Curmudgeonly post about failing to call passes

[jnva]

I went for a 10 mile run yesterday west of Vienna on the wod. Must have been passed by 100 bikes and only 5 called out passes, and only 1 did it correctly calling back far enough to give me time to react. The others called out when they were right on me and already passing. No bells at all which I found interesting. It doesn’t really bother me that bikers don’t call because I can hear them coming. I just wonder at what point they will learn their lesson and begin calling passes.

When on my bike I always always always ding my bell and slow down. It has saved me from hitting people many times. And it needs to be done far enough in advance so that the runner has time to react. This is why a bell is better than calling out IMO. It can be heard farther away.

[consularrider]

@jnva 21234 wrote:

I went for a 10 mile run yesterday west of Vienna on the wod. Must have been passed by 100 bikes and only 5 called out passes, and only 1 did it correctly calling back far enough to give me time to react. The others called out when they were right on me and already passing. No bells at all which I found interesting. It doesn’t really bother me that bikers don’t call because I can hear them coming. I just wonder at what point they will learn their lesson and begin calling passes.

When on my bike I always always always ding my bell and slow down. It has saved me from hitting people many times. And it needs to be done far enough in advance so that the runner has time to react. This is why a bell is better than calling out IMO. It can be heard farther away.

I’m probably one of the few with a bell on every one of my bikes, no matter what kind. I see very few road bikes with bells, you know it adds weight and spoils the aerodynamics. :rolleyes:

[TwoWheelsDC]

@jnva 21234 wrote:

I went for a 10 mile run yesterday west of Vienna on the wod. Must have been passed by 100 bikes and only 5 called out passes, and only 1 did it correctly calling back far enough to give me time to react. The others called out when they were right on me and already passing. No bells at all which I found interesting. It doesn’t really bother me that bikers don’t call because I can hear them coming. I just wonder at what point they will learn their lesson and begin calling passes.

When on my bike I always always always ding my bell and slow down. It has saved me from hitting people many times. And it needs to be done far enough in advance so that the runner has time to react. This is why a bell is better than calling out IMO. It can be heard farther away.

What do you mean by “time to react”? If you are running/walking in a predictable fashion, it seems that you shouldn’t need to “react” to anything. I don’t say this to imply that cyclists don’t really need to call out passes, but I think the problem extends beyond cyclists not announcing, particularly with trail users who don’t know why cyclists call out passes and users with headphones on and/or who are oblivious to their surroundings. Yesterday, for example, I was approaching a woman pushing one of those SUV strollers. I saw her look over her shoulder, so I assumed she saw me, as right after that she started moving to the right of the trail. I also slowed and started moving to the left and just as I got out “on your…” (when I was probably 25 feet behind her, going maybe 10mph) she quickly pulled a 180 with the stroller across the whole path. Because I had slowed, I was able to stop in plenty of time, but it seemed pretty clear to me that it wouldn’t have mattered how well I called the pass, because she just was too absorbed with entertaining her kid that she had no idea of what was going on on the trail.

[jnva]

@TwoWheelsDC 21236 wrote:

What do you mean by “time to react”? If you are running/walking in a predictable fashion, it seems that you shouldn’t need to “react” to anything. I don’t say this to imply that cyclists don’t really need to call out passes, but I think the problem extends beyond cyclists not announcing, particularly with trail users who don’t know why cyclists call out passes and users with headphones on and/or who are oblivious to their surroundings. Yesterday, for example, I was approaching a woman pushing one of those SUV strollers. I saw her look over her shoulder, so I assumed she saw me, as right after that she started moving to the right of the trail. I also slowed and started moving to the left and just as I got out “on your…” (when I was probably 25 feet behind her, going maybe 10mph) she quickly pulled a 180 with the stroller across the whole path. Because I had slowed, I was able to stop in plenty of time, but it seemed pretty clear to me that it wouldn’t have mattered how well I called the pass, because she just was too absorbed with entertaining her kid that she had no idea of what was going on on the trail.

Well, I always assume that no matter how well I call out, ding my bell, or whatever there is a chance I won’t be seen or heard. Maybe that lady was deaf and had bad eyesight? Pedestrians have the righ of way on the wod…

[rcannon100]

Startling someone is better than not calling a pass IMHO.

Call further back – not off someone’s shoulder – and you will never startle them.

[GuyContinental]

@rcannon100 21239 wrote:

Call further back – not off someone’s shoulder – and you will never startle them.

Tell that to the ear-bud ninjas.

Me: 75′- “Onnnn your left”; 50′- “On. Your. Left.” ; 25′- “Onyourleft” ; 15′- (hard braking); 0′ “FRREEEEDDDDOOMMMMMM!!!!”

