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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
squirrelsbizaar · 09/04/2020 09:49

I had a bloke whistling to get my attention to move out of his way on a narrow path, he could have waited a few minutes for me to clear the path, but he wanted woman out of way of important man on bike.
Obviously generalising but it’s men that are getting on my nerves during this. Yesterday in man barked ‘excuse me’ in shop. He could have walked around aisle to avoid me, as I was there first, but woman has to make way for man. Fucking men.

Canyoutellilikrchocolate · 09/04/2020 09:50

Yep.

We live on a steep hill. Fairly quiet road (cul de sac) but still some cars. Kid yesterday (about 3-4 yr old) whizzing down road. Mum 200 metres behind. Kid not old enough to look or consider things like cars pulling out of driveways etc.

Also riding on the (fairly narrow) footpath in a family of 4. Get on the bridleway.

Canyoutellilikrchocolate · 09/04/2020 09:51

Oh and I’m a keen cyclist myself so nothing against cyclists

heartsonacake · 09/04/2020 09:51

My 5yo is not able to control her bike well enough to safely go on the road yet. She wobbles and has not got good enough spatial awareness -

BobTheDuvet Then she doesn’t get to ride it. You take her somewhere she can practice and learn until she can safely ride her bike in the road, you don’t break the law and ride on the pavement because it suits you.

And if you cannot take her somewhere to practice and learn right now because of the lockdown then she doesn’t get to ride her bike until she can safely learn.

Pebbles574 · 09/04/2020 09:54

Clearly some parents are teaching their kids good pavement etiquette, but many aren't. A bike or scooter hurtling along at speed with a five-year-old barely in control of it can be terrifying for an elderly person, or anyone unsteady on their feet.
My father had Parkinson's, so had difficulty walking, but used to make a trip of about 300m every day to the local shop, just to get out of the house. On one occasion he was 'clipped' by a primary school child zooming past him on a scooter. He fell over. The mother was some distance behind, but she stopped, helped him up and sort of laughed it off, asking if he was OK, before rushing off after her child.
A neighbour of his saw it all happen and came over to help him home as he was a bit shaken.

I think it really affected him, as he sort of lost his confidence and stopped going out after that Sad.

ineedsun · 09/04/2020 09:56

Another one?

Why do some people feel like their right to use outdoor space trumps other people's?

PotholeParadise · 09/04/2020 09:57

heartsonacake

Do you support a reduction in the threshold for learning to drive in the UK, down from 17? Yes or no?

Do you think 5 year olds should be in control of a car on the road? Yes or no?

If your answer to either of those is no, then you should not be arguing for five-year-olds to be operating any other vehicle, including bicycles, on the public highway. For fuck's sake.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 09/04/2020 09:59

Obviously generalising but it’s men that are getting on my nerves during this. Yesterday in man barked ‘excuse me’ in shop

Sniff ostentatiously and say 'it's OK, I can't smell it'.

PlugUgly1980 · 09/04/2020 09:59

My 4 and 6 year old can both confidently cycle. They've been going out every day on their bikes for a 3-4 mile ride whilst I walk briskly/jog with them. But they know the rules. They stay close to me. As soon as we see someone coming, they stop and move their bike off the pavement onto the grass verge or as close to one side as they can. If there is no traffic we will move onto the road. Always wearing a helmet (that was our rule anyway), no 'fast' riding, and taking extra care because we don't want bumps, etc. We're lucky we can pick a route which avoids our town centre, it does mean it's a not very exciting 'out and back' but equally means we encounter fewer people. Kids on bikes are fine as long as there is good parental control. Because of the age of mine, it's not worth me getting my bike out and riding with them as it would get really be exercise, I get more out of a brisk walk instead.

ShesGotBetteDavisEyes · 09/04/2020 10:02

The only family I’ve passed on bikes moved out of my way. Runners seem to be the ones who don’t bother trying to move over and seem to assume that YOU should jump into a bush to let them pass!

heartsonacake · 09/04/2020 10:03

then you should not be arguing for five-year-olds to be operating any other vehicle, including bicycles, on the public highway. For fuck's sake.

PotholeParadise As I said, until a child can safely and confidently cycle on the roads, whatever age that may be, they need to stick to learning and practicing in safe spaces, not break the law and ride on the pavement because it suits you.

PotholeParadise · 09/04/2020 10:08

Wonder if you complain about adult cyclists holding you up on the roads...

If I had a magic wand, I would have all cycling children in front of you, on the roads, every single time you wanted to go anywhere. Particularly when you were in a rush.

k1233 · 09/04/2020 10:09

Strap on a pool noodle - google "pool noodle bike" to get what I'm talking about. No reason pedestrians can't do it too.

heartsonacake · 09/04/2020 10:16

Wonder if you complain about adult cyclists holding you up on the roads...

PotholeParadise No, I don’t have an issue with cyclists that are following the law.

