Shared paths, 'haven't you got a bell?!'

[Nigel-YZ1]

Only had one complaint for not using a bell in 12 years.
Had plenty playing chicken, usually teenagers expecting you to stop and talk at them like a grown up about their behaviour. Those I just ride straight at. They seem to get the message when you're about three feet away.

Unfortunately people are people.There's always some tooth grinding so-and-so that wants to inflict their sad little world on yours.

 

[Leodis]

Tend to avoid shared cycle routes, not worth the bother stopping every so often for gates and peds. Prefer to take my chances on the roads.

 

[jarlrmai]

Yeah I tried to ignore the old guy in an ancient Shogun who veered at me beeping and waving his arms 3 times when I was riding alongside the shared path through Aintree. Maybe people are just nobbers where I ride.

 

[akb]

speeding along at 20mph

 

[Glow worm]

Tend to avoid shared cycle routes, not worth the bother stopping every so often for gates and peds. Prefer to take my chances on the roads.

There's a classic awful shared use path near here which in places is less than 3 feet wide. It's really just a narrow pavement with a few blue signs stuck next to it- your typical British cycle 'infrastructure' really. I gave up using it years ago, but have at various times been yelled at by peds to get off it, and by motons to get on it.

 

[Steve Saunders]

I have a bell on my road bike, but as I use it for commuting and use shared use paths a fair bit it comes in useful. Some folk really giving you the WTF / evil stare for using it though, and I never use it when really close to folk now after one guy fell into a ditch after getting such a fright. I laughed afterwards, but I did stop and help them back out at the time.

Since getting SPD-SL's I've found that un-clipping and clipping back in can be equally as effective as using the bell, and I haven't had a single complaint so far - perhaps because folk don't recognise the sound, so don't know it's come from the bike :-) I'm sure a noisy freewheel would probably be equally as effective.

 

[gambatte]

Shared path and peds. New routes got a few of these. Most of the peds are out dog walking.
Commuter bikes got an airzound.
I’ll give a quick blip from a couple of hundred yards away, just to make them aware of my presence. Gives them time to get the hound/s under control.
But, I’ll still slow when passing.

 

[Origamist]

I use a section of the Bridgewater Canal, Manchester for a few miles on my commute and I am surprised at just how few pedestrians and cyclists use it. I nearly always see more ducks/geese on the path than people and this is in the middle of summer. I suspect when the weather takes a turn for the worse, it will be me, a few worms and the odd, hardy fisherman. It's a bit sad really.

 

[Sara_H]

I use a section of the Bridgewater Canal, Manchester for a few miles on my commute and I am surprised at just how few pedestrians and cyclists use it. I nearly always see more ducks/geese on the path than people and this is in the middle of summer. I suspect when the weather takes a turn for the worse, it will be me, a few worms and the odd, hardy fisherman. It's a bit sad really.

How do ducks and geese respond to bells? I've noticed that worms just completely ignore them, ignorants buggers!

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

Only been ordered to get a bell once. But then he was a grumpy sod looking for a fight.

 

[Origamist]

How do ducks and geese respond to bells? I've noticed that worms just completely ignore them, ignorants buggers!

The Canada Goose (Geese?) tend to hold their ground and waddle v slowly, with the occasional hiss. Mallards seem a little more compliant. Worms don't give a xxxx - they just hog the canal path like a cyclist in primary, doing about 0.02 mph. I often buzz past them, to teach them a lesson on path etiquette.

 

[Boris Bajic]

How do ducks and geese respond to bells? I've noticed that worms just completely ignore them, ignorants buggers!

Float-ons are worse than Motons! Ignorant buggers!!

I've tried squirting ducks with my bottle as I approach. That work with dogs but not with ducks. They turn away, but stay put.

The water usually just hits the back of their head and drips down. I don't know why I bother. To them it's like water off a... oh.... Bugger!

 

[Idoru]

I know the NCN 5 very well despite being from Manchester.

It is a Promenade from Prestatyn to Rhyl, and is exactly that. Cycles have been allowed on it. I just laugh when I see any road cyclists on it. Flippin crazy. I ride on it with the family, slowly.

Stop laughing at me! I'm paranoid enough.

I often end up on Rhyl prom when I'm just pootling around looking for the wife while I'm on the way back from a long ride. It's a beautiful piece of coastline and the cycle path gives you a great view out to sea. Being a local'ish resident for most of my life I love to see people on the prom enjoying it.

It's a general recreation area you have to expect people to be wandering around aimlessly with no chance of predicting which direction they are going to take next and whether that child is going to be tempted to run towards the ice-cream stall or that dog is on an invisible lead or is a free-running cyclist hating hell hound.

On the flip side when I do want to put some effort in (more than about 3mph ) and move onto the road I get told off by motorists, pedestrians and even other cyclists telling me I should be on the cycle path.

and to keep the thread theme going...

I've given up on the bell, too many people told my I nearly gave them a heart attack, these days I slow down to a crawl and say loudly "excuse me, coming through.... thank you". Some people still react as if I've told them I'm an approaching axe murderer who's had a bad day.

 

[Twelve Spokes]

I have ordered a 140 DB electric horn but don't really know why as I manage perfectly without one.

 

[Guyincognito76]

I have the bell that came with my bike somewhere, maybe I'll reattach it and tally the results. Either that, or I'll just yell, 'accident waiting to happen!' as this is how letter writers to my local paper refer to us as.