Cyclist on pavement

Throw a metal rod through the spokes of his front wheel next time you see him.

And you didn't kick him? chook!

What an idiot. I would have told him that if he's too scared to cycle in the right place, then he shouldn't be cycling at all. Or I might have mentioned that someone of his age should be grown up enough to cycle on the road.

He was a tit though, right? I was a bit agressive when shouting "oi, wait" whilst marching towards him - not sure if I was a bit ott for an old (ish) man.

I see him regularly actually. The rod thing might be my next move. Was planning to keep moving into his path until he wobbled off his bike or something.

How's things BGB? Have you moved into new role yet?

Complete tit!!! I can't believe he had the audacity to have a go at you for swearing - the tit nearly ran you over. 50 isn't too old to make you feel guilty either. 70 maybe but definitely not 50!!!

He's breaking the law, he's not allowed to cycle on the pavement. Twat.

you're kidding aren't you? I was given a bike at christmas and about a month or so ago went out on a Sunday to have a 10 minute practice. In that time 1 person in a 4x4 almost hit me when coming across a junction. I haven't been out since as i don't trust drivers to be careful enough not to hit me.

Zooropa, fair enough if you're too scared to cycle on the road (it is a bit nerve-racking, especially at first), but that doesn't mean you are allowed to cycle on the pavement.

Cycling on the pavement over 10 years old is against the law.

Chicken you were restrained tbh and he was rude to you. We had an incident a couple of weeks ago similar to this and the person tried to get aggressive with us.

That's the main reason I havem't tried again. A lot of people around Dudley cycle on the pavement but I refuse to do that. I was just a little put out by the idea that an adult shouldn't be afraid of a couple of tons of metal coming towards them at speed.

Ah OK, I misunderstood you. I don't think it's abnormal to be scared (actually I think the opposite is true!). It does get easier though, it's just quite a leap to make in your head (I used to have a near miss most days when I commuted by cycle)

Yup. Insanely busy but thankfully have a couple of hours at home this morning whilst getting my car repaired. Catching up on emails and the mobile is off. Bliss. Evilness that is Blackberry is on order though ?.

Err, no. I'm not kidding. If you;re too scared to cycle in the right place, then don't ride until you're brave or confident enough to do so. Cyclists are not meant to be on the pavement, it's dangerous for pedestrians and selfish. I cycle on the road or the cycle path, where I'm meant to be. If I was too scared to be on the road, I wouldn't cycle. <shrug>

This happens to me on a daily basis, I have to walking against the flow of kids on bikes on the pavement going to school. Yesterday I got slammed by a cyclist because a bus had stopped to let me cross the road (at a proper crossing point) but the cyclist hadn't realised and sneaked down the side of the bus only to be confronted with li'l ol' me.

Well aren't you a superstar. I guess you must be made of steel to not be scared of steel wagons hurtling around. And I should think it's far more dangerous for a cyclist to be hit by a steel wagon than a pedestrian to be hit by a cyclist. Oh and how are you supposed to build up the confidence if you can't go cycling anyway?

What on earth have I said to get this reaction? Have you got a chip on your shoulder about being scared?And for your information, I was knocked off my bike in November by a car who didn't see me and sustained nasty injuries, so I do know how dangerous it is, and I know how it is to be scared. It doesn't change anything I said though.

Nowhere did I say that adults shouldn't be scared of cycling. I said, that if you are, then perhaps cycling isn't for you. Cycling is not legal on the pavement. If you are too scared to go on the roads then stick to cycle paths and bridle paths, not the pavement. It's hardly rocket science.

There is absolutely no need for you to be so bloody rude to me, little Miss Touchy.

ETA - how on earth can you justify cycling on the pavement and endaangering pedestrains anyway? Just because you're scared, it's OK for you to break the law? I don't think so.

Didn't you read the bit where I said I haven't cycled since becuase I dind't want to ride on the pavement. I just find it a shame that I will probably never ride my bike becuase it's far too dangerous. As for cycle paths - ha I think theres about 2 cm's in the centre of Dudley.

Sorry if I came across as rude - my anger stems from the fact I would like an easier way to get to work other than spending 40 minutes by bus or walking to get just 2.5 miles but it seems an impossible task.

You will be able to ride though - just go out a few times and build up your confidence. I've only been knocked off once and I've been cycling the 7.5 miles to and from work for over 2 years. The more confident you are, the less likely you are to have an accident. And the only way to get confident is to get out there and do it.

I live in Cambridge! The city of bikes!! If anyone rides on the path and even dares rings their bell i will purposely take up more room so they can't get past! When i cycle i also ride on the road near the curb! What annoys me is when cyclist ride in groups side by side so you cant even get past them! I'm a firm believer that these people deserve to be hit by a big lorry!

