The Canal. The cycle rage.

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fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Slow down. I use a shared path and it's the M1 for cyclists but it's shared use so you need to slow right down when there are others about.

A simple excuse me should be enough. Remember to print out the British Waterways pass from their web site if someone says you shouldn't be there. You are supposed to have one the last time I bothered to check. It's free and you just print it off.

The other tactic is to pull a huge rear wheel skidz. Init. :laugh:
 
D

Deleted member 23692

Guest
Remember to print out the British Waterways pass from their web site if someone says you shouldn't be there. You are supposed to have one the last time I bothered to check. It's free and you just print it off.
British Waterways ceased to exist a good few years ago - it's the Canal and Rivers Trust now, and there's no longer a requirement to have a pass.

All their cycling gen - https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/see-and-do/cycling
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Yeah, the pass was abolished a while back. I was having trouble arranging passes for coppers to patrol on bicycles, so in the end they just didn't patrol. Everyone else ignored the requirement when it was abolished as being utterly unenforceable.

I had a meeting with British Waterways about it. The bloke turned up in his uniform with all the gold braid and shizzle, he looked like captain bloody bird's eye, completely OTT. They obviously thought they were rivals to the Royal Navy. I couldn't take them seriously after that.
 

ScotiaLass

Guru
Location
Middle Earth
I use the canals all the time, but for leisure cycling...I presume if you're commuting you will be going a bit faster than a leisure pace?
I'm polite too...I ring my bell in plenty of time, I don't go too fast, I watch out for dogs/kids...but some people will always think you have no right to be there and there's no way you'll change their mind on that!
I just carry on past them, slowly and politely, with a smile and a 'good morning/evening'.
I find it's not worth letting the few rude people spoil my ride :smile:
 

suzeworld

Veteran
Location
helsby
Mind not all cyclists are innocent, I have seen several cases lately of cyclists going far too fast on shared paths and not all of them were young nerds, a few of them were old nerds. I reckon a shared path slows you down by several MPH.
Me too - very annoying levels of speediness - esp approaching blind bends with low-bridges ... had a couple of scares this weekend .. the nice weather brings them out! LOL

btw - what do you think about bells in this context? I read somewhere someone saying they thought a bell was more polite than a spoken word .. but I dont actually think that, when I am walking I think the bell sounds rude .. but when i am cycling and hear a bell it seems OK and I move over to let the other rider pass ... crazy mixed up kid that I am!
 
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Shut Up Legs

Down Under Member
Pedestrians have priority, so don't expect people to move to the side for you just because you're moving faster
It's not that one-sided: it's supposed to be a "shared" path, so pedestrians, while they have right-of-way, are still obliged to "share".
Shared paths generally have enough room for a pedestrian and cyclist side-by-side, but some pedestrians will deliberately walk in the centre of the path. My typical response to such rudeness is to just ride behind them at walking pace, incessantly ringing my bell.
 
D

Deleted member 23692

Guest
It's not that one-sided: it's supposed to be a "shared" path, so pedestrians, while they have right-of-way, are still obliged to "share".
Shared paths generally have enough room for a pedestrian and cyclist side-by-side, but some pedestrians will deliberately walk in the centre of the path. My typical response to such rudeness is to just ride behind them at walking pace, incessantly ringing my bell.
From the Canal and rivers trust pages....

1. Share the space consider other people and the local environment whenever you’re on a Greenway. Remember some people may move less predictably, for example young children or those with visual or mobility impairments.

2. Drop your pace considerate sharing of the limited towpath space is the key. Jogging and cycling are welcome, but drop your pace in good time and let people know you are approaching by ringing a bell or politely calling out before waiting to pass slowly.

3. Pedestrians have priority towpaths are ‘Greenways’ or shared use routes where pedestrians have priority and vehicles, except bicycles and mobility aids, are generally excluded.

4. Be courteous to others – A smile can go a long way. Abusive or threatening behaviour is not acceptable and should be reported to the Police.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/walk...-greatest-park/share-the-space-drop-your-pace
 

Shut Up Legs

Down Under Member
I guess I misunderstood, then. Your paths seem to have different laws to shared paths in Australia. My apologies if I offended anyone: it was unintentional.
 
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