Will the lockdown increase in cycling end in tears?

[Jozhua]

This is a mixture of my own experience and predictions, I would be interested to hear from other groups.

I live in Salford, about 2 miles from Manchester city centre and don't have a car. As lockdown looked increasingly likely, I was scared of losing my freedom to move, so purchased a bike from Halfords. Lockdown happened the next week and I eventually managed to get my bike from them.

It felt like the best decision I ever made, I could go anywhere I wanted around the city, saw so many new places, got so much exercise. I've found lockdown intolerable, but my bike allowed me to cope with it at least a little bit better.

Unfortunately, on a ride home on the roads from a nearby woodland trail just a couple of days ago, I was on a roundabout and a car pulled out, not seeing me and hit the left side of my bike. I was knocked onto the bonnet and thrown back down onto the road. I've been left with severe bruising on the left side of my leg and whiplash in my back. I was lucky.

I have a feeling with the increase of new cyclists, many switching from public transport, now having to deal with traffic the same, or even increased as before lockdown may not end so well. I feel my story may be the first of many...

While social distancing remains on public transport, many people won't have a choice either, as it will be their only way to get to work, shops, etc.

While there has been some effort to create temporary 'cycle lanes', these are mostly concentrated around the city centre, at least in Manchester and usually break down when an intersection is involved. (the most likely place for traffic conflicts to arise) However, suburbs and inner cities which are not flush with nearby facilities would probably benefit from them more.

Personally, I think the lack of effort to create areas or corridors where bikes are shielded from traffic is going to be problematic for the increased cyclists on the road. New riders are still getting used to their bikes and many drivers are out of practise. I only see this ending in disaster, one so cataclysmic, only the MAMILS will survive

 

[GRALISTAIR]

No is the straight answer to your question. Certainly there may in the short term be some accidents but I truly believe cars are going to go the way of the dodo in the long term In town and city centers anyway.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Cycling (without Dutch style infrastructure, which fortunately MK does have) is certainly riskier than most other modes of transport, probably only motorcycling beats it. But you do learn to cycle defensively over time - doesn't mean I haven't had a bump or three. But I think the overall health benefit outweighs it. Hope you recover soon by the way.

 

[LMS 4F]

I think that an increase in cycling will inevitably lead to an increase in accidents involving cycles. That will lead to more injuries and fatalities.
Defensive cycling can help mitigate this but the unwritten rule is that in road crashes the heavier vehicle generally comes off better and the more protection a person has, mainly by the amount of metal around them, the better their chances to be uninjured.
I ride my cycle several times a week for exercise purposes but I am very selective as to where and when I ride. I would not want to be travelling by bike to and from work at rush hour times.
The provision for cycles is in most places in this country is hopelessly inadequate. Painting a few lines on the road is no protection and has been stated earlier temporary barriers are all well until a junction is arrived at.
What is needed is something along the lines of that which is provided in Holland, a much smaller country where cycling is treated seriously. I doubt we will see anything like that here in my lifetime or even that of my children and grandchildren.

 

[Jozhua]

No is the straight answer to your question. Certainly there may in the short term be some accidents but I truly believe cars are going to go the way of the dodo in the long term In town and city centers anyway.

I hope so, but without proper adjustments to infrastructure I'm doubtful any real change will be achieved.

Cycling (without Dutch style infrastructure, which fortunately MK does have) is certainly riskier than most other modes of transport, probably only motorcycling beats it. But you do learn to cycle defensively over time - doesn't mean I haven't had a bump or three. But I think the overall health benefit outweighs it. Hope you recover soon by the way.

Yeah, I think I'm just going to have to dismount at junctions/roundabouts and follow quieter routes in the future.

I've been advised to revisit A&E to check out my back tomorrow, but my leg seems to be recovering!

