# What is a pavement bike!!!



## dorothy (30 May 2013)

Ok, just asked what bike I should be looking at as not rode a bike in years, but wanted to see what others would perhaps recommend and I dont need anything with more gears than I know what to do with, as I didnt have gears growing up lol..........anyway I know there are road bikes and there are mountain bikes, bmx's etc, but can anyone tell me where I can find a pavement bike as when asked in shops they looked at me strangely, dont know why as there are loads using them, infact they nearly knock me down as I go to shops which is not that far, but they seem to take up all the pavement and at night they are hazzardous as many dont have lights and do travel at a fair speed. So, question is, are they a specialized thing that can only be bought from certain places and do they come with a special license as have been told they are not legal! can anyone help please.


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## fossyant (30 May 2013)

There are not pavement bikes. I think you want a hybrid bike, and you should not ride them on a pavement unless it is shared use, and if you do, take it easy.

Hybrids come in lots of different forms, as well, from nearly like a skinny tyred road bike style to almost a Mountain Bike. Go about nearer road bike, I.e. less than an inch width tyre.


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## derrick (30 May 2013)

One pavement bike,
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/early-rider/classic-kids-bike-ec015521


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## dorothy (30 May 2013)

Well thank you Derrick, but at 50+ and 5'4 I think your link might not be suitable for my needs and besides I am actually able to ride a proper bike I dont need a balance one.......but was nice of you to take the trouble to look


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## tonyw (30 May 2013)

if you are after a cheap,no nonsense bike for short distances how about decathlons B'cooOl bikes fixed gear, anti rust chain puncture proof tyres http://www.decathlon.co.uk/bcoool-white-id_8182782.html#avantages lightweight easy to store worth a look i'd say for what you need to start


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## vernon (30 May 2013)

I think you are a bit too old to ride on the pavement Dorothy unless you want to get yourself one of these:







As a bonus it's legal to ride it on pavements and you don't have to pedal at all.


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## dorothy (30 May 2013)

ohhh well thanks for that Tonyw, but can i use it on the pavement? or can I use it on the canals even? though have heard that anglers can often cause problems for cyclist there too with their large poles etc and being of an anti social group as they often put spikes across the towpaths.......or was I ill informed.


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## MossCommuter (30 May 2013)

We need to clarify the meaning of "pavement". To someone in the UK "pavement" means what "sidewalk" means to someone in the US.

Are you in Birmingham in England? Or are you in Birmingham, Alabama?


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## dorothy (30 May 2013)

well vernon if that is that what you use!! I have the power and use of both legs and i am not THAT fat yet If i didnt want to pedal at all I would just use my car, I only wanted to know what these pavement bikes were all about but as it would appear they are not proper bikes and it is illegal to use them, then I may have to look at using another way of cycling as I have seen how many drivers are ignorant to the fact THEY are not the only road users..........


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## derrick (30 May 2013)

vernon said:


> I think you are a bit too old to ride on the pavement Dorothy unless you want to get yourself one of these:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I could do with one of them


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## vernon (30 May 2013)

:troll:


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## dorothy (30 May 2013)

Moss there is only one real Birmingham, and that is in the UK, but I emigrated here from Scotland where it is legal to ride your bike anywhere


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## vernon (30 May 2013)

:troll:


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## MossCommuter (30 May 2013)

:troll:


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## fossyant (30 May 2013)

OK folks.... We know the issue.

You are not allowed to ride a bike on a pavement legally. I will refer back to the original poster to say what you want out of a bike. 

Simple.


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## dorothy (30 May 2013)

I want to know what would be recommended but i am not a troll!!


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## Fnaar (30 May 2013)

Here we go:
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/SubCategory_10052_10551_400307_-1_400001_400001


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## tonyw (30 May 2013)

perhaps would be prudent to say don't spend loads of your hard earned cash into a bike which you may not want to use considering recent british weather, why not get something 2nd hand or cheap can always trade it in on a new one if you enjoy doing it.


