Pavement cycling

[Jezston]

There's only 2 places on my route that I might be found on my bike on the pavement.

They are:

From the end of the cycle lane visible to the far right of the image, to a right turn into the cycle lane visible on the left going into the distance:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&s...wwrzqd7UYQOIMtCaiUSMrA&cbp=12,145.57,,1,13.58
Sometimes the crossing can get busy, i'll always slow to walking pace but if there's more than a couple of people there I dismount.
Worth noting there is a blue 'Cyclists Dismount' at the end of the first path, but err blue is advisory, right?

And

From the right hand lane on the left, onto the traffic island, and then crossing on to the cycle lane on the pavement on the right of the shot:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&s...=O4uR7xYV40f5pmUfjS1JNg&cbp=12,123.64,,0,7.67
There's usually no one on it, but if it's busy I'll dismount.

Illegal? Cheeky? I don't think so. My understanding is Home Office guidance says only stop someone if they are being a nuisance, and I always take it very slow and considerately, unlike most of the chavs on BSOs who just charge down the pedestrian side of that pavement in the second photo causing people to scatter.

Thoughts?

 

[summerdays]

Some people are just selfish pricks.

At least she wasn't driving a car.

One of the parents who often turns up to pick up her child, late and looking slightly glazed over .... has suddenly appeared in a car with "P" plates... so far she looks nervous but I am worried when she starts to feel more confident ... I think I would rather she was on the pavement than behind the wheel of a lump of metal.

Compare this with several illegally parked cars on the pavement all the time.

So what influences pavement riding or not? Clearly we have something (or lack something) which other places do not.

I think part of the problem is that we are not strict enough about small issues ... so its got to the point where its annoying but almost acceptable to park on the pavement. I reported a car for parking on the pavement and apparently although there is only about 20 cm between the wall and the car - the police turned up and decided it wasn't blocking the pavement and there was enough room for pedestrians to get by, so it stayed there all day. So it looks as if pavement parking has become acceptable by the police.

 

[Roadrunner78]

On my commute to work, i use a small strech of pavement as part of my journey. Why? Ill be honest, its the boy racers loop and im too scared to. They dart around with noisy w*anker pipes, and i value my life too much to take them on. The rest of my journey is on the road. I always think my life is in the passing drivers hands, one false move or lapse in concentration and game over.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Cycling on the pavement, unless you're a small child, is wrong. Shoot 'em.

 

[Dan B]

noisy w*anker pipes,

I have to ask - wranker? weanker? what letter does the * replace there?

 

[Jezston]

I always dismount at the bus stop about 10 metres before that turning, then cross. Getting across those 3 lanes is a right chore so I just use the crossing then back onto the cycle path.

I used to do that when my commute took me down MM Way so I was approaching that from the left lane. Now I come from right lane so I can filter on to the cycle lane that follows the 3-lane traffic.

I also ride on the pavement here for about 20 metres to get past the tram stop:
http://maps.google.c...=0,0.00523&z=18 since if I were to go straight on, it would take 10 mins more to get to college, and if I were to go up the tramlines and trams were coming to the stop, I have no where to go due to the 3 foot kurb at the side of the tram stops. The pavement is quite wide and rarely busy so either dismount if busy or go slowly to the other side of the tram stop if not.

Can't you just go around the trams? Or are they often stopped parallel to each other?
I like cycling on the tramways - no cars!

 

[Jaguar]

The woman with child actually made me think about this issue, and when carrying a child alongside a busy narrow road (as this was) then I think it is justifiable.

Actually, drivers tend to be extremely courteous towards child cyclists, even the idiot ones. However, if you're an adult cyclist, you're fair game

 

[summerdays]

Actually, drivers tend to be extremely courteous towards child cyclists, even the idiot ones. However, if you're an adult cyclist, you're fair game

Not all motorists are courteous ... put the child in the way of them on their commute or school run and you will see that some are still complete idiots behind the wheel even towards children. This week a parent squeezed through a narrow gap to get 20 meters ahead of us so they could then reverse towards us whilst parking (or they could of waited 20 seconds for us to pass that point).

 

[ufkacbln]

Cycling on the pavement, unless you're a small child, is wrong. Shoot 'em.

Yes. and NO.

Personally I would agree with this in towns.

However outside towns is different?

There is a stretch between Fareham and Wickham, very fast and narrow, with a blind corner. Vehicles tend to cut onto the oposite side of the road, so traffic on your side is close to the kerb. Often this is an automatic response, without looking for cyclists.

In a case like this, little or no pedestrian use, and poor road design combined with poor driving - there may be justification.

Perhaps Mr Paul's discretionary speed could also be included...?

 

[Jezston]

Saw some oaf on a BSO weaving about through the very busy pedestrianised part of Nottingham city center on a busy Saturday afternoon yesterday. Must have been doing around 10-12mph, just dodging pedestrians. What a douche, I thought.

Came out of a shop a few minutes later to see a PCSO issuing him a fine. Ha!

 

[Debian]

Cycling on the pavement, unless you're a small child, is wrong. Shoot 'em.

I don't agree.

In towns and on busy pavements then, yes it's wrong.

However there are fast bendy rural A roads near me that have pavements alongside. The pavements probably see one pedestrian a year, the road is derestricted, bendy, fairly narrow and drivers to tend to tank along there. If I'm feeling fragile and nervy I do often use the pavement. Never seen a ped on there yet, it does no harm and, I feel, doing so genuinely improves my safety.

 

[davefb]

Saw some oaf on a BSO weaving about through the very busy pedestrianised part of Nottingham city center on a busy Saturday afternoon yesterday. Must have been doing around 10-12mph, just dodging pedestrians. What a douche, I thought.

Came out of a shop a few minutes later to see a PCSO issuing him a fine. Ha!

tbh thats the main bit of 'cycling on pavement' i dont like,, get it a bit during dinner in manchester city centre..

wouldnt be so bad if they stuck to just over walking pace,, but some just fly thru...