To think cyclists don't need to be on the pavement

[Rosecatter]

Everyone is entitled to go out and exercise, obviously, and I understand that, at times, the roads are dangerous but there's hardly any traffic at the moment. I'm sick of having to leap out of the way for cyclists on the pavement, or then just whizzing past from behind me, and certainly not 2 metres away.
Get on the road.

Oh @Rosecatter forget me then, I went off on a tangent and completely forgot we were in lockdown.

You are right the roads are slow and lovely at the moment- if i wasnt about to pop i would be loving it on the bike doing all the trips we can't do normally. No no I agree at the minute people should be taking advantage of the clear roads.
Not me though, the only good thing about lockdown and Im too pregnant to enjoy it! trust me

Mockers is clearly one of those cyclists who believe they can do no wrong.

The pavement is for pedestrians. Not cyclists. Cyclists need to accept that they do not have right of way on a pavement and stop being dicks. (NB not all cyclists are dicks)

The real problem is inconsiderate and downright dangerous drivers who get too close to bikes, over take dangerously, shout and throw things and generally make cyclists feel unable to ride safely on the road.

Me and dh had so many trips planned to so many places when we first got our bikes but after one go on the road (without the kids) we decided that it wasn't worth it.

We dont drive and decided to try to save money we usually spend on bus / train / taxis (if we desperately have to) and get fitter while we were at it.
I couldn't afford to run a car and even if i could dh goes through this all the time he is desperate to drive i wouldn't because of the environmental impact anyway. Plus its nice to go out on the bike. I love seeing bikes and always wish there were more bikes than stinky cars. Especially on the school run turn off your engine!!

Rule 64: You MUST NOT cycle on a pavement.

It's pretty straightforward. Use a cycle path or the road. Pavements are for pedestrians.

@SoupDragon
I risk sounding like an idiot but how can yoh have right of way on a path? What do you mean when you say they dont have right of way?
I thought that was a road thing? Like roundabouts or whatever else

no wheels on the pavement except pushchairs and wheelchairs. No cycles, adult or child, no kids on scooters. That's the law and it hasn't changed. So correct, no cycling on the pavement except if it has a designated cycle path.

also all dogs on a lead at all times on a public road, even if there is no-one about. That's also the law and it hasn't changed.

The real problem is inconsiderate and downright dangerous drivers who get too close to bikes, over take dangerously, shout and throw things and generally make cyclists feel unable to ride safely on the road.

This with bells on!

It's very frightening to be on the receiving end of all that. So where were exactly would you like cyclists to be? Motorists (not all) don't want to share the road with them and pedestrians don't want them on the pavements either.

Yes, cycling on the pavement is illegal, but the police have been explicitly instructed to use discretion:

The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of the traffic, and who show consideration to other pavement users.

Chief police officers, who are responsible for enforcement, acknowledge that many cyclists, particularly children and young people, are afraid to cycle on the road. Sensitivity and careful use of police discretion is required.

www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2014/jan/20/police-cycling-pavements

Note the key words responsible and consideration.

Was it you who tutted at me today despite the path clearly being for both walking and cycling?

The problem is cars. It's a huge obvious screaming problem. Cars need to be squeezed out to make way for active transport.

Pedestrians and cyclists shouldn't be in competition for space. Give cyclists suitable safe space and they'll use it. Make them take their lives in their hands and they'll either stop cycling or sometimes decide to go on the pavement.

Car drivers cause so so so much more harm than cyclists. I can't get angry about pavement cycling when drivers can basically get away with murder.

I used to cycle a lot, very rarely on the pavement but sometimes it's the safest thing (when there are few pedestrians and visibility is good).

The only people I see on the pavement now are teenage boys who maybe lack the guts to go in the road. Can't say I blame them.

@Booksandwine80 if you were speeding along down the middle of the path and not giving me space, then yes
Some of our local paths are split like this but they are not wide enough to allow social distancing and, as I keep saying, the roads are not busy.

