Valid reasons for cycling on to the pavement

[Andy 71]

Outside of genuine matter-of-life-and-death emergencies, I can think of two reasons:

a) None; and
None.

 

[Cab]

What, not even my reasons 3 and 4?

 

[Alcdrew]

Because it has one of these in front of it.

 

[gbb]

I'm a realist...the world aint perfect, and i dont see myself as a crusader for morally correct behaviour..on the bike, or off.
I dont habitually rise on paths, actually, very rarely ride on paths...but

Pedestrians occasionaly walk on roads
Pedestrians quite often walk on cyclepaths
Cars occasionally drive on paths
Cars quite often drive on the green lanes set aside for cyclists in Peterborough.
Buses often cut you up (where i live..there seems to be a hate hate relationship with them and cyclists, i'm not surprised when i see the way MTB riding chavs behave on the bus routes....trouble is the bus drivers dont differentiate between the chavs...and 'enthusiasts' like moi)

No-ones perfect...but i do ride with respect to others, and only ride a section of path to avoid potentially dangerous roundabouts etc. (one in particular... dual carriageway entries for cars, tight roundabout with little time for cars to manoever if they suddenly come across a cyclist on the blind side)

A little common sense is all that called for...if its a busy path, you dont use it.
If its 7 oclock in the morning and there isnt a soul in sight....wheres the harm.

 

[Domeo]

None

 

[Cab]

None

So, lets be clear... You're in a cycle lane, theres an ambulance coming, the cars want to move aside to let it past, and you wouldn't hop on to the pavement just to create room for the cars to do that safely and let the ambulance past?

 

[Domeo]

So, lets be clear... You're in a cycle lane, theres an ambulance coming, the cars want to move aside to let it past, and you wouldn't hop on to the pavement just to create room for the cars to do that safely and let the ambulance past?

Its the same answer you would expect from cars - you pull into the kerb and stop.

 

[Arch]

Its the same answer you would expect from cars - you pull into the kerb and stop.

I think in that circumstance there is nothing wrong with getting onto the pavement, and then waiting. Yes, you should just be able to pull into the kerb, but alas I wouldn't trust the next drongo in a car not to do the same: straight into me!

Preferably, I'd pull over and dismount swiftly then get up on the pavement, but if it was quicker, I'd ride and then dismount once out of harms way...

Mind you, I'm no good at going up kerbs, so it would be safer to dismount first for me.

I wouldn't ride along the pavement though, I'd wait and return to the road.

 

[Cab]

Its the same answer you would expect from cars - you pull into the kerb and stop.

Ideally thats what I would do. But the scenario described was one where you're in the cycle lane, and cars will be wanting to pull into that lane to clear space for the emergency vehicle. Motorists, at times like that, aren't always looking where they're going. You really think its inexcusableto cautiously hop on to the pavement to make space for an emergency vehicle?

I've done that. I've also hopped on to the pavement on one of Cambridges narrow city centre streets to let a fire engine past, where just being kerbside wouldn't have created enough space.

 

[Cab]

I wouldn't ride along the pavement though, I'd wait and return to the road.

On a good day I can balance long enough for the ambulance or what have you to get past, then go straight back on to the road. On a bad day I have to put my foot on the ground. I would only dismpount if its a really high kerb to go down again. I wouldn't choose to cycle along a pavement, but under such circumstances on-and-off seems reasonable.

 

[andrew_s]

14) Because the water's 4" shallower on the pavement than it is on the road (yesterday)

 

[pzycoman]

When theres been an ambulance behind me, I pull over to the kerb, get off the bike, and pull the bike up onto the pavement. Easy.

I cycle along the pavement for about 2 meters everytime I go out - have to go onto the pavement to get onto our property (to get into the house!)