# Keep left?



## Cockney Scot (27 Sep 2009)

Each weekend I cycle the tow path along the lea Navigation covering the thames to Hertford. Question is have we become european or are we still british as there seems to more tendanct to cycle on the right than the left. I for one am british and believe we should keep left, but am out numbered the Euros (keep right) and the dont knows(stick to the middle). Worse still today I encountered the familly where parents cycled on the left (by the canal) but the told their children to keep away from the water, result everyone else stops as they have no where to go. Now these children are tommorrows cyclists.


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## Mr Pig (27 Sep 2009)

I keep to the side away from the canal! ;0)


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## archenemy (27 Sep 2009)

i never thought that cycling off road would be held to which side path or trail you cycle on i just cycle where i want and weave in and out.
and I AM BRITISH.


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## addictfreak (27 Sep 2009)

If theres no one else around I generally cycle where I like, but as soon as i see another cyclist or ped I immediately move to the left. Just good manners IMHO


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## Jonathan M (27 Sep 2009)

Mr Pig said:


> I keep to the side away from the canal! ;0)



I don't know the route in question, but I would wonder if Mr Pig has hit the nail on the head here, that if you are cycling along and your left would keep you furthest from the water, those approaching may also wish to pass on the side furthest away from the water ie their right, result = delt1c's conundrum of what side of the route do people wish to ride on.


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## 02GF74 (27 Sep 2009)

the traffic on the canal goes on the right, dunno why since we drive on the left. maybe the cyclsts you see are canoeists and long boat owners?


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## snorri (27 Sep 2009)

02GF74 said:


> the traffic on the canal goes on the right, dunno why since we drive on the left. maybe the cyclsts you see are canoeists and long boat owners?


Vessels all around the world, including the UK keep to the right. It's us British road users who are out of step.
I would usually cycle where I feel most comfortable on a path, but would move to the left when others were using the path.


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## Mr Pig (27 Sep 2009)

I was only kidding. There are no rules except 'Stay as far away from the POB as possible'. And if you ride on canal paths that's all you're going to meet.


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## drummer99 (27 Sep 2009)

I regularly use a cycle path to get to and from college and have found alot of people cycling on the right, when walking or cycling on it i also tend to keep to the left generally having to move to the right hand side to avoid people walking or cycling towards me. Just assumed it was a bike thing with me being new and all.


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## snorri (27 Sep 2009)

drummer99 said:


> when walking or cycling on it i also tend to keep to the left generally having to move to the right hand side to avoid people walking or cycling towards me. Just assumed it was a bike thing with me being new and all.


I would normally walk on the right of paths, just as I do on ordinary roads. 
I think that is what the Highway Code recommends.


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## purplepolly (27 Sep 2009)

snorri said:


> I would normally walk on the right of paths, just as I do on ordinary roads.
> I think that is what the Highway Code recommends.



Correct. Peds are supposed to walk facing the oncoming traffic where there's no footpath (on the right) so that they can see what's coming, unless the road bends in which case they should be on the outside of a bend so that motorists have a better view of them.

Cyclists on the other hand keep left like motorised traffic.

If everyone kept to this everything would be so simple, unfortunately I keep having near misses with oncoming cyclists who insist on moving right at he same time as I move left. It would be helpful if they had some kind of road sign on the front of the bike so that I could distinguish them from left hand cyclists and take appropriate measures.


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## barq (28 Sep 2009)

Off road I try to stay left. My gut instinct is that it feels more predictable for walkers and other cyclists. Of course there are still occasions where someone seems to get terribly confused and repeatedly changes their mind about where they want to be - but you can't please everyone.


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## Mr Pig (28 Sep 2009)

You can;t make rules. You're dealing with randoms here and randoms don't read rules. You watch what they do and stay as far away from them as possible.


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## Jonathan M (28 Sep 2009)

barq said:


> Off road I try to stay left. *My gut instinct is that it feels more predictable for walkers and other cyclists*. Of course there are still occasions where someone seems to get terribly confused and repeatedly changes their mind about where they want to be - but you can't please everyone.



