If they ride 2 abreast and show no sign of giving me more room I pass them as I would pass a car, and only when it would be safe to pass one. No more, no less. I have seen some punishment passes (which also means I had stayed behind btw); just because you feel exposed doesn’t mean you were being punish passed.Originally Posted by Montello
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Oh well, let’s just see if we can all agree to all treat each other with mutual respect on the roads regardless of how we choose to travel.
I always give the full road width, if they cycle without respect then my exhaust may happen to bang loudly to make them aware I’m there as they often don’t look over their shoulder.
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Indeed, and that includes walking. I've just spent 3 days in York, a lot of the city centre is traffic free for most parts of the day - with bollards, (and people to operate them to cover for essential/emergency vehicles), to limit access. But cyclists are permitted free roam, which is fine and happens in many cities abroad, however the number of cyclists who tear up behind people walking without giving any form of warning was quite disturbing when they pass in close proximity. In the 3 days we were there we only saw one cyclist with a bell fitted to his bike, is it now considered 'soft' to have a bell or other warning device fitted to a bike? Oh, and this was out of term time for students, I can only think it will be worse once the college/university students are back.
It's the same here at home. We have a joint cycle/footpath, known locally as the Red Path, and cyclists literally tear along and, in the main, give no warning when approaching from behind people. I stopped one once and asked why he'd given no warning and his reply was "I could see you so I knew you were there and avoided you!".
But as I said in an earlier post - it's people. I genuinely believe that these same cyclists will behave with the same lack of curtesy when they're out in their cars as they do on their bikes, or when they're pushing their trollies at the local supermarket.
For the record, I'm a cyclist, I have a bell fitted and I always give ample warning to pedestrians - both with the bell and with my voice if I think they haven't heard the bell. It really isn't hard to do. And when we're walking and a cyclist does give warning we always step to one side - it makes it safer for us and easier for them.
Best Regards - Peter
I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.
Well done you have now introduced another dimension to the anti cycling brigade to latch onto.
When you drive and you come up to a slower moving vehicle or a horse do you sound your horn before you overtake?
Personally I find the use of bells a bit obnoxious when I’m walking. It feels a bit like the above ridiculous analogy.
I find it much better to just say “morning” or “hello” and sometimes you get the greeting returned but more often than not you get a surprised face as many people are walking with ear buds in listening to music or podcasts so a greeting or a bell these days usually falls on deaf ears.
The main issue I find when encountering people in the lanes are the previously mentioned music/phone zombies and dog walkers why have no control of their loose dogs which then chase you …
As ever none of this is a problem if people act with consideration and certainly not an issue limited to people on bikes.
If we are in the business of generalisations, if we were to measure the % of a***holes amongst cyclists I suspect it would be lower than that of BMW and Audi drivers …
Last edited by Montello; 13th April 2024 at 12:57.
Not quite sure how you equate driving up to the rear of a horse and then cycling up behind someone. I guess you realise that bikes in most cases are virtually silent and if they're tanking along can take someone by surprise, especially if the pedestrian was to step sideways for whatever reason, perhaps pedestrians should be fitted with rear view mirrors on their shoulders now to aid cyclists? Of course when you come up on a horse from behind (in a car) in most cases the rider will be aware of you which is why you slow down, you'd obviously not want to sound your horn because you'd spook the hoss. I think somewhere down the line you've lost the plot and are saying any load of old boll+@&%s!
Last edited by Franky Four Fingers; 13th April 2024 at 13:18.
Drove 1 1/2 miles from the village to town (it's a small town) this afternoon. Wasn't held up by other cars, tractors or horses. Plain sailing. Coming in the opposite direction however were 2 lycra clad pedallers out for a jaunt about 50 yards apart and each had 4 cars behind them with no chance of overtaking.
Why not just go to a spinning class?
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Plain sailing for the whole 1 1/2 miles, well done you, why not walk or ride, get the sun on your face, fresh air in your lungs, you never know it may make you feel healthier!
Does it make a difference if they're 'lycra clad'?
Well he's already blamed cyclists bad press on a media and political plot and Brexit, so you might be right!
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
If you'd read my post properly you'd have seen I was talking specifically about shared foot/cycle paths and traffic free public spaces. I don't get to meet any horses or cars in these places, though I do get to meet very many joggers, walkers and cyclists on them.
Yesterday was just another typical day walking on one of our local shared foot/cycle paths. I was almost hit by this idiot who shot past me from behind extremely closely and at high speed to get between the two bollards. Of course, she gave no warning whatsoever. Then again she had no bell! Had she given warning Lynn and I would have stepped aside to let her pass.
And your 'cheery good morning' would have been no help whatsoever at the speed she was going!
There are, on this shared path, quite a number of blind bends like this one. I'm amazed at the number of cyclists who give no warning when approaching at high speed, particularly early morning/evening when they're obviously commuting to/from work. Many folk are out at those times walking their dogs and I've seen one dog hit by one of these clowns - I was walking it at the time!
Am I right in assuming, based on your replies in this thread, you don't have a bell fitted to your bike?
For the record. I'm a cyclist, I have a bell fitted to my bike and I use it.
Last edited by Griswold; 15th April 2024 at 10:41.
Best Regards - Peter
I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.
Clearly an idiot, how do you know she has no bell? May have just not bothered to use it ...
I have 6 bikes in the garage, 4 have bells. If I was riding on the path shown in your images I'd ride a bike with a bell but in that context I would ride little more than walking pace when I encounter pedestrians and so I prefer to engage with a greeting than ring a bell which often alarms them with the surprise, the voice is a more gentle engagement, ringing a bell at someone has always struck me as a bit aggressive so I prefer a hello or morning, feels a bit more human. This all assumes of course they are not plugged into music/phones.
