Bike Polite!

[Bollo]

Screaming OT I know, but I had an informative chat with a horse rider a couple of days ago. I pass a few stables on my commute, so horses are a regular fellow road-user. I've always been pretty respectful around our equine friends (its the mad eyes!) and I've never really known what to do when you catch a horse and rider on the road. According to matey, its ok to give a loudish shout of "cyclist" or somesuch as this doesn't normally freak the beast out. Needless to say, Airzounds are not ideal under such circumstances.

NB This doesn't apply to the New Forest ponies, who are clearly on some sort of Methadone treatment programme. I've never even seen a New Forest pony so much as raise its eyebrows, even when its backend has just been run over by a truck.

 

[BentMikey]

I've stopped and stood up a couple of times on two rides last week for horse riders. Lots of mad eye rolling and unhappy horses at seeing my recumbent. They don't like low fast things with sinuous leg movement (equals predator). The riders were extremely chuffed, and very grateful, it's nice to share a bit of good karma like that.

 

[Bollo]

Lots of mad eye rolling and unhappy horses at seeing my recumbent.

Those horses weren't scared, they were members of the UCI Executive Committee!

The riders were extremely chuffed, and very grateful, it's nice to share a bit of good karma like that.

+lots

 

[BentMikey]

LOL! It's funny though, horses aren't that stupid because they can learn. All the ones in Hyde Park seem to know my bike now and don't react to me any more. I haven't been out in the country lanes much on the 'bent, and I'd forgotten just how scared those country bumkin horses can get.

 

[wafflycat]

I've stopped and stood up a couple of times on two rides last week for horse riders. Lots of mad eye rolling and unhappy horses at seeing my recumbent. They don't like low fast things with sinuous leg movement (equals predator). The riders were extremely chuffed, and very grateful, it's nice to share a bit of good karma like that.

Lots of horses round my neck of the woods. One thing which works well is to, well in advance, give the rider a friendly 'hello' and start chatting in a quiet yet friendly voice to hrose & rider. This allows the horse to realise you aren't some sort of odd predator out to get it and the chatting calms the horse. The riders appreciate it. Also slow right down as approaching & passing the horse. Worked a treat for me over the years.

 

[BentMikey]

Thanks, yes, that's what I do, but it's not always enough. If I can sneak past hidden close in a bunch of other cyclists, then no problem, but the one ride it was just two of us on Fujins, and the other I was in a gap in the club ride.

 

[col]

I find the tone of voice used makes a big difference with the excuse me,and a please goes a long way to getting good reactions too.

 

[hackbike 666]

AH.... the sight of someone dancing the "Funky Pedestrian"

When I fit my new horn on I may see more of this.

 

[Arch]

NB This doesn't apply to the New Forest ponies, who are clearly on some sort of Methadone treatment programme. I've never even seen a New Forest pony so much as raise its eyebrows, even when its backend has just been run over by a truck.

In answer to your question posed in the edit, no, they don't really, although there are a few extra whiskers above the eye. But they can roll their eyes and raise their heads when trying to suss something out, which would be like raising an eyebrow.

 

[Arch]

I guess the attitude of some pedestrians to bells comes from the misuse of car horns. Bells and horns are both meant to mean "Watch out, I'm here", but horns have been so misused to mean "Get out of my way!" that most people probably think the bell means the same.

 

[Stig-OT-Dump]

Followed one of the links today -
http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/0BAD3759-744A-4BE4-8848-ADA5B5D81A48/0/OnYerBike2008.pdf
Nice scheme... bit out of date! Maybe it'll be repeated.