to think you should control your kids on their bikes?

[WatteringChanker]

I was cycling to work today across a path which is 2-bikes wide. Woman with pushchair and 2 (approx) 4 year old kids was going in the same direction as me across the path.

Both boys moved a bit to the side to let me and the lady in front of me pass. Then one decided fuck this and swerved into the middle of the path.

I yanked my breaks which meant my back wheel skidded out from under me and sent me flying.

The woman was quite apologetic but not enough for my liking and threw many excuses about her kids being wobbly on their bikes, not having hearing aids in etc.

AIBU to think that if her kids are so wobbly on their bikes they shouldn't be riding them across a path used by loads and loads of commuters? Or that the stupid cunt mum should put her kids hearing aids in so they can hear people coming?

For the record, I'm starting to suspect I've broken or fractured something in my hand as it hurts like fuck and is swollen nearly double the size. Sue the bitch.

YABVU thinking that a hearing aid would mean a child could hear you approach on a bike.

That's quite true actually sashh. I do a fair bit of canal walking and I don't hear the cyclists until they ding their bell just in time for me to avoid being flattened. i then have to jump in the long grass with the dog poo in it as they thunder past.

Assuming this was on a cycle path, it's the perfect place to take your DC's to teach them to ride their bikes. Imagine if a 4 year old had swerved like that when he was on the side of the road. Where would you suggest that this mother takes them for some exercise? I do think however that the children should have had their hearing aids in, I'm a bit by that, especially as balance is so closely linked to ears. I hope you recover well and soon, from a fellow cyclist who falls off regularly without any 4 year olds to freak me out! (I would have scooted past them with my feet on the floor tbh)

The woman and children were in front of you. It's your responsibility to make sure it's absolutely safe to overtake and you failed.

You saw two young children "wobbling" on their bikes. Most people would have the common sense to consider the possibility that the children might suddenly stop or swerve. If you can't cycle and overtake safely, then you shouldn't have been riding on that path.

I'd be interested to know how many of these people who are suggesting the cyclist should get off and push when they see kids ahead would get out of their car and push in a similar situation?

boomting that is a really weird thing to put.

I don't drive but surely in that situation you'd drop to a very slow crawl?

With cycling paths designed for a maximum speed of 12mph, I'm really surprised that you were required and managed to brake hard enough to crash rather than simply stop abruptly. Especially as you should've considerably slowed down around the more vulnerable road users.

If you want to travel faster, use the road, cyclepaths are for slow speeds, that's all their designed to be safe for.

Has the op said that this definitely was a cyclepath? He said he was going "across a path used by loads & loads of commuters".

BTW, you should never lose the backwheel in a skid in an emergency stop - read sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html

what raisinboys said