What side - ?

[simongt]

Something that puzzles me. On the way home last night, I was on a quiet, well lit cycle path almost 3 metres wide and a cyclist approached from t'other direction. He was on his right hand side of said path and insisted on keeping his line so I, who have always cycled on the left side of a cycle path ( same as on the Queen's highway ), had to move over to my right to get past him.
This has happened before, one cyclist getting quite abusive because I stuck to my line on the left, causing him to move over.
Is there some unwritten 'rule' I've never heard of that we go continental on cycle paths, as oppose to being on the left on all other roads - ?

 

[ianrauk]

He should have cycled on the left simples.

 

[NorthernDave]

You appear to have encountered one of the people who go through life with an unshakable belief that they are right, no matter what.

Forget them and move on.

 

[numbnuts]

When this happens to me I shout out “Bonjour”

 

[mjr]

Cycle track is a highway, so the 1835 law on keeping left still applies. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Will4/5-6/50/section/78

However, top priority is to avoid avoidable collisions and sometimes shoot design makes it desirable to pass on the right, but that should only be done if you're confident you both agree. If necessary, slow down, as far as stopping if need be. Personally, I find signalling left somehow as you approach usually gets oncoming cyclists to move over.

I frequently cycle on the right of certain tracks, mainly to avoid encroaching motorists, but move left to pass oncoming cyclists or pass most junctions and bends.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Regularly get this, also with pedestrians, you have 2 options really, stick to your side of the track & face confrontation/accident/attack or take evasive action, ignore it & move on with your life, I know which I choose.

 

[night cycler]

Something that puzzles me. On the way home last night, I was on a quiet, well lit cycle path almost 3 metres wide and a cyclist approached from t'other direction. He was on his right hand side of said path and insisted on keeping his line so I, who have always cycled on the left side of a cycle path ( same as on the Queen's highway ), had to move over to my right to get past him.
This has happened before, one cyclist getting quite abusive because I stuck to my line on the left, causing him to move over.
Is there some unwritten 'rule' I've never heard of that we go continental on cycle paths, as oppose to being on the left on all other roads - ?

I hear you Simon. I even feel the same way about escalators in shops.

 

[Specialeyes]

There's a chap I meet some mornings going in the opposite direction to me on what passes for a cyclepath by the A127. I ride west, with the direction of traffic, he's riding east against it and absolutely always takes his right hand side of the path, leaving me to take the side closest to the traffic.
I think it's a confidence thing, where if the cyclepath is immediately adjacent to a fast-moving road of onrushing traffic, people want to be as far away from it as possible... which of course forces the other person onto the wrong side of the path. Until this thread, I hadn't really analysed it as it's just one of those oddities!

 

[mjr]

I think it's a confidence thing, where if the cyclepath is immediately adjacent to a fast-moving road of onrushing traffic, people want to be as far away from it as possible... which of course forces the other person onto the wrong side of the path.

It might be bitter experience, not confidence. Motorists far too readily mount kerbs and use a cycle track as an extra car lane to get past another motorist waiting to turn right, as in these two examples (and I've far too many more), or to park - and they don't look before they swerve up the kerb, so the further away from the kerb you can ride the more warning you get, even if that means being on "the right" - but as mentioned, you ought to move left when you see oncoming traffic.

 

[subaqua]

Does this apply to towpaths too...

 

[Racing roadkill]

In these situations ( it does happen a fair few times) I always give a ‘firm’ shout of “Leffffffffft” and back it up with a hand gesture. If they want to get argumentative, that’s fine by me. The rules about on which side you ride a cycle path are fairly clear cut. On the left, unless having to avoid debris / ninjas / ninja dogs.

 

[mjr]

Does this apply to towpaths too...

No because AFAICT towpaths are not roads for the Highway Act and nothing in the CRT or IWA byelaws or codes of conduct require one to pass to the left. I get the impression that CRT would be quite happy if you both stopped and had a chat over who was going to pass which side!

Some towpaths may be highways too, but it doesn't apply to towpaths as such.

 

[Arjimlad]

I say "Tenez a gauche!"

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I get this often, once I got shouted at by the cyclist riding the "wrong" way, because I was not sure that if I'd moved from the left they would move too, so I kept riding on the left!
If I can be bothered, I say "we ride on the left in the UK!" ... mostly, I get back incredulous looks, because I have a strong foreign accent
I watched this happening to other riders too, often there is swearing from both parts, the right hand side riders seem to never admit they are in the wrong.

 

[HLaB]

AFAIC vehicles stick to the left and only peds walk facing traffic on the right. I don't know why but touch wood everybody is doing that on the Cambridge busway.