Just been buzzed by a guy on a bike. Full on lycra, decent kit - should have known better. He came past me on a bridal way, just at the entrance to the park, doing a fair speed. I was on foot with a one year old on my back and the dog trotting at heel.
Why he chose to pass me on the left, where he was bound to just miss me is a mystery.
He went on and I recommended a bell in a reasonable manner. He stopped and told me not to be silly. In fact, he repeated this sevveral times until I told him not to be a dick. At this point, it might normally have been settled with a swift pagger but as mentioned above, I had a baby on my back.
If this is you, I have now removed the baby and will happily engage in a bout of fisticuffs.
aaaaaahhh..
if only there was somewhere to buy a retrospective stick through the front spokes.. 🙁
My experience of using a bell is that it is just like releasing a firework amongst birdss - walkers scatter in all direction as if panicked.
That said I always slow and never stop if the moan
Surely the bell (or lack of) isn't the issue? You're just concerned that he passed you too fast/too close?
You could have set the dog on him.
Surely the bell (or lack of) isn't the issue? You're just concerned that he passed you too fast/too close?
I always slow right down and say good morning/afternoon and can I squeeze past? I have a bell, it just feels rude to use it.
'too fast/too close'
People do it all the time, other riders seem to think its some sort of loss of face to call out.....coming through, on left (or right)
I have bells on all my bikes. I live in the UK and almost all paths are likely to be shared with walkers, dogs andl/ or horses. The bell might not have made any difference to the way he was riding, but used sensibly, it would have alerted me to his presence and not made me, the dog and the baby shit ourselves.
Maybe when walking on a track which you share with other user groups you should try to do so in such a way as there is adequate space for cyclists to pass safely, without upsetting you.
Lemony - this is why it was a bit of a mystery - there was a good two metres of empty hardpack on my right. Iwwasn't meandering around like a zombie and the dog was walking at heel. And P.S. - troll-fail 🙂
meh bells have proven to me to be ineffective on shared use paths
ive taken to using a Hornit.
I'd pretty much always pass a "loose" dog at heel on the opposite side of its owner from where it's walking - is that what he did ?
(wasn't me and I'm just off out on the bike so haven't time for fisticuffs anyway)
Cyclist don't have to have a bell, it's NOT the law.
it is recommended to have a audio device, and you voice is audio so just say "hello" will be fine.
"It is recommended that you fit a bell to your cycle."
https://www.gov.uk/rules-for-cyclists-59-to-82/you-and-your-bicycle
https://www.gov.uk/rules-for-cyclists-59-to-82
Mtb rob - no one's mentioned the law. I'm far more interested in promoting civility between cyclists and peds.As many here have said, a cheery excuse me! Will do the job. Being pleasant and polite is completely free.
"As many here have said, a cheery excuse me! Will do the job. Being pleasant and polite is completely free"
Yes total agree,
You right no one has mention the law, so I thought I would!
😀
I've had mixed responses from using the bell, most walkers/runners are OK but some seem to get annoyed
As said before, I get a better response from asking if I could squeeze through please
same here, im usually polite, unless there an arse afterwards, then i usually show them what nasty is.
i get fed up by old people asking me where my bell is, sorry i get fed up being shouted at by old people (because there deaf) where my bell is !! i usually reply its the 21 century ive gone digital and them i come out with a DING DONG. doesnt amuse them 😉
had a very close shave the other week-- i'm coming down a steep slope which then leads onto a bridge (uphill) over a busy dual carriageway--not wanting to lose momentum i pick up speed to get up and over the bridge--but lo-- coming down the bridge is a jogger with earphones, and looking down at his feet, he is oblivious to my oncoming presence-- i shoot past just-- he is startled-- could have been nasty --it was also sleeting at the time!-- i think he has a resonsibility to be aware of his environment-- this is a designated cycle route....
What if its a Tarmac path with a line clearly delineating pedestrians and bikes?
Are bells needed then?