Sorry to read your dog was hit by a person on a bike, mixing dogs with bikes can present challenges, I have been chased by loose dogs on numerous occasions, once for about 2 miles at full gas by a Dobermann fortunately I escaped on a downhill section. In other examples I have been caught by those long retractable leads where a dog has darted across the road creating trip wire ... I don't blame the dogs. When riding near dogs I moderate my speed as I expect the dog to do something unpredictable. Riding fast past a dog is pain stupidity. I encounter dogs quite a bit on my routes.
Yesterday on my bike ride I saw a high end BMW driver in Deal town centre drive fast and aggressively ... almost hit a family crossing on the pelican ... sadly there are idiots amongst us ...
Last edited by Montello; 15th April 2024 at 12:15.
You come across a a more intelligent cyclist than many around here. Lynn and I regularly walk the path shown in my photo's and those pics were taken on yesterdays walk, but we never fail to have cyclists flying past us from behind with no warning whatsoever so I make a point of looking to see if they have a bell or not and the lass certainly hadn't. But that seems to be the norm around here with cyclists, no bell and no warning given. It was the same the other day in York in the traffic free areas, a number of them were Deliveroo and Just Eat cyclists and clearly in a rush to collect or deliver.
When cycling I ring my bell well in advance, often several times, and if I think they haven't heard, (i.e. looked round and/or moved to one side), I call out 'bike coming through' which always works - even on those who are engrossed in conversation; and people have actually thanked me for the warning. A lot of walkers around here are sick and tired of the way so many cyclists behave.
And don't get me started on those idiot cyclists on mountain bikes tearing along the local, totally flat tarmac, canal paths giving no warnings to anglers shipping many thousands of pounds of carbon fibre poles! And as anglers we have to pay to be there!
Oh, the dog, my sister in laws actually - I was dog sitting, was fine but the cyclist was seriously shaken up and very apologetic.
Best Regards - Peter
I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.
I'm not a fan of cycle paths. I frequently hear a cry from car drivers of 'get on the fcuking cycle path!' to which I might respond 'get on the 'fcuking M4!'. I'm biased because I was hit by another cyclist on the Bristol to Bath cycle path, the original Sustrans route, aka The Psycho Path & fractured my hip, shattered my collar bone, & also 2 ribs. Subsequently I've undergone a total hip replacement which cost me £15k. I've generally commuted via the A4 ever since....it feels much safer.If you'd read my post properly you'd have seen I was talking specifically about shared foot/cycle paths and traffic free public spaces. I don't get to meet any horses or cars in these places, though I do get to meet very many joggers, walkers and cyclists on them.
Yesterday was just another typical day walking on one of our local shared foot/cycle paths. I was almost hit by this idiot who shot past me from behind extremely closely and at high speed to get between the two bollards. Of course, she gave no warning whatsoever. Then again she had no bell! Had she given warning Lynn and I would have stepped aside to let her pass.
And your 'cheery good morning' would have been no help whatsoever at the speed she was going!
There are, on this shared path, quite a number of blind bends like this one. I'm amazed at the number of cyclists who give no warning when approaching at high speed, particularly early morning/evening when they're obviously commuting to/from work. Many folk are out at those times walking their dogs and I've seen one dog hit by one of these clowns - I was walking it at the time!
Am I right in assuming, based on your replies in this thread, you don't have a bell fitted to your bike?
For the record. I'm a cyclist, I have a bell fitted to my bike and I use it.
Dogs are one of the main hazard on the Psycho Path. I've had several incidents....for example I was just about to reach a point on the path where it crossed a main road. On the approach I noticed a guy on a bike ahead come on to the path & then immediately release his Boxer dog from it's lead. The dog clocked me & made a beeline towards me head on. I attempted to swerve to avoid it but it dived into my front wheel. I went over the handlebars & the dog ran off. It returned looking sheepish a few minutes later with a clearly broken front leg.
Shortly after this I came up behind another cyclist who's terrier type dog was running alongside him. The Boxer dog incident was quite fresh in my mind. I called from behind that I was coming through & that he ought to be careful with his dog because I had ran over one recently. To which the rider responded that he'd been doing this for years without incident. Barely were the words out of his mouth when his little dog noticed another dog & ran across his path. He ran his own dog over (it was ok) & he ended up on the deck looking up at me as I passed. His parting words were 'I don't have any problem with this!'
Another occasion was an old lady with her Jack Russell on an extendable lead. The old lady was one side of the path & the dog was at the other sniffing at something in the undergrowth. I rode through the lead & came to a halt with the lead hooked up under my chin. The old woman exclaimed 'You STUPID dog!' The dog was unconcerned.
Finally, I was riding home from work & came upon a group of three women who were taking up the full width of the cycle path. I rang my bell. As I was about to ride through the gap between them, one of the women opened her arms wide as if to stop me. I came to a halt. Then I realised that she had opened her arms wide to encourage her loose dog to come to her. The next second the dog charged straight past her & took my bike out from under me. As I laid on the deck she said 'you never rang your bell!' As she said this a couple of other cyclists rode up to us & one of them said 'Yes he did, I heard it quite clearly'.
Regarding those ridiculous bollards & wooden posts that councils erect on cycling paths.....many a time I've nearly hit one.....& tragically a member of my cycling club did just that a year ago & is paralysed from the neck down as a result. Stick one in the middle of the M1 & see how long it lasts!
^^^^^^^^^^^
The bollards are an attempt to stop clowns like this….
Best Regards - Peter
I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.
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