I’ve had, you cyclist are all the same, your bells aren’t loud enough, I can’t even hear it over my music (headphones) and that was on a road
Most insulting thing a walker ever said wasn’t actually meant as an insult.
Oh yes. My first time down the bridleway to Howtown I was overtaken at a significantly faster speed, no bell rung, rider wearing full face and goggles. 30 seconds later I come upon some walkers heading in my direction, rang my bell, plenty of space but slowed down a little anyway so as not to startle them...
"that was rather more sedate"
I said hello and smiled.
I'm far too well behaved to get abuse, and far too polite and slow-thinking with any comebacks.
Well more golfers than walk walkers.
Old chap called me a dirty wretch.
Unbelievable. So I destroyed old chap and his golfing pals and danced away on my pedals through the mud
Pure joy!
Cycling along the tow path, 6 women in a bunch walking towards me, I slow down and say "excuse me" they move over and I say "thank you" and then get berated as I ride past, I ask "what's up" and I'm then informed that I should actually say thank you to each one of them individually... I then realised the level of ****ism I was dealing with and rode off having informed them that they were in fact mad.
^ surely they were joking/teasing?
I met a “coach load” of walkers on a local bridleway climb. As I very slowly and carefully worked my way through the large crowd one shouted “traffic”. I found it quite amusing and replied I’m actually alone I think you are the traffic. 😊
Reminds me of meeting a few walkers on a technical bit I'd happily have walked. Tail end Charlie shouts "rider coming through" I even looked over my shoulder, apparently they meant me. Cleared it though as I'm a riding god.
The infatuation with bells is completely mystifying to me. My wife and I were riding slowly uphill on a country road on a lovely day, chatting away to each other at maybe 5 miles per hour. Approached a group of oldish people walking all spread out over the road, heading in the same direction as us. They were talking to each other, so clearly not stone deaf. I called out a cheery 'morning' in much the same way as I might if I were on foot, and one of them turned around and started telling me that it was against the law for me to not have a bell. We were in no hurry at all, hadn't startled them or even asked them to move aside to make space for us, but he was incensed. Completely mad!
We're dammed if we do.and dammed if we don't - I do often use a bell, but sometimes even ringing it from far back to avoid startling people I still see people jump out of their skins. Have got a timber bell now which seems to work pretty well in a lot of scenarios. I do still think that a friendly 'hello' should be just as acceptable though. We're all just people bumbling around in the countryside after all.
I pointed out that we were in Scotland and the border was 10miles in that direction.
Got one of these on the Speyside Way - "This is not a Bridleway" on the railway bit at Blackboat which is a promoted cycle path. Informed her that I was too lazy to travel the 300km to the nearest bridleway. I met up with someone else she had challenged, he was not quite so polite. It was a Sunday so I presume it was her first full day and she was learning.
I have been gomled on my dad's land - some plummy adolescent squirt forded a river to tell me to go away as I was on private land. I replied something along the lines that I knew and that he was welcome to walk on it.
We’re all just people bumbling around in the countryside after all.
Clearly not. Societies and pecking orders exist everywhere humans are found. Every society has it’s in-groups and out-groups. In the UK a person on a bicycle has been part of an ‘out-group’ for well over half a century. With plenty of negative tabloid/media rage-bait directed at ‘the cyclist’ to help things along.
That, and people don’t in general like to be startled from behind, even when politely startled.
Your dad is my new hero
Yep, he's lots of people's hero, including my own! Some of you surfer types may know him.
Joey Deacon (with that username you must be well old like me, so your dad must have had you is a right nipper) - your dad sounds awesome!
On the insults/interaction with red socks, be the better person...
That, and people don’t in general like to be startled from behind, even when politely startled.
Maybe this would be better off on the [url= https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/dear-walkers/ ]Dear Walkers thread[/url] but what is about a group of people walking in the countryside that they completely utterly lose all track of their surroundings?! They wouldn't be startled if, just once in a while, they had a look around.
Was riding a track yesterday, woman walking her dog on one of those extendable leads - and this is another one, why stay over the left of the track when your dog clearly wants to be all the way over there---------------> and has dragged 8ft of lead behind it?!
Anyway, I said "Morning" and that immediately generated this panic-stricken hauling in of said dog. I was doing walking pace, certainly wasn't going to run it or her down. After all that she was actually polite, just had no clue of what was going on around her.
