Peds on the cycle track (dedicated CYCLE track)

2»

Comments

  • Andyn11
    Andyn11 Posts: 31
    Also I do expect to see peds on the cycle path... Just surprised to receive aggressive behaviour thrown back at me with a simple and polite "excuse me" or a ring of the bike bell I'd bought

    Only got the bell a week or 2 ago but don't even bother with it as people either tend to ignore it (that's right I've seen them obviously look over their shoulder and then continue on without care for them or their dog... Or their youngsters) or their off in their own world or conversation that they don't hear it at all

    And after reading through the comments I'll say that no iam not flying down the cycle path at 15-20mph I know there's gonna be people walking dogs etc and when it's a narrow shared path I've already slowed right down to walking pace about 5 bike lengths them before begin to try get their attention

    Only a select few places and times will I even consider riding on the road. Mostly when the road is nearly completely empty and late at night with the bike lit up like a Xmas tree
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Yep, sounds like a shared use (not dedicated cycle) path to me too.
    The lines are there as a helpful indication only IMO.
    The cyclist has to give way to dogs, kids, and dum adults.

    As has also been said, OP sounds no better a cyclist than some drivers are drivers!

    Grow some balls and cycle on the road if you don't like sharing a path!

    I would view it that you are being allowed on their path so that you do not have to dodge cars on the road.

    People are just dumb/inconsiderate (I 100% agree its annoying though :wink:).
    I would not make it a bike v cars v pedestrians/dog walkers thing.
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    I honestly can't think of any incidents on shared use paths. I've never known anyone to not move out of the way for a bike - that seems a bit silly thing to do.

    I always find a cheery greeting works wonders. If you're nice - people can't be arsey back to you.

    If you're looking for trouble though - as ever - you can find it.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Fenix wrote:
    I honestly can't think of any incidents on shared use paths. I've never known anyone to not move out of the way for a bike - that seems a bit silly thing to do.
    Ah - come for a visit ... there's a bit of path - with plenty of green grass field next to it - that dog walkers seem to like to amble down with their dogs on extendable leads - ignoring anyone on 2+ wheels ...
    Fenix wrote:
    I always find a cheery greeting works wonders. If you're nice - people can't be arsey back to you.
    Most of the time - sometimes though you do get an arsey response .. and you wonder why you've bothered being nice.
    Fenix wrote:
    If you're looking for trouble though - as ever - you can find it.
    I could find it - I don't often bother with that bit of path - only riding it when it's convenient for me and/or I know it's likely to be empty - ie not sunday afternoon on a nice day!
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Slowbike wrote:
    Most of the time - sometimes though you do get an arsey response .. and you wonder why you've bothered being nice.

    It's more the ones that you should "Hello" and you get no response whatsoever. You know fine well they've heard you, they're just choosing to be awkward.
  • debeli
    debeli Posts: 583
    Andyn11 wrote:
    Also I do expect to see peds on the cycle path... Just surprised to receive aggressive behaviour thrown back at me with a simple and polite "excuse me" or a ring of the bike bell I'd bought

    Only got the bell a week or 2 ago but don't even bother with it as people either tend to ignore it (that's right I've seen them obviously look over their shoulder and then continue on without care for them or their dog... Or their youngsters) or their off in their own world or conversation that they don't hear it at all

    And after reading through the comments I'll say that no iam not flying down the cycle path at 15-20mph I know there's gonna be people walking dogs etc and when it's a narrow shared path I've already slowed right down to walking pace about 5 bike lengths them before begin to try get their attention

    Only a select few places and times will I even consider riding on the road. Mostly when the road is nearly completely empty and late at night with the bike lit up like a Xmas tree

    I hear quite often that bells somehow elicit an aggressive or unhelpful response. I find quite the opposite. I still have a bell on pretty much every bicycle and in my youth I rode TTs with a bell on my handlebar. One of my kids still does...

    I think there may be a 'way' to use a bell to advise a pedestrian of one's approach. There is a canyon between the friendly toot-toot of a bullnose Morris asking for consideration and the PAARRRP! of Mr Toad or an Audi A5.

    It cannot be that I have always lived in streets where people are lovely and you (the OP) just have the bad luck to encounter all the gits. There is a sort of attitude to sharing the highway. I do not always have it - sometimes I too am a git - but when I have somehow come across as slightly aggressive or entitled I know it and resolve to do better next time. I do not get cross about it online.

    As a tip, it is sometimes worth giving a polite verbal warning when ringing the bell, making a bit of a show of slowing down and of 'steering carefully round' the pedestrian. A polite 'thank you' is also helpful.