Does this kind of path have a speed limit or can people can just join down the cycle half?
iolo - I was once accompanying a teacher from one site to another on just such a path. Two staff members were needed because there were about a dozen special needs kids with us. Some giant nobber came flying down the cycle side of the path on a green Chameleon, clearly intent on making some kind of point about the kids walking on the cycle side of the path.
Words were exchanged. And for reasons like this, it's safer to assume that there will be peds all over the path, no matter how clear the signage is.
Just the words 'where's your bell?' make my blood boil, in fact, my bike was leant up in my barbershop the other day and a red socks still asked 'where's ya bell!!!' Bellend!
I always slow down and give a greeting as a heads up to the deaf old burgers. You have the right to be annoyed by this bloke, it gives us all a bad name.
I got bored of bells breaking/falling off.
Now I just say, " ding ding". Seems to make more people smile.
I do a Tom Jones style 'COUGH!', always seems to work...
I'd still recommend the comedy horn, hard for them to get angry when you Honk as you approach and it's sufficiently different from a bell to get their attention rather than them deliberately ignore it.
This is the one I use:
[img] 
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Doesn't just happen on shared paths. I got buzzed by a fellow participant on a local road reliability ride yesterday. Plenty of room to do pass me on the road but he chose to pass me at speed on my right within half a metre with no audible warning. Tosser.
I always have a bell. In fact, apart from the fact that people chose not to use them to be confrontational or just cool I don't see a reason not to have one but maybe you have other reasons.
I use it to alert people gently and its great to have slanging match when some ones shouts at me "where's your bell? just because they haven't heard it.
Not always effective but its a civil way of doing things. I then politely say excuse me if they don't react.
had a moment to laugh today. Came up behind a runner. she was doing things correctly, running to one side of the track. I did ring and say hello and she slightly moved to here left even more out of the way. When I went past her though she screamed 😆
silly cow had head phones in and didn't know I was there. Pissed myself.
Over here in Germany if you use a bell with a gaggle of walkers in front of you it's like Moses and the Red Sea; as if by magic a path through the middle of them suddenly appears. All very well organized as you would expect from the Germans! 😉
I suddenly have a new respect for Germans. Junky's post ^^^ way up there has had me mulling over things all evening. And I have to disagree. Used properly, from a good way back, a bell attracts attention, unless as above, the runner is wearing headphones. It's just a case of ringing it until theiir head turns and they know you're there.
At which point it's just a case of passing safely. Of course there are those who are seemingly deliberately far too cool to actually share the path but happily they're few and far between.
Ultimately it is just polite and in my experience here in NI on my morning commute it is really well received by all other users. I would much rather use a bell and have a pleasant interaction with other canal path users than not use one and have a confrontation.
I cannot see any reason not to use one as it has to be more effective than talking or coughing and is also generally effective at a greater range and therefore there is less need to slow down.
Dogsby
it would have alerted me to his presence and not made me, the dog and the baby shit ourselves.
To be fair, the dog and baby probably didn't do that due to the bike 😆
It happens when you're on a bike on the shared paths over here, it riles me that blokes spend $5000 on a nice bike and can't be bothered to put a bell on it, or worse, ride sensibly around kids on bikes - I've been startled and fuming at how much trust they put in a 6 year old, who doesn't necessarily have the awareness of an adult as to what's around them, when they blast past at 40Km/h.
I try to always have a bell on my mtb, most of the bridleways etc near me go past the NYM Park centre so loads of walkers about.
I always try to be polite slow down but occasionally people do move towards me by accident, so its hard not skim past someone occasionally they might want a bout of fisticuffs over it but i'm generally 20 yards away by then enjoying my ride and ain't gonna stop.
I see the bell debate as a red herring. Carrying a bell and then ringing it like crazy whilst expecting all before you to doff their cap and scurry out of your way with your speed unabated is far worse than what most folk do which is slow down and use a cheery hello, allowing the pedestrians good time to find a spot to get out of your way [b]that is convenient to them.[/b] It's the slowing down and giving them time to react which is the important bit not the method of signalling your presence.
