[Organon]

In the summer I often go off-road on some of the gravel trails around the Mersey. There seems to be a tutting generation of passive aggressive pedestrians who seem surprised that there would ever be a cyclist on these trails, including those clearly marked as part of the National Cycling Network (although some of those are just muddy pathways.) Even though I am slowing down to pass them and they hear my freewheel, or I even say ‘excuse me’ to pass them, I get some of the most panicked responses with people jumping out of my way or even stepping in front of me like they were being chased by a lion.

And then come the comments. I was going along a nice wide alternative route to a bypass road, 4m wide Network route. I go to the left of the route and a fella grabs his Golden Retriever and pulls it the full width of the route and says ‘Your Welcome’ loudly as I pass. This wasn’t a fast process, I didn’t ask you to throttle your dog. That is even before I have to navigate the horse turds there. And then there was the family on one side of the path. Dad calls out to his dog at the last moment and instead of leaving it to safely snuffle in the bushes it runs to him directly in front of me. Not only is it off the lead on a popular cycleway shouting at it is the very last thing you should be doing.

There are 10’s of thousands of miles of mixed use pavements and routes in this country; however pedestrians always assume you are not supposed to be there no matter how slowly you approach them. Roads are for cars, paths are for pedestrians, don’t dare to ride on either or expect the wrath of the tutting classes.

Topic

[mdavidford]

david rides wrote:

i HATE that little blue sign! the one that means cyclists MAY use it, but its shared with pedestrians, or the other ones that say this is one side for bikes, one side for people. And then you still get people walking in the bike lane who then act surprised when you appear behind them. Im quite tempted to go round spray painting every damn one of the things making the bikes vanish.

It actually doesn’t mean that – it just means cycles must stick to the cycle side. Pedestrians are still allowed to walk on any part of the path they like – it’s still a footway, that just happens to permit cycling on one part of it.

[fukawitribe]

You are part of the problem.

You are part of the problem.

[brooksby]

Simon E wrote:

Sriracha wrote:

My experience is that you can win, but you have to think it through from their perspective, recognising that they are enjoying a peaceful walk lost in their thoughts.

If you ride up their arse and hammer your bell at them, then yes, it comes across as aggressive – like you are asserting your priority.

By using terms like “hammer your bell” and “asserting your priority” I think you’re deliberately misinterpreting what brooksby meant.

On my way to work I ride on a couple of narrow lanes with almost no traffic and am likely to meet people walking or jogging. I’m always happy to slow to a crawl or put a foot down for someone else, it’s not hard to be considerate. The only people who are a problem are those wearing headphones and considering only themselves.

Shared paths have been discussed on here many times; there are always going to be problems mixing dog walkers, family groups or teenagers with cyclists moving on both directions at higher speeds (even if that’s 10 or 12 mph). Converting a pavement into a cycle facility by painting a white line down it – or in some cases just a few blue signs – simply doesn’t work. The few stretches of shared path I occasionally use are busier since the lockdown so to both avoid causing concern to anyone and to maintain social distancing I ride on the road. But that’s not appropriate for everyone. Again, it’s decent infrastructure that makes all the difference.

Thanks, Simon E.

For the avoidance of doubt – I have never ‘ridden up someone’s arse and hammered my bell at them’.  That’s what comes of looking ahead, I guess (especially nowadays…).

I will ring the bell a couple of times (I’ve got a Crane E-NE bell on both my bikes, if you want an idea of sound) ahead of actually coming into conflict, hoping the pedestrian will hear it and look around.

If I have to (if they’re wearing headphones or ‘being Principled’, for example) then I will wait behind them until I can pass.  I always say thank you.

I will even slow down and even ring a bell as I approach a bend on a shared-use path or a narrow section, if I can’t see that the way ahead is clear.

And yet my experiences still tend toward those described in my earlier post.

YMMV.

[mtb_roadtripper]

My touring/work horse has a

My touring/work horse has a bell as I use it mostly for working tours in Edinburgh and frankly the bell is the best most useful thing on the bike, I never realised until I started riding in a city a lot. 98% of people are appreciative of a well timed bell ding, some are stone deaf/have head phones in (some good bell dinging can usually cut through) and there is always a few that jump 10ft in the air whatever you do. 

On the roadie however I am very rarely on shared paths so I dont have a bell and it can get frustrating during the times I am but I think its a case of just reigning it in, using a jovial “beep beep” and ALWAYS expecting the worst. 

[brooksby]

srchar wrote:

I’d still thank them for making the effort even if the execution makes things worse.

Depends on how much worse… 😉

[Gary's bike channel]

i HATE that little blue sign!

i HATE that little blue sign! the one that means cyclists MAY use it, but its shared with pedestrians, or the other ones that say this is one side for bikes, one side for people. And then you still get people walking in the bike lane who then act surprised when you appear behind them. Im quite tempted to go round spray painting every damn one of the things making the bikes vanish.

