Most bikers on the Nashua River Rail Trail are courteous and friendly.  They let you know when they are coming and they give you plenty of time to move out of the way.  Lately, however, there has been a new breed on the trail that act is if everyone has to yield to them.  Yup… no one yields to bikers on the trail.

To these bikers I say SLOW DOWN!  It is the law that you YIELD to EVERYONE… rollerbladders, baby carriages, walkers and horses.  If you are in a group of bikers and you are the first one please annouce “on your left” as you pass and add… THERE ARE THREE if there are three of you.  When I’m on rollerblades my job is to watch ahead of me to avoid the many frost heaves, rocks, sticks, small animals and other patrons of the trail.  I often cannot hear the biker until he/she is on top of me.  By then I hear a bell or a shout and I just about jump out of my skin or trip on a rock and nearly fall.

So come on bikers, share the trail.  If you want to go really, really, really fast, try the roads where there are other vehicles going at your own speed, that is speeds that exceed 20 mph.  Travel at the speed of SAFE.  BIKERS YIELD TO EVERYONE, for your own safety and for the safety of everyone else.

Bikers are at the bottom of the triangle because you are going so fast we cannot possibly get out of your way.  Don’t just plow through a pack of walkers and rollerbladers, bobbing and weaving because you can because one of these times I’m not going to hear you and we are both going to end up in the hospital.  I’m old and just out there to get a little exercise.  I have to work in the morning.  If you are that competitive that you have to put my life and limb at risk, as well as your own, quit your day job and head for France. We’ll all be much happier.