Cyclists & Bike Owners

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Jez

I bought the bell after riding along the canal towpath where I came to a halt as a large group of walkers were in front enjoying their walk.

i'd just point out that 99% of river and canal tow paths are footpaths so you have no right to cycle on them anyway (and thus no right to expect legitimate users to giveway to you if you do)

the exception is where the landowner has designated permisive cycling rights or the few streches that are cycle tracks or bridleways

[Jez]

Originally Posted by eeyore

i'd just point out that 99% of river and canal tow paths are footpaths so you have no right to cycle on them anyway (and thus no right to expect legitimate users to giveway to you if you do)

the exception is where the landowner has designated permisive cycling rights or the few streches that are cycle tracks or bridleways

It was a stretch of path open to walkers and cyclists along sustans (sustainable transport charity) route 54 part of the cycle national network!

I get a different response all together when I do litter duties along the stretch, just on that day I didn't have a bell or my volunteers credentials with me as I wasn't travelling along the route that morning in a volunteering capacity!

[PMG]

Originally Posted by Jez

On this occasion I was behind the group and having to raise my voice with a polite hello I'm sure would not have came out that way, even though my intentions would have meant well! Some you win some you lose!

I know what you mean - but I was serious with the good morning - its a salutation not many folk can ignore - the natural response is to offer the greetings back immediately and reply 'Good Morning to you' - its out of most folks' mouths before they can stop themselves! And I really did mean LOUD AND CHEERY 'GOOD MORNING' with a big cheesy smile plastered across face ........ think of Carol the weather girl on BBC - irrepressably cheery - almost annoying with it but not quite - cos you know she means well - that kind of thing You'll find it works most of the time - it would take a real grumps to ignore it - and cos there was a crowd of people - some would have answered you thus dividing the group intention to 'have a go' .........

Pauline

[Jez]

Thanks Auntie P, I'll give me best bonny Carol Kirkwood impersonation a good go next time!

[PMG]

Originally Posted by Jez

Thanks Auntie P, I'll give me best bonny Carol Kirkwood impersonation a good go next time!

Now I'd actually like to see you doing that Though you would have to change gender and be a smoker to get as breathy little girly as Carol does - and yes I do actually like her - this is not a criticism

Auntie P xx

[foxy mars]

I do hope you are all happy now. The Lycra louts: MPs call for curbs on cyclists who put lives at risk | Mail Online

[Mike Jackson]

I didn't catch this thread first time round but having read it all there seems to be valid points from both sides.

There seems to be a minority of users of all forms of transport that think they have some sort of right to cycle/drive/walk anywhere they like regardless of the consequences. This then leads to the majority of legitimate users getting tarred with the same brush.

Our local park has clear no cycling signs at all the entrances but that doesn't stop some cyclists from speeding through there. There have also been incidents of mountain bike riders churning up a local SSSI and mowing down rare orchids.

These are probably less than 1% of the local cycling population but they are the ones that I, and most of the general public remember.

In the same vein, I drive a land rover and have done a lot of voluntary conservation work but people don't remember that, they remember the 4x4s that have been driving into local woodland and churning it up.

[earthdragon64]

Originally Posted by foxy mars

I do hope you are all happy now. The Lycra louts: MPs call for curbs on cyclists who put lives at risk | Mail Online

The vast majority of cyclists are sensible and obey the law, and I would think most of those would be only too happy to see the irresponsible ones, who get them a bad name, being dealt with.

[welshcameraman]

This is such an emotive issue. The reality is in this country we have such an "Aggressive us and them" mentality. Everyone seems to think that they own the bit of road/pavement that they are on and to hell with everyone else.

This doesn't seem to happen on the continent. I have cycled abroad quite a lot, including a trip from Swansea to Bilbao...There was a ferry involved..lol. I have also cycled in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Holland,and not once have I encountered any hostility, from car drivers or pedestrians.

I am a normal law abiding cyclist and I abide by the highway code.So why have I been sworn at, had objects thrown at me,had someone lean out of a car and try to push me off and of coarse been knocked down and ended up in hospital. Where incidentally, the guy in the car done a u-turn in front of me and knocked me unconscious and even though there were witnesses he still had the audacity to tell the police I had been trying to overtake him..Yea right!!!

I never do it myself or condone it, but I do understand why people do cycle on pavements, given the option of cycling into a little old lady at 5 or 6 miles an hour or being hit by a car going at 50 miles an hour, what would anyone reading this, honestly take?

If only we could ALL change our attitude.

Oh by the way, I drive a car and a van , so don't think I am anti motorist

[foxy mars]

Originally Posted by welshcameraman

I am a normal law abiding cyclist and I abide by the highway code.So why have I been sworn at, had objects thrown at me,had someone lean out of a car and try to push me off and of coarse been knocked down and ended up in hospital. Where incidentally, the guy in the car done a u-turn in front of me and knocked me unconscious and even though there were witnesses he still had the audacity to tell the police I had been trying to overtake him..Yea right!!!

If only we could ALL change our attitude.

First of all, I did'nt mean to put on the header harshly, that I was having a dig at you's. But, it is right that there are a few cyclist's who don't give damm or respect to other's either on the pavement or road and need to be put straight. There are the minority, who are giving decent cylist's a bad name and the same brush. But, I do admit to cycling on pavement's, but only where safety is paramount to me. That is near to where I live, there is a very narrow B-road and is a main artery for peak-time driver's going to shops and home. So I just cycle on the pavement for a short while, about less than ¼ of a mile, then where the road widened, I pop back on to the road.

Another annoying thing about some cyclist's is having no front/rear lights on, these dark evening's. I spend £80 on a good front lamp and have another one on the way as a back-up to the main lamp, on the rear, I have a very bright lamp with a small flashing led light in simulation.

But, saying all this, there are some annoying car drivers on the roads. For example, the other week, coming home for work about mid-night. That a car (probably full of chavs) drove in close to me, missing me by inches, not nice and I had lights on. last night, coming home in the rain and on the cycle path, another idiot (probably chavs again) hooting their car horn very loudly on me, why do that.....showing off I guess.

So I guess we are are all bad as each other.