[srchar]

I’d still thank them for

I’d still thank them for making the effort even if the execution makes things worse.

[reilhan]

I’ve used a standard bell for

I’ve used a standard bell for years and have only ever twice had people be passive-aggressive by just continuing and ignoring me.  One I had to brush past after riding behind slowly and repeatedly saying ‘excuse me’ (and whom I’d’ve have been willing to respond with actual aggression had any been offered, and  a couple who were probably just deaf and despite repeated calls and rings seemed surprised when I passed.
Slow down, give ample room/time for the pedestrians to trun around and step aside, say ‘thank you’ and smile.  A traditional ‘tring-tring’ bell isn’t aggressive.  

 

[Gary's bike channel]

i got followed by a yapp dog

i got followed by a yapp dog on a shared path once, the owner had let him off the lead so he just followed me as i was jogging, i crossed a road to get away from him but he just ran across the road with me and all the car drivers started beeoing at me, as though it was my dog. then i just stood trying to make him go away for 5 minutes until the dumbass owner caught up and took him away. As far as im concerned, dogs should only be allowed inside houses and gardens, not out in public areas, they’re not controllable, even if the owner thinks they are. 

[Gary's bike channel]

this is my weapon of choice- 

this is my weapon of choice- 

better than a bell. 

I hate shared paths. I’d rather be on the road getting beeped or shouted at. They don’t work. The only time a bicycle and a pedestrian mix on a route that actually goes from one destination to another, as opposed to being a route in a town centre, is when children on little bikes use them. Thats the only time they work. Anyone else is probably going to be cycling at at least ten miles an hour. Thats three times a walking pace. So its the same as cycling on a road at ten mph with cars passing you closely and beeping at 30 mph.  If you put your speed up to whats a suggested maximum of 18 mph, its like cycling at 10 mph on a road with cars beeping and coming past you at 60 mph.  And if you remain on the shared path at 30 mph, it is exactly the same as a car coming past you as you cycle at ten mph, beeping and travelling at 100 mph right next to you. It really does not work and i loath councillors who do this. Cheap it may be, but it is good for nobody but very very slow cyclists.  You should not have to slow down for pedestrians on a shared path, it should be wide enough and marked so that you can go as fast as you like, without coming anywhere near them. Pedestrians are to cyclists what cyclists are to non cycling car drivers. They dont want us on the road with them, and pedestrians dont want us on paths with them. So dont try to mix us, put us on high speed seperated routes from both motor traffic AND walkers. 

[HoarseMann]

this approach hasn’t been

this approach hasn’t been mentioned yet 

 

[PaulHerneBay]

Toatally agree, whether I’m

Toatally agree, whether I’m cycling or running dog owners take no resposibilty whatsoever and seem to feel they have a god given right to take up all available space, taking priority over everyone else. Selfish and rude and long, extendable leads should be banned !

[fizrar6]

 

[quote=Cargobike]

 

Likewise, on a shared path I always try to treat other users as actual people, you know, who can converse with each other. Use a bell if you really must, but it comes across as aggressive regardless of whether that is the intention or not.

Far better to slow down, state clearly your intentions in a calm voice, for instance “coming through on your left” and then thank them for moving over. If they are over dramatic, diving into the hedgerow give them a gentle dig, make a joke of it, we all need a laugh right now.

 

Crikey Crargobike, what colour is the sky in your world. Do you really believe cyclists go out their way to harrass and startle pedestrians, I’m guessing you have your bell wrapped in cotton wool so as not to sound too agressive.

Lets face it most pedestrians move over and smile but there are always the idiots who walk aimlessly into cycle lanes or refuse to make way for cyclists. If you haven’t met them you need to get out more.

[Simon E]

Sriracha wrote:

Sriracha wrote:

My experience is that you can win, but you have to think it through from their perspective, recognising that they are enjoying a peaceful walk lost in their thoughts.

If you ride up their arse and hammer your bell at them, then yes, it comes across as aggressive – like you are asserting your priority.

By using terms like “hammer your bell” and “asserting your priority” I think you’re deliberately misinterpreting what brooksby meant.

On my way to work I ride on a couple of narrow lanes with almost no traffic and am likely to meet people walking or jogging. I’m always happy to slow to a crawl or put a foot down for someone else, it’s not hard to be considerate. The only people who are a problem are those wearing headphones and considering only themselves.

Shared paths have been discussed on here many times; there are always going to be problems mixing dog walkers, family groups or teenagers with cyclists moving on both directions at higher speeds (even if that’s 10 or 12 mph). Converting a pavement into a cycle facility by painting a white line down it – or in some cases just a few blue signs – simply doesn’t work. The few stretches of shared path I occasionally use are busier since the lockdown so to both avoid causing concern to anyone and to maintain social distancing I ride on the road. But that’s not appropriate for everyone. Again, it’s decent infrastructure that makes all the difference.

[Sriracha]

Try to remember most are not
Try to remember most are not like that. In fact, I’ve never met one myself.

[Author]

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