dozey pedestrians

[Oldjohnw]

In similar situations I ring my bell and call "Good morning - I'm on your left." Then "Thank you". It costs surprisingly little.

[Lance Dopestrong]

But I'm a polite chap, and I get people moaning if I use my bell, and moaning if I politely announce myself. You can't win, so I issue whatever warning I feel is appropriate and ignore any reaction.

[tykeboy2003]

He again said "where's your bell" so I pointed out that pedestrians don't hear the bell on my other bike, and I'm often verbally abused if I use it anyway.

If I get any reaction at all, it's almost always a friendly smile (Route 63 South Derbyshire/Leicestershire) sometimes I get comments such as "Nice to hear a bell". I don't think I've ever been abused for my bell.

[Oldjohnw]

He again said "where's your bell" so I pointed out that pedestrians don't hear the bell on my other bike, and I'm often verbally abused if I use it anyway.

If I get any reaction at all, it's almost always a friendly smile (Route 63 South Derbyshire/Leicestershire) sometimes I get comments such as "Nice to hear a bell". I don't think I've ever been abused for my bell.

On the Hadrian's Cycle Path last, which shares xtensively with pedestrians, I received several "Nice to hear a bell". People were almost unfailingly polite. The worst culprits, as I have written elsewhere, were the (mainly) young women on phones, some even pushing prams, completely oblivious to their surroundings.

I always call "thank you" before people can get in "bloody cyclists/bells" etc.

[Cyril Haearn]

Best to ring quietly, then louder if necessary, one does not know if the person is listening to music or hard of hearing or just very relaxed
Plus One for the opinions here, other cyclists seem to respect PoFs

[mjr]

Advice noted, I wonder if it is a 'Norfolk thing' as if I ride along the front at Wells-Next-The-Sea (even at 10mph) the pedestrians are trying to throw themselves under my wheels (despite my bell ringing or singing). Last time I was there I was about to overtake a (probably 20 something) cyclist, and as I approached (only about 10mph) she was doing about 5mph, I said 'coming past' but she promptly turned right. When I am on my bike or walking in the road I look before I change direction, maybe this is unusual?

So so. Basically, if you're overtaking, you can see them better than they see you anyway.

Where do you mean by the front at Wells? If you mean the top of the bank, I don't think cycling is allowed up there, although no-one will care at quieter times and the little road next to it is rough and lumpy.

Not a Norfolk thing. It's been years since I had an incident with a walker here... But I use a classic rotary bell on most bikes.

[Cugel]

I think the thing to remember is that pedestrians have every right to be as dozey as they like,and we as cyclists are the ones with the speed and inertia in our charge.
Which means that until we are aware that they are aware of us,and as sure as we can be that it's safe to pass them.
Therefore we should kill the speed and make them aware of our presence before we pass them we shouldn't.
I find with that approach,99% of the people I meet makes for pleasant encounters,of course I get the odd one who's determined to be grumpy but that's people

Ditto. But...

When I walked on the canal towpath a lot there were inconsiderate stealth cyclists far too often. Most cyclists were very considerate but there's a class of fellow, often on a full-susp MTB, who believes he's a minor god so all should make way or even just not be there. The worst lads are those exiting from under the canal bridge at full-pelt. You can't hear them coming and they can't see you until you're just a yard or three away.

As the OP's post illustrates, it's all too easy for we cyclists to have these creeping feelings of being on an important cycling mission, in the same way that a lot of inconsiderate drivers think they're on some sort of mission that would justify flashing lights and a siren if only they were allowed to have them. I'm ashamed to admit that, in my youth, I could be a bit cyclist-entitled myself about other's duty to keep my road-space clear 'cause, well ... I wanted to go fast!

Cugel

[reohn2]

Quite!
I've experience of the said self important git(s) in question both when walking and when on the bike

[Cugel]

But I'm a polite chap, and I get people moaning if I use my bell, and moaning if I politely announce myself. You can't win, so I issue whatever warning I feel is appropriate and ignore any reaction.