Off topic slightly - had an incident with a horse and rider at the weekend. Approached the horse and rider from behind and at 30m gave the cheery hello - no response. At 10m the same again - no response from rider but horse turned its head slightly and had obviously clocked me. I rolled slowly past and the rider jumped out of her skin in fright which spooked the horse (who knew I was there so would have been fine otherwise) who was all over the place and nearly unseated her. Rider had ear phones in and once next to her I could hear them so must have been really loud. Apparently it was all my fault 🙄
A bell is irrelevant - but some kind of warning is often necessary, I tend to slow down and give a shout out (non middle-aged).
There's dicks using all modes of transport, this is just another one of them.
I see the bell debate as a red herring. Carrying a bell and then ringing it like crazy whilst expecting all before you to doff their cap and scurry out of your way with your speed unabated is far worse than what most folk do which is slow down and use a cheery hello, allowing the pedestrians good time to find a spot to get out of your way that is convenient to them. It's the slowing down and giving them time to react which is the important bit not the method of signalling your presence.
Agreed. That said though people do associate bells with bikes so subconsciously they are already responding to the noise as a bike rather than turning to see what is coming. I DON'T use a bell (I adopt the approach above) but I will freely admit it is because I am a snob and hate the look of a bell on my bike. I do think a bell is superior to a voice - but still not going to fit one!
It's the slowing down and giving them time to react which is the important bit not the method of signalling your presence.
This is very true, although I take no chances and use a bell as well (at least I do on my town bike) this way I can always sidestep the 'where's your bell' argument..
If you're riding a lot of shared paths it's no hardship, and if you're worried about cluttered bars, just lose your thumb activated fork lock-out or whatever other marketing guff you've currently got bolted on there
red herring
Good visual marker but far too quiet. Also difficult mount on handle bars effectively.
I use a bell - but I agree it gets a very mixed response.
Some are very pleased and thank you for using it.
Some see it as rude, mutter and give you evils.
Some panic and scatter, often moving from perfectly safe positions straight into the middle of the path.
In short, I think it's good to have a bell, but I use my judgement and probably only use it on 50% of passes.
As others have said, I think it is more important to slow down, make eye contact if you can, and acknowledge and thank other path users.
I use a bell - but I agree it gets a very mixed response.
I think you need a ringadingding bell rather than a tingting bell, and use it quite far away from the people you're passing.
Think it is one of these I use. Or something very like it:
[img] 
?w=430&h=430&a=7[/img]
When I bought it I went through a few different bells and this one seemed to make the "politest" [i]ping-ping[/i].
I'm not a fan of the [i]dring-dring-dring[/i] type:
[img] 
[/img]
They always sound a bit urgent and "rude" to me.
cyclist doing a fair speed. I was on foot with a one year old on my back and the dog trotting at heel.Why he chose to pass me on the left, where he was bound to just miss me is a mystery.
Perhaps buy a pram or pushchair, put the dog on a lead,and keep control of it, and most importantly never walk on the road as this will be a common occurance for you with motorists that will do more damage to you than a bike.
But saying all that there are some stupid bike riders out there.
Perhaps buy a pram or pushchair, put the dog on a lead,and keep control of it, and most importantly never walk on the road as this will be a common occurance for you with motorists
Hope you are trolling project? Generally speaking the road isn't intended as a pedestrian path - but a shared-use cycle path is. Bit of a difference.
So if the cyclist messed up, caused an accident and the baby ended up in hospital that would be ok because he inconvenienced the cyclist by, oh a whole 2 seconds..?
Grow up, slow down and call out to get by. The next person might be less reasonable.
Agree with some of the sentiments above. It's not the bell that's missing it's basic manners and courtesy.
Don't be a tedious troll project, read the OP's posts ie. dog at heel child on back. It is entirely reasonable that the OP should have been given some warning by the cyclist.
My experience, as an owner if 3 dogs, is that the majority of cyclists use a bit of common sense and courtesy when approaching people with dogs/toddlers/Granny etc out for a walk and slow down and pass carefully. You often can't hear a bike approaching from behind and I've had many cyclists approaching way too fast and not allowing enough time to recall the dogs.
