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.

No I think they should use the pavement but they should stop or stay to one side for people and buggies to pass.

If they are considerate then no reason they should not be on the pavement.

@crispysausagerolls

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.

I'm not going to argue that all, or even most, cyclists do this right (I know many who don't and it annoys me and affects me more than non cyclists.

But sometimes it is better to cycle two abreast. Most roads don't allow two cars to pass each other and allow enough space for a cyclist too. So on most roads, cars must wait until there is a gap in oncoming traffic to be able to overtake a cyclist. By pairing up, a group of 8 cyclists becomes a shorter obstacle and requires a shorter gap to be overtaken.

Obviously many cyclists just pair up for a chat. But some are actually doing it to be responsible and keep traffic flowing (nd to force dangerous drivers to not condider risky overtakes).

The amount of cyclists without any training is awful, hence they largely blame drivers, which is very unfair.
And yet moan at motorists

Thanks @lakielady. I’ve emailed the town council on lots of occassions. I’ve stood on the end of my drive and videod the idiot drivers going past and setting off the speed indicator signs at ridiculous speeds and have emailed to the police - but haven’t seen any changes.its frustrating when I want to do the right thing, but don’t feel safe. Don’t get me wrong, we cycle on the road where it is safe to do so, but sometimes when I have my 6 year old with me its just not safe enough to risk it.

I will keep emailing and videoing though!

@qweryuiop

I do see your point. I’m
Not trying to tar all cyclists with the same brush by any means, I’ve just had so many bad, bad experiences with them.

Although I will always remember the lovely cyclist who pulled in in a winding country road so I could overtake him.

I go for a five mile walk every evening with DD (14 mths) and cyclists on the pavement are a huge issue, esp now

I put it down to them being scared of riding on the road but they are not considerate at all

A new menace is electric scooters. The speed they can go is a big accident waiting to happen

I see this all the time and it drives me mad.

Children shouldn't have to use the road, but equally, their parents should take them to cycle somewhere like a park, rather than on the streets.

I do a bit of both, go onto the road or stop if people are on the pavement. I'm not the fastest cyclist, do always holding cars up when on the road..I'm always aware of who is round, and end up feeling bad either way..cycle lanes are great!

t’s not that hard to be aware of your surroundings while walking on a pavement and just to move out of their way.

No, They can get on the road where they belong.

I do understand why people would not want to be on some of the roads around here on a bicycle, but they should have thought of that ahead of time. Some journeys can't be done safely on a bike.

Children shouldn't have to use the road, but equally, their parents should take them to cycle somewhere like a park, rather than on the streets

Yes!!!

Worst thing is that our newest cycle lanes are incorporated into wider pavements rather than roads - it makes it much harder to stay away from pedestrians and makes the whole pavement issue somewhat ambiguous.

^^
Yes it’s actually quite shit that they are taking space away from pedestrians, I.e. making pedestrians and cyclists share the pavement, albeit with “lanes”, rather than taking space away from cars!

I'd quite like them to stop riding at over a running pace around any footpaths. I'm fed up with them belting round corners in quiet woods.

@missequine I’m not nice because I won’t walk in the road when a cyclist is screaming at me? Or because I want the children I’m working not to be cycled into when walking from school?
You’re happy for cyclists to scream and assault people walking on the pavement?

Children shouldn't have to use the road, but equally, their parents should take them to cycle somewhere like a park, rather than on the streets

So, for those who don't have a car, how are they supposed to get to said park? Try to make a 6 year old walk and push a heavy bike for 15 minutes or more to the nearest park? Or just never ride a bike as a child, because their parents aren't rich enough...

@missequine a teenager is doing a wheely laughing about ‘how many of these kids will I knock down, how many points do I get?’ So I step between him at the 4 year olds I work with so they don’t get hit.... and you’d say I’m in the wrong?

@Stuckforthefourthtime

Children shouldn't have to use the road, but equally, their parents should take them to cycle somewhere like a park, rather than on the streets

So, for those who don't have a car, how are they supposed to get to said park? Try to make a 6 year old walk and push a heavy bike for 15 minutes or more to the nearest park? Or just never ride a bike as a child, because their parents aren't rich enough...

A six year old should be capable of pushing the bike for 15 minutes, yes. They are hardly incredibly heavy. They have wheels, they don't need carrying.

'If they are considerate then no reason they should not be on the pavement.'

Apart from the small matter of it being LITERALLY illegal!

YANBU but these threads are always the same. Selfish cyclists think they can ride on the pavement because they think it’s safer, but if they can’t responsibly cycle on the road they shouldn’t be cycling.

Or just never ride a bike as a child, because their parents aren't rich enough

For goodness sake. For me, personally, if I didn’t live near a park/have a car/garden, no I wouldn’t risk my child cycling on the road. It’s bloody dangerous. Their safety would come before some sort of innate right I might feel they have to cycle. Cycling isn’t everything - I would find another hobby they could do instead until circumstances changed. Same with anything else, really. It’s got very little to do with money.

@flirtygirl -* If they are considerate then no reason they should not be on the pavement*

Yes there is, it’s against the law

It’s not that hard to be aware of your surroundings while walking on a pavement and just to move out of their way.

My hearing is fine and I am generally aware of my surroundings when out. That doesn’t mean I’m going to be constantly checking behind me for silent pillocks whizzing past me at full speed, like the one this morning. He was close enough that if I’d veered just a little he’d have gone straight into me, and I seem to encounter twits like him far too often.

Children shouldn't have to use the road, but equally, their parents should take them to cycle somewhere like a park, rather than on the streets

But they also have to get to the park, or cycle route. They don't start at most people's front doors.

There is a middle ground between yanbu and yabu, its called tolerance