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## dorothy (30 May 2013)

Well thank you Fnaar, be great if they were in this country (uk)


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## dorothy (30 May 2013)

giving that the roads etc in england are dangerous and there are so many ignorant people , maybe I should move back to scotland least know the cycle paths etc are not full of anglers or roads full of eejits as we have proper cycle paths on the road which takes up 1/3 of the road which is the legal requirement but most choose to ignore here.............very disgruntled now as was told this was a friendly site and was recommended


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## Shaun (30 May 2013)

vernon said:


> :troll:





MossCommuter said:


> :troll:


 
Not a very gracious welcome.

If Dorothy isn't confident riding on the road and wants a bike that will take bumping up and down curbs until she's ready to tackle roads - then what would you, genuinely, recommend?


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## Fnaar (30 May 2013)

dorothy said:


> giving that the roads etc in england are dangerous and there are so many ignorant people , maybe I should move back to scotland least know the cycle paths etc are not full of anglers or roads full of eejits as we have proper cycle paths on the road which takes up 1/3 of the road which is the legal requirement but most choose to ignore here.............very disgruntled now as was told this was a friendly site and was recommended


 
I think you'll find there are lots of peeps on here who are willing to give good advice and the benefit of their experience. Hang around a bit, dig a bit deeper. #friendsofdorothy possibly


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## Shaun (30 May 2013)

I've also moved your thread to Beginners Dorothy where you'll hopefully get a broader range of bike suggestions.


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## dorothy (30 May 2013)

Thank you Shaun, Fnaar and Tiny, I am not that confident, but would welcome serious suggestions.


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## MossCommuter (30 May 2013)

Shaun said:


> Not a very gracious welcome.
> 
> If Dorothy isn't confident riding on the road and wants a bike that will take bumping up and down curbs until she's ready to tackle roads - then what would you, genuinely, recommend?


Give over!

The OP's location is given as in the US and I tried to clarify whether there was a semantic issue but apparently not. 

The OP wants a "pavement bike" and we have established there is no such thing after asking politely for clarification of the meaning of "pavement" in the context.


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## SWSteve (30 May 2013)

I can't help re bikes, someone else will do that soon enough. But I would say that roads aren't inherently dangerous - yes there are incidents - but you shouldn't feel worried about riding with traffic. Keep your eyes and ears open and you'll learn quickly.


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## Shaun (30 May 2013)

The OP has not given her location as the US - _Google_ has defaulted to Birmingham, Alabama on the map link because UK isn't specifically mentioned in the location text. 

The OP is also looking for friendly advice so a bit of patience and teasing out what she needs would be a better approach than posting a troll smiley.


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## vernon (30 May 2013)

Shaun said:


> Not a very gracious welcome.
> 
> If Dorothy isn't confident riding on the road and wants a bike that will take bumping up and down curbs until she's ready to tackle roads - then what would you, genuinely, recommend?


 

I would genuinely recommend that she gets herself some cycle training to give her confidence to ride on the road.

'Pavement cycle' c'mon the fault is as much the OP's as it is the respondees. Incorporating towpath anglers and their obstructions, a contentious thread in itself, into her speil did little to identify the query as a bona fide one.

If I wanted advice on a specific subject, I'd ask a straightforward question rather than dress it up in ancilliary issues which masked the sincerity of the request.

You've met me Shaun and you know that I am a genial person. There was a genuine misunderstanding of the purpose of the OP's request. it also appears that I was not the only one to misunderstand her question.


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## MossCommuter (30 May 2013)

Shaun, I think you are wrong, but if I am wrong then the OP has my apologies.

@ the OP, it is not legal to ride your bike anywhere in Scotland, riding on the pavement is not legal. There is no such thing as a pavement bike. If you have been troubled by people riding on the pavement then they are nobbers and you have a right to be disgruntled; they did not have "pavement bikes", they had bikes on the pavement.


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## Shaun (30 May 2013)

Okay, well let's give Dorothy a bit of space to get to know us (and define what sort of bike she wants and where/how she intends to cycle it) and hopefully we can help her and she'll appreciate the support and advice.


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## fullcycle (30 May 2013)

did you mean a fold up bike? http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/saxon-fold-up-folding-bike-p181194 something like this maybe ?


