Pedestrian called 999 to report me cycling on a cycle path...

[vickster]

The speed doesn't matter, it's just the being there. I can be holding 25-30 on a 20 road and I'll still get impatient motorists trying to force a pass.

Tut speeding

 

[Crankarm]

Just get an Airzound. End of problems with idiots like this.

 

[simonali]

I get abuse for cycling on my local shared path, despite the clear signs.
Once, when I pointed a sign out, the answer was " it doesn't mean here, it means the road ..."
Can't win!

My reply would've been "Well you walk in the road then and we'll be nice and far apart, eh".

I did 15-20 miles on the Kennet and Avon towpath last weekend and did just fine with the walkers and other cyclists, despite it being pretty narrow. Until right near the end of the ride, that is, when some fella in a Canals Trust shirt couldn't keep his piehole shut and mentioned bells. I felt a compulsion to stop. I then replied "1. I am going in the opposite direction to you, so we saw each other with at least 100m to spare. 2. I slowed right down as I passed you and always do for walkers and 3. it's a racing bike. They don't come fitted with bells and I'm not going to buy one for the single whinge merchant I've encountered on my ride today. Goodbye".

Then I rode off without waiting for or listening to his retort!

 

[Venod]

Too many nobbers in the world. I was told to get a bell - two runners, with head phones in. They heard me say 'excuse me. can I pass'. passed then got 'a bell would be useful'

My reply was 'well it doesn't work if people are using headphones and it's far more polite to talk to folk' win win.

I know a lot of people disagree, but I hate bells, it seems to me you are ringing it saying get out of my way, a polite excuse me is my preferred way it works most of the time and a thank you when I pass, but you do get the odd wheres your bell? even when they have quite clearly heard excuse me and moved out of the way, of course neither is any good against headphones.

 

[Serge]

I know a lot of people disagree, but I hate bells, it seems to me you are ringing it saying get out of my way, a polite excuse me is my preferred way it works most of the time and a thank you when I pass, but you do get the odd wheres your bell? even when they have quite clearly heard excuse me and moved out of the way, of course neither is any good against headphones.

I thought I was the only person who felt like that. Even when I had a bell on the bike, I very rarely used it. I much prefer the "Old git coming through".

 

[winjim]

My reply would've been "Well you walk in the road then and we'll be nice and far apart, eh".

I did 15-20 miles on the Kennet and Avon towpath last weekend and did just fine with the walkers and other cyclists, despite it being pretty narrow. Until right near the end of the ride, that is, when some fella in a Canals Trust shirt couldn't keep his piehole shut and mentioned bells. I felt a compulsion to stop. I then replied "1. I am going in the opposite direction to you, so we saw each other with at least 100m to spare. 2. I slowed right down as I passed you and always do for walkers and 3. it's a racing bike. They don't come fitted with bells and I'm not going to buy one for the single whinge merchant I've encountered on my ride today. Goodbye".

Then I rode off without waiting for or listening to his retort!

They do come fitted with bells, or at least they should. And I'm not convinced that saying you're riding a vehicle designed for racing, in a public area, is a valid excuse for anything.

I am of course being picky, I'm sure you ride slowly and considerately, as you say.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I know a lot of people disagree, but I hate bells, it seems to me you are ringing it saying get out of my way, a polite excuse me is my preferred way it works most of the time and a thank you when I pass,

Me too.

 

[swansonj]

My reply would've been "Well you walk in the road then and we'll be nice and far apart, eh".

I did 15-20 miles on the Kennet and Avon towpath last weekend and did just fine with the walkers and other cyclists, despite it being pretty narrow. Until right near the end of the ride, that is, when some fella in a Canals Trust shirt couldn't keep his piehole shut and mentioned bells. I felt a compulsion to stop. I then replied "1. I am going in the opposite direction to you, so we saw each other with at least 100m to spare. 2. I slowed right down as I passed you and always do for walkers and 3. it's a racing bike. They don't come fitted with bells and I'm not going to buy one for the single whinge merchant I've encountered on my ride today. Goodbye".

Then I rode off without waiting for or listening to his retort!

If your bike does not have a bell, is that not because you (or whoever the original purchaser was) took off the bell that was indeed originally fitted to the bike, that being a legal requirement?

That does not in any way detract from the validity of your points 1 and 2.

 

[Johnno260]

I had the police turn around and stop me in Eastbourne a few weeks back while cycling.

They said do you think you should be on the pavement at your age?

I said yes, then got a scowl, I said the blue shared footpath sign in front of your car says I can.

 

[slowmotion]

Me too.

Me too. Bells upset some people. I just slow to a crawl and do a clicky gear change about five yards away, smile when they turn round, and say thank-you as I pass.

 

[Venod]

If your bike does not have a bell, is that not because you (or whoever the original purchaser was) took off the bell that was indeed originally fitted to the bike, that being a legal requirement?

Or you built the bike yourself, so the requirement of the bike having a bell at the point of sale never applied.

 

[Salty seadog]

I know a lot of people disagree, but I hate bells, it seems to me you are ringing it saying get out of my way, a polite excuse me is my preferred way it works most of the time and a thank you when I pass, but you do get the odd wheres your bell? even when they have quite clearly heard excuse me and moved out of the way, of course neither is any good against headphones.

I thought I was the only person who felt like that. Even when I had a bell on the bike, I very rarely used it. I much prefer the "Old git coming through".

Me too.

Exactly my view. I don't like bells they sound impatient and entitled to me.

A polite 'scuse me can I just come through please ' yields the best results.

 

[Johnno260]

Me too. Bells upset some people. I just slow to a crawl and do a clicky gear change about five yards away, smile when they turn round, and say thank-you as I pass.

I used to have a really loud hub on my old Hybrid I think it was a chosen hub it was loud so I would freewheel near pedestrians

 

[simonali]

I thought racing bikes never had bells fitted? I haven't bought a bike in over a decade, though. Do they have reflectors, too?

I don't really need a bell anyway, as my bike has the loudest freehub in the entire world on it!

 

[raleighnut]

I had the police turn around and stop me in Eastbourne a few weeks back while cycling.

They said do you think you should be on the pavement at your age?

I said yes, then got a scowl, I said the blue shared footpath sign in front of your car says I can.

I've had that from a 'police constable shaped object' in Leicester, he told me to "Get off your bike" as it was a 'pedestrianized area' whilst standing under a signpost with all the directions and distances of cyclepaths radiating from the clocktower, I pointed this out to him whilst his mate (a police officer) slowly shook his head.