Oh dear,where should I ride my bike?

[Demonclimber]

Picture the scene. I set off on a tiny jaunt from Windermere to Kendal to deliver a package. Know the route? Partly on a bit of a main road, partly a shared pedestrian/cycle path. So, on the road an old lady (as it so happens) gesticulating wildly with one hand that I should be on the cycle path, whilst rather gamely I thought nearly steering with the other hand into an oncoming lorry. Meanwhile, on the cycle path, an oaf (middle aged bloke this time) shouting about get on the ***** road where you belong. Oops, what is one to do? Trouble is the wretched cycle path is covered in leaves, and is hardly wide enough in places for a bike to pass a pedestrian. And some pedestrians walking side by side seem to be as antagonistic towards cyclists as some of our car driving population is. Overall, think I'll take my chances on the road. I have this sneaking suspicion in the back of my mind that no matter how well our brilliant boys and girls do on the track or on the road, even if Team Sky get the Big 3 next year, BW is named SPOTY & Prime Minister and we win every cycling gold in every olympics forever we will never ever be a nation that takes to cycling and cyclists in the way that our continental neighbours do. Goodnight.

 

[Accy cyclist]

It's because "you don't pay any @#!kin' road tax and you're all @#!kin puffs"!! So said a brain mashed moron to me when i had an altercation with such creatures the other day.

 

[Demonclimber]

Ah, the old road tax excuse - I hope you pointed out that car drivers don't actually pay road tax, it's Vehicle Excise Duty, that usually gets another heated response.

 

[Lee_M]

I got the ' get on the pavement' the other day - bizarre as there wasn't one anyway

 

[MontyVeda]

...
Trouble is the wretched cycle path is covered in leaves, and is hardly wide enough in places for a bike to pass a pedestrian.
...

you mean... the local council have created a cycle path which isn't fit for purpose?!?!?! I can't believe it!

 

[Demonclimber]

you mean... the local council have created a cycle path which isn't fit for purpose?!?!?! I can't believe it!

Ooooo, tricky one from a legal point of view. I think the Council created a pedestrian footpath. Then a bright spark thought up the cunningly good idea of then putting up some of those blue signs showing it as a shared use thing. Bingo, get the cyclists off the main road (can't argue with that), turn the pedestrians life into a kind of Rollerball experience.

 

[NickJ95GB]

Ooooo, tricky one from a legal point of view. I think the Council created a pedestrian footpath. Then a bright spark thought up the cunningly good idea of then putting up some of those blue signs showing it as a shared use thing. Bingo, get the cyclists off the main road (can't argue with that), turn the pedestrians life into a kind of Rollerball experience.

there's a small hill on a footpath near rhos-on-sea in north wales which is well over 20% for about 40-50 metres, and accelerates you to well over 30mph without peddling, i was going down it the other day, and it was covered entirely in leaves, ridiculously dangerous, i know it's not their fault, but still very dangerous

 

[Banjo]

99% of the time I ride on the road and to hell with them. On long narrow rural roads I pull over to let cars go by if I can, sometimes get a cheery wave for my effort usually not.

 

[Demonclimber]

Compare this all to the Promenade des Anglais. Anyone cycled along here? Ok, apart from just being a rather fab place to pootle along, in one width of pavement you seem to get pedestrians, cyclists, skateboarders, roller bladers, skate bladers, roller boarders, unicyclists, runners and joggers which all include big family groups all moving harmoniously along together. Ok, wouldn't be the place to be doing your time trialling training but hey.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

The answer is simple

You should get on the f****** road where you belong

 

[snorri]

Compare this all to the Promenade des Anglais. Anyone cycled along here? Ok, apart from just being a rather fab place to pootle along, in one width of pavement you seem to get pedestrians, cyclists, skateboarders, roller bladers, skate bladers, roller boarders, unicyclists, runners and joggers which all include big family groups all moving harmoniously along together. Ok, wouldn't be the place to be doing your time trialling training but hey.

I've not been there but it sounds just like what one would expect in (almost) every other country in Europe, except the UK

 

[Big boy]

i must be lucky as joggers or pedestrians around here are pretty good.
The only cycle path i use is normally covered in glass and bits of car from recent accidents.
Either that or setc of car keys and smashed up mobiles , there is the od person on shared paths that want you to be the one to move , but .
I normally move to one side, and put my hand up if they move over.
If you use a shared lane a bell is a must, as i found out before i put one on my bike.
Sitting behind some one walking untill they se you is not good, they normally jump as if you are a nutter about to run them over.

 

[sep1988]

there's a small hill on a footpath near rhos-on-sea in north wales which is well over 20% for about 40-50 metres, and accelerates you to well over 30mph without peddling, i was going down it the other day, and it was covered entirely in leaves, ridiculously dangerous, i know it's not their fault, but still very dangerous

You could have played skittles with the pedestrians then

 

[NickJ95GB]

You could have played skittles with the pedestrians then

haha, wet and windy day; no one was out