Cycling on pavement

It is allowed by the highway code for cyclists to ride two or three abreast and this fill the road lane they are in. This is particularly so when it is tricky for motor vehicles to overtake them as it prevents dangerous overtaking. Many car drivers do not give cyclists enough room (i.e. enough to fall off their bike into the road without being hit).

Car drivers who expect cyclists to get out of their way and not use up road space are probably the same people who think pedestrians should step out of their way too when pedestrians have to walk on the road because there's no footpath, or when some driver has used the footpath by parking on it.

Cyclists and pedestrians have as much right to use the roads as drivers of motor vehicles. Why shouldn't some roads be closed to other traffic once in a blue moon so that cyclists can ride in a bunch for some particular reason? Roads are sometimes closed because of pedestrians demonstrations. What's the difference?

Yes, there are noisome cyclists. Probably in the same proportion as noisome drivers.

Should... Should.... Should.... Should... Stones? Glass houses....most, if not all, cyclists who ride on pavements do so because they are frightened on the road. Frightened by drivers who are impatient, who drive too close and too fast, by drivers who aren't paying attention, who cut them off at junctions and side roads without noticing, who run them over and claim that they 'didn't see them'.

So, how many drivers here? Probably lots, if not all, and I know you are all angels.

P. S. Latest example of 'I didn't see you' was 74 year old friend cycling home from school where she volunteers. Broad daylight, mini roundabout, she was wearing high viz, little other traffic, mother from the school pulled out onto the mini roundabout and knocked my friend down breaking her shoulder. Perhaps all drivers should be forced to take a yearly vision test?

*thus fill...

I always thought that cyclists were allowed on the pavement up to the age of 11 years, after that, the road. Has this changed, or have I been thinking wrongly all these years?

quizqueen

Granarchist-re no potholes /litter in France. That's because our money has been spent there instead of here. Also, I think parental and school discipline is generally stricter, for which I commend them.

What a ridiculous comment !

Its illegal and annoying. I was out walking my dog (a timid whippet) when a cyclist came hurtling past us on the pavement and caught my dog who yelped loudly. I told him he should be on the road but was ignored. The result of this is my dog is now terrified if she sees someone riding a bike and tries to hide behind me. The problem is, its hard to police.

Some official cycle paths are on pavements.

I always cycle on the pavement, unless there is a cycle path. It is far too dangerous to ride on the road, I sometimes have my dog on a bracket or my grandson in a trailer. However I do not ride fast and I will stop and move out the way if someone is coming toward me to ensure they do not have to go on the road and we are correctly social distancing. I am not, under any circumstances going to cycle on the road. I think it will only get worse as more people get their bikes fixed! If only they didn’t go so fast and we were all just a little bit more courteous to each other.

So you blatantly break the law Scentia and teach your grandchildren that it's somehow OK?

I often cycle on rhe pavement too. The roads are busy and drivers often not considerate. If the pavements were very busy I just wouldn't cycle. Lots of families cycle up and down our road. There's room for everyone. No one minds. It's not a big crime.
Of course it depends on your particular area whether it will work or not..

Here, I travel a country road to get to see my gks, hopefully once a week, and there are quite a few cyclists, proper cyclists! LOL by that I mean though separate they appear to be in some sort of "race"?? dunno really,

but I find them most courteous to cars... they try to speed up where they can if a car is behind them, quite frequent also,,
and pull in as soon as there is a place for them to do so, to let the cars pass.

then I walk a bridleway/cycling path/walk way... wideish..

and there the cyclists are NOT courteous.. no bells, I thought bells were compulsory..
little children with parents,, well I am walking, not in a hurry, and I tend to stand aside to let them pass,, and the parents are always (I think always) very courteous and say thank you.

I’m a cyclist and a motorist. I cycle on the road and once in a blue moon use the pavement. Believe me, it’s dangerous on the roads and far more cyclists are killed and badly injured than the other way round. A lot of motorists hate cyclists. Horse riders have the same problem. Drivers just don’t want to slow down for a few seconds. Some of the close passes at high speed have to be seen to be believed.

Absolutely agree with Jane10. As cycling is being pushed as the new normal way to travel, with many taking to 2 wheels for the first time, or returning after many years, some form of compulsory training, registration and insurance should be required. Another poster on here has said accidents will happen, well they have happened, with in some cases death resulting because of cyclists' actions or inattention. I drive a car and ride a motorcycle (not at the same time I hasten to add), and for both forms of road use have had training, had to pass tests, and have insurance. And as for the proposed e-scooters, they are just as likely to pose risk to those unable to avoid these vehicles being used thoughtlessly. I'll get off my soapbox now.

I find cyclists an utter nuisance . Those on the road don’t keep into the left and go to slow for the cars. In London they do not obey the rules of the road I’ve been run down by a bike turning right on a no right turn traffic light. Some take to pavements and cause more issues than in the road- I find even cycle paths confusing we often visit my daughter who has them and she’s always tugging me out of the path of bIkes that seem to go far too fast. It’s got worse with the growth of electric scooters all taking to the pavement too. I thought apart from a trial on rentals they weren’t legal here.