Shared pathways are just that, SHARED and as has been said above, a few seconds here or there is nothing.
Sometimes people step left / right without warning.
I've found a bell to be pretty much universally useless. Either folk are walking whilst wearing earphones, are paying to much attention to their phone or just get really annoyed by a bell tinging.
I slow down and say "can I squeeze past" or "excuse me" - doesn't always work though.... :/
Not sure why and when slowing down and giving a friendly, verbal 'excuse me' went out of fashion. Seems the most effective way for everyone to continue having a nice day IME
Probably about the same time that saying [i]"Good morning"[/i] to strangers went from [i]"nice, polite thing to do"[/i] to [i]"suspicious serial terrorphile"[/i] 😀
GrahamS - Member
Perhaps buy a pram or pushchair, put the dog on a lead,and keep control of it, and most importantly never walk on the road as this will be a common occurance for you with motorists
Hope you are trolling project? Generally speaking the road isn't intended as a pedestrian path - but a shared-use cycle path is. Bit of a difference.
Of course i was joking, as a member of Sustrans and a volunteer ranger for them, one of my biggest hates is the excesive speed muppets on bikes pass peds and doggers,OnE day theyre going to hit someone, and then there will be a backlash against us sensible cyclists.
Oh and last winter me and quite a few others,local residents, local council staff and other intrested parties, stood on a freezing cold day on a cycle path, with tables and various freebies for cyclists and walkers, doggers,and other path users, and got a fantastic responce, except from one idiot on a bike, who shouted abuse for blocking part of the path.
Best way to approach fellow path users is slow right down, and shout Hello, or excuse me, or cyclist approaching, and always say THANKYOU.
I ALSO BEG FORGIVENESS FOR MY PREVIOUS LACK OF HUMOUR.
Phew.
Thought that didn't sound like you, but my sarcasm filter is currently full of winter snot. 🙂
Sometimes people step left / right without warning.
It's just a jump to the left.
And then a step to the right.
Let's do the time-warp again.
Let's do the time-warp again.
I ALSO BEG FORGIVENESS FOR MY PREVIOUS LACK OF HUMOUR.
That wasn't particularly funny either. 🙄 HTH.
( 🙂 )
Slow down, and pass wide if you can.
Obviously, give a warning, but be ready for it not to be heard, for many possible reasons.
The bell thing is a complete red-herring, although old folk love you if you have one.
the whole things a crock - shared use paths are very much a box ticking exercise - sustrans only wants recretational cyclists using them - yet campaigns for them in areas where they should be and are needed for transport purposes.
sustrans only wants recretational cyclists using them
Patently not true in my area (North East England) and certainly not the ethos of Sustrans which is [i]supposed[/i] to be about transport.
I had an interesting chat over beer with the Sustrans Network Manager a while back and he was musing about whether Sustrans should support ANY recreational routes at all.
http://road.cc/content/news/88895-sustrans-racers-not-welcome-shared-use-paths
a racer being anyone that goes fast.
ive had abuse for approaching too fast before - i always slow down for passing but theres a difference between slowing down from say 20mph - to slowing down from 12mph (average recreational cyclists speed)
If im going from my house to work - im not doing it at 12mph.
meanwhile the pedestrians can generally wander all over the path with wreckless abandon without looking behind - walk 2/3/4 abreast and take up the whole path with headphones in dressed in dark clothes and no lights with a black dog on a black lead -- and its me that gets the shit if i hit them.
ive also had abuse for light that are too bright - "well im sorry but your wearing no illumination or reflective clothes so i need these to see you"
the pedestrians need to learn that this works both ways and its not just one way at cyclists.
@ theOP, what did the bride reckon to you both being on her path?
trail_rat: mountains and molehills that one. Have you read the actual press release?
Nothing in there I disagree with. You?
http://www.sustrans.org.uk/press-releases/racers-told-keep-traffic-free-paths
Dogs - I never know what the best way to approach an unleashed dog is....especially when is often the case they are on the other side of the path to the owner. They are a complete wild card.
