To think if cars don't allow enough room for my bike, I have no choice but to go onto the pavement?

[Hammy02]

I cycle to work everyday but increasingly I've found that cars are so close to the pavement that I couldn't fit my bike inbetween. What am I supposed to do? I live in a city in which there are loads of bikes so locals should be used to cyclists. Unless it is tourists but still.

sorry the first sentence should have been in quotes

Mr B. I wouldn't know where to start if we were to talk about what car drivers have done/nearly done to me (as a pedestrian and when I was a car driver). (IAM registered actually)

Institute of advanced motorists, so I probably do know what I am talking about.

And don't forget that if every cyclist was in a car, there'd be gridlock......

Bikes ARE allowed to undertake slow moving motorised vehicles, or stationary vehicles, on the left.
Bikes ARE allowed on dual use cycle/pedestrian paths, of which there are many where I live
Cyclists AND pedestrians have a duty of care to each other when using such dual use paths.

And for what it's worth, I never move off the path when walking for a cyclist who zooms up behind me ringing a bell, I think that's rude

Bikes are allowed to undertake stationary cars and the highway code tells drivers of stationary vehicles to be aware or bikes & motorbikes passing on either side. Quelle problem?

Haka

MrsPeterDoherty ... oh hell yes that gets right on my tits!

oooh the places II'd stick their bell...

See OP, it's drivers like microfight who are the idiots blocking the road for cyclists, forcing them to weave around traffic, hold up cars by pretending to be one or cycle on pavement. We know the highway code apply's to us, but you obviously haven't read it.

Bicycles aren't cars! They don't have to act like them. Give them some space!

The problem with undertaking is you need a passenger in the car to take 'em out with the door....

What - noooo, undertaking is gud. Because if a driver has behaved badly toward you as a cyclist, you can key the length of their car with , ironically, the car keys one has in one's pocket.( done that more than once tbh) Such sublime justice. Though disproportionate. You risk my life, I only get to damage your car. And sadly you never know who did it. Oh well. The world isn't perfect.

Pan I used to whack the roof of the car, very hard...cue shock on driver face as it makes a heck of a noise :o

thanks for the hint! Never done that. But now it is my library of responses.

I'm a driver, cyclist and pedestrian.

YABU totally and utterly U. Bikes never belong on the pavement.

If you don't feel confident on the road do a course as others ahve suggested or read Cylclecraft the cyclists bible.

To make your self safe on a bike you have to be visible. Ocassionally that means a precious driver losing 5 minutes on their journey but they would lose considerably more time if they actually knocked you off.

The thing that drivers miss about city cycling is that cyclists take longer to get between traffic lights but because most cars end up waiting at the lights the time taken to travel A-B is actually the same.

I have proved this on a number of occasions. Most spectacularly when one of my neighbours (in a flashy sportscar with equally distinctive personalised plate) carved me up in spectacular and dangerous style at a junction near work.

I recoverd and pedalled on home. When I got there he too was just arriving home. He was quite suprised when I went over and remonstrated with him pointing out that his 'fast' car and potentially life threatening driving had got him home at exactly the same time as my very safe cyclist (metaphorically I cycle a 3 speed granny bike but the locals hills necessitate a road bike).

On another ocassion some tit actually drove at me in heavy traffic as he objected to me 'taking the lane'. After all being one place in front of me in teh queue was vitally important. He was so closed I felt moved to engage with him. We had words. He overtook. I then followed him all the way to work (directly behind him in heavy traffic). He was one of my newly appointed colleagues. I think he was embarrassed. Attempting to killi your colleague on day 2 of the job by driving into them in your BMW is never cool!

You do have a CHOICE - cycle on the road or don't cycle.

Footpaths are for people including the very vulnerable, babies, children, elderly etc . I was run over by a 9 year old cyclist on a footpath 16 years ago and still have injuries from that accident. Imagine if a child was hit instead of a grown up!!!