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## derrick (30 May 2013)




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## dorothy (30 May 2013)

Moss, think you will have to read the laws in scotland were never changed to incorporate the banning of bikes on pavements. As I was born and brought up in Glasgow, I know the cycle routes, paths and highway laws very well, you should research this for yourself or ask any scotsman, we have proper cycle paths which form part of the pavement and where not able they come onto the road, infact in glasgow itself we have buslanes, taxilanes and designated cycle lanes.............


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## HLaB (30 May 2013)

dorothy said:


> giving that the roads etc in england are dangerous and there are so many ignorant people , maybe I should move back to scotland least know the cycle paths etc are not full of anglers or roads full of eejits as we have proper cycle paths on the road which takes up 1/3 of the road which is the legal requirement but most choose to ignore here.............very disgruntled now as was told this was a friendly site and was recommended


I take it you've never been to Clackmannanshire


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## Pat "5mph" (30 May 2013)

dorothy said:


> giving that the roads etc in england are dangerous and there are so many ignorant people , maybe I should move back to scotland least know the cycle paths etc are not full of anglers or roads full of eejits as we have proper cycle paths on the road which takes up 1/3 of the road which is the legal requirement but most choose to ignore here.............very disgruntled now as was told this was a friendly site and was recommended


Welcome Dorothy!
Of course we are friendly - us girlies anyway 
I think you are a wee bit misinformed about "illegal bikes" it's not the bike that's illegal, the riding on the pavements is.
Not that this has ever stopped me when I was starting up  one must learn somehow.
I live in an area where I must take a busy road for a good stretch before reaching the safety of a cycling path, so I'm not adverse to the odd pavement shortcut, especially as nobody ever seems to walk on them 
Anyhow, as you observed, pavement cycling can cause hazards to pedestrians, and you probably see mostly hybrids or mountain bikes, or indeed bmx bikes ridden on pavements.
To start up, I recommend you a hybrid like this one.
According to your budget, you can find similar quite a bit cheaper, with less gears perhaps, as you mentioned.
Try to ride a few before purchasing: bike shops will let you test ride, or maybe borrow a couple from friends, just to give you an idea of what you like.
Good luck, post a picture of what you bought!


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## dorothy (30 May 2013)

Thank you Full, I havent ridden a bike in nearly 20yrs, and the last one I had was from halfords lol apollo range, didnt have gears and was ok with that but then had plenty of quiet lanes and paths to cycle down, just scares me down here as seen how close some cars get to taking cyclist off roads, and having walked dog down canal paths know how angry some anglers get and to be honest, only want to do it so we can cycle more and use less emissions from driving specially short trips to local town centre initially., partner cycles everywhere generally and just think it would also help my fitness.


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## dorothy (30 May 2013)

Pat, in renfrewshire where I was living at time, we had cycle paths on and off roads but if you read scottish law you will find its not illegal


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## Pat "5mph" (30 May 2013)

dorothy said:


> Moss, think you will have to read the laws in scotland were never changed to incorporate the banning of bikes on pavements. As I was born and brought up in Glasgow, I know the cycle routes, paths and highway laws very well, you should research this for yourself or ask any scotsman, *we have proper cycle paths which form part of the pavement* and where not able they come onto the road, infact in glasgow itself we have buslanes, taxilanes and designated cycle lanes.............


Yes, we do indeed have shared "pavements" that have a habit of becoming "normal" pavements without a warning, so you might find yourself riding on the pavement without knowing it 
Still, no need for a special bike for shared pedestrian and cyclist lanes, even roadies ( riders of bikes with curved handlebars and skinny tyres) use them.


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## Pat "5mph" (30 May 2013)

dorothy said:


> Pat, in renfrewshire where I was living at time, we had cycle paths on and off roads but if you read scottish law you will find its not illegal


Well, the highway code says "you must not ride on the pavement" (bikes that is, dunno about horses ha ha!)
Seriously, I don't think it matters too much at beginners speed.
Why is your partner not advising you?


