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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Families riding bikes

161 replies

Cam77 · 09/04/2020 07:25

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.

OP posts:
Rocketpants50 · 09/04/2020 08:42

I have been taking my boys 7 &10 cycling, we do it to make deliveries and use it as our exercise. Normally the roads are busy but they are quiet so using this time to learn how to ride on the roads. The odd car comes which is good to help learn what to do.

We avoid busy places and stick to back roads, the designated cycle path we def avoid. DH gets up early and goes running to avoid people.
So I would say everyone can carry on cycling/ running but it's all about being aware of others and thinking where you go. I do appreciate that where we live we can do this.

SerendipitySunshine · 09/04/2020 08:44

I wish they'd all fuck off the pavement. Bikes are for roads, unless on a clear cycle way or shared path.

Asuitablecat · 09/04/2020 08:45

We always do single.file cos it's just more considerate- and safer. Less chance of wheels tangling. I also shout 'keep to the left' if I'm at the back and a dc threatens to ever off wildly. But that's the teacher in me.

saraclara · 09/04/2020 08:46

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

Yep. I'm an old fogey, but I'm finding it heartening to see young families out together with the kids on their bikes. I can step into the road if need be, though I tend to cross the road a lot to avoid people walking towards me, anyway.

Asuitablecat · 09/04/2020 08:46

But we mainly do.cycle paths. Which are full of people walking their dogs......

Vincent05 · 09/04/2020 08:49

Cam77 you are wrong. The reason China, Singapore, South Korea all got on top of their epidemics was not because little Jonny didn’t go for a bike ride!!!!! They identified infected individuals traced their contacts and isolated them. Watch the COVID report on Twitter it explains it.

ImaginaryCat · 09/04/2020 08:51

I agree with you OP and we are a family who go on daily bike rides.

DH, older DD and I go on the road. Younger DD (7) goes on the pavement as long as it's clear or wide enough that pedestrians have plenty of space. She knows pedestrians have the priority on pavements so if we see one coming we make a judgement call on whether she comes on the road with us or moves aside on the pavement. She's getting very adept at making that decision herself, and actually wants to be on the road with us as much as possible.

One of the silver linings of this situation is that it provides the perfect opportunity for her to learn this skill.

Incrediblytired · 09/04/2020 08:52

You want to go for a walk.
They want to go for a ride.
🤷‍♀️

cakeisalwaystheanswer · 09/04/2020 08:52

Cyclist are required to follow the Highway Code relating to cycling. By law they should not be on the pavement or footpaths. A cabal on MN does not get to re-write laws written to keep people safe in public spaces. What next, MN thinks everyone should drive on the right?

TheFaerieQueene · 09/04/2020 08:55

Cyclists can’t have it both ways. On the road they expect cars - quite rightly- to pass them with caution because they are the more vulnerable road user. On pavements and bridle ways they expect walkers to jump out of their way, although the walker is the more vulnerable. Cyclists should not be on pavements and on bridle ways, act with decency.

Collaborate · 09/04/2020 09:00

I've seen adult cyclists on their own, on an empty road, riding on the pavement. They go on to the road to pass me, but the mere fact that as an adult they cannot bring themselves to ride on the fucking road, especially when they are so quiet right now, really boils my piss.

OP - YANBU. The parents should either get their children to go on the road to pass you (assuming the road is empty) or tell their children to stop while you pass, unless they need to get off the pavement to give you that 2m separation.

AnyOldSpartabix · 09/04/2020 09:01

I used to ride my bike to school when I was quite young. I was never allowed to cycle on the pavement because it’s illegal, and rightly so.

I don't have any problem with people taking their exercise on bikes, but they should follow the law. If a child is not reliable enough to cycle safely on the road, they are not reliable enough to avoid those using the pavement for its intended purpose.

TheOrigBrave · 09/04/2020 09:14

Where do you live OP? I haven't seen this at all.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 09/04/2020 09:14

Cyclists can’t have it both ways. On the road they expect cars - quite rightly- to pass them with caution because they are the more vulnerable road user. On pavements and bridle ways they expect walkers to jump out of their way, although the walker is the more vulnerable. Cyclists should not be on pavements and on bridleways, act with decency

Yes. They are a menace on pavements and other tracks designed for walkers at any time! And I agree about small children riding ahead and often with limited control. One careered into me from behind once - I had no idea she was there and was focusing on the crossing light ahead. According to the Mother it Was All My Fault because I should have had eyes in the back of my head.

Macncheeseballs · 09/04/2020 09:16

And yet here you still alive to tell the tale. Now if that had been a car.....

BobTheDuvet · 09/04/2020 09:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 09/04/2020 09:25

And yet here you still alive to tell the tale. Now if that had been a car.....

But cars don't drive on pavements like the child on the bike and if I had been an older person I might not be alive - deaths from falls where hips are broken are not uncommon.

Plus, the Mother should have apologised to me.

Ilovemypantry · 09/04/2020 09:35

@Macncheeseballs

What a ridiculous thing to say (about moving to somewhere less populated). Yes, everyone can just up and move house on a whim at the moment can’t they? I don’t suppose this has ever been an issue for OP before, we are all having to deal with new situations at the moment

freelancedolly · 09/04/2020 09:37

Some people will find misery anywhere. I've been going out on bike rides and runs with my kids and bend over bloody backwards to make sure we don't encroach on pedestrians' right of way to have their 2m distance on a path (although cycle on the road).

But you can guarantee there will be the odd person out there so desperate to find something to tut at, that they will still find a way to purse their lips at the sheer audacity we are showing by being out and being ACTIVE.

One thing this crisis has shown is the low-level hostility some people have towards other people for simply daring to exist and do things differently to how they do them.

Fluffybutter · 09/04/2020 09:40

If they’re going that fast it won’t make a difference anyway .
Can people just stop bitching about how others get their exercise .
Feels like it’s every other thread on here

Saz12 · 09/04/2020 09:40

It’s not OK to allow your kids to hurtle along pavements so pedestrians have to leap out of the way. Just tell them they need to stop and wait for the person to pass by.

Cycle paths are not only for use of bikes - bikes are allowed to use them, but pedestrians have as much right to be there. But it’s very easy to step to one side of the path to allow a bike to pass, and only sensible for the cyclist to slow down when near pedestrians.
Even if that means you don’t quite get the exercise you want or the experience you want -it’s just about being a decent person!
After all, people can’t travel for exercise so will be using their local but of path every day.

SweetPetrichor · 09/04/2020 09:41

It's not really possible to do the full social distance when passing on pavements...I think that's just something we have to accept. I've been out cycling and I do use any pavement that is labelled as shared pedestrian/bike access and occasionally pavements were the road isn't the safest to cycle on and you just have to accept you can't get the full distance away from people. Give as wide a berth as possible but that's the best that can be done.
One of the things that makes me smile right now is seeing families out together...you don't usually see that but it's a silver lining to the terrible situation.

Teacher12345 · 09/04/2020 09:45

I agree with you OP. Near me I have seen loads of kids on bikes with their parents walking 50 yards behind. They have no control over whether their kids are socially distancing or not.

heartsonacake · 09/04/2020 09:46

YANBU. If they can’t ride their bikes on the roads they shouldn’t be riding at all.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 09/04/2020 09:48

If people exercising within the guidelines upsets you this much you should stay home.

The guidelines state that you must maintain a two metre distance from anyone outside your household whilst exercising. If they aren't doing this, as the op states, then they aren't within the guidelines are they?