To think that adults should cycle on the road

[LoopyLou1981]

It’s been a long time since I’ve been organised enough to get up (and get 2 kids up) and out early enough to walk to the station instead of getting the bus.
On a 2 mile walk, I’ve been ‘dinged’ at by 3 cyclists to get me to move over on the pavement so they could get passed.
Is this a new thing?! Our roads aren’t narrow or any more dangerous than any others. AIBU to think they should be on the road?!

I have a physical disability. It was caused by being hit by a cyclist on the pavement. My stick will remind me for the rest of my life of their entitled pigheadedness. (And is a permanent reminder of the fucking awful city it happened in )

Sadly I know of a child who was killed by a cyclist riding on the pavement.
Obviously there isn’t adequate provision for cyclists in general and so I can see why they would feel vulnerable enough to ride on pavements but do you think it’s widely known that they pose a serious threat to pedestrians when they do this? It’s not just scary or annoying it’s dangerous.

They shouldn't cycle on the pavement, unless it's a designated cycle path or a shared footpath/cycle path, in which case it will be clearly marked which side is for bikes and which for pedestrians.

In my experience the number of pedestrians who actually follow that is tiny, though as I said there aren't many cyclists around me - it may be better where people are more 'used to' it.

In other words, there are plenty of shit cyclists just as there are plenty of shit motorists. Difference is one lot have to pass a test and pay a lot of money to use the roads.

Another difference - and a rather bigger one - is that shit cyclists are overwhelmingly likely to hurt or kill themselves; shit motorists have a far, far bigger risk of hurting or killing someone else. I say this as someone who both drives and cycles. I try and do both well, but I - unlike, it seems, quite a lot of motorists - am very aware that in a car I could cause huge damage just through inattention.

YANBU. They’re on the pavement bloody everywhere I live. Except for the one which is a sodding shared cycle path. No, they won’t cycle on that. The cycle on the road 5 metres away and parrallel which has tram tracks then whinge they slide on the tram tracks in the rain and campaign against the tram.

There are some guidelines about cycling on the pavement here.

lcc.org.uk/articles/minister-for-cycling-clarifies-pavement-cycling-advice-after-1057-fines-for-pavement-cycling-in-london

It's time cyclist had to have insurance and a number plate to show they have. Then the idiots could be held to account for their stupidity.

In other words, there are plenty of shit cyclists just as there are plenty of shit motorists. Difference is one lot have to pass a test and pay a lot of money to use the roads.

Not this again!

'Car tax is based on amount of CO2 emitted so, if a fee had to be paid, cyclists - who are sometimes branded as 'tax-dodgers' - would pay the same as 'tax-dodgers' such as disabled drivers, police cars, the Royal family, and band A motorists, ie £0.'

ipayroadtax.com

To get back to the OP...I agree that cyclists shouldn't cycle on the pavement, unless it's designated as a cycle path.

The cycle lanes where I live are quite poorly thought out. There are some shared use paths (on which many pedestrians walk on the red bit that has a big bike painted on it, but not on the pedestrian bit right next to it). There are some cycle lanes with a broken white line, in which cars are permitted to park. So you have to cycle in the lane for a bit and then move into the path of traffic when it becomes obstructed by cars. And there are a lot of lanes that aren't continuous.

That's similar to the trans argument, there's not many of them.

Yeah, so deaf people just shouldn’t go out. Honestly, these awful attitudes that we shouldn’t bother considering disabled people because there aren’t many of them belong in the bin of history.

My experience with cyclists is that they turned their feelings of being the oppressed minority to a massive sense of over-entitlement.
Cycling on the pavement is my pet peeve. Especially when they insist on taking over from the inside and exposing you as a pedestrian to the passing cars. Go and fuck yourself, lycra beauty!
They also love leaving the designated cyclist lane to veer into the traffic and ignore any traffic lights or signs. Jumping the red is their favourite sport and they don't mind hitting a pedestrian while doing so.
I had so many negative experiences with cyclists as a pedestrian that I have no sympathy with them.
I will always treasure these jokes from this article, especially the lycra one. Whoever put up those posters must have been really pissed off but with a good sense of humour:

www.thejournal.ie/posters-howth-cycling-strange-3339315-Apr2017/

Cyclists ideally should not be on pavements but I am always happy to see people on bikes. One less car on the road pumping out lethal fumes for my kids to inhale. So I forgive cyclists their many sins!

