To think that cyclists should ring the bell when they coming at you from behind?

[DogCalledRudis]

Dont count how many times i've been nearly hit by a silent cyclist...

Yes! I'm a walker and have lost countof the number of times have been nearly hit by cyclists coming up behind and not ringing a bell.

Choccy I don't think so! I thought that maybe John was the "lead" dog and the other would follow him.

YANBU

A bell should be rung a few times on approach, giving the pedestrian time to react without jumping into the path, and giving the cyclist time to slow down as seems to be necessary.

I regularly walk along a shared usage path, and I hate it when cyclists sneak up and I only know they are there when they are about 1m behind me. Makes me jump and more likely to accidentally move into their path.
If I know they are approaching I obviously move to one side (and make my children go single file) and then they don't need to slow down.

I teach my children their bells are warnings of their approach - NOT an expectation that the pedestrian will move. They must always be prepared to stop, and always say thank you too!

I think that anyone coming at me from behind should give fair warning, though I'm not sure I'd interpret a ding ding correctly .

Shops legally have to include a bell when they sell a new bike. I believe that there is no legal requirement for a cyclist to have or use a bell.

I don't ding on a general pathway, I do think it sounds like a demand for the pedestrian to get out of my way, whereas I should be giving way to them. I hate being dinged at when I'm the pedestrian.

Sometimes I ring a bell, sometimes I just shout as the bell can sound like a demand for people to get out of the way, and is high pitched so hard to hear for some. I dislike shared cycle paths though, especially if there are dog walkers on them usually with dogs off leads.

A cycle path is place where you cycle not a place where you cannot walk. Unless there is a sign saying no walking.
So when cycling on cycle path you should expect to find walkers joggers and dogs. And it a cyclists job not to hit any of the following.

I'll often cycle over the Forth Road bridge which has clearly marked cycle and pedestrian areas and pedestrians happily amble down the cycle side and look aggrieved at having to move to the correct side of the line. They have the view on their side as well.

A cycle path is place where you cycle not a place where you cannot walk. Unless there is a sign saying no walking.
So when cycling on cycle path you should expect to find walkers joggers and dogs. And it a cyclists job not to hit any of the following.

....and then the motorists complain because cyclists choose to go on the road rather than the cycle path . They can't win.

It is common sense though on a wide track clearly divided into 2 to stay on the walkers side if walking unless obstacles etc. To deliberately walk on the cyclists side just because "it's my right" is just being bloody minded.

I'm hearing impaired myself and a keen cyclist.

A couple of years back, I got a new bike and couldn't wait to take it for a spin (intending to put my spare loud Pashley bell on it when I got home). On the cycle path where most people understand cyclists are on the left - a pair of rather overweight tourists, I'm guessing as locals know to walk to the side - walking across the whole width of the cycle path (both sides - they were pretty fat). I realised they didn't seem to hear me comiung up behind them and also realised I didn't have a bell, so I slowed right down and then rode onto the grass at the side of the track, so leaving them both lanes of the entire track to themselves. (Have used that track almost daily for several years and never had to do this before or since). Instead of thanking me, the woman said "Haven't you heard of bells?" I was so shocked, it wasn't til I'd got a few minutes on, I realised I should have asked whether she'd heard of politeness.

Later on, I turned round and went back towards home. As I drew level with the charmless pair, suddenly a black labrador off lead bowled out of the bushes and nearly knocked me off my bike. It was their (out of control) dog. Idiots.

As a rule I have a bell and ring it. I am hearing impaired myself and my husband and some other family members are more deaf than I am. I do watch the pedestrian's body language (which is more than can be said for them, floating along on cycle paths, sometimes directly on the path when a footpath is provided next to it) and if they don;t seem to have respnded to my bell, I will slow down to almost a standstill as I get close, then overtake when I have a huge gap or they clock I'm there.

TBH most cyclists on my local path do this.

9 times out of 10 it's the pedestrians who are dicks.

"So when cycling on cycle path you should expect to find walkers joggers and dogs. And it a cyclists job not to hit any of the following."

Surely the responsibility lies with all groups not to hit anything? Wouldn't disagree that the person moving fastest carries the greatest responsibility.

I'd rather cyclists, pedestrians and motorists were separated with properly delineated cycle paths, etc. at least in urban areas. But that's as likely to happen as potholes disappearing from the roads.

When I'm a pedestrian, I have an illogical hatred of a cyclist tinkling a little bell at me. I know they're there, I don't need to be tinkled at, its more likely to give me a fright and cause me to step into their path than anything else.

