Why do grown men ride on the pavement?

SailorSam

If i'm somewhere that there are no or very few pedestrians i ride on the pavement or if it's early morning or late afternoon when the viability is poor. I'd rather ride on the road but often you just don't feel safe.

Dave_C_2

Norman_Castle wrote: »

One thing that bothers me with dog owners. If your dog is on the side of a path and you move aside when you see a cyclist, can you move to the same side as the dog. Many owners move to the opposite side of the path. When the cyclist gets near the dog wants to be near the owner and has to cross the cyclists path. This would not happen if the owner joined the dog on whichever side it is on.

Agree totally.

It's the "how dare you cycle on this track where I'm walking my dog" look that gets me, especially when it's on a national cycle route and all they are doing is letting rover take a dump.:)

Dave

Mids_Costcutter

Just ask them why, especially the police!

fishybusiness

When you ride past me on the trails and I've put my dog on his lead so he doesn't get in your way. Would be be really be expecting too much for you to mutter "Thanks" as you ride by?

I tend not to say thanks, more I will say 'Hi' as I go past, just being friendly.

I see it that I should slow down and be careful, and you should be careful with your dog - just a bit of mutual respect and understanding.

What I will say is that I should think most people are more worried about the well being of their dog and so put it on a lead so that nutter cyclists don't run in to it and hurt it.

edwardw

Highway code says max £1000 fine!

rdwarr

spacey2012 wrote: »

Because they are breaking the law ? Just like you are with your dog not on a lead.

Well, you're half right. It's only a legal requirement to have a dog on a lead on a "designated road". The OP specifically mentioned "trails".

However, it is illegal to cycle on pavements. Cyclists who do so are either ignorant of the law or feel that they are above it.

elsien

I tend not to move myself or my on-lead dog out of the way of cyclists on the grounds that pavements are for pedestrians. Cyclists are not pedestrians.
(I'm talking specifically about pavements here, not trails or tracks.)

Timay

Honeydog wrote: »

Smallish village. Good wide roads. Good visbility.

So why do so many blokes ride on the pavement like small children? I see maybe two or three a day when it isn't raining.

And while I'm on my soapbox. When you ride past me on the trails and I've put my dog on his lead so he doesn't get in your way. Would be be really be expecting too much for you to mutter "Thanks" as you ride by?

Really looking forward to the answers as I'm genuinely curious about both of these.

Ta,

HD

To be honest a lot of pavements have been converted into cycle paths by doing nothing more than putting but up a small blue sign with a bicycle on it and a bicycle painted on the floor every so often.

Plus it's your responsibility as a dog owner to keep your dog under control so do you really deserve a thanks for something you are required to do?

BTW I hate cyclist. Ridiculous way of travelling somewhere.

Norman_Castle

However, it is illegal to cycle on pavements. Cyclists who do so are either ignorant of the law or feel that they are above it.

On 1st August 1999, new legislation came into force to allow a fixed penalty notice to be served on anyone who is guilty of cycling on a footway. However the Home Office issued guidance on how the new legislation should be applied, indicating that they should only be used where a cyclist is riding in a manner that may endanger others. The then Home Office Minister Paul Boateng issued a letter stating that:
“The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of traffic and who show consideration to other pavement users when doing so. Chief police officers, who are responsible for enforcement, acknowledge that many cyclists, particularly children and young people, are afraid to cycle on the road, sensitivity and careful use of police discretion is required.”

I'm aware of the law and appreciate it being applied intelligently.

Voyager2002

I'm a cyclist who sometimes uses the pavement (and I'm male and well out of childhood). I generally do so in situations where riding on the road would be unsafe, or when measures meant for motorists (traffic lights and so forth) would make me wait needlessly. In particular, my main route from town to home involves turning right into a main road and then (since my house is on my right hand side) turning right again across two lanes of fast-moving traffic: it is obviously much safer if I do the final stretch on the pavement on the same side of my house.

I am very conscious that the pavement "belongs" to pedestrians and so when riding on it I move at walking speed and give way to anyone I encounter. And yes, if I can see that someone has gone to any trouble to help me (such as getting a dog or child out of my path) I would usually thank them.