Cycling on the pavement

[John the Monkey]

It is one of the many reasons why these paths are bollocks.

I used one local to me[1] recently - the surface, in the damp is like a bloody ice rink - made a gentle turn to cross the road (at about 10mph) and the back wheel went whizzing from under me immediately. The only good thing I can say about it is that there's never people on it, so at least it's not stressful from that point of view.


[1] On the way to the David Lloyd Centre at Cheadle Royal, opposite the zebra crossing. It's lethal in the wet, if anyone reading should pass that way watch out. (It does make it far easier to cross the road than up by the extremely busy roundabout though)

 

[dondare]

Phew, thanks for the advice. I was going to put on a blindfold and launch myself between 2 lorries.

I have seen a good number of cyclists ride from pavement to road, I have never yet seen one who checked first. It's certainly one of the most common causes of bicycle accidents.

 

[PaulSB]

Blimey, there are some po-faced people on here!!!

Just occasionally most cyclists go onto the pavement for what seems to be a valid reason.

Do you really think this is true?

I realise on this thread I'm something of a disenting voice and as a very infrequent poster this may look as though I am attempting to play devil's advocate or worse. Correct road use by cyclists is very close to my heart and I feel it's important we all behave properly.

When I'm out I never see people I would consider serious cyclists using the pavement. So where are all the riders who do this? Granted I see a lot of folk who appear to be simply riding a bike doing so with no consideration for others and going wherever they wish. Surely none of us would count ourselves in this group?

 

[Arch]

Phew, thanks for the advice. I was going to put on a blindfold and launch myself between 2 lorries.

You either live in a very careful town, or you haven't watched many pavement cyclists... I wouldn't be at all surprised to see this! I swear a lot of 'people on bikes' have some sort of Holy Protection, because if I did the stuff they get away with, I'd be flattened. Or flatten someone else.

 

[rich p]

I rarely if ever go on pavements myself , in truth, I just thought it was getting a bit sanctimonious. TBH, I don't see much evidence in Brighton, of the truly awful cycling behaviour that gets a lot of airplay on this forum. Obviously there's a bit of RLJ'ing but mainly on pedestrian lights, the odd bit of wrong way down a quiet one-way street but cyclists in these parts are largely reasonably well behaved. I guess us Southern softies are all law-abiding toffs in general.
I do cycle in London with my daughter sometimes and I find that a bit of an eye-opener (and sphincter opener too)

 

[giant man]

It's illegal for a reason, and I condemn anyone who does ride on the pavement. What's wrong with the road for god's sake?

 

[John the Monkey]

I rarely if ever go on pavements myself , in truth, I just thought it was getting a bit sanctimonious. TBH, I don't see much evidence in Brighton, of the truly awful cycling behaviour that gets a lot of airplay on this forum.

Just from last night's commute, I saw three people in the city centre with no lights whatsoever or reflectives. I saw at least two cycling on a non shared use pavement. Of five of us approaching a red (in a mixed/bus cycle lane) I was the only one who stopped (an utterly pointless jump, as the light 20yds ahead was red and on a junction far too busy to jump - no vehicles behind us at the time and no chance of any waiting to the side of us - also the sequence is such that the bus lane one changes and then as I arrive at the junction that one changes). Of the people using the new shared use pavement near Owens' Park, both that I noticed while (I was) in traffic showed very little concern for pedestrians (cycling inches away from them until the peds were intimidated into moving over).

Maybe it's cities? Especially around the time of year the students start, I see some truly appalling cycling in Manchester.

 

[inaperfectworld]

i sometimes feel that it is justifiable where junction and road layout makes no allowance/it extrememly difficult to use the road. i think it is only "unsafe cycling " on pavements that the police are supposed to question, but this is very vague some police nmight take it into account others not. however pavement cycling does nothing for public perceptions of cycling and i do get off and push where the junction is awkward or unsafe.

 

[blue trice]

cycling on pavement

from blue trice,
still do it, just remember slow down if u see anyone walking,
don`t go mad,
plus when your`re cycling how often do you see motorists using a mobile
and driving,
if u report them, the police will tell you--
they have to be seen by a police officer-----
So-----be careful

blue trice

 

[Odyssey]

I know this is an old topic, but I just can't help myself.

When I'm out I never see people I would consider serious cyclists using the pavement.

You mean they don't wear team kit and wax their legs? Half of these so called serious cyclists on their 2k bikes have been cycling for no more than 3 months, and once summer's up they'll stop again.

The safety advandages of riding on the pavement are entirely negated and then some by the dangers of riding off the pavement when you need to rejoin the road, or cross the road in order to continue riding on the footpath.
If you ride any distance on the footpath you will have to cross a lot of roads. It's how pedestrians get killed, about 760 of them each year, (more than five times the number of cyclists), and cyclists who use the footpath risk the same fate.

So, there's 5 times more pedestrians killed crossing roads than there are cyclists killed. For the chances of being being killed as a pedestrian crossing the road to be directly proportionate to that of a cyclist riding on the road, there would have to be 5 times more pedestrians than cyclists.

What do you think that actually figure is. 500? 5,000? It isn't 5. Your evidence suggests that riding on the road is far more dangerous than crossing it. Besides, most of those that get killed crossing roads do so because they walk around with their eyes shut. Stop, look and listen, it'll be cool.

I ride on the pavement all the time. Since I live in the arse end of nowhere, I can do this for miles between villages and not pass anyone. And if I do pass anyone (which is rare) I'll generally slow down and move over onto the grass, giving them the entire pavement (would that be inconsiderate??) or onto the road.

I ride on the pavement because I prefer the freedom, and it's nice to relax without 7 tonne lorries passing you at almost 70mph leaving only inches of room. I also ride on the roads depending on where I am and how fast I want to get to my destination, but the paths that I tend to ride on are far less populated by walkers and pedestrians than the Sustrans cycle paths I ride on. Is there really a problem with this?

 

[mr_cellophane]

Rush Green Road is covered by 2 LAs. For the part in Havering the CP is a narrow shared pavement. It is badly maintained, very bumpy and impossible to do more than 10mph comfortably. The part in Dagenham, has smaller paving slabs and is a much smoother ride.
The road for "recreational" cyclst is a bit of a no go area as parked cars restrict the road to one lane in each direction.
The CP also crosses lots of side turnings and access routes to the rear of the houses.

 

[Lisa1979]

My bright green tabard keeps me seen, i think this is the 1st most important thing to remember!

 

[JtB]

I'm only just taking to cycling again after a VERY long break. During my time away from the saddle I never saw anything wrong with cyclists using a pavements, especially as my sister got run over by a lorry 15 years ago while riding along the A6.

 

[4F]

Don't ride on the pavement and when my kids cycle (10, 8 and the 4 year old on the tag along) to school they use the road. How are they to get any road sense cycling on the pavement ?

 

[4F]

By you teaching them. I doubt you'd let your 4-year old out on a busy main road riding solo. But there are other roads where you would.

I don't believe stabilisers would really be the done thing on the main road. My eldest 2 have been riding on the main road since they were 5 however I will concede that we live in a rural location so they only main thing they have to get used to is mums in 4x4's doing the school run