bennett.jack@yahoo.com
Thanks, OBRAland, for all the thoughtful responses. There's clearly a variety of opinions and practices out there, so I thought it might be useful to provide a summary of the feedback I got, with some brief comments.
- On wide clearance, saying "On your left" (OYL) is not necessary. -- Agree. My personal boundary is an arm's length or a bike width. If someone passes me within that distance, I think a warning is called for.
- OYL is not necessary while climbing. -- Generally agree. Depends on the speed differential. If I'm doing 8 and you're doing 10, then no problem. But if you're doing a studly 16 to my 8, then please give a warning or adequate clearance.
- If the overtaken rider is wearing a mirror, OYL is not necessary. -- Um, maybe. But people aren't looking in their mirrors all the time, especially handlebar-mounted mirrors.
- Sometimes people move Left or wobble on hearing OYL. (This was the most common response.) -- After umpteen Cycle Oregons, I have not seen this problem, but it could just be that folks on CO are conditioned to hearing OYL while other riders (e.g. commuters) are not, so YMMV. I also think this is more likely an issue if you simply say "left" rather than OYL (or "left side").
- It gets tiring saying OYL repeatedly. (Also a common response) -- Yes, it does. I don't think that relieves us of responsibility to give warning or clearance when overtaking. Also, if you're passing a small bunch of riders, one OYL is often sufficient.
- It's assumed that people on such rides expect to be passed. -- Yes, they do. But not with minimal clearance at significant speed differentials.
- It's assumed that people on such rides can hold a line. -- Yes, they pretty much can. But you don't know what's in their line that could cause them to swerve. That's why overlapping wheels in a paceline is such a bad idea.
- Bells are dorky. -- Maybe, but they work. People seem to intuitively know what a bell means, at least on CO. And bells avoid the problem of saying OYL all the time. I use an Oi bell on CO, just flick it 2-3 times when I'm overtaking and it's all good. And I like to think that the Oi bell is at least less dorky, but I know most of you can't imagine sullying your beautiful machine with any kind of bell. Not to mention the added weight!
Again, thanks for the responses. Let's be careful out there!
Jack
................................. Jack Bennett bennett.jack@yahoo.com .................................
On Sunday, September 23, 2018, 3:32:20 PM PDT, bennett.jack@yahoo.com via OBRA wrote:
Hello OBRAland,
I have a question about cycling behavior that perhaps someone out there can answer. I've done Cycle Oregon a number of times, and there's a persistent phenomenon that puzzles me: the failure of stronger riders to give warning when they blow by within close range of slower riders. This happens All. The. Time. I'm a steady rider with experience in pacelines and pelotons, yet I'm still startled when someone speeds by me a few MPH faster, elbow-to-elbow and with no warning. I can only imagine how disconcerting this is to someone who's less confident on their bike in a group. And it seems to me that it's just inviting disaster if the slower rider doesn't strictly hold their line. Also, aside from safety issues, it just seems like good cycling manners.
So my question is this: Why do some folks find it hard to simply say "On your left" or "Left side" when overtaking at close range? I don't understand what's difficult about it. Is there some real justification for neglecting this warning? Or is it uncool, too much trouble, annoying to say repeatedly, or what? I'm sure there are some in OBRAland who do Cycle Oregon, so I'm hoping someone can enlighten me on this.
Thanks.
Jack
................................. Jack Bennett bennett.jack@yahoo.com .................................
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