Family Cycle Rides v Strava-ists!

[Subotai72]

But you are still getting angry with riders who to your knowledge have never hit anyone?

Luke 6:41

(Hitting a pedestrian is always avoidable)

Who said I was getting angry? Not angry at all, I was merely pointing out that shared use cycleways shouldn't really be used as Time trials traiing runs by Tony Martin Wannerbees. I would say that that any avoidance of incidents on that particular path are more down to pedestrains taking evasive action after having "Coming Through!" yelled at them (which I have seen).

Your holier than thou comment "Hitting a pedestrian is always avoidable" makes me angry because the implication is that I was in some way at fault (evidence to which you are not party to as I've not divulged the details) and post links to works of fiction as a way to back up your specious argument. I suppose you are right though, I could dismount and walk everywhere whilst pushing my bike, thereby removing any possibility of ever hitting a pedestrian whilst riding again.

Thanks for your input.

 

[jefmcg]

On a shared path, if you always make sure that the path user knows you are there (ie they have turned and made eye contact) or you give them wide enough berth that you will miss them even if they suddenly veer or you slow down to walking pace, then the only pedestrians you will hit are the ones who deliberately run at you, or come out of the bushes on the side at a run. Which happened to you? Edit: or a toddler on a balance bike wobbles into you. That one is hard to avoid

(OK, so you are not angry, but you are upset enough to complain about it in a public forum and feel justified in threatening action to put them in the water. Please let me know when you are actually angry, you seem dangerous enough when calm)

 

[andyfraser]

I noticed that most dog-walkers stop and restrain their dogs and I appreciate that to the point that I'll slow right down to walking pace; after all I don't want to hurt the dog. Or myself!

I feel guilty when they stop and restrain their dog. I've slowed to walking pace so it feels like they've been restraining their dog for at least 5 minutes by the time I actual bimble passed.

 

[mjr]

Most paths of this type round here have been flagged a dangerous on Strava.

Would people not just go back to a stop watch without Stava?

I'm told flagging no longer does much (edit: and it's been mentioned again this thread). I doubt all Stravidiots want to time-trial against themselves without the reward of a public leaderboard so it would probably stop a lot of it.

 

[summerdays]

Edit: or a toddler on a balance bike wobbles into you. That one is hard to avoid

I had that last month, I was passing a school as they were coming out (I was on the road as lots of children walking and cycling coming towards me. I saw one child wobbling all over the place, so I stood still and said use your brakes, only for them to crash into me, though I'd guess she was about 6 or 7. I'm not sure she should have been on the road and there didn't seem to be an obvious adult with her.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I had that last month, I was passing a school as they were coming out (I was on the road as lots of children walking and cycling coming towards me. I saw one child wobbling all over the place, so I stood still and said use your brakes, only for them to crash into me, though I'd guess she was about 6 or 7. I'm not sure she should have been on the road and there didn't seem to be an obvious adult with her.

Throw her in the river. It's the only language they understand.

 

[summerdays]

Throw her in the river. It's the only language they understand.

I know one of the staff there and she witnessed it, so I'm hoping that her parent got a message about her children not being under control.

 

[Subotai72]

Throw her in the river. It's the only language they understand.

He doesn't appear to mention a river...

 

[Dirk]

(Hitting a pedestrian is always avoidable)

No, it's not.
I clipped a lad who ran out of some bushes on the Tarka Trail without looking - totally invisible until he was in my path. I don't know who was the most shocked! God knows what he was doing in there to begin with.

 

[John the Monkey]

I noticed that most dog-walkers stop and restrain their dogs and I appreciate that to the point that I'll slow right down to walking pace; after all I don't want to hurt the dog. Or myself!

Yup, although as a dog owner myself, I (personally) think that fido should be under control and confined to one side of any path that's in use by pedestrians and cyclists. Similarly, pedestrians shouldn't be walking shoulder to shoulder across the breadth of the path (they are "shared", after all).

There's one locally (the Wheelock Rail Trail) that's impassable on sunny afternoons because of pedestrians, dog walkers and other bimblers who seem unable to conceive of the idea that a shared use path might also be used by anyone wanting to move at a different speed to them; to pass them without needing to wait for them to actually notice that you're heading in their direction, &c &c. Fortunately, sight lines are good enough that this congestion is obvious from the entry to it, and it can be avoided by anyone willing to risk the sociopathy of the local motorists instead.

 

[mjr]

No, it's not.
I clipped a lad who ran out of some bushes on the Tarka Trail without looking - totally invisible until he was in my path.

Could you not ride further away from the bushes or have they let the bushes encroach on the trail too far?

 

[Tin Pot]

No, it's not.
I clipped a lad who ran out of some bushes on the Tarka Trail without looking - totally invisible until he was in my path. I don't know who was the most shocked! God knows what he was doing in there to begin with.

Holy Thread Resurrection Batman!

 

[Jimidh]

Could you not ride further away from the bushes or have they let the bushes encroach on the trail too far?

Maybe he was riding up the side of the path to leave room for other trail users?

Or maybe the lad ran right into the middle of the path just as he was passing.

Not everything is avoidable.

 

[jefmcg]

 

[Tin Pot]

I think I'd speed up if I saw that, not slow down.

You look very pretty though.