Teaching kids to ride - does it include manners?

Quirrel

Not for the first time I was riding along when a mother, unleashed dog and wobbly child are taking up the whole cycleway. Dog is meandering down the track, child is riding parallel with mum (or dad) with no instructions to pull in or parent to move in behind or in front of their kid to show them what to do, regardless of whether it's on the right or left.

Of all the things that narks me it's things like this. If you are taking your kid out to ride and they are learning, teach them how to be polite as well.

I'm not even going to start on the other cyclist riding three abreast who don't move over to let people by.

TheKrikkitWars

My earliest memory of learning to ride is that once I could do without stabilisers, my dad took me to some quiet roads and taught me how to ride on the road, and never ever to use pavements... keeping out of other people's way has been totally ingrained ever since.

Splottboy

Introduce 'em to a 375 Magnum...The World's most powerful handgun...

The Big Cheese

Gawd, don't get me started.

When I lived in Ramsgate, there was a park for all to use, with a 10ft wide gravel footpath for walkers, cyclists and ... in fact everyone. Now you would think that all could live in harmony... wrong!

Cycling through and you get:

The child who is on said bike, not supervised whilst mummy and daddy 'aawwwwww' at the precocious little brat who is violating every single rule of etiquette ever known. LIttle Jonny is riding his shiny new bike, taking up the whole path, and his stupid arse parents don't even mention a word to keep him on one side of the path, not even attempt to apologise to people who are also trying to use the path.

I ride slow on public paths, pull over to let people pass, I'm polite to pedestrians and generally dont break any rules that are set.

Then you get the dogwalkers who have extendable leads. And let the dog run straight over the path, in effect creating a trip wire for anyone. They (seriously) used to stand on the grass on one side of the path, and let their dogs sniff around/shite in the bushes on the other side!!! Once I even stopped the bike dead at one of these trip wires, took my helmet and gloves off and stared at this rude old woman, WHO JUST KEPT TALKING with another old biddy and made no attempt to recall her 'Shitzu' from the other side, I just wanted to unleash some common sense on the mad old cow, however, I was brought up to respect my elders, so didnt vent my spleen.

On t'other hand, you then got the 'dirt jump' lads who broke every rule and almost got cycling banned in the park, which was an essential route through to the Sunday ride of about 8km that I always used to do. I even had to attend a council meeting to prevent this with a few other cyclists.

Quirrel

Glad it's not just me being a miserable sod.

Few weeks back at Chopwell I had two runners coming on the left side of the track round a blind corner straight into me. I'm sure the rules of the road generally apply of road as well, keep to the left.

Further up the road, I was faced with playing chicken with a great dane or a child and mother on bike, charging down the hill towards me.

Should really have called the forestry commission and complained about unleashed dogs, but alas I forgot.

Anonymous

They (seriously) used to stand on the grass on one side of the path, and let their dogs sniff around/shite in the bushes on the other side

I see this all the bloody time.
Laughed my arse off years ago though. Years ago, we were riding back from my mate's house along the local path (Lon Las Eifion, if anybody knows it) and it was getting dark. We did have lights, but they were crappy old things.
Anyway, we saw a woman in front of us, who kindly stepped to the side to let us pass, as we were steaming along.
What she neglegted to tell us though is that her little rat, sorry, dog, was on the opposite side of the path, on a leash that was invisible in that light.
My friend passed her first, riding straight through/over the leash, catapulting the dog across the path, and pulling the old woman over, and piledriving himself into the ground

Now, this wouldn;t be funny had anyone got hurt, but luckily she was well enough to get up straight away and scream at us, which sent is into a bout of hysterics!

cat_with_no_tail

I've seen it a couple of times, don't let it bother me tbh. If a kid's just figured out how to ride without stabilizers, I figure they've got enough going on just trying to stay upright, so I slow right down and pull right over.

Obviously, there's a point where kids wobblyness, and adults stupidity reaches an unacceptable point. But I'm bigger than Jr, so if needs be, I'll just ride over the little fecker :twisted:

When my kids learn to ride, they'll be told to keep left. But if they wobble about a little bit, you'll just have to live with it.

As for dogs with invisible leads taking up the whole trail. The owners need a good d-locking.

