I hit a runner while on my bike today (Page 2)

If 17mph is slow for going uphill, perhaps you need to be on a real road an not a multi-use path

Not meant to be a snide comment or anything, just in my experience they are really bad for real training.  I guess they are all different and it's dependent on the roads around you, but I will never bike on a multi-use trail for training (though I enjoy them recreationally). 

No, as a cyclist the safe and smart thing would be to NOT use multi-use paths for anything more than recreational riding.   

My use of "buzz by them" was obviously not a hit in this thread, and I guess I didn't use the right words.  I'm not out trying to "buzz" anyone, I always slow down and try to assess each pass separately and do it as safely as possible.  Some might say the rule is I need to give a verbal alert each and every time, but I'm sorry, in practice that's not always the safest thing to do.  I think the OP explained pretty clearly why...you can startle people and you never know what they're going to do.

Sorry to pile on, but if you admit to being at fault, why "explain" the "rules" to the guy.  You broke them, and it doesn't matter what time of day it was, or who the "regulars" are.

Wow, Im glad it didnt turn out worse. I have never been a fan of the multiuse path because of the wandering walkers with dogs and people generally not paying attention. Stories like this just serve to reinforce this belief that I have.

Now the embarrassing part - Last night I was down on the multiuse path waiting to cross the road. The light wasnt changing so I turned and walked across the path to hit the cross walk button. When I did this I didnt look and a bike was coming towards me, He yelled "watchout" I turned and froze hoping he would go around me but instead he came straight at me. I was able to grab his handlebars so he didnt fall over and we were both perfectly fine. I apologized and so did he and we both carried on. I knew better but a momentary lapse in judgement and not paying attention could have caused a serious accident.I was the "spaced out" inconsiderate walker.

Please pretty Please dont train on multiuse paths.

It's easy to speak in generalities when you don't know the specifics. I would rather be on the street than on that path. There is a 4-mile stretch to get out of the city where there is no other choice. It's one of the reasons the path was built. On the weekends they shut down one of the roads to accommodate the additional bikers/runners and the regattas.

If you want to see dangerous, you ought to try running there on a regatta weekend and dodging paddles and boats!

Completely agree with that.  Also, completely agree with the guy who says the safe practice is to just not ride on these paths.  I'm just addressing the reality that sometimes we find ourselves on these paths.  A lone walker or jogger going no faster than anyone else on the path should stay as far to the right as possible, and all cyclists should ride and pass at a safe speed.

I don't know, I think that's fair.  Before I started cycling (last year) I had never heard the term "on your left" and would've had no idea what that meant.  Maybe the kid thought he was supposed to go to the left, who knows?  That doesn't shift the blame and having the OP do it could go well or it could go badly depending on the person he'd hit but it's not unreasonable for two people who've just collided to discuss rules of the road.

I've also become a much more aware runner since I started biking.  And when on my bike I always assume runners/walkers can't hear me, don't know the rules and are packing heat.  It makes following the rules really easy to do.  

Because someone else might just knock him over and keep going. I may have been wrong but I didn't want to see him get seriously hurt. I shared this here so I could learn something. I really am not the inconsiderate jerk some of you are trying to make me out to be!

That's my point. I have been a recreational runner for years but never really heard the term before I hopped in the saddle.

Thanks Scout, I've been plowed over by bikes and runners in Philly too, and my GF had her shoulder dislocated during a marathon by a very large runner who just stopped and stretched in front of her. Common sense is not to be taken for granted. I had a shortage of it today. And I didn't know he was a teenager until afterwards, not that age really matters. I learned my lesson, was trying to pass some lessons on to the person I hit. What really amazed me is that people on the path who saw it go down just walked around us.

Question for you guys, do you have speed limits on your paths?  The one I run on most often has a posted cycling speed limit of 20km/hr which is about 12.5mph.  Does this apply where you live?  

Now that I've converted, 18mph is really damn fast on a multi-use path.  Mind you, mine is only about 4-5' wide.

While I am one that agrees this was your fault, I don't disagree with trying to educate someone, especially a teenager, about path etiquette (which is what this is, not rules).  

As a ski racing coach of young children I am tasked with teaching them the skier responsibility code which states that the downhill skier always has the right of way.  However, they are also responsible not to stop in blind spots and not to start downhill without looking up to check for oncoming skiers first.  Let me tell you, getting 5 & 6 year olds to remember this is a challenge!  One time this year I was skiing with a large group.  I'm a pretty darn good skier, I've been doing it for 30+ years and can pretty much ski anything on the mountain.  Well on this day apparently I got distracted and started downhill without the uphill check.  An oncoming skier in the group said something as she went by and she was exactly right.  I apologized profusely but it could have been a dangerous situation. 

My point being, yes in the end there is going to be a responsible party in a crash.  We can all do things to help avoid them, even the person not responsible and it doesn't hurt to know those things. 

Central Park in NYC has a 25 mph limit and the cops have started ticketing cyclists for speeding this year.