I have been gomled on my dad’s land
Gomled?
gerrof moi laaaand, I assume
Joey Deacon (with that username you must be well old like me, so your dad must have had you is a right nipper) – your dad sounds awesome!
Ha, yeah he is.. to be honest I had that nickname years back as I kept taking wrong turns during MTB races, on very well marked courses. Have messaged mods on here a few months back to change it, as it's obviously not that tasteful and felt I should (long overdue) do something about that as I don't want to upset anyone, but didn't get a response, so I guess I'm stuck with it for the time being (Any mods reading, please let me know if this is something that can be done?)
Had “rather you than me mate” from a bloke in a works white van as I huffed and puffed my way to the top of lodge lane last year at the start of nice long weekday ride on a sunny day . “Absolutely” I thought…
^^ I think it's rather nice that he's still remembered. What a bloke.
and this is another one, why stay over the left of the track when your dog clearly wants to be all the way over there—————> and has dragged 8ft of lead behind it?!
'cos if you go over there, he suddenly wants to be back where you started!
P
I
T
A.
Joey Deacon and his mate Ernie were just well ahead of their time. Sure it was an insult in the playground and by your mates to you, but with Blue Peter’s support JD was at the vanguard of not hiding disability. He should not be forgotten.
On the flip side there’s some truly mental people described on this thread.
One today, albeit from the "good walk ruined" crew. I'd pulled over into a small country car park for a stretch, and yes a wee. Some golfers were also standing around, it's by one of the tees and they use it so they can start the Saturday medal at 2 locations to spread the groups out. I was miles away from them, back to them, about to wee in the bushes and one of them starts with some pretty fruity language, which was ironic as the gist of his complaint was how disgusting I was and would I effing do that in my own effing front garden, etc. (I would if it wasn't on a main road and bus route, I frequently do in the back garden)
As mastermind rules weren't yet in force I stopped and walked over, ignoring mr red face and asked whether his golfing partners allowed him to swear like that all day, or does he save it for special, and whether he's always so angry. I got a couple of sheepish apologies and went and weed somewhere else.
I may write to the club secretary for giggles.
(I also contemplated adding a small loop to the ride to pass by 10 mins later to wee on his door handles and air vents, but I'm better than that)
After all that she was actually polite, just had no clue of what was going on around her.
This is the most common observation while I'm out riding or running. People in general don't seem to have any awareness of what's around them, then get angry when they realise they didn't have any awareness of what's around them.
Another bell related tale.
We were about to set out for a ride from a car park, when we noticed that someone had left their keys in the door of a car. It looked like there was nothing valuable inside, but we locked the car and took the keys over the road to the pub and left them with the bar staff. Seemed like the best option rather than leaving them in the door.
About 15mins into our ride on a wide gravel track we saw a big group of walkers ahead, split into 3 sub groups. We approached the 1st group slowly and asked if any of them owned a certain make and model of car. They said they didn’t.
We slowly rode up behind the next group and my friend said politely “excuse me” at which point an elderly lady started shouting at us “where’s your bell, where’s your bell, you’re legally required to have a bell”. My friend replied that he didn’t need a bell as he had a voice. But she continued to rant on about not having a bell. Anyway in between her rants he asked if anyone owned a particular make and model of car. She rudely said no we don’t and so we road on. When we were about 50m up the track she started shouting at us again. Turns out she was the owner of the car!
I was tempted to ride back to the pub, get the keys and throw them in a bush.
My brother was called a “Silly Mother’s C*!t” by someone on a footpath at the side of the road he was riding on.
I’d never heard of that as an insult before. Very imaginative.
Generally in Scotland walkers and mountain bikers get on great. I've had loads of walkers hold gates open for me etc.
However I did have an elderly Mr Angry spend a minute or two berating me for passing too closely and not warning him. It was at the height of covid and his lecture was about me exposing him to danger. In reality I'd passed him about six feet away and had shouted but he hadn't heard.
I smiled and politely pointed out that I'd been past him in a fraction of a second and that if he was genuinely concerned about catching Covid then standing right in my face for a couple of minutes while not wearing a mask was maybe not quite the best way to go about it. That just made hime more angry so I wished him a happy day and departed, chuckling to myself.
I’m waiting for this response to a group ride.
https://twitter.com/marieannuk/status/1502676289106415622?s=21
Never really had any problems riding on footpaths around here. Riding at Bedgebury on one of the very few signposted bikes only trails in the area:
“Hi, you’re walking down the bike trail.”