As with the car horm - an instrument to warn of your presence rather than to give a telling-off or even a dire threat - the bell should be rung when 40-50 yards back from the impending human hazard. The style of bell ring is important: no impatient tingtingting! but a single firm ting of "potential friend, well-met". It's these little mannerisms that maketh, er, the cyclist (or something).

Of course, one needs a loud bell and a firm thumb to use it. Perhaps you could organise thumb-strength exercises in your courses?

Cugel

[fastpedaller]

Advice noted, I wonder if it is a 'Norfolk thing' as if I ride along the front at Wells-Next-The-Sea (even at 10mph) the pedestrians are trying to throw themselves under my wheels (despite my bell ringing or singing). Last time I was there I was about to overtake a (probably 20 something) cyclist, and as I approached (only about 10mph) she was doing about 5mph, I said 'coming past' but she promptly turned right. When I am on my bike or walking in the road I look before I change direction, maybe this is unusual?

So so. Basically, if you're overtaking, you can see them better than they see you anyway.

Where do you mean by the front at Wells? If you mean the top of the bank, I don't think cycling is allowed up there, although no-one will care at quieter times and the little road next to it is rough and lumpy.

Not a Norfolk thing. It's been years since I had an incident with a walker here... But I use a classic rotary bell on most bikes.

The road at the Quay, it's been treated as a 'pedestrian area' for years by the holiday-peeps. Once the electric cars arrive it will be carnage

[roberts8]

I agree about a couple of pings before passing but it fails to work when they have music in both ears. Last week was a first. I gave a couple of pings before passing and the guy stepped smartly in front of me pulling out his phone to see the message he thought was coming through. As I had slowed down anyway there was no problem but we did both laugh about it.

[mjr]

I agree about a couple of pings before passing but it fails to work when they have music in both ears. Last week was a first. I gave a couple of pings before passing and the guy stepped smartly in front of me pulling out his phone to see the message he thought was coming through. As I had slowed down anyway there was no problem but we did both laugh about it.

Yes, the latest Huawei phones have a ping as their default message tone. Now that should be illegal!

[The utility cyclist]

On a Sunday ride in Gwynedd I came up behind a group of elderly men blocking the path and walking away from me. By their black suits I supposed they were walking home from chapel. Luckily I remembered two of my very few words of Welsh.

Esgusodwch fi (Excuse me.)

you mean walking down the path right, your language/use of the word "blocking" comes across very negatively, as if they were doing it purposely, it's no different to 'in the middle of the road' is it.

There is no need to react like that, no blame was implied. I only meant that there was no way past, and I had to either ride on at two or three miles an hour, which is the speed I was doing when I spoke, or ask, politely in their probable preferred language, that they let me through.
They were taking up the whole width, what word would you prefer I used to convey this|?

I reacted in no way but simply said that your use of the word 'blocking' in the context of what you said/described comes across negatively, it implies you were blocked by a group of elderly men.
okay, let me put it like this, 'On a Sunday drive I came up behind a group of elderly cyclists blocking the road', can you not see how that has negative connotations?
You could have said, there were some elderly men walking down the path ahead and there was no space to get past so I said excuse me (in Welsh).

Think it's you that has over-reacted, I merely pointed out that the word you used to describe what these people were doing comes across badly.

[Mike Sales]

"No room to get past" is a pretty close paraphrase of "blocking".

[Stradageek]

I've noticed a recent change in the behaviour of the so-called 'pod-estrians' or 'meander-thals'.

I think a number of 'incidents' with cyclists have left their mark.

On my regular shared-user paths they now all walk conspicuously close to one edge of the path - lesson learned?

As for bells, I find them generally well received, especially my wife's latest acquisition, a child's bell that goes ding-dong (think 'Avon calling)

On a more general note my guiding mantra is 'Treat pedestrians the way you would like motorists to treat you'