riding on paths? what can we do!

u05harrisb

i cycle too and from work and on the jorney there is a junction with traffic lights where on the way home (rush hour) i have nearly been knocked off, on the way to work i just cycle on the road its not too bad but on the way home again because of the amount of traffic and it being a hill start with lots of parked cars on the edge you have to weave in and out of those and the normal riding by the curb, so on the way home i miss out this junction by taking the pavement along side the road which is about 25meters, im a curtious rider, i ring my bell give plenty of notice please thankyou's etc. i am aware that riding a bike on the pavement is tech. speaking illiegal but today a woman went mental at me must have been 40s-50s and i dinged my bell to warn her she didnt move or turn around sho i said " excuse me could i just get by please?" and the reply i get is woman getting very angry and refusing to move

what should i do in these situations guys? i dont want to do this one section of road because ive been knocked off and had elbows clipped etc several times and its just not worth the hassel

nicklouse

get off and push the bike as that is legal.

chedabob

Get off and walk.

bails87

Get off and walk or take primary and don't let cars past for that short stretch. Weaving in and out is very dangerous.

cat_with_no_tail

You shouldn't be riding on the pavement, period! She was well within her rights to have a pop.

Either get off and push, learn to be more confident in your road positioning, or find an alternative route around it.

u05harrisb

so what u mean is if i make my self more obvous to the cars and make it a little harder to pass they will have to think about it more thus having to notice me and not run me over or give me little or no room

phal44

Meh I dont think people have a right to go mental at you just because you're on the pavement... but then again I wouldn't ding my bell at them either since I know I'm not supposed to be there lol

Unfortunately if you want to guarantee not having any people obstructing you then the road is the only place to be... and even then you have to contend with other cyclists and drivers.

chedabob

u05harrisb wrote:

so what u mean is if i make my self more obvous to the cars and make it a little harder to pass they will have to think about it more thus having to notice me and not run me over or give me little or no room

Not really. If you're in primary, they can't pass you at all. They'd have to overtake in oncoming traffic.

You need to ride authoritatively, so if there's a particular stretch of road you're uncomfortable with and you think cars will get too close for comfort, pull out and don't let them pass until it's safe to do so. You'll get the odd wanker that beeps their horn at you, but it's better than being pinched against the curb or into an open door.

butcher of bakersfield

Depends where you are tbh. I live outside of the city and ride on pavements all the time. It's quite rare I pass anyone, and when I do I slow down to walking pace anyway, unless there's loads of room. I don't think it's all black and white. Cycling on pavements is an accepted part of life round here, and many of them even have miniature junctions for cyclists. Usually completely pointless junctions, and they tend to appear at random, but junctions nonetheless.

City center is a different kettle of fish, and of course there's lots of grey area in between.

cat_with_no_tail

butcher of bakersfield wrote:

Depends where you are tbh. I live outside of the city and ride on pavements all the time. It's quite rare I pass anyone, and when I do I slow down to walking pace anyway, unless there's loads of room. I don't think it's all black and white. Cycling on pavements is an accepted part of life round here, and many of them even have miniature junctions for cyclists. Usually completely pointless junctions, and they tend to appear at random, but junctions nonetheless.

City center is a different kettle of fish, and of course there's lots of grey area in between.

Sorry, but that's boIIocks!

Riding on the pavement is illegal, it's not a grey area. I suppose you think RLJing is ok too.

If you're not confident enough to ride on the road, either learn, or just stick to the trails. Riding on the pavement gives us ALL a bad name by association.

butcher of bakersfield

Okey dokey.

bails87

Maybe read this for proper instruction on how to ride safely and assertively.

Shaggy_Dog

I can't add anything to what has already been said but completely agree with bails87 & Cat With No Tail

(edit) Actually, thinking about it, when you do stick in the middle of the lane (which you are entitled to do if overtaking is dangerous, like before a junction or in tight spaces) expect to be honked at, that way you won't jump if you are. If someone does beep at you, do not react in any way, carry on like you didn't hear it. Remember, they are in the wrong, not you.

Some motorists believe they have a divine right to overtake you, even if it means stopping 10 yards after for a red light. If they get irate, they'll have to wait until you pull up for a junction as you have only left them space to pull aside in the oncoming lane, if you explain why you were in the position you were in, to prevent car doors from being opened up in your path, they should understand.

Never lose your cool when dealing with irate motorists and always be reasonable, putting your life and safety over adding 30 seconds to someone else's commute will almost always sound reasonable.