 

[Jozhua]

I think that an increase in cycling will inevitably lead to an increase in accidents involving cycles. That will lead to more injuries and fatalities.
Defensive cycling can help mitigate this but the unwritten rule is that in road crashes the heavier vehicle generally comes off better and the more protection a person has, mainly by the amount of metal around them, the better their chances to be uninjured.
I ride my cycle several times a week for exercise purposes but I am very selective as to where and when I ride. I would not want to be travelling by bike to and from work at rush hour times.
The provision for cycles is in most places in this country is hopelessly inadequate. Painting a few lines on the road is no protection and has been stated earlier temporary barriers are all well until a junction is arrived at.
What is needed is something along the lines of that which is provided in Holland, a much smaller country where cycling is treated seriously. I doubt we will see anything like that here in my lifetime or even that of my children and grandchildren.

Yeah, I agree. The madness is we probably have population density equivalent or higher than the Netherlands, almost certainly in our cities.

Bike lanes are very much an afterthought and they just seem to disappear once an intersection is arrived at.

 

[farci]

in Glasgow and other Scottish towns we're taking the OP's concerns seriously.

This £10m fund encourages resident input in the Glasgow area:
https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/spacesforpeople

Short-term travel infrastructure will be implemented in our city centre, city neighbourhoods and active travel routes, and will form a key part of the city's strategy for economic recovery. These measures will help to ensure sufficient space on footways for businesses and their customers while the requirement for 2 metres of physical distancing between people remains in place.

Spaces for People will see footways widened at pinch points to facilitate safer pedestrian movement and easier access to community facilities and public transport hubs. Consideration will also be given to the positioning of temporary strategic cycling routes to highlight cycling as an attractive, viable commuting choice

 

[brad465]

As a road cyclist of over 10 years I've had my fair share of cycle accidents and insurance claims, and while I can handle among the busiest roads more needs to be done. If this uptake becomes permanent there does need to be more capacity in the world of bike shops and awareness of cycle insurance raised. While my experience allows me to do most basic maintenance and some more complex jobs, there are things I prefer a bike mechanic to fix up and recent demand combined with mechanic shortages (due to reduced hours of shops and some in shielding) has made for much longer waiting times for repairs. For example, this week I'm having some back wheel repairs done to my primary road bike, but the only way to fit it in this week is if I only bring the wheel in, not the bike, as the shop's lack of space doesn't allow it, or I'd have to wait till July (not everyone of course has the luxury of 2 bikes either).

In all cases though novices will want almost anything wrong with their bike checked up in a shop, where from past experiences long jobs are both stressful due to a long wait for resolution and as a result of less stress relief from actually cycling.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You often don't need dedicated cycle insurance. It is quite commonly (though not always) the case that the general third party liability clause found in most home contents insurance policies will cover you.

I suspect this being the case is related to hardly anyone knowing it is, so claims are low

 

[Planesandtrain]

I haven't had any bumps whilst cycling during lockdown, however I have seen some questionable following of the road rules both from fellow cyclists and car drivers. For some reason some cyclists think wearing the full gear gives them the green light to go through red. However the cars, mostly I've manged to keep them at bay by keeping eye contact and basically constantly looking ready to move or stop in case one does something stupid. I have seen some stupid things, like a car doing a handbrake turn across a junction, speeding, sometimes passing up too close. Myself being young will return to public transport very soon as being on a bicycle has a much higher chance of killing me than the Coronavirus ever will.

 

[Jozhua]

I haven't had any bumps whilst cycling during lockdown, however I have seen some questionable following of the road rules both from fellow cyclists and car drivers. For some reason some cyclists think wearing the full gear gives them the green light to go through red. However the cars, mostly I've manged to keep them at bay by keeping eye contact and basically constantly looking ready to move or stop in case one does something stupid. I have seen some stupid things, like a car doing a handbrake turn across a junction, speeding, sometimes passing up too close. Myself being young will return to public transport very soon as being on a bicycle has a much higher chance of killing me than the Coronavirus ever will.

Haha, I may be returning to public transport too, at least to get round the city. Once I get my bike fixed, I'll try and take it on off road only rides to specific places.

Trips for the foreseeable are going to be taken by bus/train, may do my first train trip for three months tomorrow, depending on what I plan to by. I'm young too, and definately have more of a chance dying being hit by another vehicle on a bike than from Coronavirus.

