Getting attention

[danger mouse]

Out on a shared route yesterday (Keelmans and Hadrian way) and never seen it so busy.

Bank holiday Sunday, so I shouldn't have been surprised.

What I was a little surprised at was the lack of awareness that the dog walkers and parents had.

Being new to this I wasn't sure how to get their attention when approaching

Best I could come up with was a polite cough or frequent changing of gear, 'clickity click.'

Asking to be let through seemed rude, so I thought I would have a look through here for advice on etiquette.

It seems my idea of getting a bell doesn't appear to be that popular.

So whats the consensus? I wondered about how camp this would be?

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

 

[HLaB]

I was expecting a little bit more from that bell

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I rarely use shared paths, on the road coming up behind people on horses I just say good morning/afternoon to let them know I'm there. On the rare occasion I'm on a shared path, I occasionally use Stratford greenway, I just come down to walking pace till I can slip past.

 

[Ace Demon]

Out on a shared route yesterday (Keelmans and Hadrian way) and never seen it so busy.

Bank holiday Sunday, so I shouldn't have been surprised.

What I was a little surprised at was the lack of awareness that the dog walkers and parents had.

It's a shared path, so let them relax and cast cares aside. You're out to enjoy the scenery too. If not, might as well use the road.

Being new to this I wasn't sure how to get their attention when approaching

Imagine yourself in their position. How would you like a cyclist to attract your attention and pass you?

 

[danger mouse]

Thats a bit of what I mean. I thought a bell was the solution but others have experienced it as the opposite.

Cant win them all I suppose.

 

[byegad]

Shared use is just that and you'll meet people who are unaware of where they should walk or are just glad to hold you up. That's why I stick to the roads.

 

[gaz]

If you are on a shared use path then you need to take it nice and slow, be prepared to stop and don't pressure people in front of you. If they are unaware of your presence then a softly toned excuse me or bicycle back will grab their attention in a pleasant way.
As you pass don't forget to say thank you and maybe add in a nice day today.

The pleasant tone makes you appear to be friendly and human, where as a bell or cough can appear a little bit harsher and people might not be as accommodating.

 

[Seigi]

I use a bell on a shared path that a lot of cyclists use, and often find it works the best especially if you're going a bit quicker and need to grab their attention early on. I always give a thank you or a wave when I pass (depending on how they respond, if they respond really well I say thank you, if they kind look at you as if you're stupid then move I just give a wave), I always remember a couple of chavs on the path who said "That's not very good is it?" when I rung my bell, then on my way back they were like "It's you again!" *sigh*.

Whenever I'm walking on said path, if a cyclist comes up behind and doesn't ring his bell I get quite annoyed, in my eyes I feel that the bell is a good way to draw attention to yourself and to me doesn't seem rude at all.

 

[Lucheni]

I generally pootle along shared paths and find a cheery good morning is enough to get a persons attention with plenty of time and space to spare. Once they look around and notice me I give them a nod and a smile and they usually shift over quite politely.

If I'm going a bit quicker I'll ring my bell from further away before saying good morning. It's best to remember some people are hard of hearing and won't hear you until you're almost on top of them. I stopped relying on the bell alone because I found it startled a few people into leaping right into my path. Similarly, warnings like "I'm on your left/right" are sometimes interpreted as "You, move left/right!" which is quite frustrating.

A nice clear thank you as you pass them and perhaps a wave, especially for the grumps who don't really want to move over. Works pretty well for me.

 

[eltelio]

If you are on a shared use path then you need to take it nice and slow, be prepared to stop and don't pressure people in front of you. If they are unaware of your presence then a softly toned excuse me or bicycle back will grab their attention in a pleasant way.
As you pass don't forget to say thank you and maybe add in a nice day today.

The pleasant tone makes you appear to be friendly and human, where as a bell or cough can appear a little bit harsher and people might not be as accommodating.

+1
I can only add to this by saying that having used that particular path many times, that I know how crowded it can get and especially on weekends and public holidays, and therefore ride on it accordingly. Gentle use of a bell from afar, slow approach to walkers ect., and the use of the normal pleasantries have always stood me in good stead and I have had relatively few problems,( touch wood). Its there to be enjoyed by all, so enjoy

 

[samid]

+1
I can only add to this by saying that having used that particular path many times, that I know how crowded it can get and especially on weekends and public holidays, and therefore ride on it accordingly. Gentle use of a bell from afar, slow approach to walkers ect., and the use of the normal pleasantries have always stood me in good stead and I have had relatively few problems,( touch wood). Its there to be enjoyed by all, so enjoy

+ another 1. I rarely use shared paths but when I do the bell works fine. The key is what Eltelio said - don't start people by ringing it when you're 1 meter behind them - sound it from afar, don't make a racket of it, and smile and say thanks when you pass.

 

[Globalti]

A bell is the best way but unfortunately some people don't hear bells because the tone is too high.

 

[Scotmitchy]

I ring my bell and shout '' excuse me '' till I am sure they have noticed me, then say a very genuine thanks on the way past.

 

[boydj]

If you are on a shared use path then you need to take it nice and slow, be prepared to stop and don't pressure people in front of you. If they are unaware of your presence then a softly toned excuse me or bicycle back will grab their attention in a pleasant way.
As you pass don't forget to say thank you and maybe add in a nice day today.

The pleasant tone makes you appear to be friendly and human, where as a bell or cough can appear a little bit harsher and people might not be as accommodating.

+1

I find most walkers on a shared-use path are quite happy to make way for cyclists who show a bit of consideration. A nice safe pass and a thank-you will always go down well.

 

[Emmanuel Obikwelu]

I ring my bell and shout '' excuse me '' till I am sure they have noticed me, then say a very genuine thanks on the way past.

+1 but without the bell.