AIBU to point out these things to people who used a shared cycle path?

[MrsFlannel]

It's a SHARED path. That means it is for cyclists AND runners, walkers with or without dogs.

If you want to stand in the middle of the path with three large dogs talking to your friend, do not be surprised when I don't say "good morning" back to you as I squeeze my three children past you on our bikes because you've left us a FOOT of path.

If you walk all smiley and happy on the RIGHT side of the path do not be surprised when I am annoyed to have to swerve into oncoming "traffic" with my DC and risk a collision.

If you have dogs which are nervous of wheeled things, please hold them or get them to sit down so they don't suddenly dart beneath my wheels and risk getting injured. I love dogs by the way.

I DO have a bell and I DO call out "Just coming up behind you!" in a cheery voice when walkers are ahead of me....they then turn like this and look as though I've just told them to get out of the bastard way or thrown shit at them.

If I don't call out they do the same.

So...if you use a path as a walker and it is also meant for cyclists, please walk on the LEFT.

Please. It's my only way to get to school and I hate the risks.

I'm confused about what you are talking about.

Is it something like this?

www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.316874,-0.558824,3a,75y,46.07h,60.52t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sbXQWivnKIcfxgayXIU9uTg!2e0

Or like this:

posgood.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/canal-walk-015.jpg

?

I had no idea you should stick to the left on such paths. Does it count to for paths next to a canal. On our path right next to a canal, I always move closest to the water if I'm on foot, and let the cyclist/those with children go furthest away from the water. I thought that was the nice thing to do, but perhaps I've been doing it wrong.

The Sustrans track near me has no centre line - but then its width varies hugely at different points.

I don't recall seeing a sign along it either, to say which side you should be but maybe that's on a different entry point to the ones we usually use. As this is a very flat area, there are loads of serious as well as casual cyclists so I really don't get the women with 3 year olds who are just walking along, heads down, prodding their phones whilst the kids wander off ahead, towards the lone hill, or blind bends.

Also don't get people who walk dogs offlead. The most abusive people I have met on there were walking a black lab offlead that suddenly appeared out of the undergrowth and bowled in front of me (re-passing them after earlier on them screaming abuse at me for not having a bell. I was riding a brand new bike, only picked up hours before, hence no bell but as |I was several metres away from them as they took over the entire track I rode on the separate grass track, I didn't think no bell was an issue....) As we're near York, and I've never seen them again, I suspect they were tourists, from one of the caravan parks, so not used to the Sustrans tracks.

Have to admit, using it several times a week, sometimes for hours at a time, I have only once encountered a cyclist (teen boy) on the 'wrong' side and yet encountered countless pedestrians/dogs/toddlers on the 'wrong' side.

Most cycle paths we use (lots near us :) ) don't have a dividing line. DH has been involved with building new paths through work and is a very keen cyclist himself, and has always said that they are generally guidelines not rules. Although obviously it helps if everyone is courteous and give people space, and the lines help facilitate that.

Boulevard our cycle path has those tiles..you have to be careful going over them on a bike, especially little ones bikes, as they can push your wheel to one side. It would of been better to of been the other way round

Sustrans is a charity. It is not the government. It is not a law, it's a recommendation they make.

PO according to the Department of transport.pedestrians ALWAYS have right of way on shared paths

webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/archive/2004/ltnwc/annexdcodeofconductnoticefor1688

I don't actually mind what side people walk on as long as they leave space for others to pass or move if you ring a bell or call out. People are generally pretty good on my local greenway except for a few memorable exceptions.

What gets my goat is the really long dog leads with a walker on one side of the path and a dog in the bushes at the other side. At dawn or dusk it can be really hard to see black leads against the tarmac path so it's basically a trip wire going across the path sometimes.

particularly note:

'Always respect pedestrians even if they stray onto the cycling side (if there is one); they are entitled to do so.'

I use cycle paths, tracks, roads every day. It's usual to keep to the left and over-take on the right, just as you do on a road, even if you're on foot (none of this walking facing on-coming bikes). Where you are on a path doesn't matter until you're overtaking/being overtaken or have traffic coming towards you.

As for a bike without a bell, I thought new ones all had to be sold with a bell?

YANBU! mind you, when you're cycling, it's the pedestrians who are annoying, and the dogs, when you're on foot the blummin cyclists think they own the path. If you have a dog, the cyclists are irritating. A problem of demarcation! they should put a line down it.

There are hundreds of places you can walk a dog off a lead
Actually, there aren't. There are footpaths near me which would be lovely walks, were it not for the tenant farmer who erupts from his bungalow in full-on 'Git orf moi land!' mode: back onto the lead goes dog. Quite a lot of woods are nature reserves (no dogs, even on leads) or have psychic gamekeepers (more 'Git orf moi land!') even at times of year when there would be no conceivable harm your dog could do to the game: dog goes back on lead again.

I walk in three places where I might encounter bikes (compared to two where I have never seen one). In two of those three places, the bikes shouldn't really be there at all: one's a footpath only; the other is wooded and is not meant for cyclists and they whip out of bushes silently, at speed, and its terrifying if you have dogs or small children with you. The other is shared use with cyclists so I keep a sharp eye out and get the dog to come and sit and wait - and avoid the bikeable paths where possible.