 

[Dave91131]

As someone who drives for a living, the unequivocal one word answer to the question posed in the thread title is "yes".

At the risk of triggering a "driver vs cyclist" debate, which is not my intention in the slightest, I would go as far as to say there should be some form of compulsory basic training (CBT) and a theory test which cyclists should have to take before being allowed to cycle on public roads.

Since lockdown was announced I have noticed a substantial increase in the amount of cyclists on the roads, both in urban and rural areas, ranging from single cyclists to family groups to large groups of 10+.

A good percentage of cyclists pose no issues at all; I stay behind them at a safe distance until I see far enough ahead to pass safely. However there are also those who, frankly, have no understanding or appreciation of the dangers that their actions cause or of the difficulties they unknowingly pose to drivers.

For example; a few weeks ago I encountered a family (2 adults 2 children) cycling single file along a moderately twisty rural road which has a speed limit of 60mph (50mph for the size of vehicle I was driving). I saw them in good time and reduced my speed to theirs (approx 10mph) and remained behind as I could not see sufficiently far ahead to safely pass. All well and good up to this point. Then Dad, at the head of the queue, decided to signal all of them to stop on a blind right-hand bend and proceeded to wave at me to pass. I declined to do so, knowing that any oncoming vehicle would mean a catastrophe. Dad then waved a bit more frantically at me to pass. Having established that none of us were going to proceed, I was left with no option but to put my hazard lights on (note any vehicle approaching from behind at 50-60mph would have had very little time to react to my stationary vehicle), exit my vehicle from the passenger door and explain more than a little bit firmly to dad that he and his family needed to move on with me behind until the road was sufficiently straight and clear to allow me to safely pass.

It is very easy for vehicle drivers to be stereotyped as the ones automatically in the wrong in the event of collisions or near misses with cyclists (bloody driver nearly knocked me off my bike or similar remark springs to mind), however the quite poor standard of some cycling (especially since lockdown and the increased number of cyclists using the roads) needs to be considered and addressed too.

 

[YorksDMU]

I live in Beverley, East Yorkshire, and today, yards from where I live there were roadworks taking place. I decided to have a cycle ride, since I’ve cycled in traffic many times when there’s been roadworks. The lane into the town centre was closed and traffic lights were controlling things. I was able to go east without problems, and had a good circuit ride around villages to the north of Beverley in the usual way. No problems with that. And this is how it’s been for me on the bike during the lockdown.

But, today, on getting back into Beverley, I rode through the suburb called Molescroft, before reaching the road in question. There was a long queue of cars. We all inched forwards towards the lights. Then, to reach my garage, I had to go onto a side road to the left. I indicated, with my left arm, as usual. It was safe to do that, so I started to turn left. Then, out of nowhere, a small blue car appeared, and was driven in a way that it missed me by about one inch. I really thought I’d had it. I was left scared, shaken and very angry at that thoughtless driver.

So, something needs to be done to get people aware of bikes, get them out of their cars, etc., But whether anything will ever happen I very much doubt since, in this country, the car is king.
Friends of my Mum, I’m going back about twenty years, quite literally, went without food just so they could run a car.

But, yes, tears there are, and will be in increasing numbers until we get out of the car.
I could go on, but I won’t. I think I’ve said enough for now.

 

[AM9]

In absolute numbers, as the volume of cyclists increases, it is likely that there will be more incidents. Proportionately no, - certainly over an extended period. As the number of cyclists increases, (most) four-wheeled vehicle drivers will eventually learn that cyclists must be given adequate space and in many cases priority over other road vehicles. One of the main reason why cyclists are safer in countries where there are a lot more of them is that motorists just have to keep them in view. It's not just the Netherlands (where cyclist infrastructure is almost universally provided), - its also true in Denmark where the sheer volume of cyclists means that motorists also treat them fairly.

 

[Jozhua]

As someone who drives for a living, the unequivocal one word answer to the question posed in the thread title is "yes".

