At sea, power gives way to sail.
On the road, we expect cars to give cyclists due deference because the cyclist is the smaller, more vulnerable party. Same with pedestrians.

Somehow, some people then get on their bike and effectively ‘ride on a shared path with pedestrians’ and expect pedestrians to get out of their way. I don’t really follow how they think they have the right to behave in such a boorish manner towards other people enjoying the countryside.

I shout ding ding and cheerily ask if they like my organic bell? Seems to work though I find when hooning down a descent walkers get out the way and a yelled thank you gets a smile. Unfortionatly some planks on both sides seem to think they are in the right and have no need to compromise.

If you’ve ever been at sea recently you’ll realise that the reality is somewhat different.
Rather than asserting one particular path user’s right to their bit of real estate, why not just chill and accept that for any given situation there’s an easy way and an antagonistic way. It’s up to both parties to choose which way they are going to manage the situation.

If you go out to sea in a sailing boat, don’t expect the supertanker to get out of your way.

Meanwhile, as a cyclist are you supposed to wait forever to get past a walker? Yes they have right of way, but it’s not unreasonable to expect them to allow you to pass.

Some great discussion in this thread, consensus seems to be damned if you do, damned if you don’t!

Although may try one of these for £2.99, just to see how the reactions differ

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/nc-17-alloy-bell-2013/rp-prod96020

rubber oring to superquick to de/re attach. See if the none bell angry rambler minority can become even smaller.

I’m on the “you can’t win” side with walkers.

Ring a bell and they tell you there’s no need for that, we heard/saw you coming, you could just say hello.
Say a polite hello (or excuse me or whatever) and get told you should have a bell.

🙄

And what’s with the moving around thing? You get half of them going one way, half go the other, the the first half decide that actually the second half were correct so attempt to move across the path to join them. Meanwhile, oblivious to all this is some old bloke out the front while all the other oldies call “George! George? GEORGE! Cyclists” And old George turns round, looks and then moves to the exact opposite side of the path. Again. Sometimes though at least everyone sees the funny side of that.

I love it when you don’t get the reaction you half-expect from folk. Hooning down a local (cheeky) descent this morning, saw a dog coming up, thought it best to stop rather than take my chances squeezing through, and encountered an elderly chap with a stick and bad eyesight.

Thanked me and we had a five-minute natter about what a complete git the landowner was, as he’d been told off recently for grabbing a bit of cheeky walking…

Stuffed up my Strava time, though.

Everyone seemed nice enough today.

One of these is on the way, bells are always useful.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/139160027/a-better-bicycle-bell-made-in-the-usa

@joolsburger, now thats a nice piece of engineering!

@martin, I also had a dog on downhill descent encounter today, was going warp factor 11, when spotted a lady and a dog in the distance, gently scrubbed off speed, and the lady horrified, almost pounced on the dog, grabbed its head and clasped it there on the spot, by this time I pootled past at 2 mph, largest over-reation i’ve seen in some time 😯

Better than the last time I met a dog on a descent – it bit me. “Lady” “in control” of dog complained about me not having a bell, but I pointed out that if she hadn’t heard all the stones clattering she’d not have heard a bell, and that her dog was too far away even if she had heard me.

On the road, we expect cars to give cyclists due deference because the cyclist is the smaller, more vulnerable party.

. 😆

Erm no, I expect cars( drivers ) to cut me up, pull out in front of me and generally try to kill me. It’s why I’m still alive.

I have a horn on my yamaha WR290 but prefer to blip the throttle. The FMF race can soon gets the ramblers/mountain bikers scampering in to the weeds 🙂

I have a horn on my yamaha WR290 but prefer to blip the throttle

I think ramblers and mountain bikers can easily put aside their differences and agree that people ripping up the trails on motorbikes are sub-human scum.

Worse than that, probably paedophiles most of ’em too

Too many selfish, intolerant people on a small, overpopulated island.

The more remote you are often the more friendly the rambler. The ones who have just walked a hundred metres from the car can be the most awkward

The further you get away from ‘civilisation’ the more civilised people you’ll find.

Interesting point Rob. I wonder how much, if any, extra maintenance would be required given that there would be less horses than when the navigations were in use and the load would be smaller too as they wouldn’t be dragging 50tons of load.

At the the risk of digressing from the original topic. I think part of this is that peoples expectations on the condition of the path have changed over the years. In a purely working environment there seems to be less concern over a bit of mud. But those ‘rambler’ or dog walker types do like a nice sanitised surfaced track so they don’t get mud on their Brashers. Anything less than tarmac or smooth gravel is erosion and a blight on the natural landscape. Although to be fair if I was using a tow path for cummuting for example I’m not be too chuffed slogging through a mud bath churned up by horses, have enough of that on proper bridleways.

I have a bell. Usually quick tinkle and a thank you as I pass is fine.
Was out one night last week and 2 female joggers were on a path that
has cycle/walking signs at every junction, I passed and as my buddy passed one said
“I don’t know why cyclist don’t stay on the road”
I never heard but I’m sure I would of gave them a very polite reply.

I’ve never had a bell but I will slow right down and stop if need be to let ramblers/walkers passed. I have had some right idiots but you usually find it’s the big groups, theres always one that likes the sound of his own voice and want’s to be the centre of attention in a group. I’ve found that when you do pass the rest of the group they are brilliant.

I’ve had a few who’ve said ‘you shouldnt be riding here’ to which I’ve replied ‘I know, silly isnt it’ that get’s them on the back foot!

The Marin trail is a bad one, dog walkers usually park in the car park and then proceed to walk their dogs up the waymarked bike trail, they then get a cob on when you try getting passed.

I always use my bell, to mixed reactions- ive had the old people who scoop up their dogs and leap for the bushes and the groups of people who spread out across the entire path and totally ignore the bell so I have to force my way through, meh cant win em all

I find a polite “excuse me” works about 90% of the time.

If the grumpiness of the posts on here are a reflection of how some of you behave in real life, it’s not surprising you antagonize walkers.

the grumpiness of the posts on here

Grumpy?! How very dare you! By definition everyone on here is a bright little ray of golden sunshine in an otherwise dull and depressing monochrome world, and their posts are fragrant, delightful gifts to humanity, spreading insight and harmony in equal measure.

Unlike ramblers, car/bus/lorry drivers, motorcyclists, anyone who likes 650b/29er/26″/fatbikes, roadies/MTBers, those who ride slower than you and get in your way, TC/Bridleway users, oh and anyone who disagrees with me or with anyone else on here over anything, no matter how trivial. All of the above should be shot at dawn every day for a week then hung by the neck until they cheer up and see the error of their ways.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=when3v7NVFk[/video]

Somewhat amazed these still exist. Had one as a kid in the 80s!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/super-siren-ambulance-police-engine/dp/B004WW7TK6

I’ve not read all the posts so apologies if this has already been posted.

I have recently purchased an air horn from chain reaction. It is exceptionally loud, I suspect it is going to aggravate ramblers rather than get them to move for bikes.

What are people’s thoughts on year air horns.