To cycle ON the pavement?

[Hum2]

Haven't ridden in years and just getting back on it. Do not trust some of the cars on the road to overtake me with enough space. I'm still wobbly on it.

AIBU to ride on the pavement? Even when there is a cycle lane on the road (which was a locked at two points today by parked cars!).

I also use the 'green man' to cross the roads rather than moving to the road and crossing like a vehicle.

It drives me mad when I am on a pavement or shared path (usually have 2 pre schoolers with me as well) and some idiot cyclist speeds up behind me ringing their bell and expecting me to jump out of their way. How is that any different to me beeping my horn at cyclists and continuing to drive at the same speed when I am in my car.

Cyclists can hear you approach in a car because a car is noisy so no need to beep
I often ring my bike bell to alert other shared path users to my presence - people have a tendency to step sideways suddenly without looking behind them

I was driving to town the other day when a guy on a bike made it impossible for people to overtake safely, then qhen we approached lights decided to weave in and out the cars before using the pavement to avoid the red light and end up right back in front of us.

If it was impossible for you to overtake safely then how did he end up right back in front of you?
Drivers are always overtaking dangerously only to have cyclists get back in front at lights. Go slower instead!

Also - I expect you've seen more dickish behaviour from cars lately but it's always the handful of bad cyclists that get mentioned.

If it was impossible for you to overtake safely then how did he end up right back in front of you?

It can happen easily. Not the person who made the original comment, but it relates to my comment earlier. I overtake a cyclist safely. We get to traffic lights. I stop. They mount the pavement because they don’t want to wait and immediately are back in front. Not to mention how bloody dangerous it is.

I was driving to town the other day when a guy on a bike made it impossible for people to overtake safely, then then we approached lights decided to weave in and out the cars before using the pavement to avoid the red light and end up right back in front of us.
Why did you overtake dangerously when you were in an area where you would likely be stopped at lights anyway? Why not just drive slower?

Cholka

Ringing the bell to alert me to their presence is not good enough. Cyclists should slow down to walking pace to overtake. Some cars aren't very noisy i.e. electric cars. When I have been driving an electric car I have been behind cyclists which have been unaware I am behind them. I slowed right down and stayed behind them until it is safe to overtake.

Yes ride on the pavement. Just be respectful of pedestrian and all will be well.

Ignore the people on the thread who are wear a uniform in their heads.

@Hum2 I find this question very confusing. Cycling on the pavement is illegal. You even posted an attachment yourself that confirms it’s illegal, although police won’t take action in cases where a cyclist is otherwise responsible.

People do it. I see about three a day, so you can do it and get away with it. But occasionally someone will shout at you and tell you you’re breaking the law, which you are.

So what’s the question, really? What kind of answer are you looking for?

Jaquehammer - ideally you would be leaving space for the cyclist to get by you at the traffic lights. The front of the queue is the safest place for cyclists.

Lethaldrizzle

You misunderstand. I do leave space, there is the cycling box which is absolutely for cyclists.

These particular ones aren’t in that box. They’re on the pavement and then come at an angle towards the line of traffic, bumping down a kerb. What they’re doing isn’t safe.

Just to add I do, of course, leave the cycle lane free and unblocked. These chaps are too important to wait in that though.

So these cyclists are using the pavement even though there is an unblocked marked cycle lane on the road? Odd behaviour and annoying i agree but not sure it is unsafe for car drivers.

@flooredbored I prefer not to use my bell on shared paths as I view it the same as you do. Other pedestrians, however, view it as rude for cyclists to sneak silently up behind them and terrify them when they pass unexpectedly. There are often posts on social media complaining about cyclists not using their bells.

@Lethaldrizzle

Yes. As I clearly said they choose not to wait at red lights.

What they’re doing isn’t safe. I didn’t say for the driver. But when they come a cropper it’s the drivers who will in the midst of it through no fault of their own.

I hate people that cycle on the pavement. It's for walking on and I have seen many incidents where people just walking about have been smacked into and kicked over by people cycling on the pavement.

If you're not confident, practice at home or at a nature reserve/park that welcomes cyclists, not amongst the general public like that.

The problem is dangerous behaviour by cyclists is so obvious and it’s frightening because of the repercussions.

There’s one who I used to see regularly on the school run. He gets in the wrong lane every time. Every time. It’s a two lane road - left turn only and straight on. He wants to go straight on. Yet instead of being in the left hand side of the correct lane he hugs the kerb, meaning he goes straight on when cars are turning left. It’s absolutely terrifying to watch.

Haven't read the thread but as a partiality deaf person it's very frightening when a bike passes you on the pavement-every time it's just luck I don't walk into their path.

Cyclists are quite easy to destabilise though, especially if you accidentally swing your backpack over and around to resettle it on your shoulder. Or move a heavy shopping bag from one hand to the other as they zoom past.

Where I live people can’t cycle on the pavement as cars drive & park on pavement so there is literally no room to cycle. Mobility scooters & wheel chair users can’t even use the pavement

Motorists kill & injure far more pedestrians than cyclists, about 60:1 yet as so many people own cars, drive on the pavement and block access they don’t seem to worry about the biggest threat

Aren’t there plans afoot to make pavement parking illegal? Let’s hope so.

@ivykaty44 that's obstruction and police can enforce it (in England anyway), if there are parking restrictions being ignored it's a council responsibility.

(Of course there are few resources to enforce sadly)

“Aibu cycling on the path?”
“Yes”
“Well I’m still going to do it, but be a smug prick about it because I’m of course so safe and considerate.”
Well done,

There's a very small part of my commute where I have to cycle on the pavement. There is no way to join the road - I'd be launching myself into the middle of a gyratory system. (I occasionally see lycra-clad men do it and cringe in fear... everyone else, from teens to old ladies, uses the pavement.)

I could get off and walk, but then I'd be taking up more space. I sit behind pedestrians, wouldn't dream of overtaking, don't ring my bell because I don't want to make people jump (and I don't want to get through - I can wait).

No-one has ever said anything. If they do I'll apologise, agree that it's not right, and point out that the council have created a ridiculous multi-lane, six-exit gyratory system with no provision for cyclists leaving the town centre (I can use the road on the way in as it's one-way only), and there's no other way for me to get home.

When heavily pregnant last year I was knocked over by a lad on a bike. He came around a corner just as I came to it. He wasn't going fast or twatting around. But he shouldn't have been there. Fortunately I was just a bit bruised and baby was fine but it could have been worse.

If you're not comfortable on roads yet you need to find somewhere to practice first and get your confidence up. Don't cycle on the pavement.

In a perfect world cyclists would be perfectly safe on the roads. They aren't though, so many drivers just don't know or don't care how to act responsibly. It's well past the time a section in the driving test regarding how to behave around vulnerable road users is included, be that cyclists, horse riders, bikers or whatever.

So, if you feel safer on a pavement, and importantly are in control of your speed and treat pedestrians with respect, then all power to you - and the home office agrees with that.

Kitchen floor

Police don’t do anything about pavement parking outside of London

Some of the worst pavement parking is outside schools and police struggle to regulate that

It’s become ‘normal’ for motorists to park on pavement- I have been tooted at by motorists to move out of the way so they can drive and park on pavement.

It does mean though I don’t see pavement Cycling but motorists are a far bigger danger