At the risk of triggering a "driver vs cyclist" debate, which is not my intention in the slightest, I would go as far as to say there should be some form of compulsory basic training (CBT) and a theory test which cyclists should have to take before being allowed to cycle on public roads.

Since lockdown was announced I have noticed a substantial increase in the amount of cyclists on the roads, both in urban and rural areas, ranging from single cyclists to family groups to large groups of 10+.

A good percentage of cyclists pose no issues at all; I stay behind them at a safe distance until I see far enough ahead to pass safely. However there are also those who, frankly, have no understanding or appreciation of the dangers that their actions cause or of the difficulties they unknowingly pose to drivers.

For example; a few weeks ago I encountered a family (2 adults 2 children) cycling single file along a moderately twisty rural road which has a speed limit of 60mph (50mph for the size of vehicle I was driving). I saw them in good time and reduced my speed to theirs (approx 10mph) and remained behind as I could not see sufficiently far ahead to safely pass. All well and good up to this point. Then Dad, at the head of the queue, decided to signal all of them to stop on a blind right-hand bend and proceeded to wave at me to pass. I declined to do so, knowing that any oncoming vehicle would mean a catastrophe. Dad then waved a bit more frantically at me to pass. Having established that none of us were going to proceed, I was left with no option but to put my hazard lights on (note any vehicle approaching from behind at 50-60mph would have had very little time to react to my stationary vehicle), exit my vehicle from the passenger door and explain more than a little bit firmly to dad that he and his family needed to move on with me behind until the road was sufficiently straight and clear to allow me to safely pass.

It is very easy for vehicle drivers to be stereotyped as the ones automatically in the wrong in the event of collisions or near misses with cyclists (bloody driver nearly knocked me off my bike or similar remark springs to mind), however the quite poor standard of some cycling (especially since lockdown and the increased number of cyclists using the roads) needs to be considered and addressed too.

There is "Cycling Proficiency" at Year 6 in school. Not every kid has a bike or can bring one to school though (I was one of those). I did spend a few months learning to drive, although didn't get fully to passing due to moving to uni, and have a positive theory test under my belt. So I have a pretty good idea how the road works, which is why I'm confident in saying the driver was at fault in this case.

Not to say I haven't made mistakes, but I certainly haven't done anything to put people in danger.

As with "compulsory basic training" for bike riding, this will probably put a lot of people off, especially if there is a hundred or so £ cost associated with it. If it was offered for free perhaps, I don't think there should be a compulsory course to use the road on an unpowered vehicle though.

There are a lot of drivers who are good around cyclists and I've had plenty of positive experiences with motorists, but unfortunately it only takes one person not paying attention, or driving poorly to render someone on a bike seriously injured. I honestly think the only solution is better bike lane provision, especially at junctions. I've always been quite anti-roundabout, or "death circles" as I call them. My argument, especially given my recent experience is that while roundabouts do slow cars down, reducing car-on-car accident fatalities, they're not so good for cyclists or pedestrians, for who even a low speed collision can be deadly.

 

[Starmill]

Proper cycling infrastructure, dedicated reserved ways, often grade separated, away from footpaths and road traffic, doesn't generate fares, tolls, or taxes. So in this country we've totally ignored it, because those are the things that we've focused on.

This is, of course, a terrible mistake.

 

[Bikeman78]

The statistics for this year will be interesting. During lockdown there was less traffic so it was probably safer than it has been for a long time. If car use ramps back up to pre-lockdown levels, with more bikes on the road, that will be another matter. I've always been an advocate of cycling for shorter journeys but not by emptying public transport.

I'm not keen on Boris's plan that people should cycle in London instead of taking the tube. I've rarely cycled there but I've made plenty of bus journeys so I've seen the traffic and witnessed the way drivers (including the buses) treat cyclists, e.g. tailgating or overtaking and then immediately stopping at a bus stop, blocking the cyclist's path. Taking Paddington to Liverpool Street as an example, why would I swap a 20 minute run on the Circle line for a 30 minute cycle on busy roads? My local knowledge is not good enough to know the route through side roads or where the less busy roads are.

