So no **** there I was, out for a leisurely ride this morning. Hershey Park in Houston, trails are somewhat muddy because of all the rain so between that and the fact I am just aiming to enjoy the morning, I'm rolling extra slow. I am actively avoiding passing people on curves, passing slow, being generally very cautious. The trail is probably close to 15' wide and I have a long straightaway ahead. There's a dude walk/jogging up ahead. I check my blind spot, look ahead, get way over to the left and pass him riding 12-13 mph. About the time I'm even with him he SCREAMS "ON YOUR LEFT!!!!", clearly pissed off that I didn't announce my presence to him. He yelled it so loudly that I assumed a cyclist must have been flying, caught up to me, and was trying to pass me on my leisurely ride so I jerked over quickly back in front to the wogger to let the presumed cyclist pass. The only way I could have possible come into contact with the wogger would have been for him to transfer from his wog to a world class broad jump instantaneously as I passed him. There was literally 10' of space between us as I passed.

I say all that to ask this; do you "announce" yourself every. single. time. when out riding? I just got back on the bike this past week after a year of not riding, have been running on the same trail a ton over the past year. It wouldn't even cross my mind if a cyclist passed me at a slow speed with 10' between us. My general policy currently is to announce in traffic, if I'm on a narrow trail, more than 2 people abreast, etc. Trying to decide if this guy was just a jackass or if I need to re-evaluate...

TLDR; runner yells at cyclist. Probably mostly venting.

I don't do it every time. It depends on the amount of room I have to pass and if it is a heavily biked area or not. Same thing if I am running and passing another runner or walker (this is wear I usually accidentally scare the crap out of them).

That trail was pretty treacherous in several spots between Dairy Ashford and the Beltway this morning. I wouldn't want to try that on a road bike. I had to stop and walk through the muck a few times.

FWIW, I usually don't care if cyclists announce because I run alone, have good hearing, and, you know, pay attention. The only time it's needed is in the underpasses.

Ride that area fairly often as I ride from Katy through GB park and turn around at the beltway. I have started saying on your left every time I pass once I get inside highway 6. As soon as you get into the energy corridor it's like people lose their minds. I actually have gotten used to saying it multiple times prior to passing due to people not paying attention or flat out ignoring and taking up the whole path. I get not hearing if you have headphones but the families walking and taking up the whole path plus some not moving is annoying and inconsiderate of others. Not a whole lot you can do about it either.

Guy was a jerk but probably good to call it out in that area just to be safe.

If traffic is low and the runner or cyclist is acting predicable, I jist Give them some room like you did. My wife would prefer to loudly use her bell or yell at everybody.

I find find that announcing your prescience can scare people and cause a bigger issue. Now- at least 50% of the time people have headphone and they can't heat jack **** anyways!

It happens to all of us, keep doing what you do and use common sense. When I hit a section of really busy trail near downtown on Buffalo bayou on s pretty day, I just Slow down for a few miles, can get way too crowded to speed through.

I'm a frequent runner on a fairly narrow trail that both runners and cyclists use. Never one time have I gotten my panties in a bunch for a cyclist not announcing his presence. Never really even thought about it to be honest. I'm responsible for my own situational awareness.

Dude sounds like a huge tool who probably just had a bone to pick with cyclists for some reason.

I live between Eldridge and the Beltway and run Hershey in that area. I never yell at any cyclist not announcing themselves because I pay attention. What I will say is I run at a pretty fast clip and, given the size of that trail and how fast a lot of cyclists go barreling down the narrow parts not announcing themselves... I can see how runners and walkers on that trail might develop a bit of a complex to cyclists.

Lot of folks go barreling down that path at what has to be above 15 miles an hour... on a shared path with walkers and runners, I fully believe that's not cool and really discourteous. If you want to go all Tour de France on your bike... cool, go do it on the road and not a HIKE and bike trail.

A. Solzhenitsyn said:

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I'm a frequent runner on a fairly narrow trail that both runners and cyclists use. Never one time have I gotten my panties in a bunch for a cyclist not announcing his presence. Never really even thought about it to be honest. I'm responsible for my own situational awareness.

Dude sounds like a huge tool who probably just had a bone to pick with cyclists for some reason.

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Makes me think you've never been buzzed by a cyclist. If someone gives me 3 or so feet, I don't really care if they announce themselves but I've had a few cyclists who have passed easily within arms reach. I always appreciate the announcements.

Much more frequently a runner than a cyclist, though I rode today. Never bothered me if a cyclist didn't announce, but I stay to the right and look before turning left. Announced a lot today, usually for runners and unpredictable walkers like people with kids or dogs, and those that are side by side. No doubt some hate the cyclists using the trails, but I'll never understand the clueless ones who don't seem to realize there are other people out there.

