Poor shared path behaviour

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Not some random POB this time, but myself ;)

Miss JRG popped over to cook me lunch whilst I'm revising *awwww* and I thought it would be nice to cycle back to her place with her, then turn straight round and come back.

On the way, we were using a pretty decent shared path, that (when going to hers) slopes downhill in a gentle S-curve, flattening out as an underpass, with yellow metal crunches to make cyclists slow down before they go through the underpass.

We were riding around 10mph or so. As one of us has to go through the crunch first, I sped up a little. As I assesed the situation in front I plotted a line to take me between the ped on the RHS (as I look at it) of the path and in front of the 2 peds walking up the path on the LHS, leaving a short braking zone before the crunch.

I had a bit of a trapped-spirit-bursting-into-freedom, type moment. I accelerated hard, leant over and beautifully shot the gap between the ped walking in the same diretion as me on the RHS and the couple coming towards me on the LHS. Braked hard and smooth, and flicked Kinks perfectly through the crunches at speed.

This was all very satisfying for about 5 seconds until I thought about it a bit. I noticed the couple coming up the hill hesitate as the cyclist coming towards them accelerated instead of slowed down, and the guy with his back to me (and wearing headphones) would have had a shock as out of nowhere a cyclist flew past him, close and at speed.

I knew what I was doing, but how were they to know what I was going to do.

Not the worst crime in the world, but not really very acceptable shared path behaviour. :tongue::smile:

I must not speed on the path.
I must not speed on the path.
I must not speed on the path.
I must not speed on the path.
I must not speed on the path.
I must not speed on the path.
I must not speed on the path.
I must not speed on the path.
I must not speed on the path.
I must not speed on the path.
I must not speed on the path.
I must not speed on the path.
I must not speed on the path.
 
Don't kick yourself about it. You give a toss which is what matters. No-one is perfect (not even me :tongue: ) just learn to be a wee bit more careful next time.

I hope you were standing in the corner when you were reciting your lines....;)
 
OP
OP
Jacomus-rides-Gen

Jacomus-rides-Gen

New Member
Yeah, I'm not dwelling on it, but it is just something to have in the back of my mind.

As my IAM motorbike instructor said to us all - "Anyone can ride fast, but a good rider knows when."
 

John the Monkey

Frivolous Cyclist
Location
Crewe
Shared paths are a pain. There's a new one over near Owens Park, and I quite often see cyclists "tailgating" pedestrians on it (like cars do to vehicles they consider to be too slow). The irony is that because neither pedestrians or cyclists seem to know quite what the ettiquette of the whole thing is, the road is far quicker for cyclists, even in Manchester's rush hour traffic.
 

Tynan

Veteran
Location
e4
never like having to be anywhere near peds and I daresay they don't like it either

whoever plans shared use paths has an idea of a bike that involves 10mph noodling along

and JRG, you're terrible disgusting scum giving the good riders bad names

will that do?
 

Pete

Guest
I do two shared-use path stretches on my commute. Both are very short, indeed one is only about 20 yards or so. Even 10mph can be too fast, sometimes I'm forced to walking pace only. I say 'excuse me' and hope for a favourable reaction: if I don't get it, well tough, but it's not for long! A greater distance by shared-use path, with pedestrians present, would be intolerable. Might as well walk.

Even if the 'cyclist' side is clear, I wouldn't pass pedestrians at more than about 8mph (jogging speed).

We just have to accept, if we are going to have shared paths in the first place, that they are no more built for speed, than a cart-horse is bred to win the Derby. It's just the wrong system and the wrong environment.
 

tdr1nka

Taking the biscuit
there is a shared path in Lewisham on which peds spread themselves all over. At busy times of day I stay on the road in traffic rather than have to take the shared slalom of death at 3mph trying not lose balance, frighten the Bejeezus of old ladies with their shopping or affronting 'dudes' with their headphones on who get spooked when you pass. It is simply easier and probably safer to stay on the road.

T x
 

LOGAN 5

New Member
I choose the road where it runs along the shared ped/cycle route as I'm too fast (not really but too fast for a shared path with ridges/switchhes of direction/bus stop/poor lighting/no path cleaning AND PEDS. But get cut up on the road which narrows from one cycle path and 2 lanes of traffic at the lights to just one lane of traffic. So guess who gets squeezed. I'ts still better than riding on the shared path (unless I'm on my really slow bike).
 
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OP
Jacomus-rides-Gen

Jacomus-rides-Gen

New Member
I only usually use this path on my way home, as it cuts out a number of road crossings, but on the way in it is faster (for me) to use the road, I was only using the path because of Miss JRG.

As far as cycle facilities go this one is pretty good, its wide, well surfaced, and doesn't encourage speeding (for the most part!!)
 
The 'cyclists' using the downhill section of the Bristol to Bath as their own personal race track during the morning commute used to royally piss me off, especially as it passed a school and they would weave in and out of the kids @ stupid speeds. Total twunts. A couple of times I chased them down and rode them off the curve a bit further up. 'If I see you ride like that near kids again I swear to god I will kick your effing bike to death you daffodil'! Ride on the road if you want to ride like a prick etc'. Oooh I'm fierce me.
 
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