I'm a cyclist (and pedestrian) and teach children road cycling. Cyclists should not cycle on the pavement... BUT pedestrians are not always aware that they are on a shared use path. Sometimes these are just not very clearly signed and sometimes people just don't see the signs or know what they mean. I have been told off by people for cycling on the pavement when I've been on a shared path which has frequent signs on it.

And there you have it, 30 mins into what is obviously going to turn into another "let's bash all cyclists post. Can't do right for doing wrong

"On a 2 mile walk, I’ve been ‘dinged’ at by 3 cyclists..."
"The bell ringing thing really gets my goat..."

Interspersed with

"I'd rather they ring their bell..."
"I don't mind, especially if they have a bell...Please get a bell cyclists."

Make your minds up

It's not really about the bell. If the cyclists weren't illegally on the pavement they wouldn't be needing to use their bell at pedestrians

So now it's acceptable to mock people who are a bit overweight just because they are riding a bike Clandestino?

Just as responsible dog walkers who clean up after their dog don't like being lumped together with those who don't, it's a shame that all cyclists seem to be viewed as a homogenous group of people who do nothing but disobey the rules of the road.

@GhostsToMonsoon - the lycra is the point of the joke, not the fact that they are cycling.

Yes, but it's elephants in lycra - which to me suggests a mockery of overweight people.

vitalogy, cyclists have the option of cycling in the road. Deaf people don’t have the option not to be deaf or not to use pavements. Therefore cyclists should get in the fucking road.

@ShatnersWig - it was a London borough that arranged the training outsourced to people who taught cycle safety full time, and my journey to work crossed at least two boroughs so I doubt they individually would have any input into the cycling infrastructure across London. Which isn't terrible, but definitely has incredibly dangerous gaps/oversights.

I drive, walk, cycle and use public transport. I think it's incredibly clear in more cities that there are v few planners who do all of the above and understand the risks. There are many people on bikes who are tossers, but it's about the same proportion as people in cars. I think lessons for adults, which were offered by the council, as well as support in the safest way to plan your route to work, is a really worthwhile intervention as it means a) fewer cars/people on buses in rush hour b) more people cycling safely and c) fewer people on pavements ideally as they have the confidence to cycle on the road (and the knowledge it's illegal not to)

In some cases, cycle lanes aren't the best option- they're often in places where there's no real space for them, meaning drivers get used to leaving no safe passing distance.

The more people who cycle the better, but it requires the right infrastructure and a degree of enforcement of the behaviour of people on cars, and on bikes, for it to be as safe as it can be.

Cyclists on the pavement is one of my biggest bugbears. My DH had a broken arm after being hit on the pavement by a cyclist. He's over 6' and he had our then 7yo and 2yo with him - I shudder to think what would have happened if one of them had copped it instead of DH. The twat was full of "I rang my bell" but the pavement was busy and full and there was nowhere for anyone to go!

More annoyingly is that there is a cycle path in our town, but apparently it's "too long" as it goes round the back of the houses instead of up the middle of the main street. It takes an extra 10 minutes to walk the route with children so not bloody long on a bike.

CPS didn't proceed with charges for reasons that were never quite explained.

vitalogy, cyclists have the option of cycling in the road. Deaf people don’t have the option not to be deaf or not to use pavements. Therefore cyclists should get in the fucking road. The roads are pretty dangerous for cyclists, so if they're considerate I don't have a problem with them using the path. I like to encourage more cycling and less cars, that's my main concern.

I don't have a problem with adult cyclists using non-shared use pavements if they give way to pedestrians. The roads are ludicrously dangerous and a lot of the time pavements are completely empty for miles. And in some cases cars park in cycle lanes etc. I agree that some cycle paths stop in ridiculous places. Or have really high kerbs so it's difficult to get on them at any point other than the start and finish. Or the local cycle path allows dog walkers to use it. Most are sensible and keep dogs on short leads, but others let dogs off lead or use the extendible leads so the dogs run across you when you are cycling along.

However, I feel really strongly that they give way to pedestrians and it's rude to "bell" someone even if you do have right of way, which they don't because they shouldn't be on the pavement. Not sure why people can't say excuse me on shared use paths. Hate bells! Interesting that a PP above says they prefer them, they just sound utterly imperious to me.

Disclaimer: there is a short stretch of road near me where I use the pavement (probably 200m). The road is very busy and I'd have to cross it twice. But if I see people walking along it I get off and walk my bike past them and then get back on.