying focused on the task ahead. We are humans we do get attracted to each other and sometimes can't help but take a peek but in the end we are responsible for our own actions and do need to be even more cognizant on a MUP as there are so many factors that cause a ton of unpredictability.

rsbob 

There are women on this board, so please be cool.

Eds0123

Correct, and of course there is a possibility of person on the Mup being deaf, so yelling and ringing the bell may not have desired effect. I have run into that situation.He apologizedand and mentioned he was deaf.

XxHaimBondxX

I will treat all women equally from now on and look at all of them. I will also ring my bell and holler at them.

Chuck Naill

My observation is that speed is usually the problem. I've noticed that MPH and time to complete a route is important to bicyclists. This puts them in direct competition for space with hikers and walkers with dogs. On the trails here, the bikes are on me so fast I am often surprised, even the bells have startled. When I see them approaching, I step off the trail because I know dismounting is more difficult for them even though I have the right of way.

I am glad you made it without too serious injuries.

Kai Winters

oh well...live and possibly learn...

Koyote

People should avoid misogyny even when women aren’t around.

Thread should be closed.

venturi95

People should avoid cynophobia when dogs aren't around. A man finding a woman interesting is not misogyny.

Juan Foote

Those who are eternally looking to be offended are probably targeting that last one-word comment on the end of the statement.

delbiker1 

Never assume when on a bike, expect the unexpected, especially on a MUP. Pedestrians do have the right of way. Men

Juan Foote

And here we have some misandry to bring things full circle and balance again. Well done.

veganbikes

Oh jeez. Y'all need to stop it. Treat others as you would want to be treated it is pretty simple thing to follow especially in public.

Maelochs

Dude looked at a pretty woman and crashed. Sounds like the premise of many commercials and situation comedies I have seen ..... so ... end of the world, right?

79pmooney

I do two things that have helped me with pedestrians on the MUPS. 1) consider them as basically as predictable as atomic particles. In other words, not at all. 2) I don't look them when I pass. I keep my eyes on the gap through which I am going to ride. I "see" them in my peripheral vision.

I observed many years ago that what I look at detracts from what my peripheral vision sees. So to maximize awareness of the unexpected, I look at things that are not of interest or are in a very mundane way. When I raced, I focused on the jersey ahead of me. Pretty boring. Meant I could deal with the pothole that just appeared, the loose WB on my right, that rider moving up on my left. That crash. Passing pedestrians on the MUPS - I don't look at them. Just the course I need to ride, the "hole" I need to thread my way through. And sadly, yes, fewer women get checked out.

Carbonfiberboy 

This is all way simpler than some folks think. Thing is, many people on a MUP, both on bike and foot, have earbuds in. They can't hear you. Doesn't matter if you ring a bell. Many walkers treat a MUP like it's their driveway. Whole families will stop in the middle of a MUP to have a conference, not even looking around. So #1, MUPs are more dangerous than roads. That's just a statistic. More accidents on MUPs, but more serious damage from way fewer accidents on the road. You takes your choice.

I have a riding buddy who was riding on a MUP when a runner wearing earbuds attempted to do a sudden U-turn right in front of my friend, so that he T-boned the runner and had brain damage even though wearing a good helmet. He used to take a baby aspirin, doesn't anymore. But that's what happens. Twice, children have darted across a MUP right in front of my cyclist wife who had to go off the trial to miss them. Luckily she only got a few scrapes and the kids were uninured.

The only defense a rider has is to ride extremely defensively, never assuming anything, including that the person in front of you has heard you hollering or ringing. My usual defense, besides vocal notification in plenty of time is to be going so much faster than the people I encounter that it doesn't make any difference what they do - or else slow down to a snail's pace if that doesn't look like a good choice. So far, so good, 25 years of it, no accidents. The other thing I do is to avoid MUPs like the plague.

jadmt

amen I know I am not offended when beautiful women tell me I am a handsome boy...it actually happens quite often. I will be walking my dog and young and old and middle age women will often say "oh what a handsome boy" when we meet and I always say something to the effect of "nice of you to notice I just got a haircut or shaved or something like that"