Cycling bitch-fest

Dear Pedestrains:

If you are walking on the right-hand side of a walking/cycling shared path, chances are that every so often a cyclist will be coming straight toward you (we drive on the left-hand side of the road in this country). If that cyclist is going at 30km/hr (may not have enough time to actually stop) and rings their bell at you rather than going around you, chances are that it's because said cyclist has calculated that doing so would mean crashing into the other cyclist coming toward them, and cycling on the side of the road which you should be on.

So please, walk on the correct side of the path and move when the on-coming vehicle sounds its bell at you, rather than staring ahead like a stund mullet and nearly causing what could be a fairly serious crash.

Having your iPod on so loud that you can't hear my bell or my shout is also something you really ought to avoid.

Dear Fellow Cyclists:

If you are going to overtake me, please warn me of your presence before you come around me. If I am zoned out and there is an unexpected voice in my ear, I startle. This can cause me to crash. Ring your bell or shout that you're coming before you are riding right next to me.

Furthermore,  I would appreciate it if you took care around sharp curves. If I've slowed down but you haven't and we can't see each other until we're practically on top of one another, then crashing is going to be serious. Just because you're on a road bike and wearing spandex doesn't mean you don't have to also be careful.

Dear Car Drivers:

If you find yourself in a situation where, were I driving a car, you would give way to me, then you still have to give way even if I'm on a bike.

A recent article in Ride On magazine from Bikes Victoria showed statistics that the majority of bicycle collisions were with motor vehicles, and the top 3 causes were becaues the other vehicle failed to give way to a cyclist.

So, please obey the road rules regradless of whether I'm driving a car, riding a bike, or straddled on a low-flying pterodactyl. If I'm using the road, we both obey the same rules.

Kind Regards,

Quincy