I cycle to work. I am a key worker (doctor) so still going to work at this time.

Where possible, I cycle through parks and quiet roads. This isn't possible at night for safety. I have to cycle on the busy main road, and I do occasionally go on the pavement at busy junctions, where there is no provision for cyclists. I cycle slowly and carefully.

I see this as better than driving to work, adding to pollution, and taking parking away from other staff who can't cycle.

I would imagine the problem at the moment is people who don't usually cycle but have started now - for exercise purposes or whatever. So they're inexperienced and lack confidence on the roads.

@hibbledobble I don't have any problem with people who are sensible and considerate. I'm a key worker (NHS) myself 🙋‍♀️(walking to work).

Don't know why it put that symbol there

Thank you Rose. It's a bit far for me to walk, but any form of active transport (walking/cycling) is great at this time, in order to be able to avoid public transport.

@Sleepsleepmeepmeep www.express.co.uk/news/uk/863550/cyclist-killed-bicycle-accident-two-pedestrians-every-week/amp

if you aren't conifident on the road cycling, now is the time to practice while they are quiet.
don't even think i'm moving out of your way if you are on a predestrian path.
ask what happened when someone yelled at me 'to move over as i'm coming through ' and ringing their fucking bell nine to the dozen. they were stopped and given a right bollocking,

"walk my bike to the park on the pavement. Is that not ok?"

Of course it is
You are just walking, pushing a bike, not riding it
No danger to anyone

Then once you are somewhere safely off road, in the countryside or park etc, you can ride

Cyclists shouldn't be on the path. If I'm walking i usually have a toddler with me and we should be safe.
I also cycle and have been told to get on the footpath by impatient motorists. Heaven forbid they are held up 10 seconds.

Most people are decent but some will be dickheads whether a pedestrian, bike or motorists.

The trouble is that some cyclists genuinely believe they are always right. That they deserve priority on both road and pavement. They expect cars to travel ridiculously slowly behind them for miles and move around them. Causing huge tailbacks and traffic delays is not good for the environment but of course they get the bragging rights of saying they cycle regularly. Some also, however, believe that they get to decide when they should be allowed to cycle on the pavement. Then ring their little fucking bells, expecting pedestrians to jump out of their way! The arrogance of it! Cycling isn't a right. If you can't deal with the conditions and traffic on the road then you have no business being on it. Walk instead. Or drive a car. But don't inconvenience everybody else by insisting on cycling when you can't do it legally and safely.

@SayNoToCarrots
It says that in 2016 3 people died from bike accidents.

Safe enough for me

I walk a lot around my area and have never encountered problems with bikes on the pavement until the last couple of days. I had considered starting a thread to see if it was happening elsewhere. It's dangerous for more than one reason and unnecessary.

Yanbu. At the moment the roads are quieter than quiet.

@Ohtherewearethen
You do realsise that cyxling is faster than walking and cheaper than driving so for some people it is their only suitable option.

If they are too slow for the road but too fast for the pavement where can they go? To a park?

How do you expect they get to work? The shop? Where ever they need to be?
They get there however they can get there- a mix of roads, paths and cycle paths. But it is not the fault of the cyclist that there aren't sufficient cycle paths everywhere.
Anyhow- people still walk on cycle paths rendering them useless!

The bells are nowt to do with expecting people to jump out of the way- it is to alert people that you're there. So they don't scare the shit out of you and hit you.

I move out of the way for pedestrians, cyclists, pushchairs and wheelchair users. Most people do.
The only people who are entitled are the prats on this threas who think that they can dictate what other people do. Until a police officer 'pulls me over' on my bike and forces me into the road I'll stay on the path. And so will everyone else.
Cycling safely on a path is fine.
Cycling like an idiot is not fine but we need to generalise to ALL cyclists EVER- it wouldn't be mumsnet otherwise.