Cyclist are up against it from all angles, pedestrians hate us because some of us ride dangerously in their domain. Motorists hate us because they perceive us to slow them down and some of us flaunt the rules of the road like they don't apply to us.

Truth is, we don't really add much time to someone's commute, traffic lights and the sheer quantity of cars on the road do that, so the more people ride bikes, the less cars are on the streets and the less traffic lights are necessary and the faster everyone gets to work/shops/gym.

Basically, don't act in a way that will cause you to be in the wrong and if someone has a go at you when you're in the right, don't rise to an argument, just calmly explain what you were doing and why.

Bit of a log post but this is the way I go about commuting now and it works out great for me, no arguments or incidents for ages.

Anonymous

I quite often ride on pavements.
One of the stretches on the ride to work is a very narrow road (hey, it's Wales) where it's just a pain in the backside for any road users to be stuck behind a bike, and there really isn't enough room for them to pass, either.
So, I hop onto the just wide-enough pavement which I've never seen anybody walk along, and let the traffic carry on unheeded.
Never caused a problem.

But, erm. yeah...
riding on the pavements is baaaad, mkay?

Mynameisdann

alot of my riding is just social pottering along, lower the seat and just roll on down to tescos or somewhere, so obviously its on the pavement, never been stopped and noone has ever said anything to me :x

Anonymous

And all this "ride in the center of the road because it's your right" annoys me.
As a driver as well as a rider, I see loads of cyclists taking over the entire road, and refusing to pull over to allow a safe overtaking manoeuvre.
I just feel embarrassed for all riders when I see that.

Shaggy_Dog

yeehaamcgee wrote:

And all this "ride in the center of the road because it's your right" annoys me.
As a driver as well as a rider, I see loads of cyclists taking over the entire road, and refusing to pull over to allow a safe overtaking manoeuvre.
I just feel embarrassed for all riders when I see that.

We don't all live in North Wales, where I live some people use pavements for walking on. Hard to believe I know.

I stick to the left but if there are cars parked on my side of the road I pull out to 6-12 inches clear of what I perceive to be a open doors width to be, if that slows you down, big deal, I'm not taking an open door to the face just so you can get somewhere faster. If I'm on a country road ride and the road points down I pull out to the middle of my lane, chances are I'm doing over 35mph and I don't want someone overtaking me on the outside of a corner at that sort of speed.

It amazes me but people do actually do that if you don't ride defensively. One guy who nearly clipped me on my way to work when I was almost riding in the gutter when questioned what the f*ck he thought he was doing overtaking me so dangerously replied "but you're on a bike" with a puzzled look as if my life was of no importance because of the mode of transport I chose to use.

I drive too, cyclist don't bother me at all, I know if I overtake them, I'll see them sail past as I sit waiting in a queue at traffic lights and think to myself "Why am I here in this metal box? Why have I just wasted petrol overtaking him?"

Anonymous

Shaggy_Dog wrote:

I stick to the left but if there are cars parked on my side of the road I pull out to 6-12 inches clear of what I perceive to be a open doors width to be, if that slows you down, big deal,

Hey, I have no problem with that. At all.
There are a lot of wide, fast, open B-roads round here, that are almost, but not quite two proper lanes. They have no central lane marker.
It get REALLY tedious to have cyclists riding so wide into the center of the road that you just cannot pass. There's no logic to it, either.

Shaggy_Dog

Oh, well that's ridiculous. If I'm on a singletrack road I pull over immediately most drivers give us a smile and a nod or wave which makes it worthwhile. I don't see too many roads that are one and a half car widths but if I did I'd stick well over to the left. I say live and let live. No point in pissing people off for the sake of it. I must admit my pet hate is people stopping in the cycle boxes at junctions, I usually pull in front of them anyway and pull away very slowly in the middle of the lane for a hundred yards to punish them for their reckless driving! My only sin on the road, promise!

Anonymous

I think we had a misunderstanding there!
No harm done!

Daz555

u05harrisb wrote:

today a woman went mental at me must have been 40s-50s and i dinged my bell to warn her she didnt move or turn around sho i said " excuse me could i just get by please?" and the reply i get is woman getting very angry and refusing to move

what should i do in these situations guys?

Don't ring your bell at pedestrians when on the pavement is a good start - an even better start is don't ride on the pavement to start with!

As for the dodgy junction - take your lane and ride the short section as you would on a motorcycle. If you are a quick rider car drivers will not be annoyed as they are when pootling along behind a rider who can only manage 5mph.

j_l

Some good points on here, my 2p

At busy junctions take prime spot (just for the junction though)

If you aren’t confident enough to take prime spot then get off and walk.