There is a path along the river in York that is half pedestrians, half for cyclists. There is a slight clue. A big line is painted to divide the path. Every few metres, on the left is a huge, almost lifesize picture of a BIKE. On the right, every few metres, is a huge, almost lifesize picture of a PEDESTRIAN. Now the cyclists who use the path seem to understand the implications of this. The pedestrians? Don't give a shit. Walk with gay abandon on both sides and get abusive if you try to cycle on the cycle side, if they are walking on it. Yes, some are jet lagged confused tourists straight off the tour coach. Many more, are not.

YANBU. However -

I cycle a lot, and although I think my bell is quite loud, a lot of people clearly don't hear it at all. Also you do get the occasional arse (usually a fat woman - why??? - and NB not always the same one!) who scowls and says something along the lines of "don't you 'ding ding' me".

So what I do on a shared path is go slowly and do a polite "hello, excuse me".

Doesn't seem ideal. A lot of people apologise for being there when that's not what I meant at all, and I end up saying I'm sorry and hadn't meant to disturb them.

I think on a shared or side-by-side path a cyclist should always let people know they are there but still be ready to stop. Kids/ dogs aren't predictable and nor should they have to be - it's nice for them to be on a path where they aren't in danger from cars, I think they should be able to stop/ start, zigzag about etc. It's my job to stop for them, not theirs to keep out of my way.

I have a lot of time for cyclists, I just wish it was mutual.

If I see or hear a cyclist when I'm walking the dog in the woods or on the moors I grab him and pull him to the side. But it would really be nice if they gave a little warning rather than bombing round the corner doing fuck-knows-what-speed and then getting pissed at me because I'm daring to exist on the narrow footpath in the woods with a massive drop on one side and I wasn't fast enough to throw myself off the edge and out of their way.

Similarly, when you decide a day trip is in order with your mountain bikes, and you're up on the moors on a byway big enough for two 4x4's to pass side by side, you don't have to cycle with your front tire wedged up my horses arse. And when I point out to you how dangerous 'tailgating' a horse could be for you, were the horse to spook (because of you), the appropriate response is not 'well you shouldn't fucking be up here if it kicks*'. The correct response is 'sorry, I didn't realise, I'll back off a bit and stop trying to injure us both and then we would all smile and be all 'oh it's fine, it's OK' etc., etc., rather than me wanting to stab you in your ignorant fucking face with my favourite mucking out fork.

*It doesn't, in general, but if it does you'll get the worst of it, and being a flight animal your tire up the arse might just set it off. As for 'I shouldn't be here'... Fuck the fuck off to fuck, I fucking live here, you fucking horrid, arrogant, day-tripping cunt. Go choke on a bycicle tire. Cunt.

Takes very deep breaths

I don't dislike cyclists though, I know what it's like to be a vulnerable road user and have a lot of time for them.

Sorry op but your post just made me snigger like a year 9!

50!! I know sad but coming at you from behind just makes me 14 again.

Excuse the X post I see with other dirty minded mumsnetters.

Doesn't seem ideal. A lot of people apologise for being there when that's not what I meant at all, and I end up saying I'm sorry and hadn't meant to disturb them.

I always say 'sorry' and 'thank you' if I'm 'ding-donged'. I'm not really sorry (although I am grateful you've slowed down etc.,) I think it's just politeness! It's an automatic response for me, and I've forgotten all about it 10 secs later

GreenboOgg er and completely agree with you too.

I'm very happy to be dinged at if I'm walking. I really can't see what the problem is.

Walkers with headphones in who can't hear anything at all however are incredibly irritating, and a danger to themselves and others. DH cycles very sensibly and responsibly to work (providing it's not hot, cold, or wet . . . ) and it drives him mad along the shared rather narrow cycle/pedestrian path when people dawdle along in a world of their own. Two days ago he ended up cycling for quite a while at a funereal pace behind someone who didn't hear a bell or a polite call. I'd have run the bugger over but he's far too nice.

I would only ding if someone's in the way. Otherwise I will watch where they are, slow down, and pass them with some space.

We share our Trans Pennine track with horse riders too and must admit that always stumps me, GreeboOgg as that is one occasion when I daren't ring the bell in case that spooks the horse... but am not sure whether to say "Hello!" or something, either... I used to ride horses myself and am very aware usually from how it looks, whether it is jittery or not biut I'd guess the majority of cyclists aren't (and sometimes it has hard to tell til you draw level). I always give them lots of space, slow down, and try to look at how the horse/rider seem - but I'd love to know whether I'm dong the right thing NOT ringing my bell when I am behind a horse, as I'm not sure..?

I prefer the bells to shouting. I have some cyclists that shout either "left or right" and they want me to move to the opposite side.

I'm dyslexic. You're shouting at me and jarring every thought in my head creating a brain fart.

Allow me to tell you how many times I've moved to the wrong side, almost got hit by a bike, and had someone chew me out for it.