Dear ELITE biker

[Jason]

Dear ELITE biker,

Thanks for passing me this morning and calling out AND ringing your ELITE bell not before you passed, but as you were already next to me. Thanks also for riding an ELITE stealth bike that is impossible to hear so there was no warning that you wanted to make an ELITE pass at the same time as I was passing a jogger. I know you had to beat your ELITE time to work or whatever it was that you were doing that made it so important to ELITE pass me at the same time as I was passing a pedestrian. Really appreciated you not only nearly causing me to crash, but scaring the hell out of me by calling your ELITE pass as it was not only too late, but as we were about to head into a fast corner. I am sure that your ELITE nerves allowed you to just cut me off as I was trying to carefully pass a jogger. Maybe you don’t know at all what its like to have normal nerves that get undone by somebody trying to pass you with only 2″ to spare on your left. I need to learn from your example so I too can be ELITE someday.

Normal commuter,

Jason

[GuyContinental]

Hmmm bummer pass- he clearly should have waited… but given that the dude actually had a bell and used it (albeit late) puts him in the 90th percentile as far as trail users. Calling the pass on top of the bell puts him in the 95th. Not a whole lot of “elite” pathletes who do either. Just sayin’. His fault, but if this sort of (very common) thing stresses you out you might want to mitigate the idiocy of your fellow man by using a mirror.

As for the “stealth” bike… not sure what to say about that- I have a wheelset on my CX that is completely and absolutely silent and most fixies are always in stealth mode… I’m not going to rebuild the wheel just to make noise- that’s why I call passes (well in advance).

[Subby]

That was an ELITE post, so you are on your way!

[Jason]

Its clearly not ELITE to pass/call in advance, but only as you are already in the pass in order to show how ELITELY FAST you are.

On a more serious note, I read a great article once, not sure where, when I was just starting to consider commuting in by bike. The article essentially said that you aren’t in the Tour De France during your commute, its ok to slow down for safety, or just because you want to. It emphasized that its a commute, not a competition or a way of punishing those less fast than you are. I try and adhere to that philosophy. I think that just as drivers get road rage because traffic isn’t going faster, bikers can do the same.

I admit, I pass people, but I always ding from far away and then call my pass on top of it in a non-startling way. I also ensure there is enough space to do so, if not, I slow down and wait. We are all out there together, and its important to all get to where we are going in once piece. My mission set is not to get there super fast and show everybody else on the trail how ELITE I am. I guess this guy felt differently. I used to go faster, but I have a scar on my leg that explains why that’s a bad idea.

[dasgeh]

I’ve noticed that an increasing number of cyclists are calling passes when they’re next to me. I do think this is less helpful than not calling at all, because there have been times when I’m enjoying the scenery (and my slow commute), and the random, unexpected shoot/loud ding directly in my ear startles me. Luckily, I’ve had room to jump a little, but I can see it ending badly.

@GuyContinental 26260 wrote:

His fault, but if this sort of (very common) thing stresses you out you might want to mitigate the idiocy of your fellow man by using a mirror.

I don’t think a mirror helps much of the time. Imagine a common scenerio (speeds made up): I ride around 12 MPH. I am coming up on a ped going 3 MPH. I slow down to around 8 MPH, closing the gap to the ped. I look back to see if anyone’s coming. All clear, or so I think. I look ahead again to see if anyone is coming towards me. As I pull out, someone going 15 MPH, nearly twice as fast as me, approaches me. Why didn’t I see them when I looked? A curve, a tree, whatever and the gap in speed. The approaching cyclist should have called the pass when they saw me, and slowed. Unfortunately, that often doesn’t happen. Ugh.

[RESTONTODC]

I use my bell from far away and close up because there are many joggers and cyclists with headset unless I get a wave. Then I call out thank you when I pass.

[Jason]

@dasgeh 26272 wrote:

I’ve noticed that an increasing number of cyclists are calling passes when they’re next to me. I do think this is less helpful than not calling at all, because there have been times when I’m enjoying the scenery (and my slow commute), and the random, unexpected shoot/loud ding directly in my ear startles me. Luckily, I’ve had room to jump a little, but I can see it ending badly.

