phantasmagoriana
Guru
- Location
- Glasgow
Only if it's a shared use path. Otherwise, if I want to be on a pavement I just get off and push.
Do you ever ride on the pavement?
- Thread starter XmisterIS
- Start date
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rowan 46
Über Member
- Location
- birmingham
Yes but in my defence I cycle as quickly as possible so as not to cause bottlenecks and judicious use of the forward facing machine guns and side facing flamethrowers make sure I don't collide with any pedestrians.
I ride on the pavements occasionally. I would prefer to be on the road but there are times when it seems silly not to use the pavement.
Sometimes I'll walk with my bike but if the pavement is clear I'll quite often stand on one pedal and scoot, I'm pretty sure this is just as illegal as riding but I haven't hurt anybody yet. The key is to only do it when there's quite a lot of space.
There's a road that's usually quite clear but occasionally gets astonishingly busy. It's quite narrow too and even riding in the gutter, it's not really safe for drivers to pass me. The pavement nearby is entirely clear of people and wide enough for two cyclists to pass each other with room to spare, it seems sensible to use it even though it's not marked as shared use. Pedestrians have priority and if that means I have to slow right down then I do. Nobody seems to mind.
When the marked 2 way cycle path ends abruptly with several signs telling me to dismount. The pavement continues on, there's nobody on it. The road is full of fast traffic and looks impossible to cross, there are no traffic lights to assist me in getting over to the correct lane. I wish I hadn't let the novelty cycling facility lead me away from the roundabout and down the wrong side of the road. I ride on the pavement and veer gently onto the grass when I later come across a couple of joggers, they give me a smile and a nod.
Surprisingly, I've received a lot more scowls from pedestrians when I ride along a shared use path then I get when I ride in the same manner along a pavement. I'm fairly sure i ride with just as much care and attention. I also get a lot more teenage kids stretching their arms wide across the path as I approach them, in several years this has never happened to me on a pavement yet it's happened twice in 18 months on a shared use path. Does anybody have any ideas why this might be?
Sometimes I'll walk with my bike but if the pavement is clear I'll quite often stand on one pedal and scoot, I'm pretty sure this is just as illegal as riding but I haven't hurt anybody yet. The key is to only do it when there's quite a lot of space.
There's a road that's usually quite clear but occasionally gets astonishingly busy. It's quite narrow too and even riding in the gutter, it's not really safe for drivers to pass me. The pavement nearby is entirely clear of people and wide enough for two cyclists to pass each other with room to spare, it seems sensible to use it even though it's not marked as shared use. Pedestrians have priority and if that means I have to slow right down then I do. Nobody seems to mind.
When the marked 2 way cycle path ends abruptly with several signs telling me to dismount. The pavement continues on, there's nobody on it. The road is full of fast traffic and looks impossible to cross, there are no traffic lights to assist me in getting over to the correct lane. I wish I hadn't let the novelty cycling facility lead me away from the roundabout and down the wrong side of the road. I ride on the pavement and veer gently onto the grass when I later come across a couple of joggers, they give me a smile and a nod.
Surprisingly, I've received a lot more scowls from pedestrians when I ride along a shared use path then I get when I ride in the same manner along a pavement. I'm fairly sure i ride with just as much care and attention. I also get a lot more teenage kids stretching their arms wide across the path as I approach them, in several years this has never happened to me on a pavement yet it's happened twice in 18 months on a shared use path. Does anybody have any ideas why this might be?
Nigeyy
Legendary Member
- Location
- Massachusetts, USA
Yes, definitely, I actually routinely do it for my commute. The reason I do it is to avoid waiting in the middle of a road to take a turn -it's just much safer to take the pavement and not be exposed.
Err.. but hang on... over here, it can be completely legal to cycle on the "sidewalk". The strange issue is that it depends on the town's by laws you are in. So I can be quite legally cycling in my town on the pavement and as soon as I pass that next town sign, I *could* be stopped and fined by that town's local police force.
Fortunately, and in reality, it doesn't happen. In fact, I dare say I could happily cycle on the pavement in any town that forbids cycling on the pavement with reasonable immunity. So long as I don't bowl someone over, make a scene, etc, I'm probably going to be safe. The police have better things to do -plus if I was a betting person I'd say most of the town's police officers wouldn't know about the legality of it anyway. I strongly suspect you'd only get a ticket if you got arrested or stopped for something else more dangerous and they just tacked it on to make a point.
However, regardless of whether its legal or not, I strongly believe that if it's your personal safety at sake, use the pavement (not condoning cycling here, but walking and pushing your bike).
Err.. but hang on... over here, it can be completely legal to cycle on the "sidewalk". The strange issue is that it depends on the town's by laws you are in. So I can be quite legally cycling in my town on the pavement and as soon as I pass that next town sign, I *could* be stopped and fined by that town's local police force.
Fortunately, and in reality, it doesn't happen. In fact, I dare say I could happily cycle on the pavement in any town that forbids cycling on the pavement with reasonable immunity. So long as I don't bowl someone over, make a scene, etc, I'm probably going to be safe. The police have better things to do -plus if I was a betting person I'd say most of the town's police officers wouldn't know about the legality of it anyway. I strongly suspect you'd only get a ticket if you got arrested or stopped for something else more dangerous and they just tacked it on to make a point.
