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.

I cycle to work.

I am sorry I am not as fast as cars but cars thinking they can pass me with traffic the other way so not even getting over the centre lines on some stretches of road are terrifying. 15/20 seconds wait for a clear stretch will not make you any slower really.

As for cycle paths!

Splitting a pavement in two does not make it suitable for cyclists. We don't want to have to stop and give way every 100 meters or so for a junction.

Taking out less than a meter from the road also is not suitable. That is where the drains all are which we do not want to cycle over. Cars parking right on the white line with their mirrors sticking out mean that there is not space to get through safely. Then there are the ones who just park right over the cycle path.

The trouble is that some cyclists genuinely believe they are always right

And that's exactly why these threads never end well
FWIW I'm a cyclist too, but I've got faults enough without being a tosser as well so I won't ride on a pavement unless it's shared use and has plenty of space for each (and not even then if there are more than a couple of people about). Nor am I interested in claims about "riding carefully near pedestrians" in banned areas - firstly because IME it rarely happens like that, and secondly because it's no guarantee against a child darting out

It's perfectly true that roads can be unsafe and that the reason for this is awful drivers, but the answer isn't to selfishly pass the risk onto pedestrians - it's to get off the blasted bike and walk/get the bus/whatever

I think it's ILLEGAL to cycle on the pavement!!

I’m a cyclist. In London. And I hate it when people cycle on the payment.

I'm sure in the scheme of things it's not really that big a problem, a random pavement cyclist is not going to bring down civilisation. Try to get things into perspective

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.

It is literally illegal to cycle on the pavement. It really isn't fine. I hope a police officer does reinforce the law to you, sooner rather than later. You are unbelievable.

The Highway Code also states: “You must not cycle on a pavement.” The offence of riding a bike on the pavement is punishable by an on-the-spot fine, a fixed penalty notice of £30. This is charged under Schedule 3 and Section 51 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988.

Am using the lockdown as a perfect opportunity to take DD aged 8 on the roads on our bikes and teach her some road safety. Agreed more cycle paths are needed.

I think it's ILLEGAL to cycle on the pavement

It is, yes, but too many cyclists rely on the fact that there's unlikely to be enforcement - partly due to manpower but also because being neither registered, licenced or even insured means there's little chance of knowing who the cyclist even is

You'd hope that most of we cyclists would realise it's illegal for a good reason and just go with that, but sadly round here it simply doesn't work that way

My son is 6. I will have him cycle in the pavement - ONLY where it is quiet and he stops if a pedestrian comes - for another year or two.
He was on a seat in my bike to age 3 then we had a couple of years off but he’s not going to improve unless he cycles regularly and he’s not big enough to be visible on the road.
If we were a sensible country we’d have enough cycle paths and/or car drivers would be more patient and considerate.

Only if the cycle paths are well designed. The one on the main road near me is just a wide pavement with a line down the middle.
Pedestrians wander into the bike side the time.

Car drivers break far more laws than cyclists and are far more lethal. I really cant get worked up about a few renegade cyclists

You only have to read the self entitled posts on here from cyclists to prove that it’s not a good idea for cyclists and pedestrians to share the pavement. Do we really think someone who states they will ride on the pavement if they choose is really the sort of considerate person who is going to get off their bike or stop when a pedestrian is in front of them? Nope, they’re probably the sort we’ve all come across who will ring their bell aggressively and think that’s enough to make sure you move to the side. And if you don’t, you get verbal abuse as they’re passing.

When we were out for our daily walk on Friday, we suddenly heard ‘Excuse me!’ And turned round to find a woman on a bike on the pavement behind us, wanting to get through. We moved aside but then commented to each other about how she shouldn’t be on the pavement.

About a minute later she was somersaulted over the bonnet of a car. She had failed to stop or even slow at a side road and a big parked van meant the oncoming car driver and cyclist couldn’t see each other.

I went to help as I’m a first aider. Luckily she hadn’t been injured, despite no helmet. The driver was amazingly calm, especially as it was an awful shock for him, too. But it happened because she was cycling on the pavement and could have been so much worse.

Why are they on the pavement L the roads are so quiet at the moment ( and live in London)

And that's a regular scenario

My mother is elderly and completely deaf. Even if a cyclist did happen to ring their bell she wouldn't hear it. There's certain times of the day she's too scared to walk down the street where she lives because she's frightened of being mowed down.
We have really good cycle paths and lanes here, guess what? the cyclists don't use them.

Of cyclists aren't using them then they aren't good.

Do we really think someone who states they will ride on the pavement if they choose is really the sort of considerate person who is going to get off their bike or stop when a pedestrian is in front of them?

Quite

And the PP who mentioned there are spot fines was correct, but how exactly are these to be levied when a cyclist's disappearing over the horizon screaming "f**k off"?

Do we really think that someone who uses their car (pre Corona) to buy fags at the local corner shop or drive their kids the 5 minute walk to school because it's raining, runs red lights because they can, is a considerate human being who gives a fuck about anyone else

I really think it depends, where we live absolutely they should be in the road and there are lots of good cycle paths and a proper curbed one right along the promenade for miles. However where PIL live the lanes are tight and bendy, there are pavements in places that connect nothing to nothing and in more than a decade I've never seen a pedestrian use them, cyclists do. It's safer for them and drivers, DH however is very black and white on the issue and thinks they should be on the road (but then complains they hold the traffic up because there are very limited safe places to overtake on that route)

I live by an A road linking two small towns and which has a cycle path by the side of it.
Do cyclists use it? Do they fuck.
They cycle on the road, just two feet away from it, holding up the traffic.
There's something about wearing Lycra that turns them into arseholes who
seem to think they are Olympic athletes on a track, not John/Jane from the office getting a bit of fresh air.

Nearly there

Haha, you're not wrong there!