 Never had ramblers playing skittles then? You know the ones, you give them a warning when approaching from behind, something like get the **** out of my way excuse me, and then they do a totally "random" like step into your way when they;ve ascertained which side you'll be passing on? Before tutting & huffing about how destructive mountain bikes are to "their" routes. Excuse me? Pennine Way over Kinder Scout anyone? Rossett Gill? Dollywagon Pike?

Sorry, rant over, just those ramblers who've lost their skis and wander around digging little holes with walking poles & vibram soles are a pain in all of the best mountain biking areas, and increasing in numbers in some of the trail forests as well, sadly.


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## Cockney Scot (28 Sep 2009)

Problem is when there is a family of 4 , parents riding to the left and children riding on the right(as instructed by parents) away from the water. Doesnt leave anwhere for oncoming cyclists to pass. 
As an added thought if the parents are afraid of the children falling into the canal should they be taking them there?


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## Jonathan M (28 Sep 2009)

Kids will have target fixation. See it, ride into it, so perhaps if it is generally families that exacerbate this issue, it may just be more straightforward to accept that you'll have to pass on the right, or just stop until they've gone past.


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## Mr Pig (28 Sep 2009)

delt1c said:


> Problem is when there is a family of 4. Doesnt leave anwhere for oncoming cyclists to pass.



What a tragedy, you might have to slow down! Which serves you right for cycling on a canal path in the first place instead of on the road where you belong ;0)


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## purplepolly (28 Sep 2009)

Mr Pig said:


> What a tragedy, you might have to slow down! Which serves you right for cycling on a canal path in the first place instead of on the road where you belong ;0)



Towpaths being fairly narrow as a rule he would have to do more than slow down. Parents on one side and children on the other would take up the whole path meaning that the oncoming cyclist would have to take flight.

A similar problem is often encountered on footpaths where a pedestrian encounters 2 pedestrians walking two abreast taking up the whole path. There is only one solution to this - a handy technique commonly known as single file.


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## 02GF74 (28 Sep 2009)

snorri said:


> Vessels all around the world, including the UK keep to the right. It's us British road users who are out of step.
> .




I am not si sure - this subject was discussed somewhere not too long ago and either more countries drive on the left than on the right or more drivers drive on the left - not sure which was the correct one, probably the former.


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## Cubist (29 Sep 2009)

Jonathan M said:


> Never had ramblers playing skittles then? You know the ones, you give them a warning when approaching from behind, something like get the **** out of my way excuse me, and then they do a totally "random" like step into your way when they;ve ascertained which side you'll be passing on? Before tutting & huffing about how destructive mountain bikes are to "their" routes. Excuse me? Pennine Way over Kinder Scout anyone? Rossett Gill? Dollywagon Pike?
> 
> Sorry, rant over, just those ramblers who've lost their skis and wander around digging little holes with walking poles & vibram soles are a pain in all of the best mountain biking areas, and increasing in numbers in some of the trail forests as well, sadly.


Ramblers? Burn 'em. Burn their faces first.


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## Grendel (29 Sep 2009)

Left's right.


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## Amanda P (29 Sep 2009)

In my recent experience of cycling through four northern European countries in the last couple of weeks, much of the 1030 miles on cycle paths, I can report that this problem never seems to occur there. 

Everyone sticks to the right, including (mostly) pedestrians. Even children, even on canal paths.


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## Virtual DBP (29 Sep 2009)

don't know if it's in the highway code but you should always walk towards oncoming traffic in country roads with no real pavement. 

it think it's so you can see the cars coming and either move in or take avoiding action if required, whereas if they were coming from behind you don't see them and could wander out a bit at the wrong moment.

on a side note, i wish we would just switch to the right, would certainly make getting cheaper cars and driving in mainland europe a bit easier.


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## CHEXTER (1 Oct 2009)

On the canal i always try to make eye contact with the cyclist coming my way and make a clear decision to go to the left or right, then they tend to go to the opposite side!


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## Davidc (1 Oct 2009)

A lot of people use the cycle + pedestrian paths beside the river and canal here. Most cyclists seem to know the rule in the UK is drive on the left and do when anyone else is around. Pedestrians are completely random, and dog walkers seem intent on getting their dogs injured.

The bridges over the canal present a particular problem though.


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