To think cyclists should ride on the road, not on the pavement?

[AgeLikeWine]

Every day, I go walking along our local country roads, which are very popular with cyclists, and every day I am forced to walk on the road or in the weeds to maintain social distancing from cyclists who are riding on the pavement.

I’m not criticising proper cyclists; the Lycra brigade invariably ride on the road. I’m referring to families, couples and teenagers out for a bike ride who think they are entitled to use the pavements and force pedestrians to choose between getting run over by them or take the risk of stepping onto the road. Why don’t they ride where they are supposed to ride?

YABU = Cyclists should ride on the pavement and force pedestrians to get out of their way.

YANBU = All cyclists should ride on the road.

@MorganKitten you sound like a nice person to be around. Not.

@crispysausagerolls

They don’t give a shit. They are on the pavement when they are not supposed to be. They ride 2-4 abreast on the road when they are not supposed to. They run through red lights. They cycle the other way up one way streets.

They are extremely fucking irritating. They neither want to accept responsibility for their own safety, not accept that they have a duty of care for pedestrians.

Yesterday I saw someone cycling in the middle of the road with a child barely older than toddler behind them (on their own bike), round a blind bend etc. It’s so so so so so dangerous.

So some cyclists do some of these things and therefore all cyclists are irritating and don't give a shit. These attitudes are part of the problem.

I ride on the road and do none of these things except cycling 2 abreast, which is perfectly legal, often the safest way to ride in a group and to keep cars from unnecessary delay.
But I get the abuse (eg. "get off the f*ing Road" and drivers cutting me up or passing dangerously close) as much as anyone who does each and every one of the things you say. Because some people are irritated by all cyclists, even when many ride considerately.

Don't get me wrong, I think many cyclists do things they shouldn't. But your post hints at something much more dangerous.

Im one of those who is slowly regaining confidence having not been in a bike for decades. In very quiet side roads I'll ride in the road but I'm not confident to deal with traffic. However, if I see a pedestrian, I do stop or move. Surely this simply comes down to 'don't be a dick'. If literally everyone followed that one rule, none of these threads about cyclists vs drivers vs pedestrians vs joggers vs dog walkers would exist.

[quote crispysausagerolls]@BeebSleeve

Thank you for reminding me of another peeve! Cyclists cycling on the road WHEN THERE IS A FUCKING CYCLING LANE NEXT TO IT[/quote]
Cyclists are perfectly entitled to do this and it might be the safest option. I do on my way to work because the option is Road or narrow shared use path. I'd rather be on the road than have a chance of hitting a pedestrian.

YANBU. I’ve been knocked down by a cyclist who was cycling on a pavement.

My husband cycles 18 miles to work (although is currently living in a hotel for work) and manages it to do it all on road, he adapts his route if the roads become a problem.

[quote crispysausagerolls]@BeebSleeve

Thank you for reminding me of another peeve! Cyclists cycling on the road WHEN THERE IS A FUCKING CYCLING LANE NEXT TO IT[/quote]
We have a few cycle lanes around here, they’re usually occupied by parked cars, we saw one a few days ago with a caravan in it, not a mobile home, but an actual caravan and not hooked up to a vehicle.

Don't get me wrong, I think many cyclists do things they shouldn't. But your post hints at something much more dangerous

There’s a road near me with an excellent cycle path.
Not a shared use path. A cycle path. Next to the cycle path is an enormous pavement.

Still, many cyclists prefer the road.

And cycling 2 abreast may be legal but it can cause massive traffic jams if there is plenty of oncoming traffic as it requires a much wider overtake.

Definitely adults and teenagers should be on the road/cycle path. However a couple of weeks ago I saw a small child (5/6) biking with their dad on a main road. They fell off their bike in front of a bus. Luckily the bus driver saw the child and did an emergency stop. I suppose the dad felt more comfortable as the roads were quiet and they were worried about social distancing on the pavement but it was utterly terrifying. I caught the bus drivers eye and he was white!

@gunpowder

What you are saying is what I am seeing constantly. Little children cycling on roads. Road using is back up again and it’s beyond dangerous. Stupid, stupid parents.

When cars stop speeding down my street at 77mph in a 30mph zone, I will aloow my child to cycle on the road. Whilst that continues to happen (and is a scarily common occurence since lockdown started) then will will cycle on the pavement because I don’t want to die.

Cyclists feeling unsafe on roads does not give them the right to make pavements unsafe for pedestrians.

Of course they should. Most do, don't they?

Way do people have to walk in the middle of the path if they walked to the side most of it wouldn't be a issue if cars didnt park on the side of the road would also be safer so really best option get rid of cars safer for every one

It's not the cyclist's fault, it's the lack of cycle lanes

Not all towns are suitable for cycle lanes @BeebSleeve. I live in a historic town, with narrow pavements (barely wide enough for 2 people to pass, in many places) and roads. Cyclists still ride on the pavements, presumably because they don't feel safe in the narrow roads.

I was on a narrow stretch of pavement a few months ago and a cyclist came round the bend so fast that he couldn't stop and he had to ride down the kerb and into the (thankfully empty) road. Not only did he really make me jump, he had the cheek to call me a cunt, for being there!

The following day, I was driving in a very narrow, quiet, town centre road when a cyclist shot out of a pedestrian cut through, really fast, and practically right under my wheels. The road leads to a car park, so cars are up and down there really regularly, he must have had a bloody death wish. Cutting through the footpath must have saved him all of 100 yards. The town is full of narrow little footpaths (or twittens, as they call them in Sussex) and cyclists using them is really dangerous. Several of them have bends in them, so you can't see them coming or, in some cases, get out of their way. It puts me off walking round town, which used to be a real delight.

Round my way, they're absolute maniacs. They give no thought to their own safety or that of others.

I would love to use the cycle paths but round here they are full of glass, cars and abusive pedestrians so I prefer the road. I also stop at red lights, junctions etc.

Now I've got that out of the way I dont think there are any excuses for an adult on the pavement, different case for children.

My dd is very tall so was tutted at from a young age for cycling on the path. She had a towbar to my bike from the age of three, nursery pick ups done on main roads. From five she biked on the road in front of me, me cycling slightly out to protect her. I found that much easier that biking on the path and getting off at junctions.

My bugbear? Pedestrians that step out in front of my bike when crossing the road
without looking and then get abusive.

Some years ago I was knocked over, one night, by someone coming round a corner at speed on a bike with no lights on it.
He ignored me and sped off. I ended up in A&E, needed crutches and had to have 6 weeks off work.
This happened two weeks before Christmas so affected my family too.
Central London is the worst for this, with cyclists riding on busy pavements.
Don't get me started on adults on scooters on pavements!!!!

@Clearyweary, campaign for traffic calming measures to be put in place.

Our county council are really keen on it, they like residents to do a speed watch thing to establish the level of speeding first, but they seem to have endless amounts of money to spend on it.

The law is exceptionally clear on this. It is illegal to cycle on a pavement, there are no exceptions for nervous cyclists/children/the pavement was quiet and the road was busy. If you can’t cycle legally, don’t cycle.

Where possible I think they should be on the road. But they're only just putting the planning applicatorss down to resurface the main road by me and put cycle lanes in - at least they're doing it at all, didn't think it would happen. But it means that prior to lockdown, the main road has been too dangerous for either of my kids to use so we all have to use the pavement.

We will use the cycle routes as soon as its done.

Nb my kids have coordination issues and sen, I was using the road earlier than they will be.