Pavement cyclists.

[Jezston]

I had another moan at me this morning for not riding on the pavement (a place motorists assume is a cycle path because there's a shared use path further along the same road), this happens once a month or so, but annoyingly this time it was from a colleague who cycles... took some arguing to get across the point that no it really is just a pavement and you shouldn't cycle there! I'm convinced that part of the increase in pavement cycling is because there has been so much use of crappy shared use pavements, both by encouraging cyclists to go onto the footway and by giving drivers the idea that cycling doesn't belong on the road. Quite a lot of my colleagues who cycle use the aforementioned pavement simply because they get so much hassle from drivers when they stay on the road. Which is understandable, but very depressing.

About a year ago I started a thread (don't fancy depressing myself by digging it up!) where I was engaged in a discussion with colleagues advising me to ride on the pavement, the most vocal dissing of me for riding on the road coming from another cycle commuter!

Having said that, this particular individual did apologise afterwards. Also he rides some weird mountain bike that has a single granny chainring, so I'd imagine he can't get any kind of decent speed up anyway!

 

[Mark_Robson]

I remember reading that the they don't run the booster fans in the Tyne Tunnel until the level of carbon monoxide in the tunnel hit 100ppm

 

[Black Sheep]

Are you a Policeman?
Were they cycling in a sensible manner and giving way to pedestrians or were they a danger to everyone around them?

is it illegal to ride on a pavement?
yes.

so why excuse the behavior?

allowances for a young family, yes,

Hello - nice post.

I always think a post with Bollocks as the opening word is going to be a pleasure to read

The majority of cyclists are confident enough to cycle on the road.

Leisure cycling can happen on shared-use paths/bridleways - otherwise cycle on the road. End of story.

If you aren't confident enough to cycle on the road, maybe you shouldn't be cycling?

if you aren't confident on the road, pick quieter routes.

there are some routes around the coventry that I avoid if my wife is with me on a ride, steep up hills on busy roads or the ringroad roundabouts (we take to the subways which do have cycle lanes) when I'm alone, i'll cover the brakes and gun it quite happily because I know what gap I can get through (always across the path of a vehicle, i'll wait for a proper gap to join a lane)

confidence has improved as time has passed.

 

[1894mk2]

I do 58 miles a day at the moment and go through 2 cross roads that take about 5 minutes each to get a green and a couple of T junctions that take a bit less. Can be long queus and narrow with oncoming . I filter where I can and then generaly do the pavement slowly nearer the lights where cars are right against the kerb. Generaly say thank you to anyone I see - normaly about none in the morning and a few in the evening.

Apparently I'm being highly irresponsible? It already takes me 1hr 45 each way.......

 

[Clandy]

Pedestrians love pavement cyclists so much that some councils are now backtracking on shared use facilities by banning cycling for most of the day: http://www.cyclewoking.org.uk/aboutus/news?item=00004D933425.C0A801BA.00003F76.0008

 

[Clandy]

[QUOTE 1101675"]
What you mean is that one council has been reasonable and restricted cycling in one small area of their town centre, while reiterating that shared use is maintained outside of these busy times and 24/7 in other areas.

It's almost as if you are trying to suggest something else by your chosen wording.
[/quote]



You are the one who insists pedestrians have no problems with pavement cyclists. This story shows the untruth of that.

 

[funnymummy]

[QUOTE 1101351"]
I find a useful approach is to train a small child to very loudly say "Mum, look at that big boy riding on the pavement. Doesn't he know that pavements are for people? I ride on the road, and I'm only 8!"

Of course, this only works if you have a convenient, slightly cocky and relatively cute 8 year old... and will get him beaten up if he does it when he's much older. But that's OK, I have a spare 3 year old waiting to take the job on
[/quote]

My youngest son is 6, he rides on the road in front of me, however there is one small part of our commute that involves passing the entrance to the local Industrial Estate & for this part he does go along the pavemnet - the 'draft' caused by some lorries is enough to make me wobble, so I figured that for a 2-300 hundred yards he would be safer on the pavement, It isn't in a pedestriansed area so he very rarely encounters anyone walking towards him - But if he does, he knows to slow down & keep as far to his left as possible, give 2 quick rings on his bell..and say a cheery Thank You as he passes.
I may have trained him too well in cycling etiquette though, as he is very happy to point out in very loud voice his opinions on other POB's faults & riding skills!