Ring Your Bell

Urban bike paths aren't road bike racetracks. They are places where both cyclists and pedestrians can feel comfortable and where the pace is slow enough for conversation. Still, more times than I can count, a sport cyclist has zipped past me with no warning. I have seen them dash around pedestrians as if they were the yellow cones in an obstacle course. After a flash of Lycra, they disappear down the path.

I guess that mounting a bell on their bikes would increase wind resistance, but surely they can say, "On your left"?

Ringing a bike bell is an easy and pleasant way to let others on the bike path know where you are. It can be hard to judge what a pedestrian or cyclist in front of you is going to do - give a ding before passing.

There are enough haters on the road. Let's use good etiquette to keep Madison's bike paths a welcoming space, as well as go at speeds that allow for conversation and interaction with our community.