It's all about consideration and give and take. I don't mind the bikes on the footpath, provided they're sensible about the dogs, and I always give way to the bikes on the mixed-use path. But I do get hacked off by the bikes in the woods, because they cannot see what they might hit.

So it's not just the dog walkers who spoil things.

In Edinburgh there are plenty of mixed Sustrans paths the cycle side is usually labelled - It is NOT always on the left regardless of which direction you are going. Paths are usually divided into a walking half and a cycling half regardless of direction - so you cannot always cycle to the left of a dividing line (and thats why the sustrans website doesn't ask you to do so)

On some of the narrower routes there is no dividing line and you just have to be careful and courteous. As a dog walker with (usually) good dogs, they've occasionally had a brain-fart and caused someone to brake sharply - I apologise. As a cyclist I've regularly had to swerve to avoid dogs/kids/oblivious groups of people chatting. Thats the cost of having mixed paths. But I'd rather have them than not.

I think pedestrians are trained to keep right as they're supposed to walk on the side of oncoming vehicles. The underground is most insistent on it.

Our local area has shared pavements. I am trying to train my children to cycle or scoot over to the left.
Unfortunately there is a section of the path that has been dug up and relaid, like a mini path within a path, and my two are obsessed with following it!

On the road down past our local station there is a shared path/cycle way with a line painted down it. The cycle bit is closest to the road. Sadly this means that the pedestrian bit is basically under the overgrown hedge...... I walk on the cycle bit but I am ready to leap out of the way.

PS given how few cycle paths there are compared to fields, footpaths and parks and playing fields, it makes it even more selfish for dog owners to decide a cycle path is the best place to exercise their dog.

I couldn't agree more - happens in my area as well. Lots of trails etc so where do the dog-walkers take their dogs, yes the (nearly) brand new lovely cycle path! At night I can understand it as it's lit but please not in the day.

And I stick to the left when I am cycling.

When I walk with DD, we always walk over to the side because we like to mosey - we ensure there's ample room for people to pass.

Round here the cyclists fall into two clear groups. Those that ride past with a nice smile and a "thank you" and those that tear up behind you ringing their bell, despite the fact there is no need because we're already at the side. Twats

MehsMum - I agree when it is a normal footpath, cyclists should not be there. But when it is designated a cycle path, families should be able to cycle without fear of a dog off its lead having a go at them.

The incident with my son was in Cornwall where there are only a tiny number of cycle trails, but thousands of footpaths and other open areas.
I just do not understand why a dog owner would let their dog off the lead and harass cyclists when both could end up being hurt if they collide. Dogs on cycle tracks should be under control, not wandering about.

We ride our bikes on various cycle tracks all over the NW. Some have very clear notices about sharing the space and staying left, others don't.
I ride in front of DH because I've got the loudest bell and always shout out to warn him 'DOG HAZARD!', 'CHILD HAZARD'!
Not really considered what other users think of me doing that until now...

Love love love that you use a bell and call out when coming up behind people! I wish every biker was half that thoughtful. The sole reason my dog barks at bikes is that every time I get her (re) trained to sit calmly and watch them go by, another bike whizzes silently past at high speed from behind with no warning, makes me jump and she decides again that bikes are Evil. I've given up trying to convince her otherwise and just try to have eyes in the back of my head.

No one in my area ever uses their bell!

My DD and DS have adult trikes and they was on a cycle/ walking path recently and noticed a 3 year old coming towards on a bike but he was wobbling all over the place. They both stopped as far over to the right as possible on the edge of the canal. About 50 yards behind the boy was a man presumably the father. When he got up to my DS he said you could have given my son more room you FAT COW, did he want them to go into the canal. He didn't seem bothered that his son was still wobbling on the edge of a canal. A case of no manners or sense !

Middle, sorry, only just seen your post. I agree: dogs should not harass bikes, which is why I watch mine like a hawk on shared-use paths (which are not much used by bikes during the week anyway). I do expect a bit of consideration in return (bell, a slow down to give me a chance to call in the dog if necessary) and usually I get it and everyone's happy.

It's one of those issues like dog shit everywhere: some dog owners get the rest of us a bad name. It has been suggested that dogs be banned from our local playing fields, because of lazy-arse dog-owners who don't pick up. Pisses the rest of us off mightily.

I've never seen motorist saying thank you to all the pedestrians staying on the pavement as they pass on their section of the highway...so why on earth would a cyclist do this on a shared path..?

because on a road cars have priority, on a shared pathway pedestrians do.It's all in the hghway code.

...and those that tear up behind you ringing their bell, despite the fact there is no need because we're already at the side. Twats

Maybe they're ringing their bell to tell you they're coming so you or your children don't suddenly wander over to the right hand side? Few people think of 'mirror, signal, manoeuvre' when they're walking on a path.

And you don't need a bell on a bike. They have to be sold with bells, but you can take them off after you buy them.