Biking on the Bike Path

redrunner

posted: 11/4/2007 at 5:09 PM

Literally within minutes after I found myself thinking "Its probably not safe to bike on the bike path on weekends" I get run off the path by someone who decided a full path wide uturn was in order. I ended up in the sand, but fell back onto the path. Fortunately, the sand stopped me cold, so I wasn't moving when I fell. I also wasn't able to get out of my pedals, so just ended up on my hip. Ugh, very very frustrating. It really is unsafe to bike on the bike path-kids, pets with leashes crossing the whole path, kites (I got caught in a kite string while skating, once). I guess I'll stick with traffic.

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Palm Springs (California) Half Marathon, February 10

brerfootbill

posted: 11/4/2007 at 6:07 PM

Sorry you had a bad experience, but you are right - the bike path seems to be where everyone "plays" on weekends. My latest bike path experience involved approaching someone from behind who was riding slowly from side to side over the entire path while talking on a cell phone. When I got close enough, I yelled out "On your left" and passed, after which he yelled some profanities at me and then continued doing the same thing! So much for etiquette! Usually I will ride during "non-peak" hours, or with a small group which seems to help.

"I can do 440 in 220" Half Fanatic #846 "Ninety percent of running is half mental"

seeEricaRun

Awesome

posted: 11/5/2007 at 7:47 AM

I had a similar issue in New York on the Hudson River Park and in Central Park. The only solution was to be out and back in before about 8:30 AM, otherwise it was too crowded with people to do anything except meander.

Bonkin

posted: 11/5/2007 at 8:18 AM

At my HM this weekend, there were several bikers and runners trying move in the opposite direction of the race - in the same lane as the runners in the race - even though there was a lane open for them. I thought it was even stranger that some of them were pissed off at the runners in the race for not getting out of their way. I heard one runner remark, "maybe they're from the UK or something". I didn't think so - no detectable accent in their tirades. I told them, "No, Darwin just hasn't gotten to them yet."

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diddidit

Team HTFU NCTR Driver

posted: 11/6/2007 at 10:08 PM

Bike paths (or, as I prefer to call them, "sidewalks") are generally pretty wretched for any kind of bike training. Suddenly every driveway is a cross street, and intersections where you'd have the right of way if you stayed on the street are now blocked by some yutz on a cell phone in a Tahoe. And that says nothing about the danger of going 20 mph on the same 8 foot wide strip of asphault (with lots of blind corners) in the company of skipping preschoolers, weaving AARP squirrel watchers, first-time rollerbladers, and some guy on a riding mower taking a shortcut to where he dumps his clippings. A bike is traffic. Best to take your place on the road. did

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MandyS

posted: 11/7/2007 at 3:21 AM

Quote from diddidit on 11/6/2007 at 10:08 PM:

A bike is traffic. Best to take your place on the road.

Absolutely. Could not agree more (both as a cyclist and a runner/pedestrian)

Biking on the Bike Path (Read 1035 times)