On your left – tales of woe

[vvill]

Easy solution to all this: get myself an AirZound. Might help with the traffic (both and peds) in Georgetown that likes to dart in front of you and no one can claim they didn’t hear me coming.

[Tim Kelley]

@vvill 18394 wrote:

Easy solution to all this: get myself an AirZound.

I’ve found that an airzound is way too loud for pedestrian use.

[chris_s]

@rcannon100 18379 wrote:

If you signal within 10′, that could be why you are startling people and why you are getting negative reactions.

That’s been my experience as well; I’ve been getting lots of “thanks” and acknowledgements ever since I started dinging the bell farther back. It’s less startling and gives people more time to react. Requires a nice loud bell though (or some serious vocal cords)

[DCAKen]

I call out “Passing Left” to every person or group I pass on the trails. However, I don’t generally call out when the runner/walker is off the pavement. The other day, a woman who was running in the dirt path next to the Rock Creek trail decided to suddenly jump back onto the pavement just as I was passing. After hearing her mutter “Jackass”, I was tempted to stop to ask her why she didn’t look around before hopping back on the pavement and whether she drove the same way, changing lanes without looking. But I let it slide…

I also have the habit of shouting “Stay to the right!” to people who are walking/running/cycling on the wrong side.

[bikesnick]

@DCAKen 18400 wrote:

I also have the habit of shouting “Stay to the right!” to people who are walking/running/cycling on the wrong side.

yes, but my experience is most people do NOT like that call. i try to tell them it’s for their safety, but some people must feel safer walking towards cyclists.

[brendan]

@Dirt 18275 wrote:

Oddly enough, people seem to get out of the way when they hear me say, “I’m not going back to prison!!!” or “We’re all gonna die!!!”. Don’t know why, but those two seem to work pretty well.

I’ve had bad luck with bells. People hear it, but many are startled by it and behave unpredictably.

Heheheh. On bells, I’m rather happy with the classic-style new belgium brewery freebie bell I put on last year. A nice loud “brrrrrrrrrring” that I can control the length of by using a short or long lever throw, so it can be a quiet ding for lower-speed passes or a longer louder ring (or set of several) for higher speed passes from farther back.

I’m also of the philosophy of generous warnings: a ring or two early/farther back and an on-your-left from closer up. Usually works well for me.

Brendan

[consularrider]

@bikesnick 18407 wrote:

yes, but my experience is most people do NOT like that call. i try to tell them it’s for their safety, but some people must feel safer walking towards cyclists.

I’m going to be snarky here, but with all the trail signs saying stay right, some people must feel they are just more special than everyone else. 😡

[consularrider]

@brendan 18409 wrote:

Heheheh. On bells, I’m rather happy with the classic-style new belgium brewery freebie bell I put on last year. A nice loud “brrrrrrrrrring” that I can control the length of by using a short or long lever throw, so it can be a quiet ding for lower-speed passes or a longer louder ring (or set of several) for higher speed passes from farther back.

I’m also of the philosophy of generous warnings: a ring or two early/farther back and an on-your-left from closer up. Usually works well for me.

Brendan

I too love that bell, but I put it on the bike that my siblings and I use at my parents’ house 700 miles from here. I’m rather partial to my simple ding Crane Suzu lever strike bell, it has a nice clear tone, is one of the loudest I’ve found, and its brass tone complements the color of my hybrid frame.

[CCrew]

@Tim Kelley 18357 wrote:

How can you tell if they clearly notice it or not? As a runner when I hear anyone coming up behind me (bike or pedestrian), I hold my line to remain as predictable as possible, particularly when I’m pushing a wide jogging stroller.

Simply. They’ll invariably turn their head to see what the strange noise is. And trust me, my freewheel is stupid loud. I back off at a distance that if I call a pass I can guarantee they won’t hear unless I scream it out. I’m not racing, I’m riding, so I don’t know where the “super biker” moniker comes in here. Almost comes across offensive.

Keep in mind, I run into copious amounts of runners at 2am as you can imagine, so it’s not like it’s a huge issue. Scares the crap out of the deer tho.

[aflapr]

@pfunkallstar 18374 wrote:

I let out a guttural, Braveheart-esque warning before every pass, it is good for society and the digestion.

Classic! I will now add “FRRRREEEEEDDDDDOOOOMMMMM!!!” to my repertoire.

[mrkenny83]

This morning, I had my first passing-gone-wrong incident.

I was on the wood/bridge portion of MVT (by the TR Bridge/66) and there was a woman jogging in the center of the route. I ring my bell way far in advance to no avail. I start yelling “passing on your left” with no success. As I get closer, I get panicky and louder – “I’M ABOUT TO PASS ON YOUR LEFT, PLEASE MOVE OVER TO THE RIGHT!”

I realize she can’t hear me, so I begin my deceleration. As I’m approaching her, out of nowhere, she spins around to begin jogging in the opposite direction (now towards me). I have to break harder/faster…. and since I’m on the wet wood, my rear tire fishtails, I fall, and skid about 5 feet.

The woman looks down at me and yells “F**K YOU A**HOLE! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO WARN PEOPLE WHEN YOU’RE NEAR THEM”

I waived as she flicked me off and continued her run. I couldn’t help but hear the sound of another cyclist fall/skid. I wonder if she was the culprit there, too…..

Have a great day lady.

[txgoonie]

People amaze me, mrkenny83. Her for being so oblivious. You for letting it go with a wave. That’s zen. I don’t think I’d be quite so enlightened.

[SpokeGrenadeSR]

that runner…

[vvill]

@mrkenny83 19680 wrote:

This morning, I had my first passing-gone-wrong incident.
…

Ugh! Sorry to hear that.

People on the trails is one of my motivations for getting up early and beating the commuter rush. When I used to drive or metro to work, it was the same… just a different kind of traffic.

[pfunkallstar]

Kudos for the wave. I’ve done a short bow, sometimes called a curtsy, after two falls and have left the instigators flabbergasted. Kinda backfired last time when I didn’t realize that my thigh was bleeding until the pain kicked in. NONETHELESS – zen is as zen does and you my friend are f’n zen.

[Author]

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