Do you ever want to scream...

[magnatom]

He he!

Yes I have been known to confront a pavement cyclist or two in my time. In fact I made a passing comment to an idiot today on Govan Road. Nice wide road, and the traffic is reasonably slow, so absolutely no need to be on the path.

He even had one of those arrows on his backpack suggesting cars should give him room. So it is alright to ask for respect from car drivers, but he doesn't have to respect pedestrians.

 

[gbb]

I'm always a bit ambivalent about pavement cyclists..i tend to think there's a lot of people out there who are scared to death of the roads...but then there's a lot of pavement cyclists who are disrespectful of peds. Then there are a lot of peds who disrespect cyclists on cyclepaths...and so on.
I shrug my shoulders and move on...i'm not perfect. Who am i to judge.

 

[dellzeqq]

I always say 'now you're 12 you're allowed on the road' unless I think they're cycling on the pavement because they're fearful of cycling on the road

 

[numbnuts]

I once asked a teenager "why do you cycle on the pavement"
Teenager "cos it’s dangerous on the road"
Me "who told you that"
Teenager "my mum"
Me "does your mum ride a bike"
Teenager "no"

 

[Kestevan]

When I'm on my bike I just shake my head.
When I'm walking on the pavement, I aint moving aside....

 

[palinurus]

It's understandable sometimes, particularly where cyclists are trying to get across town and there are ring roads and other busy routes in the way.

But some of my commute is on very quiet residential streets and I see quite a few there too. That said there's practically no-one walking so they're hardly a menace, but it does sadden me, especially when they've got their helmets on.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I don't get out of the way if I'm walking, but I wouldn't say anything to them. There aren't many pavement cyclists round here, but when I lived in the West Midlands, I'd have had to spend all my time running around yelling "get off the pavement!" to have made any difference.

 

[Jane Smart]

This is one topic I was not going to reply in, as soometimes, I cycle to the cycle path and it is a main bus route. Ok it has a narrow cycle lane in it, but I am absolutely terrified, I am sorry. I have not been cycling all that long. I suppose I look the part, I have on my helmet etc., but seriously until I can build up my confidence ( I am trying to go on the roads whereever I can ) I may be spotted on the pavements sometimes. You never know the reason behind someone doing that.

I must be the most cortious person to pedestrians, sometimes, even hopping off my bike, running past them and they hpooing back on again.

Just my tuppence worth

As I said, I DO try the roads when I feel it is a bit quieter

 

[gbb]

It depends on the particular pavement as well (IMO)
City centre, full of peds....no excuse, no way.
But on my commute for example i have to go round a particularly busy roundabout where cars have just exited a dual carriageway, so they're carrying some speed. I've had a few near'ish moments...and i'm confident on the road.
Theres a footpath that skirts the r/a, and there's hardly ever a pedestrian on it at any time of the day...so i'll occasionally hop on it and avoid the potential problems.

There are times i'd rather arrive safe than self righteous.

 

[Jane Smart]

Yep you are right, on this main bus route I am talking about, I very very rarely come across a pedestrian, I forgot to add that

 

[WeeE]

OK, I'll fess up.

My neighbourhood is not leafy or suburban, it's the sort of densely-populated that place people commute through from the suburbs to the city centre: in fact, a high proportion of the traffic consists of through-motorists rat-running through traffic-calmed (ie narrowed) roads to avoid the motorway and the two A-roads that are their direct route in and out of the city centre. The rest is buses and HGVs coming off the motorway into the industrial estates that half-surround the neighbourhood. So the traffic at certain times of day is "light" but frequently speeding - and with a high (self-selected) proportion of impatient drivers.

There's a few hundred yards of mixed pedestrian/cycling path here and there that all end - invariably - at the worst possible places, often for no discernable reason, and often on a high kerb. There are fragments of on-road cycle lane on one or two of the A-roads which, again, invariably disappear just where the going gets tricky.

I'm a beginner cyclist and new to being a road-user. I need to study each road layout anyway, before I can use it confidently and safely. So sometimes, when the white line turns off the pavement straight into the traffic accelerating off a roundabout or whatever, or when I can't make out at the time quite what a cyclist is expected to do, I just carry on down the pavement to find a safe place to enter the road. And sometimes - shock horror - I just carry on cycling another mile or so. I've encountered a handful of pedestrians in all that time - no-one seems to walk any more.