    It may be that the last three cyclists who passed them were nutter youths on BMXs who buzzed them uncomfortable closely. You may then be grouped in with them as some of us tend to group all drivers or all Audi A5 owners into a particular focus for our animus.

    It is (as I and many others have suggested) a shared world full of shared highways. Be jolly. They don't hate you.
  • type:epyt
    type:epyt Posts: 766
    If you cycle on a shared use path then expect to be held up, it's just how it goes ... If that doesn't suit then do what most grown ups do (especially on a road cycling forum) and cycle on the road ...
    Life is unfair, kill yourself or get over it.
  • Debeli wrote:
    I think it's just one of those things that are sent to try us, like trolley-dawdlers in the supermarket.

    It's not a big deal and it's not a human-rights issue. It's just a bit of a pain.

    Once you know that there are likely to be pedestrians on the thoroughfare, you can moderate your speed and anticipate problems. Motorists have long mastered (some of us) the knack of sharing road space with slower vehicles.

    Just because I'm driving in a 60, I don't have to do 60. If the cyclist ahead is doing 20 and I can't pass safely, then I'll do 20. It seems perfectly reasonable.

    This is the UK. people do walk dogs (although I have no idea why) and people do amble slowly where one might perhaps think they oughtn't.

    I do not use cycle lanes. I prefer to cycle on the road, but I quite understand those who don't.

    When cycling on the road, I try to take into account the presence or likely presence of other legal or illegal road users whose behaviour might impact on my personal space or physical integrity.

    I suggest you do the same on cycle paths. How much time would it cost you?

    Legally you do (or slower). In reality Im more likely to be doing 90+

    9497_103089688051574c2492b37.jpg

    60mph my ass. At least by doing what I do, I donate money to the government via extra fuel tax. Well actually not really, because having lost interest in motoring I spend much more time cycling. I still occasionally exceed speed limits. Im an asshole I guess.
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,700

    Mind you, what do you shout? "Bike", "rider", "excuse me" or "look out" are all suggestions but what works best / what do you use.

    From my experimenting by far the best is "Hello!", or (obviously time dependent) "Good Morning!", said in a cheery a voice as you can possibly muster.

    The advantage is nobody can take that any other way than as a friendly greeting, rather than an instruction.

    Yo Yo works well for me over here.

    I though it was "Pas Op!"but I got a mouthful of abuse from someone for that once so I'm not sure anymore...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • Rollett
    Rollett Posts: 37
    When coming from behind I normally yell (ON YOUR LEFT) as politely as I can and thank them while passing. I normally still get glared at, some times they scatter all over the bike path lock cockroaches and that's even worse.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    Debeli wrote:
    I think it's just one of those things that are sent to try us, like trolley-dawdlers in the supermarket.

    It's not a big deal and it's not a human-rights issue. It's just a bit of a pain.

    Once you know that there are likely to be pedestrians on the thoroughfare, you can moderate your speed and anticipate problems. Motorists have long mastered (some of us) the knack of sharing road space with slower vehicles.

    Just because I'm driving in a 60, I don't have to do 60. If the cyclist ahead is doing 20 and I can't pass safely, then I'll do 20. It seems perfectly reasonable.

    This is the UK. people do walk dogs (although I have no idea why) and people do amble slowly where one might perhaps think they oughtn't.

    I do not use cycle lanes. I prefer to cycle on the road, but I quite understand those who don't.

    When cycling on the road, I try to take into account the presence or likely presence of other legal or illegal road users whose behaviour might impact on my personal space or physical integrity.

    I suggest you do the same on cycle paths. How much time would it cost you?

    Legally you do (or slower). In reality Im more likely to be doing 90+

    9497_103089688051574c2492b37.jpg

    60mph my ass. At least by doing what I do, I donate money to the government via extra fuel tax. Well actually not really, because having lost interest in motoring I spend much more time cycling. I still occasionally exceed speed limits. Im an asshole I guess.
    You better not be doing 90 on the Rannoch Moor road if you get to the bridge at the same time as a truck coming the other way...

    But it's hard to argue with your conclusion.
  • Andyn11
    Andyn11 Posts: 31
    [quote="markhewitt1978"
    [/quote]

    It's more the ones that you should "Hello" and you get no response whatsoever. You know fine well they've heard you, they're just choosing to be awkward.[/quote]

    That's exactly what I talking about... Along with people who just clearly aren't paying attention

    Imagine I didn't pay attention to the idiot with the dogs lead extended fully across the entire path while his attention is stuck to his phone
  • bompington wrote:
    You better not be doing 90 on the Rannoch Moor road if you get to the bridge at the same time as a truck coming the other way...
    No it's OK, you do fit, though you do have to breathe in a bit :D