If you cycle on footpath or through a green man I will shout at you and publicly shame you. Btw I am a cyclist, driver and pedestrian

Why are people getting upset with cyclists ringing their bell when the cyclist approaches from behind?? It's a warning sign. I get annoyed when a cyclist DOESN'T ring their bell and scares the living daylights out of me.

Poor cyclists can't do anything right.

I have to say also that pavements are for slow traffic. I don't think that means no cycling. I think it means that if you are on your bike and pedalling very slowly (walking pace) then it's fine. It should be about consideration to others no matter where you are. Unfortunately there are some very inconsiderate people who spoil it for others.

the pavement is for pedestrians.

A cyclist has no more right to use the pavement than a car driver or a motorcyclist.

If you are a road user and traffic is slow or heavy, that's just hard luck, whatever your vehicle.

The cyclist does however have the option to get off and walk if they want.

Well, some people are BLACK and WHITE. No room for GREY is there. Does that mean children also should go on the road?

Ditziness
My post was meant to be in quotes, I am actually a cyclists and driver. I copied and pasted another poster and replied underneath.
I was trying to make the point that it is stupid to say cyclists can't overtake on the inside when the traffic is stopped because cars do it all the time. For example, when there are 2 or 3 lanes in grid lock and the traffic starts moving again often the left lane starts moving or is moving faster than the right hand lane thus 'overtaking' on the inside. Drivers don't stay still until the lane to the right starts moving in fact they often weave in and out to get to the fastest lane don't they.

Cyclists should never ride on the pavement. It is immensely dangerous. I know someone who killed his friend's grandmother when he ran into her on his bike on the pavement. He was only a kid and he's psychologically scarred for life. What a tragedy for everyone concerned. Please don't do it, Pan or anyone else. Because no matter how 'careful' you think you are, you can't predict when someone is going to pop out of a drive, suddenly stop or change direction. That's the nature of pedestrians. And it IS terrifying for small children to be zoomed past even when you don't hit them.

Gohwee

It makes me because they aren't doing what you and I would, they are cycling a road speed and continuously ring their bell from 15 metres away expecting people to stand to one side until they whizz past.

I have bollocked a neighbour of mine for this as it is pig ignorant.

That said I've no objection to cyclists ringing their bell loudly when pedestrians are ambling along on a clearly marked cycle lane as opposed to the adjacent footpath yes two chatting ladies and your dcs I am talking about you. You looked so surprised, what did you think all the pretty pictures of bicycles pained on the path every to metres meant?

The pavement is for pedestrians.

Agreed.

Perhaps some self-righteous drivers need to think on then when they dump their vehicle two wheels on and two wheels off so you can't get a buggy past. Or are parked on the shared pedestrian/cycle path.

Everyone needs to be a little more considerate.

And 'undertaking' is perfectly acceptable and legal for cyclists though it needs to be done with care; there are plenty of drivers who will block your progress simply because they can.

Rhubarbgarden - yes that is a tragedy but it was the way he was cycling: his attitude: his manner. He also might have killed her if he had been a jogger doing the same - not paying regard to anyone else.

There must be room for us all to co-exist. That will only happen if we all start to remember we are not the most important person. The world population figures have just come out...we need to get on with each other and respect each other whether we are on the road, the pavement, the bus or a park. Sadly, I think a lot of us have forgotten basic manners & respect.

Oh shit..this sounds really preachy (I'm not like that at all!!) but if this financial crisis teaches us how to be nice to each and look out for each other again then it might just be a good thing.

Crumbs! are we still on this??

Some people haven't read Hungry's post re legality of riding on pavements. I'll still ride, carefully, on a pavement( esp. when beside a particularly death-trap road) , for as long as cyclist continue to be salughtered on the roads by moranic drivers ( like some people on this thread unforutnately). Must hide thread, otehrwise could play internet table tennis all day. (Few things on MN get my goat more than drivers telling me to pointlessly further risk my life on roads.)

"Few things on MN get my goat more than drivers telling me to pointlessly further risk my life on roads"

You are much happier risking injury to pedestrians on the pavement.