I've found motorists annoyed at me being on the roads or on pavements (mixed/use!) about equally: and I've found many who are willing to be tolerant. As they pass me labouring up the pavement beside the A-road, I'm pretty sure many drivers are happy enough that I'm there and not in front of them. I would have expected cyclists to be more understanding of why some people do cycle on pavements.

I don't ride across pedestrian crossings or amongst pedestrians: in fact, I encounter far more pedestrians on the cycle part of the mixed-use paths than anywhere else, because these are (a) maintained and ( within a few hundred yards of new shopping developments.

Some of the routes I have to take are long hills that I can't hope to climb at more than a few mph, much to the ire of motorists (and by the sound of it, the contempt of cyclists like you). So yes, some of us pathetic wobbly wimps do sometimes ride on deserted pavements instead of constantly getting off to push. And I'm not apologising for it.

It's not something I'm particularly proud of, but for someone who's inexperienced, not particulalry fit - and a shrimpy weakling at any time - it's a necessary transitional (I hope) phase.

For me, now that public transport's been priced out of my pocket, it's the only option for mobility and for load-carrying beyond walking distance. It's the difference between being confined to a couple of square miles most of the week and having a few choices in life - like where to buy food, or buying clothes at all.

For others, getting on a bit in life, or with various ailments, there is no feasible option to a bit of intermittent pavement cycling. Not until the roads become a lot more more cyclable, anyway. We're not all ****ing road-warriors.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

It depends on the particular pavement as well (IMO)
City centre, full of peds....no excuse, no way.
But on my commute for example i have to go round a particularly busy roundabout where cars have just exited a dual carriageway, so they're carrying some speed. I've had a few near'ish moments...and i'm confident on the road.
Theres a footpath that skirts the r/a, and there's hardly ever a pedestrian on it at any time of the day...so i'll occasionally hop on it and avoid the potential problems.

There are times i'd rather arrive safe than self righteous.

I think there's a lot to be said for that. There's an A road near me which is narrow enough at a couple of points such that if two articulated lorries approach each other they have to slow down and move right over to avoid clipping wing mirrors (don't know why it's an A road, tbh).

There's a footpath alongside that road and were I ever to need to ride that way I'd probably use the path .. I've yet to see anyone actually walk up there: there's easily accessible footpaths that run parallel to it and go nowhere near the road so most people use those.

 

[rh100]

OK, I'll fess up.

My neighbourhood is not leafy or suburban, it's the sort of densely-populated that place people commute through from the suburbs to the city centre: in fact, a high proportion of the traffic consists of through-motorists rat-running through traffic-calmed (ie narrowed) roads to avoid the motorway and the two A-roads that are their direct route in and out of the city centre. The rest is buses and HGVs coming off the motorway into the industrial estates that half-surround the neighbourhood. So the traffic at certain times of day is "light" but frequently speeding - and with a high (self-selected) proportion of impatient drivers.

There's a few hundred yards of mixed pedestrian/cycling path here and there that all end - invariably - at the worst possible places, often for no discernable reason, and often on a high kerb. There are fragments of on-road cycle lane on one or two of the A-roads which, again, invariably disappear just where the going gets tricky.

I'm a beginner cyclist and new to being a road-user. I need to study each road layout anyway, before I can use it confidently and safely. So sometimes, when the white line turns off the pavement straight into the traffic accelerating off a roundabout or whatever, or when I can't make out at the time quite what a cyclist is expected to do, I just carry on down the pavement to find a safe place to enter the road. And sometimes - shock horror - I just carry on cycling another mile or so. I've encountered a handful of pedestrians in all that time - no-one seems to walk any more.

I've found motorists annoyed at me being on the roads or on pavements (mixed/use!) about equally: and I've found many who are willing to be tolerant. As they pass me labouring up the pavement beside the A-road, I'm pretty sure many drivers are happy enough that I'm there and not in front of them. I would have expected cyclists to be more understanding of why some people do cycle on pavements.

I don't ride across pedestrian crossings or amongst pedestrians: in fact, I encounter far more pedestrians on the cycle part of the mixed-use paths than anywhere else, because these are (a) maintained and ( within a few hundred yards of new shopping developments.

Some of the routes I have to take are long hills that I can't hope to climb at more than a few mph, much to the ire of motorists (and by the sound of it, the contempt of cyclists like you). So yes, some of us pathetic wobbly wimps do sometimes ride on deserted pavements instead of constantly getting off to push. And I'm not apologising for it.

It's not something I'm particularly proud of, but for someone who's inexperienced, not particulalry fit - and a shrimpy weakling at any time - it's a necessary transitional (I hope) phase.

