Bicycles on pavements - why are they not being ridden on a road?

I was going to bow out of this thread, but your comment about drug dealers struck a chord.

Round here, you have to watch out for electric bicycles and (somewhat ridiculously) electric scooters - I mean scooters that look like they're made for kiddies but with some kind of electrical motor - being used by adults who seem to be somewhat challenged on the dental front. (No teeth, natural or otherwise.)

It's not a particularly bad area in terms of populace (though there is that one house), but it's being used as a thoroughfare to other areas.

At the moment, the police are concentrating on those mini off-road motorbikes: teenagers are coming in from other areas and riding on the pavements and paths up to the football park and woodland park behind our estate. (It's worse than usual because senior pupils are on study leave.)

Can you imagine a mini driving up the M6 on the hard shoulder. Copper to driver: do you know why I've pulled you over? Yes officer but I'm scared of the big lorries hurting me. That's about the crux of the defenders' argument that you can drive a tractor through.

W.h.a.t.a.b.o.u.t.e.r.y

I rarely cycle functionally because it's not worthwhile for transport within my neighbourhood and there are no safe, efficient routes out of it to justify cycling as a form of transport, so I tend to end up driving over a tonne of metal around instead because it's a considerably safer way to get around on hilly 40mph/ NSL roads.
I do a bit of casual cycling off-road and either use a few quiet roads to access one route (doesn't go direct to useful places and you have to not mind mud splattered up your back) or drive the bike to a safe access point. If the people who want cycling to be formalised and pay tax ever get their own way, I'd send my bike to scrap metal. I'm not paying additional costs on top of those I face as a driver.

As someone who runs/ walks a lot, I overlook careful, gentle cyclists using wide paths alongside dangerous roads.

The idiots who are a menace on two wheels and bludgeon their way along any route they feel like at random are a bloody nuisence on the paths and the roads. Drug dealers and delivery services are the worst offenders. I doubt many of them ever deigned to read the highway code.

There are too many impatient, aggressive idiots and more of them are in motor vehicles. I've just got in and there were a pair of cyclists on the road on the last stretch of the journey. I was careful about observing them on the roundabout, safely passing wide, then there was some traffic calming. I then ended up with a van tailgating so indicated clearly before braking gently and turning off the main road, but frankly if he was any closer, I may as well have set the boot seats set up for him to sit in. What are the odds that he did a close pass on the bikes? 🤔
Yesterday there was much horn blasting from the impatient arsehole slingshotting 450⁰ around a roundabout to jump the queue to turn left and was incensed at the vehicle in front that had the audacity to turn right at a sensible pace appropriate to heavy traffic. 🙄

If more vehicle drivers were patient, observant and calm, more cyclists would have the confidence to use main roads.
Coherent, well maintained cycle networks would be a nice bonus.

I don’t have any problems with people cycling on pavements and would encourage non-lycra cyclists, for example children on their way to school or office workers cycling at slow speed to use pavements for safety.

My five second inconvenience as a pedestrian is less important to me than cyclists not getting injured or killed.

Having said that I come from a country where cyclists and pedestrians happily coexist on shared pavements and I’m used to it and find it natural to move out of the way for a cyclist. They do not annoy me at all. My British husband however found it terrifying when he first visited my home country and kept causing traffic and chaos on the pavement by trying to dodge the cyclists and stopping in the wrong places to let them pass. It took him a few days to relax into it and just walk confidently and let the cyclists pass without stopping or jumping the wrong way.
So I do appreciate it is not comfortable for everyone.

No one disputes that.

OK then, entitled cyclists, in general.

Which is a breach of the Highway Code

No, it’s about OP asking why many cyclists use pavements instead of roads.

Cyclists were provided with little or none of that for decades. Why begrudge them it now?

But the thread is about cyclist breaching the Highway Code.

New road layouts, roundabouts, road markings, new surfaces, cycle paths. Your first point is irrelevant to my post

It doesn’t excuse anything. I was simply addressing your claim that rule-breaking cyclists and motorists are equally dangerous. That is patently ridiculous.

I don’t see how that excuses some cyclist not adhering to the Highway Code. I was hospitalised too

I don't hate cyclists, I just hate the ones who zoom over zebra crossings when I'm walking across them and shout at me as if I'm in their way, and the ones who ride at speed on the pavement and expect pedestrians to leap out of their way.
I'm not saying either of those is you, I'm just reserving my right to hate cyclists who behave like boors.

I mean, I'm not sure who would be collecting data on cyclists zooming through pedestrian crossings and whether or not they were wearing lycra and pointy helmets. Purely anecdotal personal experience obviously, but im assuming you dont have data to disprove me either?
I don't drive btw. So I am not the cyclist hating driver you seem to be assuming I am.

You'll get called more names by drivers if you cycle.

Like to see your statistics for this? More likely commuters, teenagers and delivery cyclist.

I’ve road cycled for multiple years solo and group rides and not come across this once.

I hate cyclist posts, because “Lycra brigade” is always lumbered into the same category as a teenager/just eat delivery rider. Most of us are professionals, have jobs, I pay more insurance on my bikes than I do both my cars.

The UK hates cyclists, it doesn’t matter what we do, you’ll find fault, but don’t worry it’s us that die or get seriously injured for your one minute delay.

Look what a driver did in Liverpool recently. No cyclist can ever come close to being as dangerous as a driver.

We have narrow pavements. In my town centre there's a junction that's controlled by a set of 4-phase traffic lights. Cyclists often ride on the pavement to get ahead of the queuing traffic.

One rounded the bend, pretty fast, as I was walking along and nearly slammed right into me. As he bounced down the kerb and into the road to avoid me, he called me a cunt!

I also get fed up of cyclists who cycle on footpaths in the country. I know they are allowed to use bridleways but like horse riders, they are not allowed to use footpaths. I object because if I go out for a country walk, I don’t want to be crept up on by a cyclist who thinks they only have to ring their bell for me to stand aside for them. I also don’t like the footpaths being churned up by tyre tracks.

Bikes are getting more dangerous on pavements close to mr due to the massive rise in electric bikes. They also seem to ignore the cycle lanes and still use the path running next to it.

I’m sorry that’s happened to you but cyclists ignoring the rules can be just as dangerous as car drivers. I don’t hate cyclists but I don’t think some of them have ever studied the Highway Code. Anyone can buy a bike and start riding it without ever being aware of the rules. I’ve no issue with cyclists who stick to the law.

Bicycles came before motor cars. Anyway, you didn’t answer my questions.

They're the very worst offenders for zooming through pedestrian crossings though.