Our driveway"a mile long" has been "downgraded to a bridleway" We are now in constant fear of being hit by a speeding cyclist going downhill from over 800ft to 50ft with no obstructions. Our GS tested with his GPS that he could reach 40MPH, he could have gone faster. We have almost been hit head on by 2 cyclists racing round a blind bend. We were lucky to be able to get onto a bit of grass. Did they have any insurance if they had hit us? As the driveway is only wide enough for our car the cyclists have to decide if they are going into the ditch or the barbed wire fence. There is also the problem of dogs on long leads which can get tangled in bike wheels. I'm ambivalent about cyclists as my GS, a bike mechanic, is one of the "good guys"

The ‘ mamils’ ( middle aged men in Lycra!) seem to think they and their cycles own the world where I live and with the current encouragement on fitness it’s getting worse. I need to leave my one way road into main road, huge no entry signs, and so often have to swerve or slam in the brakes for cyclists racing in in total disregard,infuriating!

I'm totally fed up with them. On canal towpaths , one of our favourite places to walk, the are a complete menace with not a bell between them. On the country lanes where I live their sense of entitlement is breathtaking. A while ago, after a hip operation when I ventured out for the first time complete with crutches, I was shouted at and told to get into the gutter by the lycra clad menace speeding past. I still regret not sticking my crutch into his wheel spokes.

I've twice been hit by cyclists, and a actually knocked into the road the second time.

They're a pain in the bum.

TerriBull

Following on from what others have stated, there is a particularly aggressive type of cyclist, not all, but usually in all the gear, head to toe in Lycra. Since The success of the 2012 Olympics their numbers have multiplied. I'm not sure when it is, but sometime in the summer, maybe not this year, but certainly since 2012 there is a Sunday rally when cyclists recreate that run into London, certain areas around where I live and into Surrey, can't get out of their roads, a lot are closed for their benefit, it generally causes chaos, and none of them pay any insurance! Many of the thrusting," highway code doesn't apply to me" type go through red lights habitually. Near where I live, they think nothing of riding three abreast in Richmond Park, and woe betide you if you give them a toot, there is a 20 mile speed limit there, but you can still find a whole stream of cars just following several cyclists who won't get in single file. They can be very intimidating. As I said it's a certain type, not all cyclists, most I can see are not like that.

The adolescent of the OP shouldn't have questioned "why" anyone pushing a pushchair wouldn't want him crashing into them, it's so dangerous, at that age he should know better. Just being obtuse goes with the teen territory, sometimes! and the mother obviously a "my little Johnny never does anything wrong" variety.

I am a cyclist. I wear lycra and I have done the Ride London event twice. I also pay insuraance as do many of my cycling friends. Ride London - the roads are opened up as soon as the last cyclist passes through. The event is very well organised and is only one day a year.
Cyclists are allowed to ride two abreast and shouldnt have to get into single file unless the road is very narrow. It is actually easier for a car to overtake cyclists two abreast that a long single train of cyclists.
I comply with the highway code AT ALL TIMES and have never jumped a red light.
Everyone using the road should be mindul of the rules and a pedestrian/cycle path should be shared accordingly.

I live by the sea. Cyclists 'share' the prom with pedestrians, even at start of lockdown when roads were all but empty.
The best cyclists at sharing are kids without adults. Imo the worst are likely to be wearing lycra.
Please don't get me started on the subject of escooters...

Yes, it is illegal everywhere I have been in Europe to cycle on a pavement.

Unfortunately, unless we get back to policemen walking their beat in towns the problem won't go away, as a lot of youngsters believe the Road Traffic Act doesn't apply to bicycles!

Many years ago, the car was parked outside the house and I was taking my MiL out. We were coming out of the front gate and there was a child on a bike coming down the pavement, ringing the bell to tell us to get out of the way, waving his arms also. Now, MiL was registered blind, her hearing was also suspect and if I hadn’t been with her, she might have been mowed down. I told him to go on the road, he replied but my parents told me to stay on the pavement.
We were discussing this issue with an ex policeman and he told us that he always told children to use the pavement. When we advised him of MiLs near miss on the pavement, his reply was - I never thought of that!

I think you are all just going to have to get use to cyclists as its become more popular. In time there will be more proper cycle lanes on the road with barriers between cyclists and cars. Then we will have you all moaning about that. Attitudes need to change in this country, Holland manage very well with cyclists on the pavements and even being allowed to go down one way streets the wrong way. What is wrong I ask about stepping out of the way of someone who is cycling, it only takes a second and as for wearing lycra, well I wear some its the most practical clothing to wear when cycling, do we moan about walkers for what they wear...no..

i find that in our town .adults ride bikes on the pavement...i always say not on the path people have to walk there... think they should bring national cycling test... i had to pass one(and still got my badge) when i was about 12yrs old.should teach them the highway code too.this was done through my school....

Barmeyoldbat

I think you are all just going to have to get use to cyclists as its become more popular. In time there will be more proper cycle lanes on the road with barriers between cyclists and cars. Then we will have you all moaning about that. Attitudes need to change in this country, Holland manage very well with cyclists on the pavements and even being allowed to go down one way streets the wrong way. What is wrong I ask about stepping out of the way of someone who is cycling, it only takes a second and as for wearing lycra, well I wear some its the most practical clothing to wear when cycling, do we moan about walkers for what they wear...no..

If bikes have to use pavements they are responsible for any damage caused to pedestrians, children or animals. A cycle is a vehicle.