How often do you use your bell?

[nogoodnamesleft]

Occasionally I'll use the bell, but normally I just call out "good morning", "bike passing" or similar of shared tracks

Similar except in that much of my cycling is single track roads. I find approaching from behind and a bell can give the impression (to some) "get out of my way, training and speed ..." where a call as you approach can be less open to mis-interpretation. And as you are speaking/calling fairly often I'll end-up slowing and chatting eg to horse riders or walkers or maybe more often their dogs (in France once I stopped chatted making a fuss of her Border Collie then a mile down the road realised I'd "adopted" the Border Collie and had to turn round and "return" her dog)..

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

You don’t. You give plenty of space, which generally means other side of white line. The riders at back of group will call up about cars passing.

I was on the other side - and them some - right up to the grass verge

but it would be nice for there to be a way to be sure they know I am passing without some of them thinking I am angry!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I was on the other side - and them some - right up to the grass verge

but it would be nice for there to be a way to be sure they know I am passing without some of them thinking I am angry!

The horn isn’t the answer. Just make sure you don’t go screaming past at 60 mph and give as much space as you safely can. They will be aware of traffic, and unless you are doing something stupid it’s all good.

 

[SteveH80]

It was summer so the windows were open
hence the grand-daughter got the full volume of "F*** off - f*****g c***" from the riders at the front
they clearly thought I was complaining

but how else was I to warn them?

That's half the problem, some cyclists are self entitled twats that give us all a bad name.
Many of the roads that I ride on aren't wide enough to do the 1.5m gap unless one of us goes I to the adjacent field. A beep alerts me that someone is there and gives me a chance to pull over a little to let them past, safer for me and less frustrating for them.
We have to share the roads so a little consideration from all sides goes a long way.
You talk to horse riders around here and they'll say cars and motorcycles are rarely the problem, it's road cyclists on a mission they have more problems with.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

That's half the problem, some cyclists are self entitled twats that give us all a bad name.
Many of the roads that I ride on aren't wide enough to do the 1.5m gap unless one of us goes I to the adjacent field. A beep alerts me that someone is there and gives me a chance to pull over a little to let them past, safer for me and less frustrating for them.
We have to share the roads so a little consideration from all sides goes a long way.
You talk to horse riders around here and they'll say cars and motorcycles are rarely the problem, it's road cyclists on a mission they have more problems with.

I would imagine cyclists are more of a problem for the horses as they make so little noise and suddenly appear

I used to know someone who spent a lot of time with horses
her main horse was very well-trained and was fine with all traffic
Except Crosville buses - other green buses were fine and he even still panicked when they changed the livery
Horses are weird