Couple walking their dog, squaring up for an argument: “Yeah well there’s bikes everywhere we walk today.”
I wonder if they ever put two and two together.
That video is awesome
A couple of my riding buddies got into a fist fight with a Mr Angry who was throwing stones at them. After the red mist descended he ended up on the deck. All this on a bridleway.
^ crikey! Do your mates have the same email provider by any chance?
My favourite exchange was when I provided the insults myself. Just so efficient. Nipping to the bank at the top of Guildford High Street. Stopped outside, an old gent harrumphed up to me and said "Do you know this is a one-way street?"
- "Yes."
- "Then why were you riding down it the wrong way?
- "Because I'm lazy and irresponsible?"
He harrumphed off without a word. I carried on with my jobs.
gray
Full Member
The infatuation with bells is completely mystifying to me.
I suspect theres quite an interesting PhD to be had on the subject of centuries of ingrained English serfdom leading to people refusing to hear / process verbal notification of approach &/or requests to pass on a particular side, in favour of needing a bell to order them out of the way.......
Back in the day when whilst surveying unsealed roads for Powys Highways I came across a sign stating "Tresspassing will be shot". I've often wondered how one can shoot a concept.
Back in the day when whilst surveying unsealed roads for Powys Highways I came across a sign stating “Tresspassing will be shot”. I’ve often wondered how one can shoot a concept.
There's a sign on a farm entrance in the Yorkshire Dales that says:
[i]Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.[/i]
Welcome to Yorkshire. 😉
I don’t know what to think about bells tbh. A friend of mine came up behind an old guy today, ringing his bell and expecting the old boy to hop out of the way. He didn’t and so my mate just edged past him.
I rode up behind the guy, kept my bell silent but gently said “excuse me” and he moved to one side, so I thanked him.
My mate couldn’t understand why he hadn’t moved, so I told him maybe the old guy found the use of the bell a bit too aggressive, so was holding his ground. With a bit of luck, a lesson has been learnt there.
You can't win with bells. Either using one is rude or not using one is rude or they don't hear it or it makes them jump.
Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.
Mate of mine had a temporary job at a car dismantlers. He got asked to make a similar sign, but actually painted
Trespassers will be prostituted.
The police came round and made them remove it.
I use a bell all the time. I get thanked regularly for using it. I have never had a complaint about it. I do ring it from a distance away and always give a cheery thanks.
Some old folk cannot hear them tho. High tone deafness
100% what TJ just said is my exact experience too. I actually own more bells than bikes. 👍
Although I have too had an ear buds wearer complaing about not hearing it, the arsehole.
There’s a sign on a farm entrance in the Yorkshire Dales that says:
Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again.Welcome to Yorkshire.
There's a sign on a farm entrance near Haigh Hall that says:
No entrance to field
unless you can out run a bull
My wife is part of our local bike club and helps with the kids groups at weekends. She got grumbled at by a woman walking her dog up one of the clearly signposted bike trails at Nevis Range when half a dozen 5 year olds rode down it past her (at about 2mph probably). She’s deaf on one side so couldn’t say for certain if the woman had a bell.
🤷🏻♂️
Riding across open grassland, not a building in sight:
“You urban terrorists!”
???
Crazy dog-lady stands in the middle of the trail across a grassy down. As I approach:
CD-L (irate): "You can't ride here!"
Me (slowing): "Er, it's a bridleway."
CD-L (hysterical): "You can't ride here!!"
I take evasive action as CD-L looks properly demented and give her a wide berth.
CD-L (now screaming at the top of her voice: "EVERY ONE HATES YOU! EVERYONE HATES YOU! EVERYONE HATES YOU!"
It was an odd moment.
You can’t win with bells. Either using one is rude or not using one is rude or they don’t hear it or it makes them jump.
The schrodinger…
I don’t know what to think about bells tbh. A friend of mine came up behind an old guy today, ringing his bell and expecting the old boy to hop out of the way. He didn’t and so my mate just edged past him.
I rode up behind the guy, kept my bell silent but gently said “excuse me” and he moved to one side, so I thanked him.
My mate couldn’t understand why he hadn’t moved, so I told him maybe the old guy found the use of the bell a bit too aggressive, so was holding his ground. With a bit of luck, a lesson has been learnt there.
I'm with you. A ringing bell does feel like an old skool equivalent of "stravaaaaa-get out of my way plebs".