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## dorothy (31 May 2013)

Because he is not into that sort of bike he prefers stuff off road etc and he goes too techy for me...........I sorta loose interest with all that stuff, only want a simple bike, like me lol


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## Pat "5mph" (31 May 2013)

dorothy said:


> Because he is not into that sort of bike he prefers stuff off road etc and he goes too techy for me...........I sorta loose interest with all that stuff, only want a simple bike, like me lol


Ok, why not get a simple 3 speed? A bit of help on the hills, not much aggravation 
My favorite bike has only 5 speeds, and I only use 2 of them.
You should look in places that recondition old bikes, then sell them on.
Have a google to find something in your area.


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## ASC1951 (31 May 2013)

dorothy said:


> Pat, in renfrewshire where I was living at time, we had cycle paths on and off roads but if you read scottish law you will find its not illegal


 
Worrabout the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 s129?


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## vernon (31 May 2013)

ASC1951 said:


> Worrabout the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 s129?


 

It's easier to say that it's legal to pedal on the pavement than to wrestle, with an untrained eye, the syntax of the legislation.


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## fossyant (31 May 2013)

Your partner should be able to help without being too techy. Hybrid will do what you want.

We still need to know what you want it for, too much fluff going on.

For canal paths, off road tracks, bit of rough stuff, then a hybrid. As others have said, try not to ride on the pavement, it just hisses just about everyone off. As for anglers, just shove them in the canal. If in the UK, just go on British Waterways website and download the little bit of paper which gives you permission to ride on tow paths, then wave this in the face of the angler as you shove him in !


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## AndyRM (31 May 2013)

dorothy said:


> Moss, think you will have to read the laws in scotland were never changed to incorporate the banning of bikes on pavements. As I was born and brought up in Glasgow, I know the cycle routes, paths and highway laws very well, you should research this for yourself or ask any scotsman, we have proper cycle paths which form part of the pavement and where not able they come onto the road, infact in glasgow itself we have buslanes, taxilanes and designated cycle lanes.............



I'm a Scotsman. It's illegal to ride your bike on a pavement.

Get a hybrid.


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## Rickshaw Phil (31 May 2013)

fossyant said:


> If in the UK, just go on British Waterways website and download the little bit of paper which gives you permission to ride on tow paths, then wave this in the face of the angler as you shove him in !


Going on their site a few days ago, I discover that the permits are no longer required now that they have become the Canals and River Trust. Link


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## HLaB (31 May 2013)

The Scottish Governments take on pavement cycling, clear as mud  :




Cycling on the pavement:
Most people will tell you that an adult cycling on a pavement is committing an offence. However, the issue of cycling on the pavement is more complicated than it may first appear. The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 does not use the term "pavement", as this can also mean the surface of a road. Rather, it defines five key terms: 


*Road: *
A way over which there is a public right of passage by any means, including the road‟ verge and any associated bridges, tunnels etc. 


*Carriageway: *
Commonly known as "the road", the carriageway is a way which can be used by any vehicle.
10






 *Footway: *
Commonly known as "the pavement", a footway is a way, which is associated with a carriageway, where right of passage is limited to foot. 


*Footpath: *
A way, which is not associated with a carriageway, where right of passage is limited to foot. 


*Cycle track: *
A way where passage is limited to bikes or bikes and foot.

Generally, anyone cycling on a footway or footpath in Scotland is committing an offence under the provisions of Section 129(5) of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984. It is not an offence to cycle across a footway or footpath to access a cycle track, driveway or other land where cycling is allowed.

The issue is complicated by access rights granted to cyclists under Section 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 ("the 2003 Act"). The 2003 Act allows cycling on most land unless access is controlled by or under another enactment. This means that land reform access rights do not normally apply to roads or footways as their use is restricted under various statutes. However, the 2003 Act does allow cycling on any path where access has not been restricted by a Traffic Regulation Order or through other legal means. In practice, this allows cyclists to use most paths in urban parks and rural areas.
To further complicate matters, Section 7(1) of the 2003 Act states that the restriction on access rights described above does not apply where land has been designated as a "core path" under the provisions of the 2003 Act

1
. This means that cyclists may be able to cycle on a footpath, or even a footway, designated as a core path without committing an offence. However, it is important to remember that access rights must be exercised responsibly and cyclists should consider cycling on the carriageway (i.e. road) even if the associated footway has been designated as a core path.