To the women who had a go, just ignore, (that said I am a bit of a gob shite and would have called her a fat cow or something).

I am a car user, 140 mile a day commute, and a cyclist so I see both points of view, one thing I hate to see is drivers not giving enough space or cutting up due to bad judgment.

Some time ago a mate of mine was pitched off his bike by a driver of a Jag, the jag pulled up about 5m later at some red lights, so my mate brimming with anger / shock took out his seat and launched a full scale attack on the roof of the said Jag the driver was too scared to get out and just drove off, my mate wasn't particularly hurt but was very shocked hence the attack.

He didn't hear another thing about it, but he must have caused 100's if not 1000's of pounds worth of damage :? I suspect the Jag driver felt guilty :roll:

j_l

What about off street footpaths, e.g. through woods etc how do we feel about that, or is that for another thread???????



Discuss

Chronicbint

Illegal or not, hurl abuse at people who are not considerate.

surreyxc

just be considerate, riding on pavements is acceptable if you show consideration. If the pavement is very crowded it makes no sense, but if it is not and you pass a pedestrian slow to walking pass, give as much space as possible, if there is not enough space then stop to allow them to pass, and give them an 'Hello' and a smile. That has worked for me over 20yrs riding.

Maybe it depends where you live, in more crowded areas there could be issues of antagonism. That is the problem of having an over populated country to many conflicts of interest. And to all those who say you should never ride on the pavement, I think you are replacing common sense and civility with rules.

I remember the ride to school, so unpleasant where the people of authority that children were so fearful of riding on the pavement they would instead ride down the road (A3 south of Hindhead) A killer.

Petethebogmonster

As mentioned in previous posts, take the lane, keep clear of parked cars and don't use the pavements. Ignore the idiots if they have a problem with you riding in a safe and defensive manner, let them stress out and get home in a rage whilst you get home feeling relaxed ready to enjoy your down time

Anonymous

Petethebogmonster wrote:

let them stress out and get home in a rage whilst you get home feeling relaxed ready to enjoy your down time

See, that is just ignorant and dangerous. A stressed out psycho behind the wheel is not going to end well.

butcher of bakersfield

surreyxc wrote:

And to all those who say you should never ride on the pavement, I think you are replacing common sense and civility with rules.

Couldn't agree more. Same goes for riding primary. Yup, it makes sense, but only depending on the roads you're on. Ride in primary position on some of the roads here and you'll be flattened pretty quickly I'd say. A little common sense goes a long way.

anton1r

butcher of bakersfield wrote:

...A little common sense goes a long way.

+everything

My 2p

Re Pavements:
Don't ride on the pavements it is illegal. But If you do decided to play with this law remember your pretty low down on the pavement food chain so be super courteous eg no bells.

Re Road position:
Unless your riding at the same speed as the traffic take primary only when you feel your safety is going to be put at risk if you don't. e.g. if other vehicles are going to squeezing by you putting you into the gutter/kerb. Immediately once that danger has passed pull into "secondary" and give a wave/thumbs up to the vehicles behind you. People find it difficult to be angry at someone that has apologised/said thank you.

At the end of the day we are all just trying to get somewhere.

bails87

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Petethebogmonster wrote:

let them stress out and get home in a rage whilst you get home feeling relaxed ready to enjoy your down time

See, that is just ignorant and dangerous. A stressed out psycho behind the wheel is not going to end well.

But if taking primary for one junction is enough to make a driver want to murder someone, then they've got serious psychological problems (and it's them who is 'ignorant and dangerous') and should be in a padded cell, not behind the wheel of a car

In my humble opinion, of course.

I agree, don't ride down the middle of the road just because. But where it's making you safer, as in the OP's situation, do it. I do it when riding past those bollards/traffic islands in the middle of the road, where there simply isn't room for a cyclist + car. But drivers try anyway. They're so close that if the window was open I could probably reach in and change gear for them :roll:

aahjnnot

Many important pavements around here (Cardiff) have been reclassified as cycle paths in recent years, but I have one potentially dangerous junction (by the prison if you're local) on my daily commute. I know it's technically illegal, but I always ride carefully on the pavement, even though there are often a few pedestrians about. I've never had any unpleasantness, and when, as often happens, I'm passed by the police they blithely ignore me.

I've known too many people who've been knocked off their bikes - including one who was tragically killed by a careless motorist - to take chances. The risk of me injuring a pedestrian is much lower than the risk of a motorist injuring me, so, on this occasion, the law of the road is a dangerous ass. I guess that's why the police are so sanguine about my behaviour.