shared cycle paths

[jamma]

Shared bike paths do you hate them?

Had an encounter with a pedestrain which was on the cycle lane (separted with a white line for peds) with his dog. He didn't have control of it went in the path of me so i had to ride on a soaked grass land completely soaking me in mud and he had the urge to say it was my fault because i didn't shout loud enough for him to hear me coming. Then goes on to say its illegal for me to ride my bike without a bell and threatens me by saying i knock you out.

Seems like the usual p!sshead knocking about i defused the sitution as best i could and pedalled like f@ck out of it sonce his dog looked like it was on steriods.

So i think i will stick to riding on the road than these shared paths as the seem alot safer

 

[sidevalve]

Actually [sorry] but it IS illegal to ride without 'audible warning of approach'

 

[jamma]

Actually [sorry] but it IS illegal to ride without 'audible warning of approach'

I did shout coming through obvisouly he didn't hear me with his headphones in.

Depends where you live as in the uk as per the highway code. bikes have to be fitted with bells while in the bike shop, but there is no legal requirement to fit or use them once on the road. The Highway Code merely suggests that cyclists ‘should be considerate of other road users, particularly blind and partially sighted pedestrians. Let them know you are there when necessary, for example by ringing your bell.’ Any other ‘audible warning’ – horn, rattle, duck call or the human voice – would do.

 

[Roadrider48]

Your voice!

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Actually [sorry] but it IS illegal to ride without 'audible warning of approach'

Which law's that then?

GC

 

[jamma]

Which law's that then?

GC

Depends on where they live as some US states have laws like that.

 

[ChrisEyles]

If I want to ride fast, I'll avoid shared cycle paths - doubly so at the weekends. If you are actually trying to get anywhere in anything resembling a hurry they are a pain in the proverbial, and I'd rather take the road.

If you're not in a hurry and are prepared to dodge dogs/children/headphone-wearing-eejits they can be alright to ride though, not every ride has to be full speed ahead. Plenty of pedestrians have a very dim view of cyclists on these paths so I usually try and do what I can to improve the situation with considerate slow passes and a cheery "good afternoon".

 

[DaveReading]

He didn't have control of it went in the path of me so i had to ride on a soaked grass land completely soaking me in mud

Sorry to have to say this, but you should have also had the option of stopping. If you couldn't, you were going too fast.

We're surrounded by shared paths around here and in the past I've been on both ends of cyclist/pedestrian conflicts. Yes, I have a bell on my tourer and use it a lot, but if I'm approaching a pedestrian from behind I assume they may have earphones and therefore not have heard, so I'll slow down to a crawl when passing.

If I have a pedestrian coming towards me, I'll make eye contact but still be prepared for them to behave unpredictably. If they have a dog, then anything could happen.

 

[jamma]

Sorry to have to say this, but you should have also had the option of stopping. If you couldn't, you were going too fast.

We're surrounded by shared paths around here and in the past I've been on both ends of cyclist/pedestrian conflicts. Yes, I have a bell on my tourer and use it a lot, but if I'm approaching a pedestrian from behind I assume they may have earphones and therefore not have heard, so I'll slow down to a crawl when passing.

If I have a pedestrian coming towards me, I'll make eye contact but still be prepared for them to behave unpredictably. If they have a dog, then anything could happen.

I was doing 5mph at the time slowed right down due to excessive speed from coming down a hill so already braking and i was not expecting the dog just cross my path even at 5 mph there was a bend as well so view was limited due to fence and overgrown weeds.

The dog must have been spooked from something in the overgrowth behind the fence.

 

[steveindenmark]

"I did shout coming through"

To me, that sounds as though you had no intention of slowing down. Even though you could see he was on the cycle path, with a dog and wearing headphones.

Instead of thinking what he was doing wrong, think of what you could have done better.

I have been sharing cycle paths with dogs, peds, prams, mopeds etc for 13 years and have never had a problem.

You need to realise that it is a SHARED cycle path. Its not just for you.

 

[vickster]

Pedestrians have priority on shared paths I believe, or the onus is on you to slow so always bear that in mind. http://www.sustrans.org.uk/change-your-travel/get-cycling/advice-using-shared-use-paths

Use the road and share with traffic if wanting to make swift progress

 

[Roadrider48]

[QUOTE 4259000, member: 9609"]Isabel necessary on a bike[/QUOTE]
She might be!

 

[Bianchi boy]

Had an encounter with a pedestrain which was on the cycle lane (separted with a white line for peds) with his dog. He didn't have control of it

Dangerous dogs act 1991 requires dogs to be under control

 

[briantrumpet]

Shared-use paths are more usefully called PWABPOs (Pavements With A Bike Painted On). Don't ever use them if you're in a hurry. I'm normally in a hurry, so go on roads, but even then I get held up by those big metal boxes on wheels. Why don't they just go on motorways where they are supposed to be?

 

[sidevalve]

Sidevalve doesn't live in the US.... He's a UK based anti-cyclist.

Good one. Having ridden for more years than many here have been alive [and driven just about every vehicle other than a tank] I find your comment either amusing or ignorant. I am not an 'urban warrior' with a size ten chip on the shoulder that 'all cyclists are perfect and can never do wrong - have the right to do as they please and everybody else if shXt attitude' so if that makes me anti-cyclist sorry but so be it. I will continue to ride my bikes. I will continue to try to just get on with [and follow'] the rules of the road and I will still accept that stupid people come both on foot and on 2 - 4 - 6 - 8 or 18 wheels [no comment on the OP here].
I love cycling but I hate stupid arrogant gits who spoil it for me and everybody else - if that opinion is not to be tolerated or regarded as 'anti-cyclist' then perhaps the zealots have taken over the world and this forum is now only for the perfects.