Like others, I don't announce like I should. My propensity to do so is directly related to how likely the runner/walker is to being unpredictable.

Wide berth? Predictable? In an area frequented by cyclists? Yeah, I'm probably not announcing.

*****s like the one in the OP can suck it.

I do not bike - I only run.

If there is sufficient room, I don't care if bikes call out or not before passing me. When they do, I usually point down briefly with my left hand to indicate I heard them. I figure if they're being polite, I can at least indicate I heard them.

The Pilot said:

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A. Solzhenitsyn said:

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I'm a frequent runner on a fairly narrow trail that both runners and cyclists use. Never one time have I gotten my panties in a bunch for a cyclist not announcing his presence. Never really even thought about it to be honest. I'm responsible for my own situational awareness.

Dude sounds like a huge tool who probably just had a bone to pick with cyclists for some reason.

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Makes me think you've never been buzzed by a cyclist. If someone gives me 3 or so feet, I don't really care if they announce themselves but I've had a few cyclists who have passed easily within arms reach. I always appreciate the announcements.

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I've been buzzed unannounced, and yes, it's a dick move and I would appreciate a call out in that event. I appreciate any runner, walker, rider, etc providing call-outs just because it's a courteous and friendly thing to do. all I'm saying is that I would never get angry if someone DIDNT do it, especially if they were not even remotely close to me.

AggieOO said:

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Do I do it every single time? No. Should I? Probably.

What if you decided to pass, and that was the moment a runner decided it was time to turn around? That could be a bad situation.

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I think this got a runner killed at white rock lake a few years back. Pilot may know better than me.

Hincemm said:

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AggieOO said:

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Do I do it every single time? No. Should I? Probably.

What if you decided to pass, and that was the moment a runner decided it was time to turn around? That could be a bad situation.

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I think this got a runner killed at white rock lake a few years back. Pilot may know better than me.

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I can't recall one happening at WRL but I know Katy Trail had a girl who died about 10 years ago from this.

Katy Trail, and wasn't she wearing headphones?

And you get all out of breath and junk when you run (okay, when I tie my shoes, but you get the point). Your heart has only so many beats in it like your engine only has so many miles. I don't want to waste them on running and stuff.

that's the one i was thinking of...

Definitely made me laugh out loud.

double aught said:

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Was expecting an Endgame thread.

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I thought I was accidentally on the entertainment board

I would rather just have someone pass me than scream at me.

I work from home so run a lot during lunch. I mostly run into retired people or mom's pushing strollers. I struggle each time whether to alert them to my presence or not. Seems like if I yell "On your left" or just run past I end up scaring the sheet out of them as they snap from their day dreams. It's a no win

Hoosegow said:

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And you get all out of breath and junk when you run (okay, when I tie my shoes, but you get the point). Your heart has only so many beats in it like your engine only has so many miles. I don't want to waste them on running and stuff.

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a Marine I used to be stationed with was a total gym rat (shocking, I know) and he used to say "anything more than 5 reps is cardio"

AggieOO said:

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yep. best to stay in the gym where there are no pesky "rules" like re-racking your weights, curling the squat rack, throwing down weights, holding a bench with a towel while you are talking with your dudebros, etc.

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curling the squat rack would be impressive. I don't think anyone would give you a hard time for that.

AggieOO said:

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yep. best to stay in the gym where there are no pesky "rules" like re-racking your weights, curling the squat rack, throwing down weights, holding a bench with a towel while you are talking with your dudebros, etc.

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Ruling: Are barbell rows lumped in with curls in the squat rack?

I say no, but my mind can be changed.

Amendment: announce on days like today so we can hear you over the wind. Please and thank you.

BTW, has anyone else seen the woman at THP who pulls the file cart between Dairy Ashford and Memorial? I have 2 or 3 times. She's constantly cussing up a storm on her cell. Or just to herself. Which seems more likely, actually.

I see her around the Dairy Ashford/Whittington area most mornings. I think she lives in those sketchy apartments by the post office on Whittington. That's one area that I don't mind running in before 6:00am but once the locals start to wake up I avoid it like the plague.

I am hard of hearing so I don't wear headphones unless I'm on a circuit closed to cyclists. I appreciate a call out by cyclists so if they can, yeah it is nice to know they are approaching.

I will say to OP, don't be too bugged about the runner. Could have been any number of things that caused him to sound harsh; I know when I call out outdoors, my voice sounds shrill and angry even when I'm not-usually because I'm trying to breathe!!

With many people here:

- If on a crowded trail, I will announce as much as possible

- If the runner is predictable and/or wearing headphones, I will just slow down and get ready for countermeasures should they do some crazy ****

I've found that unnecessary "on your left's" cause runners to go into fight-or-flight and do stupid **** like walk right into you.

For the love of God, if you are going to do a turnaround on a trail while running, look around first.

Eff that guy.