To cycle on the pavement with children?

[Aquariusgirl86]

I commute to work on my bike and always cycle on the roads but recently bought a trailer for my bike so I can take my two children 14 months and 30 months out as we just got rid of the car. Is it ok to go on pavements? There are lots of cycle routes her but there's a few places I need to go that I can't use them, if I'm on small quiet roads I use the road but on medium- ish roads with wide pavements is it ok to use the pavement? I don't expect pedestrians to move out my way, I'm never in a huge hurry I just want to keep the kids safe.......aibu?

YABU. If i passed you with my double buggy, i would have to go in the road. Cyclists have no right of way on pavements.

I don't see a problem with cycling on the pavement if its a not busy street.

Obviously be courteous etc and maybe secure the bike 5 minutes away from the entrance to school and walk the rest of the way in so that youre not creating an obstruction, but I would much rather see a trailer on the street pavement than on the road level with all the exhaust fumes!

As pretty much everyone has said, YABU to cycle on the pavement, but I can see why you would want to with a trailer. Personally, I would never put my children in one on the road. I cycle to work and the number of cars who nearly take me out on a daily basis is frightening. The idea of having children on the road, that low down, and sticking out for cars to hit is beyond horrifying.

Those trailers were never meant to be used on roads in traffic. Just too dangerous IMO.

I think it'd be no problem if it was quiet, I'd think YWBBU if you took them out on the road in a trailer tbh! I saw a woman with two kids in a trailer on a busy London road the other week, I thought she was mad. So dangerous.

Reading your posts I'm totally with you and think cycling on the pavement is indeed the safe and sensible place for you to be.

However if I was walking along the pavement and came across you taking up my pavement space I wouldn't like it. (Totally two faced of me, and no help to you!). It wouldn't bother me enough to say anything to you though.

YANBU to want to cycle on the pavement in the circumstances as you describe. I would probably recommend that you check the legality of it with a police officer, but sadly think you might be told that you shouldn't do it. I wouldn't cycle on any road with a trailer tbh, they are a hazard, very hard to spot for drivers, esp. those in large vehicles which would obvioulsy do the most damage if they hit you. Is there anyway that you can use a car just to get to the cyclepath? I know it sounds daft, but that's what I do when I want to cycle (which frankly isn't very often!)

It is technically illegal, and if you injured someone or damaged something by accident you would be at fault.

I can see your point of view. However, I also think on quiet, wide pavements cyclists tend to cycle faster than they otherwise would, meaning that the pedestrians who are on the pavement have less time to react to them.

I have no experience of this, but I imagine the trailer makes your bike a bit harder to control, and may increase the breaking time a bit. This may make you a bit more dangerous on pavements as you may not be able to react as quickly in an emergancy. Would there be room on the pavement for you to easily pass someone in a wheelchair or someone with a double pushchair all the way along the pavement?

I may be a bit against this as someone nearly took my legs out with a trailer on a bike the other day, in the middle of a pedestrianised town centre, where cycling is definately not allowed!

If it were me I would also walk the pavement bits and maybe sneak a bit of cycling if it there pavement was super wide and I had a clear view of the surrounding area. Ie if the pavement were running along houses and driveways then I would not cycle but if the pavement ran alongside an open space such as a field then I might jump on the bike.

Get off and walk; safer for everyone.

OP - AIBU?

Everyone - Yes

OP - Oh but I'm not, you just don't understand what I mean

Everyone - Yes we do, YA still BU

OP - Oh but I'm not, you just don't get it, the law doesn't apply to me because I have common sense

YABU even though I completely understand why you would want to ride on the pavement.
I hate cycling on busy roads. I also hate cyclists on pavements. Wobbles little kids fine but anyone else should be on the road.
The problem is not you as such it is that because people do it other people think it's ok so more people do it who may not be as careful as you.

