Sometimes cyclists are the baddies...

[BentMikey]

Intolerance of skaters, obv. a subject close to my heart:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2011/oct/25/cyclists-rollerbladers

I've experienced this also from a few cyclists when skating in Hyde Park. They are just as bad as the drivers who beep and don't tolerate cyclists on the road. Skaters are perfectly justified in using a cycle lane.

 

[mr_cellophane]

I have had few problems with skaters in HP. At least round Albert Memorial where there is more than enough room for everyone. Those along the north of the Serpentine seem least considerate. There really isn't enough room along there for pedestrians, cyclists and skaters who take up sections of the path with their slalom cones. It is crowded enough along there without having to keep looking down !

BTW - I saw someone along there with a pair of foot sized skate boards. Never seen those before.

 

[BentMikey]

Well, I've had the occasional cyclist swear at me for being on the cycle path, and I'm far from the only one, so it's more than bell ringing.

Mr_cellophane, I can't say I've much problem getting past the slalomers and cones on the Serpentine Road (it's not a cycle path). You do have to slow down and take it easy, but it's much much easier to deal with than Speaker's Corner.

 

[Dan B]

If you can't deal with avoiding skaters who are going up and down a line of stationary cones, it beats me how you manage to avoid the infant cyclists and boris bikers who wobble and zigzag down the full width of the road, nor yet the horse shoot.

Heck, the police cars and Royal Parks buggies all seem to manage OK, and they're nowhere near as manouevrable as bicycles

 

[jonny jeez]

There's a gaggle of skaters, (what’s the collective for skaters?) that often run from Catford through to Bellingham on the A21, they are fantastic skaters...really fast and they seem to dance at the lights as if they were floating or slipping on ice, I think I've seen one carrying a hockey stick so assume they are a team and they don’t skate with inline skates (which seems to fit this assumption).

Although I enjoy seeing them (they seem like a tight group and are quite entertaining to watch) It seems that at some points they are "trying" to wind up traffic by occupying as much road space as possible (when there are no cycle or bus lanes).

Is this the done thing, do skaters have priority on open road…not bus/cycle lanes

 

[Dan B]

Although I enjoy seeing them (they seem like a tight group and are quite entertaining to watch) It seems that at some points they are "trying" to wind up traffic by occupying as much road space as possible (when there are no cycle or bus lanes).

Is this the done thing, do skaters have priority on open road…not bus/cycle lanes

Hard to tell from your description if they're deliberately taking up more space than they need, or if they're just going fast - a speedskater can easily take up most of the width of a vehicle lane when he really gets moving - or if they're skating two/several abreast to command the lane and deter opportunistic overtakes.

As far as I can tell the legal situation, skaters have exactly the same right to use the road as any other member of the public does

 

[gaz]

I've genreally not got a problem with skaters. Had the odd one or two goin against the flow of traffic which can be annoying but nothing more than that. I genreally only see them in Hyde park either doing laps or zigzagging in the cones.

 

[BentMikey]

There's a gaggle of skaters, (what’s the collective for skaters?) that often run from Catford through to Bellingham on the A21, they are fantastic skaters...really fast and they seem to dance at the lights as if they were floating or slipping on ice, I think I've seen one carrying a hockey stick so assume they are a team and they don’t skate with inline skates (which seems to fit this assumption).

Although I enjoy seeing them (they seem like a tight group and are quite entertaining to watch) It seems that at some points they are "trying" to wind up traffic by occupying as much road space as possible (when there are no cycle or bus lanes).

Is this the done thing, do skaters have priority on open road…not bus/cycle lanes

Yeah, they've been growing in numbers over the last year or so. There are a couple of inline skaters, but most are quaddies, and some very good. I usually give them a cheery wave, I've stopped a couple of times to chat to them, but they're just a group of mates AFAIK. Yes, sometimes they are a little naughty with the traffic.

 

[BentMikey]

p.s. I think they have as much right to use the road as any of us do. I know Jonny means the ducking and diving through cars, which is different.

 

[Bigsharn]

I've been extremely naughty before now and towed a trail of skaters to school (only 3 iirc), I've never had a problem with them, and even offer them a skitch* if I see them going a decent pace

*It's a hybrid between a Skate and a Hitch, usually a word used for hanging off the back of cars and getting a free lift.

 

[Nigeyy]

Bit off the commuting topic BentMikey, but since you are a blader, I have to ask:

Bladers are the only consistent shared trail user I've had problems with. I certainly don't begrudge them using a trail -but why do most bladers (at the least the ones I've come across) appear to not want to stop blading at the point of passing when we are approaching from opposite directions? E.g. I'll try to keep as far over to my side as possible thinking they will stop the leg splaying action just as we pass each other.... but they don't! it doesn't matter whether they are female, male, older or younger..... I always hope they will stop (well not come to a full stop or necessarily slow down, just stop the leg splaying action and give as much reasonable space as they can), but by the time they don't, they've passed by me and I can't be bothered to call them out on it.

Any reason for this behaviour? Or can I just cross them off as being inconsiderate? Is it really hard to glide with your feet closer together? Next time I'm on the shared trail I might have to put on a professional wobble when I see a roller blader coming

Intolerance of skaters, obv. a subject close to my heart:

http://www.guardian....s-rollerbladers

I've experienced this also from a few cyclists when skating in Hyde Park. They are just as bad as the drivers who beep and don't tolerate cyclists on the road. Skaters are perfectly justified in using a cycle lane.

 

[BentMikey]

I would hope skaters would be as alert and aware of cyclists as we would want to be of cars and other cyclists. I certainly would make it easy for you to pass me on a path, as would most of my friends. It should be easy for even a relatively untrained skater to stop striding for a few seconds to allow you past. Maybe it's a perception point of view - they don't understand why a cyclist is unwilling to pass a skater striding out to the side. Another explanation might be that the skater is timing his/her strides to pass you without pushing into you, which wouldn't be at all obvious to a non-skater, but that's likely only from the more experienced skaters used to skating in a pack.

I do know one skater who shouts at pedestrians who get in his way in the same way as the article complained about. I think he is a twunt, tbh.

 

[jonny jeez]

p.s. I think they have as much right to use the road as any of us do. I know Jonny means the ducking and diving through cars, which is different.

Yep that's pretty much it...and especially around traffic lights where they just split up and mooch about the traffic, but when they get cracking they tend to "file" in a little.

I'll be honest, my first impression was that they were a gang of steamers (on wheels) as they make a point of spreading out at the lights...which seemed suspicious, but I've never seen them do anything nasty.

 

[fossyant]

Wheels go on bikes not shoes. Skating, it will never take off !

 

[BentMikey]

LOL @ Fossy. Take a look at this video. Admittedly drafting behind a sprinter van, but still, 65kph!!!

[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMUk11Tjtbw[/media]