Cycle users on pavements.

[Milkfloat]

Sadly not, there are faded give way markings on the pavement. Pinch point in your second photo is a pedestrian refuge for those wanting to cross over. They could perhaps have sacrificed a little more pavement to alleviate things ?

Indeed, they would have been better not extending the pavement, getting rid of the refuge and getting pedestrians to use the Toucan crossing 100m further up the road. Even better, make the speed limit 20mph and peds can cross wherever they like.

 

[Arjimlad]

@Arjimlad we've a few like that round here too our powers that be solution to side roads is cyclist re join road signs then multiple cyclist re join signs. By the time you've got on , off , on ,off may as well use the road. They also make use of signs so small you never see them so no-one ever users them in the 1st place. We even have some signed as routes that take you miles out the way so they get given a miss too. But still they can go around telling everyone they are doing something. Bless them

I was following an unfamiliar route in Hampshire in September and my poor Wahoo kept sending me up and down, from side to side of the road as Cyclestreets had plotted the route on the shared-use pavement. It was utter cack. Yet the road was quite narrow and drivers clearly expected me to bimble along, waiting at every side road, and crossing over to the opposite side of the road when the SUP ran out. I was mighty glad to get off those roads.

 

[Kempstonian]

Yesterday I took my car in for repair at 8am. As it was freezing cold and a bit icy, I decided that a two mile walk home might do me more good. My route took me past a local school and several kids were making their way in on bikes.
Now at that time of the morning the roads are busy with people going to work, so I don't really blame the kids for using the (reasonably wide) pavements around here... but a couple of times bike riders flew past me and I never heard them coming.
It would have been so much better if they had a bell fitted, so they could just give a little warning that they were approaching, but bells on kids' bikes seem to be a thing of the past these days. On a narrower pavement an accident could easily have occurred.

 

[MontyVeda]

Yesterday I took my car in for repair at 8am. As it was freezing cold and a bit icy, I decided that a two mile walk home might do me more good. My route took me past a local school and several kids were making their way in on bikes.
Now at that time of the morning the roads are busy with people going to work, so I don't really blame the kids for using the (reasonably wide) pavements around here... but a couple of times bike riders flew past me and I never heard them coming.
It would have been so much better if they had a bell fitted, so they could just give a little warning that they were approaching, but bells on kids' bikes seem to be a thing of the past these days. On a narrower pavement an accident could easily have occurred.

You're aware that cyclists were using the path and you're aware that bicycles are mostly silent. I don't get why they have to make you aware when you're clearly already aware of them.

 

[Kempstonian]

You're aware that cyclists were using the path and you're aware that bicycles are mostly silent. I don't get why they have to make you aware when you're clearly already aware of them.

I wasn't aware until one came whizzing past me! Then I spent half my time looking over my shoulder in case another one came along. The reason they should make pedestrians aware is that they are on a pedestrian footpath and some pedestrians, if preoccupied, might accidentally step into their way. That wouldn't be good for either party. Also a quick ping on a bike bell would be the considerate thing to do and it takes very little effort (and stops cyclists getting a bad name maybe).

 

[theclaud]

Cycling on the pavement is both reckless and obligatory at the same time, like some kind of entangled quantum superposition.

If you don't mind I'm probably going to use that, word for word, next time I get into a discussion on the matter. It's a bit more sophisticated than my last contribution on that score, which consisted of the words 'Fark off yourself' or similar.

 

[mjr]

I was just coming out of my front garden when a cyclist nearly hit me as he was on the pavement, luckily neither of us were injured but I did get to ask him about his dahon tho

You should look before leaving your front garden. A pavement cyclist might hurt but the growing number of pavement motorists could easily kill

Edit: no, you shouldn't need to. So you should flame your councillors and MPs until they sort the farking road out so that everyone's OK with cycling along it. Removing the most daffodil motorists would be a start.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

If you don't mind I'm probably going to use that, word for word, next time I get into a discussion on the matter. It's a bit more sophisticated than my last contribution on that score, which consisted of the words 'Fark off yourself' or similar.

Go for it.

 

[MontyVeda]

I wasn't aware until one came whizzing past me! Then I spent half my time looking over my shoulder in case another one came along. The reason they should make pedestrians aware is that they are on a pedestrian footpath and some pedestrians, if preoccupied, might accidentally step into their way. That wouldn't be good for either party. Also a quick ping on a bike bell would be the considerate thing to do and it takes very little effort (and stops cyclists getting a bad name maybe).

Your initial description suggests you were aware of the cyclist on the pavement, then one whizzed past you.

 

[Kempstonian]

Your initial description suggests you were aware of the cyclist on the pavement, then one whizzed past you.

No, I was aware of kids riding bikes to school but not all of them were on the pavements and not all were on my side of the road. The first one who passed me was just before a T junction and I could see other bikes on the road we were approaching. All this happened quite close to the school.

 

[HLaB]

Indeed, they would have been better not extending the pavement, getting rid of the refuge and getting pedestrians to use the Toucan crossing 100m further up the road. Even better, make the speed limit 20mph and peds can cross wherever they like.

I wouldn't be so sure. A narrower footway = wider carriageway = faster cars and a wider and forcing folk to use a crossing which might not be on their desire line isnt desirable or safe. Folk don't naturally want to go 100m out of their way then a 100m back to get where they were wanting to in the first place they end up dashing across a potentially wider and faster road. More timid potential cyclists are more likely to be encouraged by off road infrastructure too and the footway needs to be wider to accommodate that. Personally I prefer to be on a road with plenty of room (a wider carriageway without pinch points) but that's selfish of me You're last suggestion (20mph and letting folk cross where they want) is spot on though

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Or indeed for such a narrow road make it one way for vehicles and claim the other lanes for bikes and pedestrians.

 

[lazybloke]

Your initial description suggests you were aware of the cyclist on the pavement, then one whizzed past you.

Next time I watch a horror film, how stupid I will be if it makes me jump...?

 

[CXRAndy]

Ive no issues with using a bike on a path with pedestrians as well. BUT, now the rider has to take extra care to not bump into anyone and ride at a much reduced speed to protect the pedestrian. Dont force yourself by wait for gaps.

Much the same respect a cyclist expects from vehicle users on the road

 

[MontyVeda]

Next time I watch a horror film, how stupid I will be if it makes me jump...?

then you can start a thread calling out the inconsiderate director for making you jump... I'll look forward to that