Ok, I get the logic of the ‘passing on your left’ and the pedestrian moving to the left - I’ve even done so myself, to be honest.
But why don’t people intuitively walk to the right side of the side walk (and mall, grrrr) as they do when they drive on the road? I just naturally go to the right, and if it’s a busy path, I stay to the right. I don’t need to walk in the middle of the shared path.
I should also add that most paths in Calgary actually have a yellow dividing line down the middle so you do have lanes, and most people stick to them.
(reverse this whole post if you live in a country where you drive on the left)
People here, if not just recreationally cycling, ride on the road if they’re going that fast. In fact, it’s illegal here to ride over 20 km/h on the pathways (some area’s are 10 km/h) and they do have officers standing there occasionally with radar handing out speeding tickets.
Where can we find this study? It sounds supremely stupid if it’s just what you describe. If you were going perpendicular to the line of telephone poles, it would be statistically unlikely for you to hit one in a spin-out incident. I assume you’re talking about the stanard line of telephone poles that runs parallel to the road, though. Those are pretty impossible to avoid when you’re out of control and barreling towards them at a soft angle.
Where’s “here”? What’s “recreational” cycling if not at least 20mph?
It’s not quite the same as tdn’s claim, but I’ve heard that driving instructors who teach skid recovery tell the students to look in the direction they want to go, and their hands will almost subconciously steer in that direction. I can imagine someone who’s untrained focusing on an obstacle and accidentally guiding himself right to it.
Sure, all the time. In places you can keep that up for a couple of miles. For road crossings and busy sections you need to slow down but 20MPH is the only way to work up a sweat.
:rolleyes:Try reading the rest of the thread. I think runners should stick to the sidewalk whenever possible and never said otherwise. My advice is equally applicable to bikes and runners whether there is a sidewalk or not. Go ahead and honk all you want, I’m sure you’re teaching the scofflaws a lesson.
By recreational cycling, I mean those people who meander along at 5 mph. The cycling you and I do is for transportation. I travel at high speed as well, but I certainly wouldn’t do that on a pathway, especially a shared one. I use the road if I’m going at road speed.
Hey now, St Paul has plenty of 'em. Summit Avenue, along the Mississippi, Fairview Avenue are just a couple that come to mind right now. For local bikers, let me divert your attentions tothis cool local wiki that is the google map for traversing the cities.
I remember reading a couple years ago that after Japan, Minnesota had the most mileage of bike paths in the world (and we were set to overtake them upon completion of the Wobegon trail).
As for the OP, I’ve bitched about this exact thing a couple times on Straight Dope before. I obnoxiously use my bell whenever pedestrians are on the biking path (when it’s combined, state statute enforces audible announcements of overtaking, but not when it’s a designated bike path). Although, usually I find it’s the joggers and not the walkers that are guilty of this.
Try biking on the U of MN campus. People see two parallel lines and instinctively walk between them when there is a huge open area to walk in. I learned the fine art of grazing people as I biked past. Never had the heart to terrify with a horn, though.
I either cycle for transportation, or am racing (like you), but there is no way in hell I’d go that fast on a shared path! Too many idiots, as pointed out in this thread! I’d rather be on a nice highway with big shoulders.
I think maybe our shared paths are different. The ones here aren’t for transportation. They are specifically to bike/jog/rollerblade, etc. on and not worry about getting hit by a car.
Good God no. In rural Michigan we’re not classy enough for “bike paths”. They sound like death traps from this thread. I just go for rides down the road. Riding to class tomorrow, gonna put 22 miles on the bike.
Listen up, you impatient scrotebag - the world isn’t going to grind to a halt because you are 10 seconds late, no matter how important you think you fucking are!
I don’t really think you are a scrotebag, I just thought it sounded funny. I actually think your attitude stinks worse than a Bombay beggar’s flip-flops, but that’s neither here, nor there!