For me, now that public transport's been priced out of my pocket, it's the only option for mobility and for load-carrying beyond walking distance. It's the difference between being confined to a couple of square miles most of the week and having a few choices in life - like where to buy food, or buying clothes at all.

For others, getting on a bit in life, or with various ailments, there is no feasible option to a bit of intermittent pavement cycling. Not until the roads become a lot more more cyclable, anyway. We're not all ****ing road-warriors.

I agree - there is a lot of elitist snobbery about this.

Against the law? - so is speeding, motorists do it all the time and is somewhat tolerated by most
Inconsiderate to ped's? - have you tried cycling through a park on a shared path - even ringing your bell gets ignored by ped's - so long as the cylist is considerate to others and careful - no problem.

I frequently see groups of families cycling on the pavements - should they be harangued onto the road, along with anyone else on two wheels?

Me? I will ride the pavement when the road is not suitable to my skill level, I'm still learning. My other half is learning slower than me as I now commute, but when we go out I'm not going to go in the road and leave her on the path, her skill and confidence will come later.

A similar comparison is that when you pass your driving test, you will drive local roads for a while before you are confident to go on the motorway.

EVERYBODY learns somewhere - wobbling around on a dual carriageway in front of HGV's is not the place to do it - and in the absence of a decent and safe cycle path then the pavement is the place thats going to get used.

WeeE, a lot of people on here will offer constructive advice and encouragement - others enjoy slagging off those that aren't doing what they see as the way it should be.

 

[WeeE]

I know, rh100 - the overwhelming majority so far have been very helpful. It's just the tone of contempt really gets my back up.

Do you get the sneaking feeling that there are people who would rather that cycling keeps heading the way it was going while they were growing up - rush-hour becoming ever more an arena for inappropriately competitive trustafarians on expensive toys? (Kinda like motoring...)

I sometimes wonder if the more laddish types really just don't want people like me lowering cycling's cool-factor.

 

[magnatom]

I agree - there is a lot of elitist snobbery about this.

Against the law? - so is speeding, motorists do it all the time and is somewhat tolerated by most
Inconsiderate to ped's? - have you tried cycling through a park on a shared path - even ringing your bell gets ignored by ped's - so long as the cylist is considerate to others and careful - no problem.

I frequently see groups of families cycling on the pavements - should they be harangued onto the road, along with anyone else on two wheels?

Me? I will ride the pavement when the road is not suitable to my skill level, I'm still learning. My other half is learning slower than me as I now commute, but when we go out I'm not going to go in the road and leave her on the path, her skill and confidence will come later.

A similar comparison is that when you pass your driving test, you will drive local roads for a while before you are confident to go on the motorway.

EVERYBODY learns somewhere - wobbling around on a dual carriageway in front of HGV's is not the place to do it - and in the absence of a decent and safe cycle path then the pavement is the place thats going to get used.

WeeE, a lot of people on here will offer constructive advice and encouragement - others enjoy slagging off those that aren't doing what they see as the way it should be.

I can assure you, at least from me, it is not elitist snobbery (If only I was elite!)

I agree that everyone has to learn somewhere. However, there is often a lot of misinterpretation of the risks. In fact WeeE provides a good example of where we, as humans, are often not great at risk assessment. (I will point out here that WeeE has actually identified the risk, I am talking generally)

WeeE follows the shared cycle facilities. Fair enough. I can certainly understand why new cyclists will use them. However, they are often poorly designed, and as WeeE has suggested the real risk comes when the lane 'forces' him back onto the road. That is where the real risk lies, moving on and off of the pavement. It requires negotiation, and often co-operation with the other road users, before it is safe to enter. However, it is at these 'conflict' points that accidents can, and do happen.

Pavement cycling even without badly designed lanes, will always require the cyclist to cross roads. The problem is, that cyclists do not cross roads in the same way as pedestrians (unless they dismount). A cyclist will enter the road faster, and be less maneuverable. They will also be less predictable (i.e. is the cyclist crossing or entering the road).

So IMO pavement cycling is in fact as risky as, and perhaps more risky than cycling on the road. When you are on the road you are at least within the central vision of the cars, and thus more likely to be registered. Road position improves things greatly in this regard. At junctions, instead of having to cross them at angles that motorists don't expect, you are flowing with the traffic (even if at a slower pace).

So, yes, I do understand why some choose to pavement cycle, however, IMO this doesn't take into account the real risks. If your really don't feel safe on the roads, look into getting some cycle training, or hook up with more experienced cyclists. I have offered to help others in the past.