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## Col5632 (31 May 2013)

Only in Scotland can we make things a lot more complicated than they need to be, only "pavements" i tend to use are shared ones, rest of the time i'm on the road, that's not to say that i used roads when i first started, i was on the pavement more than the road but now its the opposite

Get yourself a hybrid of some kind, usually a cross between a mountain and a road bike and get out in a group (like cyclechat) and build your confidence on the road. I've had very few incidents where i felt in danger while cycling on the road.


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## Chris S (31 May 2013)

The Americans refer to the road as a pavement. Presumably it's a bike designed for use on ordinary roads?


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## byegad (31 May 2013)

While the OP is confused, it should be pointed out that, with the exception of shared use paths, riding on the pavement is illegal in England and will possibly attract the attention of the local Police. I suspect the term 'Pavement Cycle' is an Americanism where, as as been pointed out earlier in the thread is the USAish term for a road! The advice to buy a Hybrid with lots of gears is a good one if the OP lives in a hilly area, nothing puts a new rider off than trying to struggle up a hill in a gear way too high for the hill and their level of (un)fitness. In flatter parts of England a three speed hub gear, possibly with a slightly bigger rear tooth count than normal would be a great ride!


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## sidevalve (31 May 2013)

FWIW 1 - Don't cycle on the footpath, apart from anything else what exactly will you learn ? How to dodge baby buggies, children and pensioners non of whom will be expecting you to be on a FOOTpath. You already know how to balance and riding on the road is simpler. As I have said before at first [and maybe later if you want] if you come to a big junction you don't like the look of then just hop off the bike and walk around it. No stress no problems and nobody gets upset.
2 - As for gears, finding a bike without them is harder than one with besides you don't have to use them if you don't want to. Just stick it in a middle-ish gear and leave it although I suspect after a few experiments you'll find using 'em no prob at all.
3 - type of bike is really up to you but MTB's tend to be heavy [the cheaper ones do] and so do some hybrids.
Don't forget YOU have to push it. If it's over about 11 kg it's getting heavy.
Towpaths are easy I've always found a polite "Scuse me mate" works fine. There are always a few "numpties" but that's true everywhere these days.
Finally cycling on the road is not dangerous, horse riding produces far more injuries per mile.
Just get out there and enjoy it cycling really is fun.
Ps . How does anybody know how big a pole a fisherman has anyway ?


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## dorothy (31 May 2013)

Sorry just got onto pc, and have seen all your comments and all duly noted , positive as well as some not so, I want initially to be able to go from home to local town centre just to get me used to being around these mad road users, then as time goes on maybe a little further using the canal paths maybe. Not sure I am really up for the tougher stuff like proper off road and up down hills lol, Col I initially posted this in cycle chat but the nice man Shaun migrated me to hear for beginners are there were a couple in there not very nice and certainly not very helpful.


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## T4tomo (31 May 2013)

Is it still legal to shoot haggis in scotland, provdng they aren't on the pavement


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## RWright (31 May 2013)

Pavement here in the US (to me) means any surface that is finished with some sort of asphalt, bricks, cobblestones or concrete (not gravel or grit). We call the walkways beside roads sidewalks. Sidewalks and roads are both paved. I have never heard any bike called a pavement bike but I guess it could happen but would be very rare to hear it said that way, more likely you would hear it called a bike for the pavement, but again that would be rare to hear I think. If you call the sidewalks pavements here people will look at you like you are an alien or something.


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## Pat "5mph" (31 May 2013)

dorothy said:


> I want initially to be able to go from home to local town centre just to get me used to being around these mad road users, then as time goes on maybe a little further using the canal paths maybe.


Yes, a hybrid or a 3 speed (you say you don't like too many gears, but have you got hills on you way to town? gears would help) should suit you. Also, a more helpful partner 
To get used to roads and traffic, I suggest getting out very early one weekend, do the route to town at 6am on a Sunday. This will give you confidence plus the chance to get to know your way when there's hardly anybody about.
Riding on canal paths is actually easier, no motorized traffic, you should start there, maybe walk the bike to the path first if you are not confident of riding it on the open road yet.
Read this and this and this


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## dorothy (31 May 2013)

T4tomo said:


> Is it still legal to shoot haggis in scotland, provdng they aren't on the pavement


 
Tomo as long as it is in haggi season then you are welcome to go haggis shooting, season only lasts a week but you have to be very quick and excellent shot as they are hardy wee blighters and extremely fast.