Oh, on a similar subject. Why do people want to ride on the right when in duel-direction cycle lanes? We drive on the left, what makes you think it's different on a bike? Wierdos :roll:

Anonymous

Cat With No Tail wrote:

Oh, on a similar subject. Why do people want to ride on the right when in duel-direction cycle lanes? We drive on the left, what makes you think it's different on a bike? Wierdos :roll:

I've noticed that a lot of people walk down narrow corridors, or through double doors on the right side as well.
Strange.
Maybe they're French or something?

Briggo

Can we also teach kids to use their brains.

Riding at weekend in Thetford, catch up with a few slow riders on the singletrack so I wait and think I'll overtake as soon as the section ends.

I get there and theres a mass of about 20 riders blocking the exit/entrance to the next section and they force me to go round through the undergrowth, when I said excuse me they just looked at me as if to say "what the hell are you doing here" and not one moved an inch for me.

What was also funny was hardly any were sub 20's, most of them were 30's - 50's.

unixnerd

As it's summer there are loads of tourist on the trails and cycle paths up here. Doesn't matter how loudly you shout "excuse me" they never think you're talking to them.

On my last mtb the brakes squeaked a lot, that worked wonders. I'm trying to think of ways to make the new one do the same.

Most of the dogs are off the lead, had one chase me up a steep hill for over 100m the other day. Didn't mind too much as I climbed much better than normal :-)

bike-a-swan

Briggo wrote:

Can we also teach people to use their brains.

I find something like this is distinctive enough to make people shift...

submityournentries

halo combat hubs make a fairly loud noise, so i just freewheel up behind people, and then if they still dont hear ill just say excuse me .

i seem to get quite lucky though, because apart from 1 group of walkers who refused to move, so i just shit scared by biking at a gap theyd left that was just wide enough for my bars i havent really had anyone who deliberately being bloody minded and being in the way, most of the dog walkers near me will hold onto their beasts collar as i go past

Luke-Dob

Pro 2's. That normally clears them.

Though forest roads are the worse while getting to trails.

Group of 6-7 people (looked like a family ride out) going up the hill all over the road, me on the other hand going down it on the left hand side. We all clocked each other going both ways.. This was a perfectly straight forest road, surly allowing them to move to one side in plenty of time?
Did they? Too hell they didnt!

Within meters of hitting and now at a slow rolling pace, did they decide to move over followed by a the horrendous screaming of one of the mothers telling me to MOVE over! The cheek of some!

My god did I give them all a mouthful, though without the colorful language (for the sake of the kids!)

ExeterSimon

Splottboy wrote:

Introduce 'em to a 375 Magnum...The World's most powerful handgun...

Actually it's the Smith & Wesson 500 which shoots .50 caliber Magnum 650 grain bullet.

And don't advocate pedicide...this is a friendly forum ;-)

.blitz

I think a lot depends on where you ride.

I have been riding round Cannock since the mid-90s and attitudes have changed a lot. At first it was definitely us-and-them and I had quite a few set-tos with walkers and horse riders. When Follow The Dog opened it drew a lot of riders away from other parts of the Chase and the signage at least made people aware that there were bikes around. Now there are bike trails everywhere and people are generally very courteous.

What seems like cruising to us is actually quite fast to someone on foot or on horseback and it's easy to be on top of them before they have time to react.

Thread8

Several loud freehubs like Pro 2's and Spin Dr's tend to work, sounds a bit like a chainsaw, but as I ride on my own a lot of the time i tend to have to shout excuse me

Don't even get me started on dogs on tripwires/uncontrollable dogs not on leads, had to give one a massive boot the other day to stop it chewing off my foot on a downhill section :evil:

homers_double

You set of misserable, inconsiderate, utter fuckwits. I've taught my son to ride his bike and I can appreciate how hard it is for kids to concentrate on something they see as potential death whilst trying to keep in a straight line, never mind the their manners.

Jesus Christ Quirrel you pillock, I think its about time you got, or failing that some poor kids dad gets a grip of your scrawny shit spouting little kneck.

Anyway, I must have taught my son right as in his first ever MTB race at Bristol Bike Fest, he laughed at his opponents misfortune as he ploughed into a tree whilst stealing victory!

And for anyone wishing to argue... Suck my balls.

Will Snow

homers double wrote:

Anyway, I must have taught my son right as in his first ever MTB race at Bristol Bike Fest, he laughed at his opponents misfortune as he ploughed into a tree whilst stealing victory!

Wow he sounds like a right little shit

Anonymous

I kind of agree with HD on this one, kids will be kids. But those dilly little dogs on the opposite side of the path to their owners and the leash, that makes me laugh every time.

andrewjoseph

Kids should be excused almost anything, they are not allowed to do grown up things, like take responsibility for their own actions. This is because they are not considered mature and responsible enough.