Choices seem to be a complete stop while the owner unsuccessfully calls the dog to him across the path, or to proceed between them completely unsure as to whether the dog will react to his owners call...I find it an awkward situation, and I generally default to trackstanding when head on, but coming from behind if they don't react to a bell it's tricky.
Recently when dog and owner have been walking towards me I have switched to deliberatly riding on the owners side (slowly obviously) to attempt to shepherd them to the dog side before they have acknowledged they should do something about the dog...I've not had great success though.
This is a really old issue - how to pass walkers etc on a path/trail etc.
Most times with slowing down and a bit of common sense there isn't a problem, although however you do it. it does seem to surprise/terrify some people. (some walkers demand bells, others jump like startled rabbits)
A few things though do tend to cause problems e.g. racing, headphones, and (my real hate) extendable dog-leads.
Edit - oh yeah - give horses a wide berth - they often dont do what you or their rider expects
i often stop fully for horses unless the rider has made full eye contact.
I never know what the best way to approach an unleashed dog is....especially when is often the case they are on the other side of the path to the owner.
As with any trail user, making eye contact and acknowledging the dog helps. (I usually use a friendly *click click* "Hey Mutt" call)
Generally I just watch the dog as I approach. Perversely I'm actually [i]happier[/i] if the dog is unleashed and off doing sensible dog things like sniffing about for rabbits in the undergrowth.
In my experience they are far less predictable when leashed as they already feel restricted and may go into defensive mode if they feel threatened.
had a mate whose gears jammed just as he tried to pass a horse on a Surrey bridleway and he fell under its legs - not nice
Unfortunately you see the exact same attitudes on shared paths as you do on the roads. The bigger, faster moving object has right of way.
Of course, most people use a bit of common sense, but then there's always a good portion of the population who don't have any.
In regards to bell ringing, I've personally had some very positive feedback, with people going out of their way to thank me for it!
Vive le bell!
Regardless of whether I'm using a bell, I slow down for pedestrians and dogs on shared pathways. Dogs and children are unpredictable.
Choices seem to be a complete stop while the owner unsuccessfully calls the dog to him across the path, or to proceed between them completely unsure as to whether the dog will react to his owners call...I find it an awkward situation, and I generally default to trackstanding when head on, but coming from behind if they don't react to a bell it's tricky.
It is difficult with unleashed dogs. Being a dog owner, I don't want to say that dogs should be leashed, everywhere at all times, because I like to let my dog roam and sniff etc. But you do have to be alert/considerate to other path users. I will usually call and grab my dog by the collar if I hear a bike bell and let them pass, so he doesn't get in the way. By the same token I would expect them not to go racing past and to slow down some.
Bridleway riding is unfortunately like that, when you aren't on dedicated bike trails, sometimes you have to interrupt your flow for other trail users. C'est la vie. We have trail centres that are purely for MTB, where you shouldn't really encounter pedestrians, kids or dogs on the trails (other than the family and shared ones).
And another thing about shared paths is when some older cyclists see a group of youths, just chatting or waliking, they seem to think they have t oride as fast as they can at them , shouting to them to get out of the way,and get resultant abuse from the kids,
Where as ive always slowed down,and shouted hello, or excuse me, and i used to be surprised that they did actually move aside, and some actually thankyouu for warning them of your approach, now it seeem just normal,some even shout and ask about buying a bike, etc.
I've found a bell to be pretty much universally useless.
I use a busy shared path every single day and I find the exact opposite - people can hear a bell from quite some distance, and almost always move out of the way by the time I get there. Joggers with earphones are an exception.
I'm not a fan of the dring-dring-dring type:They always sound a bit urgent and "rude" to me.
I always find that those sort of bells get the best result, possibly because it isn't the sort of noise most walkers associate with a burly bloke on a bike. Usually gets a smile. I've bought a comedy horn to stick on one of my other bikes; can't wait to see what sort of a reaction that gets.