Zooropa I like your argument about how a cyclist could do less damage to a pedestrian than a car to a cyclist. I often say that when I am trying to over take cyclists and wish they were given a chunk of the path rather than a chunk of the road.

I don't cycle. I would cycle if I could cycle on the path. I am one of those people with no balance what-so-ever though, when I was little if I tried to indicate with my arms I'd fall off my bike in that direction ?

We drove past a guy on his bike yesterday, he was cycling on the road - the bit the cars are supposed to use, and there was a perfectly good cycle path next to him - ?

Age old cyclist debate.

Did you miss the news story about the cyclist who killed a pedestrian by hitting her? Cyclists on pavements can and do cause damage. I was hit by a cycle courier going the wrong way up a one way street many years ago, and not at great speed. That left me with a huge bruise on my thigh - I can't imagine what damage would have been done if he was going fast.

Re: how long it takes you to overtake a cyclist - what, 5 seconds delay to a journey? If some drivers had a little more patience, there wouldn't be the need to take up pavements with cycle paths.

If this man runs me over, on the pavement, anytime soon I'll remember not to complain as it would have been worse if it was a car.

My brother's GF was seriously injured when a cyclist decided that red lights didn't apply to him and hit her as she crossed at a pelican crossing.

She needed an ambulance, he didn't stop at the scene. Cnut.

It really is unfortunate that there aren't more/better cycle lanes. I'd love to get a bike but I know I'd be too scared to cycle in London. The pavement isn't the place for cyclists obviously, but nor, really, is the road.

Whitetiger- on-road cycle paths are sometimes worse than nothing at all. They're generally poorly planned, poorly maintained and often downright dangerous.

Zooropa- I was exactly the same to begin with. In fact Mrs Winkle was one of the people on here who reassured me after I'd had a cycling break to have a baby and lost my confidence again. The best thing to do is ride assertively and defensively- assertively as in riding a metre or so into the road and not hugging the kerb as you'll be less visible, and defensive as in expect the worst of every vehicle driver. You'll be pleasantly surprised by how many drivers do notice you but you'll be ready for the ones who cut you up at junctions.

I read somewhere that drivers tend to pass a cyclist by the same amount of distance as the cyclist is from the kerb. So if you hug the kerb, drivers are less likely to give you a wide berth. Not sure how true that is in practice though.

I was punched in the face by a cyclist after I objected to him cycling on the pavement, he was mid 30s and was tail gating me on the pavement behind me, I turned round and suggested he ride on the road, we had a frank exchange of views, he then tried to herd me into the hedge by riding at me and when I lashed out by kicking his bike wheel(which I shouldn't have done) he turned round and punched me!

His excuse for riding on the pavement was that he had no lights, I didn't think that was a good excuse! He was also drunk

Sparklywug that is awful. If he didn't have lights he shouldn't have been out riding in the dark (or stayed in the pub too long I guess)

Cyclists shouldn't be on a pavement though. I appreciate the road-scariness and the idiots who don't give enough room, but the law has stated where bikes should be. I also agree there should be more cycle paths.

Ooooh don't get me started on this topic or i'll never stop!!! i work in central london and on my walk from station to office i come across cyclists EVERY day completley ignoring the highway code - they cycle on pavement, the wrong way up one way streets, through red lights, including those at pedestrain crossings, across pedestrain only areas, the list goes on. i have lost count of the number of times i have been very close to being hit by one - some of them going pretty fast - it makes my blood boil - i dread to think what my BP is by the time i get to the office. and if you dare to step off the pavement (on a green pedestrain light) and one is coming you get a mouthful of abuse.

the number of cyclists have significantly increased in the last few years particularly since the bombings, and also to cut costs, get fit etc but there now needs to be much tigher control of how cyclists ride in london or accidents will also increase.

phew sorry rant of the day over!

But you do know that the vast majority of cyclists are law abiding and sensible, right? Unfortunately, the stupid ones give us all a bad name and it really annoys me.

What Mrs Winkle said. I hate the stereotyping of us all into the lycra-clad louts of which there are undoubtedly many but there are FAR more of us who are considerate and law-abiding.

<sad road safety geek alert> Throw in a head check each (as in every, not just occassionally) time you change position on the road, indicating for large position changes/corners and not filtering past moving vehicles on the inside of a junction/intersection and your risk diminishes absolutely massively. As in, it takes the risk of cycling from being quite dangerous to about equal to any other road user. Its the change of position on the road that is the trigger for most cycling accidents, but an assertive position to begin with is a great start. <road safety geekiness danger over>