Dog control on off road cycleways

[markharry66]

possibly not

 

[dandare]

Just get off the bloody paths and ride on the road, that's where vehicles belong, bikes included.

 

[Amack]

Do you not think 15mph or above on a shared path is too fast?

No 15mph is fine, 18mph on the other hand.

Having said that I wouldn't pass someone at 15mph, but I don't have a speedometer on my bike so........

 

[I like Skol]

Just get off the bloody paths and ride on the road, that's where vehicles belong, bikes included.

Ridiculous comment! You can't possibly know what the path in question is like. It is actually an urban trail, following the route of an old railway line and skirting around southern Manchester for several miles. It is one of the few pleasant, direct, traffic free cycle paths that I will use as it isn't hindered by being tied to the existing road structure as a compromise.

 

[_aD]

[QUOTE 2665741, member: 1314"]I do have this when I'm going through Richmond Park sometimes...

View attachment 29635 [/quote]
Which one of those is Fenton? *strains eyes

 

[briantrumpet]

In retrospect I probably was going a little fast for a dog

How fast do dogs normally cycle?

 

[dandare]

Ridiculous comment! You can't possibly know what the path in question is like. It is actually an urban trail, following the route of an old railway line and skirting around southern Manchester for several miles. It is one of the few pleasant, direct, traffic free cycle paths that I will use as it isn't hindered by being tied to the existing road structure as a compromise.

Maybe but I still maintain that cycles should be on the road. If it is indeed a shared path then the bike should be travelling not much more than walking pace.

 

[Glow worm]

Most of the dog owners around here are fine and I don't think I've ever had a problem. I find riding on tracks and paths far more pleasant than roads so will always avoid roads where I can. This means a lot of interaction with dog walkers on shared use paths but I find as long as I just slow right down, then a polite ting on the bell of just say 'bike coming' and there's not a problem. Smiles all round and everyone's happy. So dogs = fine, but don't get me started on pheasants!

 

[Boris Bajic]

Dogs have rarely presented me with a problem when I'm cycling.

I dislike dogs and would not want one in my home, but their owners often seem to be on the nicer end of the 'niceness' scale.

People do let them off their leads, but I think cyclists have a degree of responsibility here too. It is not the hardest thing to moderate your speed where dogs might be chasing sticks or running off the leash.

I've seen (in many decades) only a few cyclist/dog owner spats. On all occasions it was clear from some distance that the cyclist needed to slow down or have an issue. On all occasions there seemed to be a determination on the part of the rider to engage in 'dog rage'.

This is not a comment on any post on this thread and is nothing more dangerous than my (probably biased) reading of events I've witnessed. It is certainly not a rip into the OP< who comes across as very reasonable.

Just as some cyclists seem to have far more 'reportable instances of poor driving', so some seem to have snarling dogs thrown under their wheels when others don't.

 

[jugglingphil]

I think the OP comes across as reasonable.

There is a 1/2 mile cycle path (shared not separated) near me through the woods along the side of a railway line. It saves a climb up/down hill along busy roads which is about 1 mile. I take this path frequently. It is also popular with dog walkers (especially in the morning), so I don't go fast, and use bell when approaching from behind. There is rarely a problem, and I pass the same dog walkers frequently and say hello or even have a quick chat about the weather. However I have also been bitten (luckily just jeans not skin) when passing a dog (about 5mph), when I told the owner his dog had tried to bite me, owner just shrugged. Not a lot can be done so I cycled off.

End of the day, some cyclists are more considerate than other, but the same can be said for dog owners.

 

[crazyjoe101]

Often it's enough for one party or the other to give way or give way but really it takes two not to tango. I keep my speed low enough to completely stop in an instant around dogs and I grab my dogs by the collar when they're bikes around. That said the German Shepherd always chases cyclists when he's not out with me, presumeably because he thinks it's me on my hybrid ... (I ride 'with' him in the woods).

 

[Cyclopathic]

I'm a cyclist (obv') and a dog walker. Not at the same time but I have seen it done but I won't open those worms right now. I do both of these activities on a shared path near where I live and have found the best and easiest way to do both is with a sense of consideration for other people. It really doesn't take much reigning in of ones sense of self-righteous entitlement to have a very pleasant and incident free time. If I'm walking the dog and see a bike coming along I will make an effort to make sure the dog isn't going to leap out in front of them. (I walk my dog off the lead up the path because it likes to have a bit of a run around and should, imho, be alowed that little luxury (there is also green space next to the path)) Conversely if I'm on my bike and see dog and walker up ahead I will slow down and pick my way carefully past at a speed and with enough forethought that an emergency stop would not be necessary, and I go on my way. It is in this fashion that I have so far avoided any of the problems expressed here.
Just be a bit relaxed about stuff and not have to be the most important person in the world and everything sort of works out all right.

 

[hennbell]

I was riding on a multi-user path alongside some houses. A small dog saw me coming and came running to meet me. The dog caught up with me and went to bite my ankle. With the owner watching I un-cliped kicked (more shock my leg at it ) and clipped in. The dog did a bit of a roll/somersault, but really it was more a light tap then a proper kick. Owner saw everything but did not say a thing except to call her dog back.

 

[campbellab]

I was riding on a multi-user path alongside some houses. A small dog saw me coming and came running to meet me. The dog caught up with me and went to bite my ankle. With the owner watching I un-cliped kicked (more shock my leg at it ) and clipped in. The dog did a bit of a roll/somersault, but really it was more a light tap then a proper kick. Owner saw everything but did not say a thing except to call her dog back.

If my dog was biting ankles I would expect a reasonable person to give it toe poke/kick proportionate to the size of the dog. And I would still be apologizing.

 

[Sheepy1209]

There are inconsiderate cyclists and inconsiderate dog owners; both are a minority within their respective groups. I pass many dogs every day, most off their lead, and more often than not the owner is in a world of their own. But that's not a problem, a quick ring of the bell, slow down, and don't get between the dog and its owner. But on my route there is one man who 'walks' two small dogs; well, no - they run all over the place, completely unpredictable, harassing other dogs and scaring children. He walks along arrogantly refusing to make any attempt to control them, and if a cyclist says anything then they 'need to slow down'.

This despite the fact the same cyclist has gone past dozens of dogs and pedestrians with no problem whatsoever.

Of course this man, because he constantly encounters annoyed cyclists, thinks cyclists are a bunch of arrogant shouty people with a sense of entitlement. A bit like drivers who keep coming across angry cyclists.

Not really relevant to the thread but his attitude makes my blood boil!