My Morning Commute

[LeprosyStudyGroup]

Mups or anywhere else, if you are careening through life faster than those around you, and instead of modifying your own behavior you are expecting them to consider what you are doing behind them, you are being a dumbass.

[streetsmarts]

Mups or anywhere else, if you are careening through life faster than those around you, and instead of modifying your own behavior you are expecting them to consider what you are doing behind them, you are being a dumbass.

Where's the ELITE button when I need it?

I really wonder what happens in biking cities in Europe...when there's slow riders and faster riders? On 11th st. Going to work in rush hour, bicyclists pass me within inches on the L and R with no announcing. I could understand it if we were all going at the same speed but we're not. And sometimes they pass me *in the bike lane* with no notice.

Grateful for my safe riding friends!

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[josh]

Going to work in rush hour, bicyclists pass me within inches on the L and R with no announcing. I could understand it if we were all going at the same speed but we're not.

Assuming you're all going in the same direction (after all you both are in the bike lane), I don't think cyclists would be passing you if you were all going at the same speed.

I'm definitely an advocate of passing responsibly and I try to call all my passes, but I think there is something to be said for passing quickly. Minimize the time you're in the opposing traffic's lane and get it over with.

[hozn]

Yeah, I should clarify that I also think it is important to let people know that you are passing; keeping everyone aware of your presence is basic courtesy and safety.

But I think it is equally important to look behind you before changing lanes. Being aware of your surroundings is ultimately your responsibility.

It takes a fraction of a second to glance over your shoulder before switching lanes, as you're only checking if it's clear for 10-20ish feet behind you. I will say that I'm usually moving relatively quickly on the trail when passing, so I'm not worried about someone flying up behind me. If I were moving much slower I'd need to look farther back. So speed relative to other cyclists on the trail is probably a consideration too.

[consularrider]

...I really wonder what happens in biking cities in Europe...when there's slow riders and faster riders? On 11th st. Going to work in rush hour, bicyclists pass me within inches on the L and R with no announcing. I could understand it if we were all going at the same speed but we're not. And sometimes they pass me *in the bike lane* with no notice...

I've said it on other threads, but in my experience the only place where "calling your pass" is expected (or practiced) is in the US. Most countries require bells, just like a car has to have a horn, but they are rarely used, and then in cases to warn of true danger or to deal with people blocking a path.

[dasgeh]

I think the passing buffer (distance between the person passing and the person being passed) should increase as the difference in the speeds between the passer and the passee increases. If you're just going a bit faster than the passee, passing within a smaller space is more comfortable. Also, the more people bike, the more comfortable they are being passed with a smaller buffer.

That's why I think it works in Europe -- those bike lanes/trails are only bikes, so the difference is speeds is smaller than you have on our trails (which have the range from people walking to people biking fast). Plus, people bike a lot more. Both point to smaller passing buffers being more acceptable over there.

[consularrider]

...That's why I think it works in Europe -- those bike lanes/trails are only bikes, so the difference is speeds is smaller than you have on our trails (which have the range from people walking to people biking fast). Plus, people bike a lot more. Both point to smaller passing buffers being more acceptable over there.

Nope, at least not in Germany. The vast majority of cycling infrastructure that I've seen is shared with pedestrians so there isn't much buffer. What you have a lot of are sidewalks the width of the W&OD with about two and a half feet marked for bikes. Both bikes and pedestrians will generally respect that. Your second point is better.

[hozn]

(In Switzerland bike infra is also shared with peds (and low-power motorcycles, etc.).)

I think in Europe cyclists are also used to being passed very closely by cars. The roads are narrow and speed limits generous. But, at least in my experience, this is done much more skillfully than in this country; it's not scary once you get used to it. So I expect cyclists are pretty good at holding their line and not being spooked by being passed by another cyclist.

Around here, I've had a couple people chase me down to yell at me that I didn't call a pass. Only I did, but apparently not loud enough. And the most recent time was on the bridge over 495 on the W&OD and I was probably 5 or 6 feet away from the person as I passed (maybe that is why they didn't hear me). The entitlement is ridiculous. I wanted to ask them if they were a small child or intoxicated or otherwise couldn't be counted on to not veer across the yellow line without checking first; instead, I just told them that I had announced my pass and I was sorry that they hadn't heard it.

[Crickey7]

If a few people actually chased you down to complain, that means in all likelihood, many more did not hear you but chose not to make a stink about it. I'd suggest that your pass-calling isn't nearly as audible as you think it is. At least on the CCT, the posted requirement isn't simply signaling your pass. It's signaling your pass audibly.

[mstone]

Bells!