First 15miler and shouted at by a dog walker!

[Cyclist33]

I tend to find dog walkers are ok if they see you. Horse riders however, ignorant bunch of f**kers who seem to thing the road, paths and cycle tracks all belong to them and their disgusting animals that leave dirty great "horse bombs" all over the place

I always slow for horseys and have never had a prob tho some jockeys are smiling and morning!y whilst others are a bit haughty. I dont mind them on the country lanes but clip clopping along wilmslow high street...

But I get more snootyness from Lycra louts to be honest. Couldn't believe what a high percentage yesterday!

 

[oldfatfool]

As a dog owner, I would say that you were totally in the right there. The out of control dog was in no way your fault. Some dog owners should be shot.
When I see a cyclist coming towards me on a cycle path/foot path I stop and get my dogs into the side so that the cyclist can pass unmolested by a couple of over bouncy terriers.

I have come across quite a few aggressive cyclists who shout things at us, very anti dog walker sentiments, while we have been stationary and waiting for them to pass. Some people are just plonkers though.

+1

Dogs should be kept on a (short) lead in public spaces. I have three and it drives them wild when a little snappy comes running up off lead. If I had mine off lead they would soon complain

 

[Binka]

Thanks for the replies. It was a definate cycle path I was on, but it isn't marked off half for cyclists and half for walkers so its a bit of a free for all.

I am new to clipping in, only my 3rd outing with them.

I'd had a similar experience yesterday but was already clipped out so stopped and made a fuss of the dog while the owner came running over to say sorry. I didn't have a go at him and didn't have a go at the owner today. The "bloody dog" just kind of slipped out while I thought I was about to deck it. But will clip out in advance around dogs (and small kids) in future.

 

[compo]

I have just come in from a 25 miler and had my first tumble ten miles from home when a pedestrian suddenly chose to walk diagonally across my path on Otterspool Promenade leaving me to swerve around him and getting my back tyre stuck in a narrow groove - and the next thing - bang I was on the floor.

No real harm done except for a cut to the palm of my hand and a very sore thumb, knee and elbow as I reached out to save myself.

Can I say a big thank you to the cyclist who came along to check that me and the bike were ok.

Can't have been a proper cyclist. he would have checked the bike first then you........

 

[MrJamie]

As with any group of people, some are excellent some are terrible, I find dinging the bell well in advance makes most of them prepare for my passing and most of the time a friendly greeting/mutual thanks.

I ride quite a lot around the parks and cyclepaths, and a minority of irresponsible dog owners are the only negative interactions ive had while cycling. Im always extra careful because I cant predict what theyre going to do, but numerous times I slow right down, cover the brakes and get shouted at if their out of control dog runs towards my bike, despite you not being allowed to let dogs off the leads on the cycle paths.

 

[HLaB]

Its like everything, the majority of dog walkers couldn't care less, some are very polite and small minority are just rs'holes.

 

[trampyjoe]

"Dog owners have a duty to ensure that their animal does not threaten or harm a member of the public." (Dogs Act 1871)
So if you'd come off and hurt yourself the owner would've been liable.

I have a strong dislike for crap dog owners. There is a shared path that cuts through a massive park near me where I have all kinds of 'interactions' with dogs, my favorite was when a dog kept jumping up at a mate on his bike, I got off my bike and walked over to the owner (who the whole time was saying 'come here' and 'stop that') and mentioned that she might want to learn how to control her dog before letting it off the lead. For some reason she took offence to this, people are strange.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I always slow for horseys and have never had a prob tho some jockeys are smiling and morning!y whilst others are a bit haughty. I dont mind them on the country lanes but clip clopping along wilmslow high street...

But I get more snootyness from Lycra louts to be honest. Couldn't believe what a high percentage yesterday!

Fair weather ones I suspect too.
I only did 11 miles this evening (had to replace yet another broken spoke, must be getting something wrong), simply to take me over 1500 miles since I started on June the 23rd. (got a P.B. too), and I didn't see another road bike, usually see one or too, only people I saw were two lasses on m.t.b., and as it was really overcast and raining I wish they had, had some lights for there own safety, this would have been about 6.40.

 

[Svendo]

On Sustrans shared use paths dogs are meant to be on leads. This is almost universally ignored though (including by me as it happens, though Daisy knows to get out of the way of bikes as I've collided with her when she's run under my wheel when I used to cycle with her on the towpath. Where dogs are also supposed to be on leads). And there's no method of enforcement anyway.

 

[darth vadar]

Can't have been a proper cyclist. he would have checked the bike first then you........

Ha ha!!

No, in fairness he did ask whether the bike was ok before he asked how I was !!!!

 

[on the road]

On Sustrans shared use paths dogs are meant to be on leads.

Not necessarily. Round here there are sustrans paths that run through local parks, but the parks were there long before the sustrans cycle path so people arn't required to have their dogs on a lead there.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Congrats on the 15 miles.

Generally I have found that dogs are very good at getting out of the way and yelling at them works really well at getting their attention; usually all them want is a quick sniff and you're gone. I have not managed to hit any yet (at least not with the bike, my foot on the other hand is another matter entirely).

I usually make a special effort to thank dog walkers (not all are the owners) if they have caught the dog and held it. Most know if the dog is an issue, but not all and some are just complete idiots (putting it politely). The worst are the ones with the dogs on the lead, where they are on one side of the shared cycle/walk way and the dog on the other, and they proceed to look at you like you are an alien...

I am guessing we are never going to win, either as cyclists, dog walkers or anything else.

 

[Boon 51]

Well done on the 15 miles, one of many milestones..