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## dorothy (31 May 2013)

Pat "5mph" said:


> Yes, a hybrid or a 3 speed (you say you don't like too many gears, but have you got hills on you way to town? gears would help) should suit you. Also, a more helpful partner
> To get used to roads and traffic, I suggest getting out very early one weekend, do the route to town at 6am on a Sunday. This will give you confidence plus the chance to get to know your way when there's hardly anybody about.
> Riding on canal paths is actually easier, no motorized traffic, you should start there, maybe walk the bike to the path first if you are not confident of riding it on the open road yet.
> Read this and this and this


Pat, there is a bit of an incline into town centre, but I have walked the road itself, well on the pavement that is many times and driven as well, on road that is, at the bottom of the road it turns into a ringroad, but there is an allowance of cycle path of sorts before that using underground passages, it would be same if I used the canal with the exception that there is only one short incline, and even getting onto that route I do not have to negotiate the main road but have taken on board many suggestions and have looked at decathlons as they have a range that maybe just what I need and reasonably priced, just in case I get said bike and hate it, unlike partner Pat, he knows a lot and has been helpful,just I get bamboozled as his bike cost more than I have paid for some cars in recent times lol


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## RWright (31 May 2013)

dorothy said:


> Tomo as long as it is in haggi season then you are welcome to go haggis shooting, season only lasts a week but you have to be very quick and excellent shot as they are hardy wee blighters and extremely fast.


 
I don't travel a lot and have never been outside the US but I have been given two travel tips that seem to be given consistently by many of my friends that do travel. In Mexico, don't drink the tap water and in Scotland, don't eat the haggis.


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## Pat "5mph" (31 May 2013)

RWright said:


> in Scotland, don't eat the haggis.


I find that if you leave haggis meat in a Tennent's lager marinade overnight the stew comes nice and tender.


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## AndyRM (1 Jun 2013)

Pat "5mph" said:


> I find that if you leave haggis meat in a Tennent's lager marinade overnight the stew comes nice and tender.



That's barbaric by the way. 

Anything involving Tennents is like shagging in a canoe. F-cking close to water.

Real Scots use McEwans Export or Buckie.


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## Rickshaw Phil (1 Jun 2013)

RWright said:


> I don't travel a lot and have never been outside the US but I have been given two travel tips that seem to be given consistently by many of my friends that do travel. In Mexico, don't drink the tap water and *in **Scotland, don't eat the haggis*.


There's nowt wrong with haggis.

The problem is that people tend to get put off the idea because there has never been a secret about what goes in it. Unlike, for example, sausages, meat pies and supermarket burgers.

Think you've never eaten eyeballs?


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## coffeejo (1 Jun 2013)

Rickshaw Phil said:


> Think you've never eaten eyeballs?


I ate a fish's eyeball at school. We were doing a dissection and somebody dared me.


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## byegad (1 Jun 2013)

Pat "5mph" said:


> I find that if you leave haggis meat.


 
FTFY.


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## ASC1951 (1 Jun 2013)

vernon said:


> It's easier to say that it's legal to pedal on the pavement than to wrestle, with an untrained eye, the syntax of the legislation.


 
That example is absolutely appalling, isn't it? Even with my 'trained eye' it took me a while to work out that s129 (5) means that *it is not legal to cycle along Scottish pavements* - and that is definitely the position, although it is no more enforced than it is in England.