 

[AM9]

The statistics for this year will be interesting. During lockdown there was less traffic so it was probably safer than it has been for a long time. If car use ramps back up to pre-lockdown levels, with more bikes on the road, that will be another matter. I've always been an advocate of cycling for shorter journeys but not by emptying public transport.

I'm not keen on Boris's plan that people should cycle in London instead of taking the tube. I've rarely cycled there but I've made plenty of bus journeys so I've seen the traffic and witnessed the way drivers (including the buses) treat cyclists, e.g. tailgating or overtaking and then immediately stopping at a bus stop, blocking the cyclist's path. Taking Paddington to Liverpool Street as an example, why would I swap a 20 minute run on the Circle line for a 30 minute cycle on busy roads? My local knowledge is not good enough to know the route through side roads or where the less busy roads are.

Well as you are talking about central London cycling, the government's inference is that it would mainly involve regular visitors, e.g. commuters. Learning the quiet shortcuts would be very easy when using the same roads frequently.

 

[timothyw9]

As a long term cyclist, cycling in Manchester is awful. Living in Salford cycling to Piccadilly isn't great, except before 6/7am.

• Taxi/minicab drivers think they can park anywhere or do a u-turn anywhere.
• Deliveroo riders are looking at there phone half the time and almost always run reds at busy junctions.(I'd have no mercy if I saw one getting ran over/knocked off)
• Seems to be an influx of chavvy people on bikes riding the wrong way down roads recently (I nearly got knocked off by one turning off Bridge Street onto Chapel street.
• Several people seem insistent on using the pavement in areas where the cycling provision is very good (the A6 from Salford Crescent to Salford Central).
• Pedestrians rarely seem to pay attention at lights.
• Pedestrians walking in a narrow bike lane because the pavement is closed on one side of the road - in the middle of rush hour! I nearly crashed into two people within seconds of each other doing 15-20mph, had I hit them I'd have probably ended up under or on top of somebody's car.
• Bike boxes - theres honestly no point to them, given you will almost always find an uber driver sitting in one.
• Traffic lights - The most direct route has about 25 traffic lights which is an absolute nightmare on a bike as they'll almost all be red before you come to a full stop and then as soon as you're stationary they'll change.
• Bike lanes (such as the ones on oxford road with concrete kerb blocks separating them from the road) - someone always seems to riding at about 5mph in them and overtaking is dangerous because they'll be in the middle of the lane and the lanes are generally not wide off.

Rant over.

The key thing is to cycle defensively, you have the same right to be on the road as a car and should be allowed to do so safely.

 

[farci]

Non-Dutch people regard The Netherlands as the country to emulate when it comes to cycling, but 60 years ago things were very different
How Amsterdam became the bicycle capital of the world

' In the 1960s, Dutch cities were increasingly in thrall to motorists, with the car seen as the transport of the future. It took the intolerable toll of child traffic deaths – and fierce activism – to turn Amsterdam into the cycling nirvana of today'

 

[Bikeman78]

Well as you are talking about central London cycling, the government's inference is that it would mainly involve regular visitors, e.g. commuters. Learning the quiet shortcuts would be very easy when using the same roads frequently.

Yes I'm sure you are right, though I'd like to see some statistical evidence to see if a typical 40 year old is safer on a tube train or a bike in London at the moment. Personally I will stick with the underground.

When I moved to my current address, I tried numerous different routes and side roads. In the end I concluded that, for the most part, following the main roads is easiest. It does help that I can ride in the bus lanes and there are far fewer buses in Cardiff than in London.

 

[cactustwirly]

This is a mixture of my own experience and predictions, I would be interested to hear from other groups.

I live in Salford, about 2 miles from Manchester city centre and don't have a car. As lockdown looked increasingly likely, I was scared of losing my freedom to move, so purchased a bike from Halfords. Lockdown happened the next week and I eventually managed to get my bike from them.

