Families riding bikes

[Cam77]

Some probably won’t agree but it’s starting to annoy me. Whenever I/we go out for a walk we often have to rush out out the way of families bike rides (sometimes both parents and two/three kids) cycling along the pavements.
I know a family bike ride is a nice activity. But how can the person walking toward you practice effective social distancing when a group of four/five people is zooming often unsighted around the corner at 5-10mph?
And the parent(s) often stay at the back of the family group with little kids in front, who often have virtually zero awareness of the environment ahead.
It’s getting to the point where I don’t want to take my child/dog for a quick walk because we can’t get out of the way of all the large groups of family cyclists and heavy breathing joggers bursting round corners. What’s wrong with a nice stroll? That’s what’s people in China did when went into lockdown (Though not everyday. Most kids just went for a quick walk round the block, with face mask) once a week). I keep hearing about they fiddled the figures but actually the biggest difference is just that they acted with sensible caution.

Zooming along at 5mph ????

Really just ask them to get on the road

I won't take mine on bikes because I'm not hugely confident myself and DS would go whizzing off ahead. He's not aware enough (add) to remember the rules. However I do think people are being v v arsey in general. I was running alone yesterday and a woman with a dog was coming toward me. Next to her was a wide space she could step on to off the path. I didn't have anywhere to go.. Steep bank one side, river the other. As I ran past and said thank you she shouted that runners should be the ones to move aside. People are making up rules to suit themselves. I have and do move aside but in that instance, she has somewhere to go and I didn't. Two months ago it was all #be kind. Now it's 'fuck off away and don't do anything different to me or you're WRONG'

I have to say most people where I live have been brilliant about social distancing. However, there is always a minority of people who just DGAF.

I saw an adult cyclist absolutely tearing around a corner yesterday on the other side of the road. A pedestrian was also coming around that corner and neither of them made any attempt to keep at a safe distance from one another. Perhaps the pedestrian was unable to move quickly enough I don’t know.

I also had some person in the butchers shop think it was ok to lean over me to grab something from the counter.

I cannot see how anyone can accuse the OP of being unreasonable when all she is asking is for everyone to be more considerate of each other.

Just have a bit of tolerance. So sick of these posts now....

Ffs - just because they are not exercising the way you want them to...
@HuckfromScandal the law says that they should be on the road, not the pavement (assuming that the pavement isn't a designated mixed-use path). In the case of under 10s allowances can be made but their parents should get them to move clear when they encounter a pedestrian.

medium.com/@jurgenthoelen/belgian-dutch-study-why-in-times-of-covid-19-you-can-not-walk-run-bike-close-to-each-other-a5df19c77d08
Turns out 2m isn’t nearly enough anyway to avoid potentially being infected in the slipstream of a runner or cyclist.

Oh and those sniping at people who didn't do this kind of exercise before and seem to imply therefore they shouldn't be doing it now.. No swimming, no gym, no fitness classes, no meeting friends, no cafes, bars etc, families all home together for days and weeks on end instead of ships passing in the night between work, school, hobbies etc. Of course they'll do the one thing they are allowed to do. It's not hard to understand.

How anyone can bemoan young children cycling on pavements is beyond me. All this hatred is crazy

If everyone was behaving like OohTheStatsDontLie, again I doubt the OP would have started this thread.

I’m not bemoaning them I just wish their parents would have better control of them.

We are also that family, however the kids are instructed to stop before corners and stop and tuck right in when there is a pedestrian. We do what we can to ensure everyone’s safety, and I am trying to ensure my children stay fit and healthy. I go on the road, and if I can’t then I push my bike.
It’s interesting isn’t it, we’ve had a few tricky encounters with dogs when we’ve been out off leads and approaching us. Couples walking two abreast, and not dropping to single file and adult cyclists on the pavement. The problem is if you live in a built up area it will be busier than usual.

Cars are by far the most destructive thing on this planet in every way in terms of pollution, deaths and injuries, yet you reserve all your anger and bitterness for a few renegade cyclists

*destructive transport

OP def happening here-

Huge increase in adults cycling pavements with their DC- and my experience is like yours- big family groups taking up whole pavement-scattered around and impossible to avoid unless you go in the road.

I also am seeing family groups walking 4 abreast and not going single file-including groups all holding hands.

And the scootering up behind you...

It is not going to stop me but it is annoying as I think it makes social distancing even more stressful

Everyone should be able to exercise but they should also be mindful of others personal space

its getting to the point where I don’t want to take my child/dog for a quick walk
So don’t, stay at home where it’s safe.
If you think it’s too much of a risk, take yourself out of the equation instead of expecting everyone else to stop what they are doing.
I don’t get how a bike passing you quickly is more risky than a family walking slowly past you. Children don’t generally walk One by one in a straight line. I’ve come across many family’s strolling along with toddlers weaving back and fire across the path, people with dogs either off the lead or on a long lead under no control. You just take your time and deal with it.

Seriously... whoever said sick of joggers huffing and puffing... most of us joggers have jogged outside for bloody years minding our own business and now all of a sudden others want to start exercising too we have to stop do we??!! That seems unfair!! Pull yourselves together, no ones needs should outdo others, we all just have to make the best of it!

I find male runners the worst.

The absolutely refuse to alter their path of running.

I am forever zigzagging with Dd and the dog to get out of their way because heaven forbid they need to go on the empty road to meet social distancing requirements.

I live in SW London and haven’t seen bike riding on pavements at all -except for really tiny children with trainer wheels and parent on foot. There are lots of parents ( usually one parent with 1 or max 2 children) out for rides on our deserted streets or carefully on the quiet main roads. An excellent chance to get some feel for the roads which would normally be more difficult.

Patriarchy chicken

I just read this new study showing that we need to really keep 10-20 metres distance from people cycling or running: medium.com/@jurgenthoelen/belgian-dutch-study-why-in-times-of-covid-19-you-can-not-walk-run-bike-close-to-each-other-a5df19c77d08.

There are quite a few postseason now on this thread detailing how they cycle with their kids considerately. This is excellent - and shows there's little excuse for those that don't.

Kids and dogs under control, everyone be aware of other people, consideration all round. I don't think the OP is asking for anything more than that which is totally reasonable.

postseason? posters.

Why not come out of this campaigning for safe, separate bike lanes instead of whinging op?

There are not many cars around but the ones that are about drive like dickheads, at least round here.

How about we stop the death toll from cars as well as Coronavirus. Air pollution from vehicles will mean people in urban areas are more susceptible to cv.

That makes me much angrier than some kids riding on pavements as their one joy of the day.

We're one of these annoying families, I try to ride on the road rather than the pavement but I do need to be near them, especially crossing the road. Ive got a 4yo who learnt to ride his bike last week and an 8yo with ADHD who gets seriously distracted and isn't a confident cyclist. No way are either of them going on the road, there are still buses, taxis and cars around here.

We cycle as a family, 4 of us, once a week on cycle paths. We get filthy looks from large family groups spread out along the path with poorly controlled dogs. It’s just life at the moment.