Call out to those walkers.
On Sunday I was on a little group ride. Friendly bunch, wouldn't hurt a fly. Way polite.
And that was their biggest fault; being too polite, not calling out.
I was behind them as they came up against pedestrians on Reigate Hill. Popular spot, great views, cafe, lots of walkers as a result. As our little group came up behind each bunch they did it by stealth. They snuck up behind the walkers then passed wherever a gap opened up.
It was painful to watch, especially when one rider pretty much rode into the back of a walker. At other times they did that thing where two chatty cyclists come up behind a group of people, then split and pass either side. That's just not on; that's uber confusing to just about everybody. So I had to do a preachy thing, to tell them off.
I'm almost 50. It's not the done thing is it and I hated myself. That's the last time I'll be invited out. Yet at the same time it was clear that nobody had thought through how to deal with pedestrians, and how a cyclist interacts with shared users.
It's not rocket science. Ring your bell or call out a friendly warning. You have to say you're behind them and what you want to do. A simple "Hello, may I pass on the left please?" always works. For the main ramblers are only ever a short distance away from the car parks, so it's not as if you'll mix with them for long. And if you are in a group, and the leader asks to pass on the right, then you follow.
Be polite, slow down and tell them what you are doing.
On Sunday I was on a little group ride. Friendly bunch, wouldn't hurt a fly. Way polite.
And that was their biggest fault; being too polite, not calling out.
I was behind them as they came up against pedestrians on Reigate Hill. Popular spot, great views, cafe, lots of walkers as a result. As our little group came up behind each bunch they did it by stealth. They snuck up behind the walkers then passed wherever a gap opened up.
It was painful to watch, especially when one rider pretty much rode into the back of a walker. At other times they did that thing where two chatty cyclists come up behind a group of people, then split and pass either side. That's just not on; that's uber confusing to just about everybody. So I had to do a preachy thing, to tell them off.
I'm almost 50. It's not the done thing is it and I hated myself. That's the last time I'll be invited out. Yet at the same time it was clear that nobody had thought through how to deal with pedestrians, and how a cyclist interacts with shared users.
It's not rocket science. Ring your bell or call out a friendly warning. You have to say you're behind them and what you want to do. A simple "Hello, may I pass on the left please?" always works. For the main ramblers are only ever a short distance away from the car parks, so it's not as if you'll mix with them for long. And if you are in a group, and the leader asks to pass on the right, then you follow.
Be polite, slow down and tell them what you are doing.
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