Each and every time I give out a loud ‘on your left!’ about 2-3 meters back when approaching for a pass so I don’t pull a Zabriskie crash if they fade. Courteous and safe and EXPECTED when it happens to me. I did my crunch work for 35 miles this last weekend and did an easy spin for another hour and was passed by 11 riders in that hour. Only a single guy gave me a shout out to let me know he was there, albiet when he was on my shoulder.
A two foot fade or sway would have made hamburger of both of us on the 10 other occassions. 10 roadies and one Tribike. One guy scared the hell out of me as he passed so quickly. WTF? Do I need to install my grandmother’s helmet mirrors to protect myself from you idiots? Who doesn’t call out and why not? Really pissed me off. Is it going to take a tangled wreck before you speak up?
Grrr…
Then again, do you know any catchy one liners I can throw out as they pass unannounced? I’m considering the broomstick in the spokes, but something more subtle might work better initially.
I just say hello or good morning when I get close enough for people to hear me. That’s so no one is so startled that they steer right into me. That still hasn’t prevented some folks from steering right into me a few seconds after I said hello and pulled next to them but it can’t hurt.
Hell, I dont say a damn thing…sneak up like a submarine and pass close as I can to them…I like to do that to walkers too…wake them up a bit. Get over it man.
this is just my opinion and nothing else, but the only time that I call out “on your left” is when there is a reason to, like when the rider being passed is all over the place and not holding their line, or they are blocking in the bike lane (we have bike lanes on most streets). Other then that, it is assumed that the rider being passed is going to hold their line and as someone else said, if you yell out something from behind, there is a chance that you might startle them and be worse off for it. When I have other cyclists pass me on the road I don’t expect them to say anything to let me know they are passing, and if they do, then it makes me think I am doing something wrong, or they are being a smartass, not to be confused with SAC.
I usually flick my brake levers a few times to pass, and if there is a double-file pair on the path (which I rarely use), then I will bellow (in my best Barry White voice) “To your leeeeeeeeeeeeeeft!!!” from about ten meters back.
bunnyman does it better, as it sounds just like Barry White.
At the half-Vineman, in '98, as we were climbing up one of the hills on the back side of the bike course, I was getting ready to pass a lady who started in one of the early waves, and yelled out “on your left!”. She screamed, yanked her line as far over to the right as she could go, and promptly rode off of the road and into the tall grass.
I always try to remember that there are all kinds of riders out there, with differing abilities and skills. Just because they’ve got the latest zoomie, high-speed, low-drag go-fast machine doesn’t mean they have the commensurate bike skills to go with it.
7 out of 10 times – if I say “on your left” - they turn and look – and when they turn and look – they swerve. I find it much safer to just pass without saying a word.
At the half-Vineman, in '98, as we were climbing up one of the hills on the back side of the bike course, I was getting ready to pass a lady who started in one of the early waves, and yelled out “on your left!”. She screamed, yanked her line as far over to the right as she could go, and promptly rode off of the road and into the tall grass.
I always try to remember that there are all kinds of riders out there, with differing abilities and skills. Just because they’ve got the latest zoomie, high-speed, low-drag go-fast machine doesn’t mean they have the commensurate bike skills to go with it.
T.
Were you able to keep climbing or did you wipe out from laughter?
It is even better when they get confused and move left. I only say it if I am on a bike path and it is crowded or people are (as is often the case) riding all over. I agree it is usually safer and easier to just stay wide and pass them quickly. It seems like “on your left” is more hassle than it is worth unless you need to get them to move over.
the down side of saying “on your left” loudly is scaring the crap of the rider in front of you. last weekend i was coming up on a guy about to pass on a long steady climb and shouted “on your left”… his mind must have been off in neverland cause he did a quick “ughh” shout, veered to the left and almost took us both out.