It felt like the best decision I ever made, I could go anywhere I wanted around the city, saw so many new places, got so much exercise. I've found lockdown intolerable, but my bike allowed me to cope with it at least a little bit better.

Unfortunately, on a ride home on the roads from a nearby woodland trail just a couple of days ago, I was on a roundabout and a car pulled out, not seeing me and hit the left side of my bike. I was knocked onto the bonnet and thrown back down onto the road. I've been left with severe bruising on the left side of my leg and whiplash in my back. I was lucky.

I have a feeling with the increase of new cyclists, many switching from public transport, now having to deal with traffic the same, or even increased as before lockdown may not end so well. I feel my story may be the first of many...

While social distancing remains on public transport, many people won't have a choice either, as it will be their only way to get to work, shops, etc.

While there has been some effort to create temporary 'cycle lanes', these are mostly concentrated around the city centre, at least in Manchester and usually break down when an intersection is involved. (the most likely place for traffic conflicts to arise) However, suburbs and inner cities which are not flush with nearby facilities would probably benefit from them more.

Personally, I think the lack of effort to create areas or corridors where bikes are shielded from traffic is going to be problematic for the increased cyclists on the road. New riders are still getting used to their bikes and many drivers are out of practise. I only see this ending in disaster, one so cataclysmic, only the MAMILS will survive

That's a dickhead driver, there are plenty of them unfortunately. Roundabout's can be just as dangerous in a car, especially the spiral ones with traffic lights, as idiots cut you up as they change lanes.

Cycling on the road is normally very safe, if you use your common sense. Most drivers are patient and will give you plenty of room when they overtake.

I do road cycling down busy roads a few times a week and have had no issues at all.

 

[cactustwirly]

Proper cycling infrastructure, dedicated reserved ways, often grade separated, away from footpaths and road traffic, doesn't generate fares, tolls, or taxes. So in this country we've totally ignored it, because those are the things that we've focused on.

This is, of course, a terrible mistake.

If the council's can't be bothered to do basic road maintenance, that is really pie in the sky.

The roads round me resemble cart tracks with the amount of potholes. It's been like that for months.

 

[ABB125]

I was driving down a road I'm familiar with and came to this corner. If this link works, it's in the right position facing the direction I was going.
A bit of a description: the road dips down probably 5-10 metres to cross the "river" on a narrow bridge before rising up again to about the previous level. It does this on a sweeping s-bend with high hedges (as in the link).
Anyway, I was going down the hill, bearing right, when suddenly a car appeared in the middle of the (narrow) road attempting to overtake a cyclist. On a narrow, uphill left-hand curve with absolutely no forward visibility. Needless to say, the car driver almost knocked the cyclist off the road as he pulled back over to the correct side of the road (having failed to overtake). What an idiot!
I glimpsed a rather angry gesture from the cyclist as I went past, but wasn't paying attention to it. I don't think he was very happy!

 

[underbank]

' In the 1960s, Dutch cities were increasingly in thrall to motorists, with the car seen as the transport of the future. It took the intolerable toll of child traffic deaths – and fierce activism – to turn Amsterdam into the cycling nirvana of today'
Non-Dutch people regard The Netherlands as the country to emulate when it comes to cycling, but 60 years ago things were very different
How Amsterdam became the bicycle capital of the world

Amsterdam may be good for cyclists, but it's hell for pedestrians. There are cyclists doing crazy things everywhere - cycling on pavements, ignoring traffic lights and one way signs. At least in the UK, there aren't that many of them, in Amsterdam there were thousands. We saw numerous accidents between cyclists and pedestrians. We stayed there for a week, and honestly couldn't wait to leave the place. The hoards of cyclists absolutely ruined it.

And yes, there are cycle lanes out in the countryside, but my observations are that they're barely used. Outside the main cities, car is still king. Lots of congestion, traffic jams, etc on the main roads.

