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20 comments
when ARE pedestrians going to be made to get insurance?
didds
What about helmets, high viz jackets, road tax and training?
yeah I can't stand pedestrians - thinking they're entitled to come on to our cycle paths. They don't even pay road tax and not one has ever taken a test. If they wobble in front of me and I take one out its hardly gonna by my fault.
It's best to come up totally silently then shout "BOO" just as your passing to ensure maximal passing pleasure, that or just plough straight through if they are taking up too much space.
I save that one for twerps crossing the road without looking - but I get as close as I can and shout "MOVE!"
I give in with mixed use - I cycle through Lewisham on my commute and I would say on the one bit of shared pathway I use 80% of pedestrians are on the cycle path section - I dont overly mind as the footpath bit is much smoother!
These paths are a niightmare with a road or car park crossing every 50 meters - I prefer to run the risk of using the road personally.
I too call out "Mind your backs" due to the huge amount of numpties who head to the same side as you. As for bells! Brake and slow down, change gear, indicate, ring a bell and steer to avoid the walker all at the same time. I know I'm a bloke but I'd love to see a woman multitask to that extent.:-)
Freewheeling on a Hope hub, noisy little so and so.
To be honest I think bells and calls are becoming useless due to earphones/MP3 players/mobile phones.
good points - I do find my noisy Campy freehub is a good early warning and you're right that most walkers in the urban world are plugged in to something and is another reason why I'd rather be on the road than a shared use path.
I came up behind a group of walkers on a trail. Said, 'mind your backs please'. They all got out of the way except one who said,'where's your bell'. The other walkers just laughed and told him to get a life. Superb.
Much like the others here I call out which side I am going to pass on, but then am completely gobsmacked by the number of numpties out there that do not know their lefts from their rights
I prefer bells and have used them to good effect and everyone seems appreciative even with positive comments.
They are also suprisingly good even with some dodgy looking hoodies as its hard to get aggressive with a twee little ding-ding sound.
:o
use the fulcrums aas a last resort when the peds don't hear me. Defo gets their attention. A bit pointless in freewheeling uphill to warn other cyclists you're approaching though
yes, I'm not a fan of bells, despite my name..
Calling right or left lets the other person know more and not panic. I think a bell works only for head on, but I took the bell off my brompton and never had one on my other bikes...
I used to find that to just stop pedalling on my old Fulcrum wheels was enough to scare the living hell out of Peds when approaching from the rear.
I can't remember saying anything, just stopped pedalling and the freehub would yell the rest.
I do ask now I have Mavics though......
Regards
Trikeman.
I got abused recently by a knob of a pedestrian for calling politely instead of using a bell. You just can't win sometimes.
I recently had a similar experience with an elderly couple. Their response to my, "excuse me please" was, "shouldn't you have a bell"
I think bells are impersonal and rude!
I agree with you. When it happened to me, I told the miscreant that he was a rude man. I refrained from throwing him in the Thames, which was an alternative option.
I'm with ZZ a bit of manners does nobody any harm. Also works for passing horses on little rural lanes.
On the rare occassion of shared path use I tend to call cyclist approaching while keeping my speed down. This allows the ped to turn and choose where to step. Most cases they are pretty grateful. Bell ringing currently still has that aggressive tone. Mind you, I have observed other cyclists not giving peds the opportunity to move after ringing/calling if at all.
I will always call on right when passing another cycliSt when on the road.