They are allowed to be: irresponsible, immature, weak, defenceless, clueless, clumsy and stupid.

Kids can't reason or respond in grown up ways, this is because they are not grown up, they are children, not just small adults.

Some of you more 'mature' people need to remember that you didn't grow into a fully fledged cycling god the first time you got on a bike. Don't get into a state because a youngster on a bike slightly spoiled your ride for a few moments. You need to smile and tell them well done for getting out on the bike in the first place.

Clueless adults and stupid dog walkers are another matter altogether, kids are a special case and should always remain so.

Anonymous

andrewjoseph wrote:

Mountain bikers should be excused almost anything, they are not allowed to do grown up things, like take responsibility for their own actions. This is because they are not considered mature and responsible enough.

They are allowed to be: irresponsible, immature, weak, defenceless, clueless, clumsy and stupid.

Mountain bikers can't reason or respond in grown up ways, this is because they are not grown up, they are children, not adults.

There, fixed it for you

andrewjoseph

Much appreciated.

bike-a-swan

andrewjoseph wrote:

you didn't grow into a fully fledged cycling god the first time you got on a bike.

I did! 8)
Well, I remember it feeling like it when I first got going on my own!

andrewjoseph wrote:

Don't get into a state because a youngster on a bike slightly spoiled your ride for a few moments. You need to smile and tell them well done for getting out on the bike in the first place.

Seeing kids out on bikes is fantastic- just think, you could encourage the next Steve Peat into mountain biking, rather than putting them off by riding like a tit.

Chronicbint

Its not the kids people are annoyed with, its the ignorant parents who are not teaching proper manners/etiquette.

Sadly I think you will find a lot of people are just plain stupid.

Quirrel

homers double wrote:

Jesus Christ Quirrel you pillock, I think its about time you got, or failing that some poor kids dad gets a grip of your scrawny shoot spouting little kneck.

So you obviously don't teach your kid cycling etiquette whilst riding or do the polite thing and move in behind them or in front of them to allow two bikes to pass.

I presume you also let your dog run wild in front of you as well.

Another chav child on two wheels, just what we need.

Or maybe you are have a literacy problem and didn't read the post properly and see that I'm not complaining about kids on bikes, but inconsiderate parents with children and dogs.

Quirrel

andrewjoseph wrote:

Don't get into a state because a youngster on a bike slightly spoiled your ride for a few moments.

Again, a youngster on a bike didn't spoil my ride. An inconsiderate adult, with dog and child irritated me, because of their lack of responsibility for their kid and pet.

phoenixliston

i mainly learned off the track so to speak so wasnt too much of a hazard

Torres

I think we need a bit of give and take... everyone's out for a good time, and stopping for someone out on the trail doesn't really bother me.

What really gets me is people who don't say thank you :twisted: that's when i get the d lock out....

andrewjoseph

Quirrel wrote:

andrewjoseph wrote:

Don't get into a state because a youngster on a bike slightly spoiled your ride for a few moments.

Again, a youngster on a bike didn't spoil my ride. An inconsiderate adult, with dog and child irritated me, because of their lack of responsibility for their kid and pet.

Quirrel, there are a few posters that seemed to be annoyed at kids on bikes. My post was not aimed at anyone in particular but to anyone that feels that kids are an annoyance.

biff55

Quirrel wrote:

andrewjoseph wrote:

Don't get into a state because a youngster on a bike slightly spoiled your ride for a few moments.

Again, a youngster on a bike didn't spoil my ride. An inconsiderate adult, with dog and child irritated me, because of their lack of responsibility for their kid and pet.

lifes too short , get over it.

Petethebogmonster

Is this 'cycleway' a shared cycle path and footpath?
I use the Bristol to Bath cycle path (shared cycle and foot path) on occasion and used to find it frustrating that dogs, children and 'adults-who-should-know-better-but-are-totally-oblivious-to-me', would meander into my chosen path. But upon reflection I believe that it is my responsibility to use my skill and judgment (quite often meaning I have to slow down and almost stop) to avoid potential accidents.
These routes, away from motorised transport, are there for all of us to enjoy (and a privilege) whether we are walking or cycling. For some in cities these are pleasant green corridors which can be used to get from A to B without having to keep the little one reigned in or to have Fido on a short leash.
Why get wound up, enjoy the ride