Rules of the Road

Discussion Policy

Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Sticking to the right whenever possible, making it clear when you're passing on the left and casting a few looks over your shoulder go a long way to ensuring a peaceful run or ride. Here are a few other tips based on the risky behavior I saw on the Capital Crescent Trail.

· Turn down your tunes. Or, better yet, take them off. Walkers and runners have a habit of wearing iPods, and now cyclists are doing it a lot, too. Riding with headphones is illegal in Virginia, and even though it's permitted on the Capital Crescent Trail, it won't make you any friends. Just as for pedestrians, it's a dangerous practice because you can't hear what's going on around you.

· Double means trouble. There's nothing wrong with two people walking down the trail side by side. But when the one on the left is pushing a stroller or is a child, it's trickier for him or her to slide over to the right into single file. Keep the more vulnerable or less mobile person toward the outside of the trail.

· Change is good. If you think you can pick a pace and stick with it for an entire outing on a popular path, ha! Setting out at a steady clip is great, but sometimes conditions will warrant that you slow down (no matter your means of transportation).