However, regardless of whether its legal or not, I strongly believe that if it's your personal safety at sake, use the pavement (not condoning cycling here, but walking and pushing your bike).
DrSquirrel
Guest
Simply put - I don't go places where I wouldn't feel comfortable riding on the road. So no.
funnymummy
A Dizzy M.A.B.I.L
- Location
- Lancing West Sussex
I live on the end of a busy road, there is an entrance to the Industrial Estate less then 20yrds from my drive & another entrance slightly further up the road, depending on the time of day - there can be a stream of huge lorries whoosing along there, so #3 cycles along the pavement for about 1/4 mile, as the wind from these lorries is more than enough to send him flying, On this particular stretch we hardly encounter any pedestrians, just after this bit is a train bridge, I can cycle up it solo no problem, but if towing #2 on his trailer I go up on the pavement, simply because i'm so slow with his weight on the bcak I creat a tailback & have experienced some idiot trying to overtake just before the top, nearly had a headon with the car coming the other way!
But as a rule i never cycle on pavements.... Well aprt from Saturday, when I went up the pavement to go inside 5 cars at a mini RAB, they's all overtaken me with plenty of space - Thnak you muchly
But then pulled right over into the left even though the first 4 all wanted to turn right at the rab, as there was a constant stream of traffic flowing straight on I could visualise a long wait so bumped up the kerb & passed them all...naughty I know, but there was absolulty no reason for any of them to have pulled so far over, the car at the rears wheels where actauly rubbing along the kerbstones.. The shared use cycle/ped path starts just after you pass the rab, so a alot of cyclists join the pavement here anyways & i'm pretty sure most people (peds included) think this is where to get on anyway
But as a rule i never cycle on pavements.... Well aprt from Saturday, when I went up the pavement to go inside 5 cars at a mini RAB, they's all overtaken me with plenty of space - Thnak you muchly
But then pulled right over into the left even though the first 4 all wanted to turn right at the rab, as there was a constant stream of traffic flowing straight on I could visualise a long wait so bumped up the kerb & passed them all...naughty I know, but there was absolulty no reason for any of them to have pulled so far over, the car at the rears wheels where actauly rubbing along the kerbstones.. The shared use cycle/ped path starts just after you pass the rab, so a alot of cyclists join the pavement here anyways & i'm pretty sure most people (peds included) think this is where to get on anyway
albion
Guru
I was cycling along a busy road the other day and suddenly noticed on the narrow pavement a mini square of red plastic bollards with the sign 'plse use other footpath.So for the pedestrian it was a choice of following the rule and crossing a very busy road or stepping onto the road for 1 yard at most and then rejoining the same footpath. Obviously then, rules often need sensible interpretation.
What's that clunking?
New Member
- Location
- East London
Only the bit between the road and my house...
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
As and when, yes.
Shadow
member
- Location
- edge of the south downs
Almost never!...
... but used the pavement for over a mile on saturday adjacent to a busy dual carriageway where I felt it was safer than being on the road! No sign of a ped on either side of the road.
... but used the pavement for over a mile on saturday adjacent to a busy dual carriageway where I felt it was safer than being on the road! No sign of a ped on either side of the road.
MickL
Über Member
- Location
- Dudley by the Castle...
Yes where allowed and in most cases its because the cycle path is in better condition than the roads round Dudley, normal paths I just push my bike.
2Loose
Guru
- Location
- Loughborough, Leicestershire.
On my commute I must navigate stairs onto a bridge, so I'll often ride the 50m across the bridge on the pavement before joining the road. Obviously I am catious and respect all peds that I meet.
Parrot of Doom
New Member
I don't think pavement cycling is a black/white issue. For instance, one of my routes involves a few hundred yards of this. I've seen cyclists use the road here, personally I think they're idiots. Two lanes of traffic doing 50mph+, with no central reservation. You'd have to be mad to cycle on that, so I hop onto the pavement and use it.
I used to commute every week or so from Paddington to Whitehall or the City.
I had a 'roadified' HT MTB and used to hop kerbs all the way along Oxford Street.
It was very, very quick, but I grew up by accident a year or two ago. Of course it scared the tourists and shoppers, but I was in a hurry and needed to burn off some adrenalin before mettings.
I still use the same route sometimes but never leave the carriageway. I mutter darkly, with pipe gripped firmly between teeth, as young scalliwags do just as I used to.
I think they should be hanged! It is a disgrace and it brings shame on our great nation.
I had a 'roadified' HT MTB and used to hop kerbs all the way along Oxford Street.
It was very, very quick, but I grew up by accident a year or two ago. Of course it scared the tourists and shoppers, but I was in a hurry and needed to burn off some adrenalin before mettings.
I still use the same route sometimes but never leave the carriageway. I mutter darkly, with pipe gripped firmly between teeth, as young scalliwags do just as I used to.
I think they should be hanged! It is a disgrace and it brings shame on our great nation.
Mad at urage
New Member
- Location
- Just N of Cardiff
I ride a couple of miles of very similar road, 50 limit also. As in your example, the cars have good sight lines and an overtaking lane to pass me in: There's no reason not to be on the road there and it is IMO where any experienced adult cyclist (i.e. anyone who is beyond the 'learning to ride' stage) should be.
