Do you ever ride on the pavement?

[XmisterIS]

Sacre blue! What a question, I know!

In town and in the city, I don't ride on the pavement - to do it there is tantamount to riding along with a big sign on your forehead saying, "pain the arse". There's far too many pedestrians - it would only take a small toddler to dart out in front of you, even if you're going at walking speed, and suddenly your life will become very unpleasant, not to mention that of the toddler. So, cycling on the pavement in densely-populated areas is rather like being the turd in the simming pool ...

Out on the open road, however, I will often cycle on the footpath - to the West and North of the town where I live there's just big country roads, horse sh1t, trac'rrs and cumboine aavstrs (note the spelling pronunciation!) There's often a footpath alongside the road and outside the villages you see a pedestrian once in a blue moon, usually a pikey walking from one barn to the next. There, I will cycle on the footpath quite happily, it's much safer than the road and the surface quality is usually not too bad either. When it gets really potholey or turns into just an unmettled trackway, I'll get back on the road if I'm on my road bike.

So, do you use out-of-town footpaths and pavements as I do, or do you steadfastly use the road?

 

[chris grace]

In Swansea most cyclepaths are shared so technically I often ride on the pavement.We do have a dividing line along most paths with which side is which but peds and cyclists seem to ignore this mostly.

 

[biggs682]

i do if i feel the bike is not quite right , and depending on what bike i am riding , so yes i do

 

[edindave]

Regularly, but only on a single ~50 metre section of footpath between the exit of a cycle path and the entrance to where I work.

The pavement section is about as wide as the road.

It's either that or join the slippery cobbled road - a bus route, with cars parked either side, and not wide enough for a bus to pass a vehicle in the other direction.

 

[Ibbots]

Every day I commute when setting off home, about 15m on very wide pavement in city centre to avoid either having to go the wrong way down a one way street or the wrong way out of town.

 

[400bhp]

Yes, on occasion when I have the 2 y.o in the child seat and I don't want to cycle on 200yds of the A56 in rush hour.

Most of the other time, no

 

[SportMonkey]

Yes, on occasion when I have the 2 y.o in the child seat and I don't want to cycle on 200yds of the A56 in rush hour.

Most of the other time, no

Eesh, I'd not take a kid anywhere near the A56 in rush hour.

I did my first pavement ride, limited to 20m when an Alfa pulled out on my this week. No one on the pavement, and no way of stopping for the Alfa.

 

[gambatte]

Yes, theres a bit of council owned greenland near the house. Its a much more direct route home to go this way. Its a few 100 yards long. Rights of way are not obvious. One end of it theres access wide enough for motor vehicles, dropped kerb and everything. Theres 2 other possible exits. at the ends of paths, with bollards.

This is my other entry/exit. It means being on the pavement for 20-30 yards to find a dropped kerb.

 

[400bhp]

Eesh, I'd not take a kid anywhere near the A56 in rush hour.

Exactly, the bit from Navigation Rd, crossing over to B&Q if you know it.

Orrible

 

[SportMonkey]

Exactly, the bit from Navigation Rd, crossing over to B&Q if you know it.

Orrible

I know it, that bridge is one of the worst places on my old commute, I'd go over it as fast as possible (I was once quite impressed kicking it over there at 27 from standing at the lights before).

I'm now going through Partington, it's 2+miles longer and takes the same time, still have to do some distance on the A56 though.

 

[summerdays]

I don't tend to cycle along the pavement for any great length (excluding cyclepaths) - I don't see the point mostly - quicker by road, but I do cycle across bits of pavement - such as 3m to get from a dropped kerb to my gate, or outside work where it is cobbled I have been known to cycle along the pavement for 2 meters to get to the gate to the car park.

The one I do most often is next to a grassy area and cuts off 3 sides of a rectangle and 2 sets of traffic lights - and if I meet a pedestrian I use the grass. It is also very well used by other cyclists - the most I ever encountered using it at the same time was 5, given that it is only 30 - 50 m in length - I think that makes it a desired short cut.

 

[400bhp]

I know it, that bridge is one of the worst places on my old commute, I'd go over it as fast as possible (I was once quite impressed kicking it over there at 27 from standing at the lights before).

I'm now going through Partington, it's 2+miles longer and takes the same time, still have to do some distance on the A56 though.

Ah, you were asking for some alternatives routes a few weeks ago.

All the way to the Carrington Spur?

 

[SportMonkey]

Ah, you were asking for some alternatives routes a few weeks ago.

All the way to the Carrington Spur?

Yeah then turn right - I could go left earlier but there are some nasty junctions. I decided the Partington youth risk was worth it for the improved average.

As an aside, I reckon it'd be quicker to take the Carrington Spur and do the motorway slip roads. If I start a thread about it though I can't see it going down too well

 

[gaz]

No.

 

[Jonathan86]

If the pavement is clear and the road is busy, then yes.

I'll also sometimes use the pavement for a short while if:

- I come across junctions where I know for a fact drivers act like complete eejits, or
- Where it clearly offers the quickest route.