 

[Bobdogs]

Amsterdam may be good for cyclists, but it's hell for pedestrians. There are cyclists doing crazy things everywhere - cycling on pavements, ignoring traffic lights and one way signs. At least in the UK, there aren't that many of them, in Amsterdam there were thousands. We saw numerous accidents between cyclists and pedestrians. We stayed there for a week, and honestly couldn't wait to leave the place. The hoards of cyclists absolutely ruined it.

And yes, there are cycle lanes out in the countryside, but my observations are that they're barely used. Outside the main cities, car is still king. Lots of congestion, traffic jams, etc on the main roads.

Perhaps cyclists should respect pedestrians in the way they would like to be treated by motor vehicles. I don't walk the dog on shared paths anymore, as only a minority of cyclists sound a bell or slow down, especially on old railway lines where they treat them like race tracks.
I suggest no dual use paths should be allowed unless there is some kind of separation.

 

[squizzler]

As a bike rider myself, I express my sympathies. You are of course due for compensation for the other parties negligence, although this assumes the other party have insurance and didn't scraper the scene. Cycling UK provides some legal advice on their website. From experience the other insurer may try to fob off a claim lodged in person so it is preferable to approach them through your own solicitor, your bike's insurer (if your bike is insured against collisions), or a legal firm that specialise in such accident claims.

That's a dickhead driver, there are plenty of them unfortunately. Roundabout's can be just as dangerous in a car, especially the spiral ones with traffic lights, as idiots cut you up as they change lanes.

Cycling on the road is normally very safe, if you use your common sense. Most drivers are patient and will give you plenty of room when they overtake.

I do road cycling down busy roads a few times a week and have had no issues at all.

This. I hope the OP does ride again as the benefits are considerable (as alluded to in the post). Also bear in mind you might need to do some theory if you haven't had formal training on bikes or other road vehicles previously. The craft of bike riding can be counterintuitive as you ned to hog your lane at certain points such as roundabouts (see graphic), and once again Cycling UK have many resources online.

The UK once again lags the rest of EU in not implementing a change in law that places the burden of demonstrating their innocence on the motorist rather than the bike rider they (usually) are responsible for colliding with, and Chris Boardman (former Olympic racer) is active in the campaign to get this law changed.

 

[oldman]

Perhaps cyclists should respect pedestrians in the way they would like to be treated by motor vehicles. I don't walk the dog on shared paths anymore, as only a minority of cyclists sound a bell or slow down, especially on old railway lines where they treat them like race tracks.
I suggest no dual use paths should be allowed unless there is some kind of separation.

Some clown at my council has put up signs on shared-used paths asking cyclists to 'slow right down' when passing walkers. Fat chance of that! Separation is not always practical, but cycle-calming measures - slalom gates, rumble strips etc - are needed in many places. Perhaps we could have cycle-free Sundays.

 

[underbank]

Some clown at my council has put up signs on shared-used paths asking cyclists to 'slow right down' when passing walkers. Fat chance of that! Separation is not always practical, but cycle-calming measures - slalom gates, rumble strips etc - are needed in many places. Perhaps we could have cycle-free Sundays.

There are loads of signs on our canal footpath telling cyclings to slow down and give priority to walkers - completely ignored by the lycra louts, some of whom are doing fitbit time trials etc so aren't stopping or slowing down for anyone.

 

[AM9]

Some clown at my council has put up signs on shared-used paths asking cyclists to 'slow right down' when passing walkers. Fat chance of that! Separation is not always practical, but cycle-calming measures - slalom gates, rumble strips etc - are needed in many places. Perhaps we could have cycle-free Sundays.

As both a cyclist and a pedestrian on shared space paths I agree that there are cyclists that do not give the other path users sufficient warning and would support a law making the carrying of and using an effective bell. That would at least give the cyclist an unambiguous warning sound for pedestrians that wander all over the shared space, and give them an adequate opportunity to walk on the left* in order that other's can pass safely. Unfortunately, there is the usual mix of belligerant pedestrians who deliberately ignore the warning, and selfish cyclists who refuse to fit or use a bell.
* in case soembody questions this, the highway code recommends that pedestrians walk on the left at all times except when walking on a highway with no pavements.