Oncoming cyclist - pass which side

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Pat "5mph"

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
Garry A said:
While I was running along the canal path a couple of weeks ago I saw a cyclist coming towards me at speed. He was about 200 m away so I moved over to the left as this is Britain and we go on the left.
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You must be a unique runner, because, without fail, every single runner I see on shared pavements or paths, run/jog either on the right or firmly in the middle.
 
Mo1959

Mo1959

Legendary Member
Location
Perthshire,Scotland
Pat "5mph" said:
You must be a unique runner, because, without fail, every single runner I see on shared pavements or paths, run/jog either on the right or firmly in the middle.
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Agree. I always thought walkers and runners usually stuck to the right so they could face oncoming traffic.
 
Pat "5mph"

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
Mo1959 said:
Agree. I always thought walkers and runners usually stuck to the right so they could face oncoming traffic.
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Yes, that's what you should do on a narrow country road with no pavement, gives you a chance to see incoming motorized traffic instead of the danger of being hit from behind.
Running on the Forth and Clyde Canal, on the other hand, does not present such dangers :whistle:
 
Mo1959

Mo1959

Legendary Member
Location
Perthshire,Scotland
Pat "5mph" said:
Yes, that's what you should do on a narrow country road with no pavement, gives you a chance to see incoming motorized traffic instead of the danger of being hit from behind.
Running on the Forth and Clyde Canal, on the other hand, does not present such dangers :whistle:
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Suppose not. Lol, but if you are a regular runner, I think it would still be ingrained to stick to the right or maybe I'm just talking tosh. :laugh:
 
burntoutbanger

burntoutbanger

Veteran
Location
Devon
Mo1959 said:
Agree. I always thought walkers and runners usually stuck to the right so they could face oncoming traffic.
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I just wish walkers on country lanes would heed that other bit of advice about walking on the outside of bends so everyone from the walker to the cyclist to the car driver and the HGV driver has a little longer sightline and therefore a little more reaction time.

Walkers that don't do this really get my goat!
 
Floating Bombus

Floating Bombus

Well-Known Member
Location
Neither here nor there
On a shared path I find it often works better if runners keep left but walkers keep right. Runners tend to be nearer cycling speed on these paths (this probably wouldn't be the case on the road) so it's easy to coast behind them until you get an opportunity to overtake. Though I guess if the path is not busy, it doesn't much matter.
 
U

User16625

Guest
ManiaMuse said:
I usually go left if I spot the oncoming other cyclist first on a cycle path. But I won't intentionally go out of my way to coerce them in to passing on the 'correct' side if we are telepathically lining up right to right and there is plenty of space to do so.

Same with pedestrians who are walking on the 'cycle' side of a share use path with markings. I'm not going to bother forcing them over to the correct side if it's going to slow me down in the process.

If you are talking about cyclists overtaking from behind you, then I would say it is polite to stick to the left side if you are cycling slow enough to anticipate being overtaken by faster cyclists. I'm not going to wait for you to notice me coming up behind you if I've decided that you are predictable enough and there is enough space to 'undertake' on the left.

Failing that, stick all the way to the right and make it obvious that you are doing so. But whatever you do, don't hog the middle of the path or weave unpredictably. And do do a shoulder check before overtaking other cyclists or pedestrians or switching sides.
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I came across a woman driver on a bicycle the other day. This woman driver was male btw. Anyway the stupid c***** was riding towards me along the cycle path pretty much staring at the ground. He clearly wasn't going to lift his head or move to one side or the other so I decided to move to the right and stop. Maybe I should have stopped in the middle. Anyway the guy just passed completely oblivious to his surroundings. I didnt even waste my breath saying anything to him, it would be like arguing with a typo. I hope he gets his Darwin Award soon.
 
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