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## shouldbeinbed (1 Jun 2013)

dorothy said:


> Sorry just got onto pc, and have seen all your comments and all duly noted , positive as well as some not so, I want initially to be able to go from home to local town centre just to get me used to being around* these mad road users, *then as time goes on maybe a little further using the canal paths maybe. Not sure I am really up for the tougher stuff like proper off road and up down hills lol, Col I initially posted this in cycle chat but the nice man Shaun migrated me to hear for beginners are there were a couple in there not very nice and certainly not very helpful.


 
statistically and in reality *this* is far from the truth, but if this is the perception you have of other road users then it will taint your feelings towards getting back into cycling and you'll be onto a loser before you even start. It's human nature to remember the 1 dodgy pass in a rush hour commute and not the 9,999 vehicles that passed you without you even blinking an eye and to report it here etc. Also the local media aren't going to get many sales running a story that Shouldbeinbed rides home perfectly safely for the 675th day running.

by all means as a returnee to riding, exercise caution and it will take you a wee bit of time to build up your confidence and experience, but please do not believe the hype and natural moaners instinct that the roads are terrifying places full of ranting homicidal bike hating lunatics. 

as for a bike, depending on what you envisage you will do with it, as others have said a Hybrid, or a dutch bike, (u shape frame that you can step through - Edinburgh Bikes Revolution Heritage type thing) its a very stable and quite sedate bike type, great for a beginner


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## dorothy (1 Jun 2013)

Right I think I need to clarify things, where I lived in Scotland we had proper use of cycle lanes, either on road or part of pavements as we used a vast network of disused railway lines that from where I lived, I could either ride all the way to Girvan or the other way to Glasgow, the road was marked off at exact 1/3 of the road for cyclists and road hogs could and often did get pulled by Renfrewshire police for abusing this, if caught over the lines, this meant that cyclist were not pushed into gutters by other road users. I am in the black country and half the road users are not licensed, insured or even have proper tax on their vehicles and despite all this they seem to think they own the whole road, now as a driver I have on more than one occasion observed cyclist coming or nearly coming croppers as drivers tend to ignore them and think they ARE ALL A BLIDDY NUICANCE AND HAVE NO RIGHT TO ANY PART OF THE ROAD, infact one recently nearly took my partner off his bike and he was a driving instructor with a pupil behind wheel, I was almost tempted to get out my car which was infront of him and tell him to read his highway code and that his instructor nearly caused the accident, he had moved out to give room , but immediately swung back in , just missing the back wheel of my partners bike, and had the cheek to mouth off at my partner for being on road, so you can see why I am perhaps wary of using roads round here. anyway as shouldbeinbed has said a bike with step thro frame is perhaps the best way for me and that is what I am now looking at, as at my age its not easy getting your leg over lol


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## Pat "5mph" (1 Jun 2013)

Dorothy, cycling around Glasgow city can get a wee bit maniac too.
Cycling along disused railway paths and canals is more pleasant if you are not a road racer.
If you want to go places for shopping or work you will need to get used to the roads.
Alternately, forget riding to town for now, load the bike in the back of the car to the start of a traffic free path.
It's still good exercise and a way to explore new places.


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## potsy (1 Jun 2013)

coffeejo said:


> I ate a fish's eyeball at school. We were doing a dissection and somebody dared me.


 
You'll eat that but you won't eat jaffa cakes?


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## dorothy (2 Jun 2013)

Pat "5mph" said:


> Dorothy, cycling around Glasgow city can get a wee bit maniac too.
> Cycling along disused railway paths and canals is more pleasant if you are not a road racer.
> If you want to go places for shopping or work you will need to get used to the roads.
> Alternately, forget riding to town for now, load the bike in the back of the car to the start of a traffic free path.
> It's still good exercise and a way to explore new places.


 
Pat, if I done that as you suggest, then I would be as well taking car all way in, as the path only starts at the bottom of the lower high street lol


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## Pat "5mph" (2 Jun 2013)

dorothy said:


> Pat, if I done that as you suggest, then I would be as well taking car all way in, as the path only starts at the bottom of the lower high street lol


Find another traffic free path, a 50 mile one. Attack it, report back


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## shouldbeinbed (2 Jun 2013)

Pat "5mph" said:


> Find another traffic free path, a 50 mile one. Attack it, report back


 
Dorothy, this, in spades.

You don't always have to ride for a purpose, just getting out there and turning the cranks for the sheer fun of it is enough and it is amazing how quickly the joy of riding and fitness and technique will come back to you.


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