"You should be on the cyclepath!"

[ebikeerwidnes]

I had the wonderful experience of using the new ELOR cycle paths / pedestrian path in Leeds (they have both, side by side, utterly fantastic, the way forward imo) and some chap requesting I stop whereupon he gave me a lecture about cycling on pedestrian lanes and that I should be on the road!

I asked him to look up to his right and he witnessed a lovely large sign showing he was in the cycle lane and that the pedestrian path was to his right next to it. I told him he'd see more visual clues on the paths themselves as he walked down them too. Speechless at first, he found his voice and informed me he'd never seen this kind of thing before and it should all be for pedestrians only.

We meet all sorts.

Well - I can see his point
I mean - the concept of cycle lanes is clearly a new fangled woke policy that only people who have the news on all day can possibly have known about
I mean - the first cycle lanes I saw were only about 60 years ago
you can;t expect people to keep up if the pace of change is so fast!!!!!!!

 

[BoldonLad]

On cycle paths, shared and otherwise, I always cycle on the left as that's the side of the King's highway that we all have to be on, thus to me this is a logical progression.
However, very occasionally I encounter cyclists coming towards me on their right, thus my left and insisting that they're on the correct side and I should move over.
Thoughts - ?

Yes, had that, quite a frequent occurrence actually, in my experience.

Like you, I would have thought that, just as we drive on the left, we would cycle on the left. I would guess that many cyclists (or at least, people riding bicycles) are also drivers?.

I can to a degree understand none drivers moving to the right, since this is typically the side which people are encouraged to stand/use on escalators/stairways/walkways.

It does so happen that I live only about 4 miles from a ferry Port from Amsterdam, but, I suspect that most of this who I encounter riding on the right have not recently disembarked from the ferry.

 

[BoldonLad]

I had the wonderful experience of using the new ELOR cycle paths / pedestrian path in Leeds (they have both, side by side, utterly fantastic, the way forward imo) and some chap requesting I stop whereupon he gave me a lecture about cycling on pedestrian lanes and that I should be on the road!

I asked him to look up to his right and he witnessed a lovely large sign showing he was in the cycle lane and that the pedestrian path was to his right next to it. I told him he'd see more visual clues on the paths themselves as he walked down them too. Speechless at first, he found his voice and informed me he'd never seen this kind of thing before and it should all be for pedestrians only.

We meet all sorts.

Had a very similar experience while cycling along the coast in Seaburn (Sunderland), on the "cycle track". A very well spoken lady (rare in Sunderland) berated me for cycling on the "footpath". It is a shared path, with a solid white line separating the pedestrian side from the cycle side. There are also cute little pictures representing people of bicycles, at intervals along the route, and, blue shared path signs. The lady was actually standing on one of the cute little bicycle images as she berated me. I politely advised her to visit specsavers.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I do find that experienced cyclist tend to move to their left as they would on a road
Walkers tend to more commonly move to their right for whatever reason

If I see someone who looks like (i.e. by body language etc) look like they have not been riding long can be variable
this applies more on canal paths as some types of riders will always move to the non-water side, especially where there is no grass between the path and the water.
After I while I started to recognise the "always away from the water" types!

 

[I like Skol]

Walkers tend to more commonly move to their right for whatever reason

When walking on roads with no pavement you are advised/encouraged to walk towards oncoming traffic, so on the right in the UK.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

When walking on roads with no pavement you are advised/encouraged to walk towards oncoming traffic, so on the right in the UK.

Yes - but most people I know pretty much never walk on such roads but the "move to my right" is very common

so- in my mind - I think there is more to it
although it could simply be that it is hammered home in Primary school and it sticks

 

[Electric_Andy]

I believe the approved response to this is "your mum"

 

[MontyVeda]

I tend to cycle on the left because nine out of ten cyclists tend to do the same, but for the odd one who cycle on their right, I'll just move over to my right. There's no point 'standing ground' just to try to prove a point.

As for the OP, cycle/shared paths are optional. Ignore the other ranty cyclist.

 

[presta]

There are shared paths around here where the markings aren't consistent. On one path near the retail park, the markings at one end put cyclists next to the road, but the marking at the other end of the same path put pedestrians next to the road.

On another, the workmen haven't installed the tactile paving consistently, some are the opposite way to others, and on the same path, some of the signs have been turned the wrong way round by kids.

On cycle paths, shared and otherwise, I always cycle on the left as that's the side of the King's highway that we all have to be on, thus to me this is a logical progression.
However, very occasionally I encounter cyclists coming towards me on their right, thus my left and insisting that they're on the correct side and I should move over.
Thoughts - ?

If you're trying to keep pedestrians & cyclists apart on a shared path, then a bikes left rule in one direction will become a bikes right rule in the other direction.

 

[MontyVeda]

...
If you're trying to keep pedestrians & cyclists apart on a shared path, then a bikes left rule in one direction will become a bikes right rule in the other direction.

kind of but not really.

The cyclist above is riding on the left of the space intended for cyclists, which just happens to be on the right.

 

[Rusty Nails]

kind of but not really.

View attachment 738493

The cyclist above is riding on the left of the space intended for cyclists, which just happens to be on the right.

So it's two paths, divided by a painted line, not a shared path.

 

[Dirk Van Der Dirk]

There's a path in Colchester that exemplifies this country's attitude to cycling infrastructure. The path is segregated, white line separates cyclists from peds. Then there is a small break in the path allowing for access to a housing estate, after said break the path continues...but with peds and cyclists at opposite sides to previous!! Madness.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I’d beware of physcopaths telling you what to do.

 

[Stephenite]

What about boats?

What about BOATs?

 

[DaveReading]

So it's two paths, divided by a painted line, not a shared path.

Yes, just like a road with a white line down the middle is two roads ...