I don’t think a mirror helps much of the time. Imagine a common scenerio (speeds made up): I ride around 12 MPH. I am coming up on a ped going 3 MPH. I slow down to around 8 MPH, closing the gap to the ped. I look back to see if anyone’s coming. All clear, or so I think. I look ahead again to see if anyone is coming towards me. As I pull out, someone going 15 MPH, nearly twice as fast as me, approaches me. Why didn’t I see them when I looked? A curve, a tree, whatever and the gap in speed. The approaching cyclist should have called the pass when they saw me, and slowed. Unfortunately, that often doesn’t happen. Ugh.

Exactly what I am getting at. And I offer that the loud pass/bell in your ear just as they are passing, is more dangerous than if they just made their high speed pass unannounced. Its more like they are delivering a token pass, so they can say to themselves that they called it, when really, a token pass follows the letter of the law rather than the spirit, so to speak.

[TwoWheelsDC]

I think the image of “elite” cyclists as being the ones who don’t call passes is a bit skewed. I’m not a super athlete, but I’m decently fast, so it’s rare that I get passed by non-roadie types unless I’m at the end of a long ride, or purposely going slow. I agree many roadies (for lack of a better term…some may use that term to describe me on occasion) don’t call passes, but when I get behind a group of slower cyclists and slow to their pace, I notice that the number of recreational cyclists who don’t call passes is just as high.

Anyway, I don’t mean to rebuke or start an argument, but reading the most recent Grant Petersen comments (TdF should only have a niche following (??)) I’m especially sensitive to the “normal” riders vs. roadie arguments…let’s all just ride and have fun and not be a-holes, regardless of how we’re dressed, mmmkay?

[txgoonie]

@TwoWheelsDC 26286 wrote:

I agree many roadies (for lack of a better term…some may use that term to describe me on occasion) don’t call passes, but when I get behind a group of slower cyclists and slow to their pace, I notice that the number of recreational cyclists who don’t call passes is just as high.

Anyway, I don’t mean to rebuke or start an argument, but reading the most recent Grant Petersen comments (TdF should only have a niche following (??)) I’m especially sensitive to the “normal” riders vs. roadie arguments…let’s all just ride and have fun and not be a-holes, regardless of how we’re dressed, mmmkay?

Can’t disagree, however, the difference is most of us believe a roadie/ELITE probably has a lot of experience and should know better.

[ShawnoftheDread]

Clearly, whatever form of swag we adopt for the Forum (see other thread) must include the words ELITE Rider somewhere. On this there can be no debate.

[Tim Kelley]

From my twitter feed this afternoon: https://twitter.com/grolby/status/227793539751346176

[Terpfan]

I will take something over nothing (by nothing I mean you Mr. UM jersey wearing MVT northbound every morning, and definitely not UM as in Terps either). It would be great if said passes were called a few seconds beforehand. In your situation, they have no business passing you while you’re passing someone else–that’s just dangerous on the narrow MUPs.

Of course today I had someone turn in toward me upon ringing my bell. Literally I gave a good five seconds warning and the guy moves into the middle of the path. I think it was confusion over what was happening. Calling out “Im passing on your left” didn’t help either and the guy seemed annoyed that I passed him. So bizarre. Oh well.

[jnva]

L337 B1k3Rz FTW!

[DismalScientist]

@txgoonie 26288 wrote:

Can’t disagree, however, the difference is most of us believe a roadie/ELITE probably has a lot of experience and should know better.

There ain’t no shortage of poseurs out there.

[krazygl00]

Remember the “Multi” part of “Multi Use Path”. People use it for strolling, walking, running, teaching the kids to ride, leisure riding and yes, fast road-riding. No one has a moral claim greater than anyone elses; just because roadies are seen as elitist doesn’t mean they don’t have the right to use a MUP for race-training or just posing at being fast.

Now of course they have to do it safely, but it very well may be that the roadies definition of a safe pass and a leisure cyclist’s definition could be very different.

[Author]

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