On your left!
Posted: February 5th, 2008 by PinchieDear Abby took a break last week from peddling her usual advice about insensitive husbands and nagging wives. Her topic? Bike path ettiquette, especially as regards bikes and pedestrians. The consensus, of course, is that on a shared path, bikes need to warn walkers that they are approaching with either a bell or a vocal warning — saying some variation of “on your left.”
My town is lousy with bike paths and pedestrian paths, and they’re generally separated. Except when its winter. Then budgets apparently make it necessary for the walkers to use the bike path, and the resulting congestion can be a problem.
But even conscientious cyclists struggle with the approach warning. If you don’t say something loud enough or near enough, they won’t hear you. If you say it too loudly or closely, you scare the dirt out of them. Either way, they’re pissed.
What’s your strategy for the perfectly civil warning when you’re rolling through? (I like the chime of a bell, but is it too childish for anyone to take seriously?) And what do you do on the singletrack?
Photo (cc) by http://flickr.com/photos/tobysterling/
February 5th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
In this town of bike paths, I’ve found a bell works best….nol those huge ones that can scare a bear, just a nice small one with a subtle ring. Walkers invariable thank me as I pass after ringing the bell. The “on your left” announcement only seems to be appreciated by experienced cyclists. Most other path user don’t know what the term means. Of course there are those who don’t respond to any type of audio warning, then jump out of their shoes when you pass. I’m referring to the headset set with the volume turned up.
February 6th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
On the bike path its a bell and a polite “On your left”, followed by a “thank you” if they yielded. On the trail its the bell again, unless they have an Ipod, then you have to engage their peripheral vision :-/ I have also taken to putting my front Knog light on any bike I ride.
-Rob.