Them: “Hey! Say something when you pass!…”

Me: Shakes head, mutters something about ninjas. Gestures eating ear bud.

[OneEighth]

@consularrider 21235 wrote:

I’m probably one of the few with a bell on every one of my bikes, no matter what kind. I see very few road bikes with bells, you know it adds weight and spoils the aerodynamics. :rolleyes:

Just to be clear—I “liked” the bit about adding weight and spoiling the aerodynamics…

[vvill]

@consularrider 21235 wrote:

I’m probably one of the few with a bell on every one of my bikes, no matter what kind. I see very few road bikes with bells, you know it adds weight and spoils the aerodynamics. :rolleyes:

Time for someone to bring a carbon aero bell to the market!

I have a bell on every one of my bikes too.

[Dirt]

My fluffy, pink perspective on this is pretty simple, and supremely predictable.

My expectations for everyone on the trail are quite low. I can’t change anyone’s behavior. I can, however, set a great example.

My behavior: Riding on the paths is purely transportation for me. Getting there safely is the goal. Nowhere that I’m going is worth any risky behavior. I make mistakes. We all do. Shrug them off. Say that you’re sorry. Do better next time. If there’s room on the trail and folks are moving well, I’ll step up the pace a little. I’ve always got a finger on the brake so that I can bring it down significantly if I need to.

Runners/walkers: I warn early, often and sometimes constantly (ie maniacal singing.) Pass only when I’m really sure that it is safe. Talk to people nicely. Pretty much anyone except $%#@-man reacts well to that kind of thing. If I have to sit behind a runner for 3 minutes while crossing Roosevelt bridge because it isn’t wide enough to pass safely, so be it!

Cyclists passing me: I try to always look before I pull out to pass someone. I’ve always got an ear on my 6, but sometimes that doesn’t work if you’re riding past National Airport and have airplane and parkway noise all around. Relax, leave space and listen carefully. I try to take a periodic glance over my shoulder to see if someone is back there.

I try to always talk to people in a positive way. Sometimes someone doing a particularly stupid pass gets a somewhat sarcastic remark. I try to keep it mellow enough that I can respectfully suggest that dude or chick pass a little more carefully next time and not get punched in the nose. That’s not always possible. I usually deserve the punches in the nose that I get.

The net result of this is that people get to know me as the happy, pink guy on a bike. I wish they’d add fluffy to the description, but I’ll have to learn to live with that. I get people who talk to me and initiate greetings. I get smiles and waves from runners and walkers. I get much fewer angry, pissed off people.

It is infectious. Dude that I’ve crossed paths with for almost a decade that NEVER called passes or said “good morning” did both on Thursday. We rode together for 10 minutes and talked. Dude is cool! No idea if I had anything to do with change in behavior, but SOMEONE or something caused the change.

The other thing that is nice is that if my expectations are low, I’m rarely disappointed and often pleasantly surprised. It makes it easier for me to behave really well when people around me behave really badly. I make a good, positive contrast to their shenanigans.

Sorry for being so wordy.

Rock on!

Dirt

[jrenaut]

I try to ring the bell from kind of far back, then give an “on your left” when I’m pretty close, varying my speed depending on how much room there is. My philosophy is to make sure that if we actually collide, it is 100% your fault.

But I don’t think there’s always one correct answer. If you’re making a good-faith effort to be courteous, things will probably turn out mostly okay.

[jopamora]

Ok, from now on I will be singing while riding with a cowbell or two attached to the handlebars

[SilverSpring]

I try to ring and call out every pass with at least a few seconds warning (usually a ring then a cheery “on your left” then a “good morning” or “hi”). I get pretty good feedback (although my Bride notes that this is supremely annoying when she’s following me…she simply not Midwestern enough).

For those that pass me without notice, I’ve taken to calling (still cheerily) “on your right!” as they zip by.

[Dirt]

@jopamora 21252 wrote:

Ok, from now on I will be singing while riding with a cowbell or two attached to the handlebars

Cowbell is soooo ubiquitous. I’m thinking of going for a tambourine. There was always something really sexy about the way Shirley Jones played that instrument on the Partridge Family show.

What were we talking about?

Nevermind.

[Terpfan]

I find that people don’t hear much from far away on the MVT so I call/ring bell when I’m within distance. The only exceptions are by National or sometimes when there are little kids around as more often than not they seem to move in the direction of the bell as if I’m an ice cream trucky they’re missing out on. I was abroad this past week and did not hear many calls, then again it was the solid second world/on it’s way to first world.

[rcannon100]

I love the idea of the cow bell. How about some jingle bells strapped to the bike. Always jingling along the way!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1158[/ATTACH]

We use to have dog jingle bell collars that we used every December. I wonder if I could still find them in storage.

[Author]

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