Cam77 · 09/04/2020 10:19

@PotholeParadise
"Wonder if you complain about adult cyclists holding you up on the roads...
If I had a magic wand, I would have all cycling children in front of you, on the roads, every single time you wanted to go anywhere. Particularly when you were in a rush."

That's a very grown up response. Well done. To answer your question, no I have never complained about bikes - I seldom drive and think people riding bikes is great (shame about the lack of cycle paths).But at this time people need to ride them responsibly and teach their children to do similarly - or not ride them at all. My 4 year old child occasionally goes out with us on foot, him on his scooter. We have told him to jump off he sees other people on the pavement ahead and wait for our instruction. Pretty straightforward.

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Cam77 · 09/04/2020 10:24

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras
Some people just don't get it, do they. They seem to think the 2 metre rule is some arbitrary guideline plucked from thin air, or else only applies to workers etc, and not family time/exercising. The government has handled this poorly IMO, but you can see how we ended up with them.

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squirrelsbizaar · 09/04/2020 10:24

@YetAnotherSpartacus. I can think of a few witty comebacks now the event has passed, but unfortunately I scuttled out of the way for MAN like the good little woman that I am.
Bloke on bike whistling at me like I was a fucking dog, was ignored - knob head.

midnightstar66 · 09/04/2020 10:25

I live in a network of cycle ways and this is a massive issue. My normally very quiet path is mobbed and in general cyclists (especially Lycra clad ones) and joggers are too impatient to wait to give space and the kids on bikes are just a bit clueless. The Irene's always have a very half hearted attempt at getting them to move from the centre of the path too. We've taken to going out later for a walk. 6pm -7pm is a good time as kids are at home having their tea and we walk off the path/on the bankings wherever it's possible. I haven't been letting them use their bikes as they just take up too much space on the paths to keep everyone safe

Cam77 · 09/04/2020 10:26

@freelancedolly
I love getting out once a day and seeing others doing the same. If we are all considerate of social distancing in how we do it everyone can continue doing so and will be safe at the same time. This isn't a complex point I'm making, it really isn't.

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PotholeParadise · 09/04/2020 10:27

Oh, the law.

Then you needn't have an issue with the under-tens, who traditionally do their cycling proficiency in year 6 (age 10) because it helpfully fits in with the jump to secondary school, and the age of criminal responsibility in the UK.

Unless you actually think the police would do anything other than laugh if you called to ask them to fine a five-year-old for being on the pavement? They'd be more likely to have a word with the parents if you called them to say they had five-year-olds cycling on the public highway.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 09/04/2020 10:27

I can think of a few witty comebacks now the event has passed, but unfortunately I scuttled out of the way for MAN like the good little woman that I am

I know. I'm usually reduced to 'fuck off and die you cuntless wonder' which is neither helpful nor witty :(.

Worriedmum54321 · 09/04/2020 10:29

A nice stroll isn't exercise so technically you shouldn't be doing it. HTH

Cam77 · 09/04/2020 10:38

Walking absolutely is one kind of gentle exercise - IE an activity which can improve health/fitness. If you don't believe me, compare a job where person is moving and on their feet all day too someone sat in front of a computer. I choose to do more rigorous exercise at home. Nice try, though.

OP posts:
PotholeParadise · 09/04/2020 10:38

That's a very grown up response. Well done. To answer your question, no I have never complained about bikes - I seldom drive and think people riding bikes is great (shame about the lack of cycle paths).But at this time people need to ride them responsibly and teach their children to do similarly - or not ride them at all. My 4 year old child occasionally goes out with us on foot, him on his scooter. We have told him to jump off he sees other people on the pavement ahead and wait for our instruction. Pretty straightforward.

If you want young children to learn to ride their bikes in the road, you don't actually merit grown-up debate.

When my children were young enough for this to be an issue, I had my children stop to give pedestrians priority, because it is a matter of logical consideration. Cars (should) give cyclists priority on roads. By the same token, cyclists therefore give people on foot (the more vulnerable users) priority anywhere they share the same path. That was a philosophy I developed before I even had the internet, never mind MN. But do you know what I think when I see threads like this? Why did I bother being a considerate, compassionate human being, when people who have probably never even read an act of parliament in their life are unashamed of opining that young children should be on the road?

I cycle on the road because it is actually the law for an adult, and it scares me sometimes. I continue out of principle. Perhaps I shouldn't, seeing as so many only care about "me, me, me", and have no compassion for other people's safety.

Yes. I am really pissed off. Thank you for caring.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 09/04/2020 10:46

A nice stroll isn't exercise so technically you shouldn't be doing it. HTH

That's about the most stupid thing I have read all day. Holy Fuck. So if you have mobility issues or simply can't run or are on the larger side of life then you should not even attempt to exercise? What a fucking cuntish thing to say.