I have used a double chariot trailer for ages and stay on cycle paths and quiet roads. It doesn't seem sensible to me to go on pavements even if v slow/careful/considerate. Previously I lived in the NL and cycled everywhere and agree that unfortunately the roads aren't really set up for family cycling here.
If you are serious about cycling them everywhere, perhaps consider a kangaroobike

I'm on the fence with this (removes splinters from backside).
On one hand I can completely understand why you don't want to cycle on the road. On the other hand it is illegal to cycle on the pavement see rule 64

It is unfortunate that we don't have enough provision in this country for cyclists.

I am a total busybody about this. I always ask cyclists why they are on the pavement. I just can't help myself but cringe later when I think of all the awkward conversations I've had. Some people do actually say though they don't know why they are cycling on the pavement and agree to get off it quite reasonably

Whoops. I can see why you want to cycle on the pavement

I think I would do the same as you OP. If there are no other people on the pavement I would cycle on it.

I would push the bike if there were other people on the pavement.

I don't think a 30 month old will know that that bit of pavement is not a cycle path.

I can see why you want to. I still don't think you should.

I walk to work up a narrow pavement. It is so narrow I choose to never walk my children on it, if I am with them we go another way - it is really two people wide, so you can pass another pedestrian but not much more. It has two schools on it so is quite busy. Today, a cyclist was coming down the same path as I walked up and looked really cross at all us pedestrians being there. Thing is, it is a terrible, narrow road as well as a terrible, narrow pavement. I would not want to cycle it - so I don't. He needed to go another way, and so do you.

When my children and I cycle we:
(1) chose cycle paths
(2) chose roads where the pavement is wide enough and quiet enough that they can safely be on the pavement while I go on the road beside (I do not join them on the pavement)
(3) walk or bus instead

They are trained that on the park cycle routes, they stop or (if safe) go off the path if a pedestrian is near. On the pavement, they walk their bikes if there are any pedestrians - we live on a long, quiet road so they can usually see the whole route so we know whether it is clear or not, usually we pass no-one. The 11-year-old is now never allowed on the pavement, the seven-year-old still sometimes is.

It is frustrating that there are so few decent cycle paths in our area. I wish there were more as there are so many more journeys that would work well on bike if there were better provision. But there isn't - you can't just ignore the law and other road users.

I remember hearing in the news about a lorry driving into the back of a trailer containing a baby many years ago. The driver had no idea there was s baby on board.

I would probably cycle on pavements on busy roads as long as there were very few people. And as long as you stop and walk the trailer past any pedestrians.

Id also write child on board in huge letters on the back of the trailer. Wear fluorescents and helmets.

Is there a longer whiter way you could go?

no-one is allowed to cycle on the pavement. If you find a bit where you really feel unsafe on the road, get off the bike and wheel it. That's what you are supposed to do and that's fine.

Quieter

I disagree entirely with at least most of the posters on the first page!

Assert yourself on the road?? What a load of bullshit, difficult to do when you have two children behind you, out of sight.

Personally I would either cycle only on safe paths/pavements or invest in a Dutch style bike with child seats on the front.

Gobsmacked by the responses on this thread.

Is there any evidence to say that using a child trailer on the road is dangerous? I suspect it might be safer than a lone cyclist.

I would say that a small percentage of pavements are eminently suited to low speed careful cycling, though in my area these are shared use. I think it would have to be double width with a decent view. As someone else said, cars often don't look or give way when leaving driveways so there are risks there.

Having said all that, I think your best approach would be to build up confidence with the trailer on quiet roads and then use that confidence to build up to a busier environment.

AnneEyhtMeyer - well, I didn't say YABU, nor did a few others, so your post is bollocks.

Common sense should prevail, and it sounds like the OP is possessed of a reasonable amount. She said several times it is a very wide, quiet bit of pavement. Doesn't sound like she'd be endangering or inconveniencing anyone.

OP - try it a couple of times and if the pavement is as quiet as you say you should be fine.