Bicycles on pavements - why are they not being ridden on a road?

[FinallyMovingHouse]

I've only moved to near the centre of a town in the last 6 months and hence hadn't really noticed this where I used to live, which was more rural.

Can someone tell me why it seems now to be acceptable for people; all ages from schoolkids to 60 odd, to ride their bikes on the pavements and never seem to go on a road? I was trying to explain to my youngest DD (20) how my DH and I would have been shouted at by police and pedestrians if we'd tried that 30 years ago and definitely when we were teenagers (we're mid 50s).

Many have been very polite, waiting for me to notice them and then saying thank you when I've moved for them, but I've also had bells rung at me endlessly from a distance away until right behind me or the handlebars tapped to move me out of the way on a narrow pavement. So far I've stopped myself from retaliating but I do feel an overwhelming urge to shout "get off the effing pavement" more and more.

I do appreciate that yes, the roads are dangerous etc, etc but they're making the pavements dangerous, especially when you can't see them or they're going too fast. It's also illegal.

AIBU or am I just getting old and crabby?!

because many pavements have been made into shared cycle path pavements

The ones I'm talking about are not shared and are purely pedestrian.....unless they can be designated as such without signage/separation? Is that a thing?

You're going to incur the wrath of the lycra brigade. YANBU.

You can’t really win as a cyclist, can’t go on the pavements as it’s dangerous to others, roads are very dangerous to cyclist themselves because drivers are impatient and get angry at being held up and don’t understand/accept the rules of the road re; cyclists’ rights, even when there is a cycle path it often has cars and other stuff intruding into it or just disappears randomly. But then we go on and on about reducing carbon footprints and getting more active. But apparently just not in a way that might slightly inconvenience anyone else for 30 seconds.

disclaimer: haven’t ridden a bike in about 15 years!

Here are two cyclepath shared pavements

Because there’s less chance of getting hit by a car/van etc on the pavement

Here

Thanks MikeRafone - nope, definitely not shared and just very central and narrow pavements.

I have one shared path near me, which is just wide enough for a pushchair and pedestrian stood next to it - yet the council have made into shared path 🤷‍♀️

so it would seem doesn’t matter on width

You'd be well within your rights to point out that these particular pavements are just for pedestrians, but equally I can see why you'd chose not to!

I do sympathise with the dangers faced by cyclists on the road, but that doesn't make it ok to endanger pedestrians.

Because they're likely to be shared paths.

The OP has already told you, her experience isn't walking on shared pavements.

@FinallyMovingHouse You'll get all sort of comments about shared cycle paths but I have noticed this over the last 3 years and we have very few shared path where I am, and indeed plenty of cycle lanes on the road.

I'm constantly dodging bikes on pavements as a pedestrian. And scooters. A lot of them are the hire e-bikes like Lime where I am which are heavy and fast. I'm sick of it tbh. Cyclists jumping onto pavements to get round junctions/ traffic.

Hi Tollington, I do understand that, but they then run the risk of hitting pedestrians on the pavement instead.

I'm wondering if years ago, car drivers were more considerate to cyclists and hence the risk was lower?

You only have to read some of the posts about cyclists on here to understand why. Many, many motorists absolutely loathe cyclists and think they have no business being on the roads at all. They aren't remotely concerned about their safety, and are in a position to seriously injure or kill them in the blink of an eye. Indeed, even the most careful, attentive driver can make a mistake and kill a cyclist. It's hardly surprising that many cyclists prefer the relative safety of the pavement. That doesn't make it right, but you can understand their desire for self-preservation.

HI Overly - they're definitely not shared paths.

I had one idiot speeding through a town centre, whizzing past people on the pavement. I just called him a twat but no thought for children or the elderly.

Op asked why it’s deemed acceptable

whereas I don’t think it’s acceptable to cycle on the pavement- if the council keep putting cycle paths onto pavements regardless of narrow or wide then a lot of confusion will arise and width of path is relevant

..whilst endangering pedestrians. The excuses started early. Shared footpaths and danger from motorists.

Yeah, it’s rubbish. Cycle journeys have increased 40% in the last twenty years, and cycling deaths have fallen. It’s safer now on a bike than it’s ever been, so this “too dangerous on the road” bollocks doesn’t cut any ice.

I think it’s down to more Great British Risk Aversion. Everybody seems to be scared of everything these days, regardless of any evidence.

Perhaps worth checking out the road accident stats for the area?

Unless you're looking out for signs, it might not be obvious it's a shared path. I've recently been on a cycling holiday in the UK and quite a lot of the National Cycling Network is like this.

If that's not the case here then maybe cycling on the road feels too unsafe for people who aren't confident cyclists. It isn't necessarily dangerous if the cyclists stop, or slow right down, to pass pedestrians. I cycle on shared paths and behave responsibly towards pedestrians and horse riders.

Hi Memorable, yes, I don't think I'd appreciated just how bad it must be. I was always taught to think of cyclists and motorcyclists as 'people without the protection of a metal box' when on the road and therefore had to be extremely careful around them, but it sounds like there are a significant proportion who just don't care about that.

Not all shared paths are segregated. Most where I am are not marked as such but appear on local authority issued maps.
Which gives me the incredible displeasure of being shouted at, and abused by people like the OP for cycling perfectly legally for the crime of doing nothing wrong.

I agree with the OP - it's on regular pavements not cycle paths shared or otherwise.

It's also not the lycra brigade as to be fair they are all on the road.

This is in London not sure if it's different elsewhere