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As a cyclist, I do find comments like this to be quite embarrassing, there's just no need for it. Unfortunately in all walks of life there are those people who feel they are above the law and they can do whatever they want. I don't know what the answer is, but this Yorkshire cyclist and his mates are always courteous to others when we cycle the towpaths, or the cycle paths, or the roads.

Correct, the overtaker has to avoid the overtaken. I seem to remember having to dismount occasionally when a path is crowded, or there are obstructions, sometimes it's just not possible to continue to cycle, so you stand and wait til the group has passed then continue, but judging from the small sample of cyclists today, I would say that they each have different approaches from behind. Ringing the bell is a start, but some ring and keep going at exactly the same pace so that helps prevent alarm in the pedestrian but only if the cyclist is going slowly. I would approach a pedestrian while slowing down, ring the bell, but then, if you need to stop it is much easier. To ring the bell and overtake rapidly does not allow the pedestrian to process the event or allow the cyclist to determine whether he has been "recognised".

CRT Towpath Code, point 2, states that Pedestrians have priority on our towpaths so cyclists need to be ready to slow down. If you're in a hurry, consider using an alternative route for your journey.

I saw what I assumed to be a new liveaboard on the K&A who aspired to be part of the "community". It was quite a nice traditional type boat with smart paintwork. Boater was painting rough red oxide patches all over it to make it look more like a liveaboard boat. If boat licence is base on value maybe then many boaters will devalue there boats and we will have even more linear slums. There could be a new market in selling "unpolish" to take the shine of shiney boats 😀

Personally I think we should ban both pedestrians and cyclists from towpaths and leave them for horses as originally intended (In all seriousness, when I use a bike on a towpath I generally slow right down to walking pace when passing pedestrians whether they've clearly heard me or not. Towpaths are generally muddy, bumpy and not very wide, and lots of people on them are walking dogs...)

I think my boat is grand. Suits me anyway ...

Let's say bikes were banned on the towpath. Not going to happen but just say. Would it stop people? Nah It's illegal to cycle on the pavement or use a privately owned electric scooter on public roads, but does that stop people? It doesn't stop people who are otherwise law abiding in their life so I doubt whether even those people would be more wary of getting caught by CaRT bods than getting their collar felt by the local constabulary for cycling on the pavement. As for the sheer selfish idiots who cycle like it's the Tour de France or the criminals who ride nicked motorbikes down the towpath, they aren't going to give a merry fig about any 'ban' Don't penalise those who enjoy a safe and leisurely cycle on the towpath just because some people are complete ar****les.

No I don't. Fast moving wheeled vehicles on a narrow path shared with pedestrians with water on one side of it is not an appropriate use of the amenity. There are thousands and thousands of tarmacked roads all over the country where people can cycle and never have pedestrian interaction problems. The cyclists do a "reclaim the streets" thing so why don't walkers do a "reclaim our paths" thing and just disallow bikes or make it awkward for them? It is the wrong mentality for people out walking to be getting out of the way of people cycling. If anything it should be the other way around. Everyone has an objective and a destination. Someone on wheels is going to get there faster so it should be them who delay their journey by dismounting to pass walkers rather than walkers getting out the way of the people on wheels. Its just wrong and doesn't work. My advice for people walking is do NOT respond to aggression by jumping out the way. This is the wrong psychology to be using. Jousting and unseating the enemy using the long shaft could be rewarding. "Awfully sorry old boy I seem to have caught you with my boathook".

that is a scam. The name and address is blank

Personally I would stick on the T&M, heading for Fradley, Alrewas, then maybe as far as Willington.

In my experience so far the vast majority of cyclists behave with courtesy - I've had one incident where I didn't hear the bell (woolly hat over ears and not the best of hearing) - easily resolved with a friendly apology both sides. And had one incident where a cyclist came through a bridge quite quickly not realising I was there with the pooch. Again easily resolved with a friendly word on both sides. Hopefully it continues to be so.

I boat and cycle towpaths and I always slow down, ring bell, and take extra care when passing pedestrians. Just seems to be common courtesy as they have the right of way?

I did the equivalent with my neighbour's endlessly barking dog which started howling when he went to work and stoped when he came in from the pub. Mentioned it politely, got told to go forth and multiply. Rigged up the band's PA against the adjoining wall, recorded his dog howling one day, stuck it on a tape loop, turned it up full volume at midnight and went and stayed at a friend's house for the night. Dog vanished two days later. Mind you, he never spoke to me again, either, so double win.

Huawei B535 router on O2 switched on today and already a strong wifi signal inside the boat and I haven't yet connected the Poynting aerial. All looking good for this year's cruise.

Cyclists travelling at a sedate pace are not a problem and most welcome as far as I'm concerned. It's the brainless twerps who think the towpath is a race track who are the only problem. So it all boils down to speed. Notices, signs, advice etc are totally useless on the brain dead. They are never going to slow down voluntarily for anybody. They must be forcibly slowed down - its the only way. My solution is speed bumps - cheap and effective! These will not affect pedestrians, dog walkers, pram pushers, boaters or the sensible cyclists. But will definitely impede the the lunatic stick insects clad in lycra. For maximum impact these speed bumps should be angled towards the canal. Cheap, effective, and highly entertaining. Think I might patent that idea ......?

And at 15mph a camera-controlled machine gun solves the problem once and for all... 😉 All of which makes complete sense, and is pretty much what has been said in some posts...

The government says this

But if there was a recognised maximum cycling speed, it would also allow prosecutions based on the cyclist's own data. Once again, there is no incentive to try anything a bit radical. It is cheaper and easier to allow, for instance, an old age pensioner to be knocked down and hospitalised with no cost to the cyclist. Furious riding I think is already an offence, but the police find it cheaper to ignore it.

Odd this. I have always found cyclists on the Calder & Hebble to be far and away the most polite and courteous on the network. Maybe being a six foot hairy bloke helps, but I think my usual practice of twirling the handspike like a quarterstaff is the main reason.

the number of tings and the rapididity of the repetitition is a good indicator of how much of an idiot a cyclist is likely to be. I was told that part of the problem is smartphone apps which upload stats from riders. Point being that the keen cyclists will be more likely to have a higher average speed and also be uploading their data. =problem because the app will then tell other users the towpath is a fast transit option.

Not a good idea to alter the A45 bridge leaving Braunston - being a blind bridge you need to be able to pass an oncoming boat there - which I've done many times.

As Ian will find out as he spends more towpath time, it's not a few inconsiderate cyclists spoiling it for the rest, it's the majority by a considerable margin. The careful ones are probably boaters. Electric bikes have made it ten times more dangerous. At least with the motor bikes you can hear them coming. It's a bit like dog owners - it's everybody else's dog that's out of control, ought to be on a lead or messes on the path. Only it isn't. We don't like them because almost all of them are a pain in the backside.

As a boater/pedestrian, why should I constantly have to step aside? Especially as CRT say I have priority over you?

You really do know how to be intolerant, don't you? Yeah, cyclists on roads don't have pedestrian interaction problems. But they do have vehicle interaction problems, which regularly kill them. Over the years I've had several friends badly injured, and one ex-keen-cyclist who is depressed and doesn't cycle any more after a near-death experience. But I suppose this doesn't matter to you, a few dead cyclists just keep the numbers down, it's Darwinism in action? (I could point out that many *many* times more cyclists are killed or injured by cars than pedestrians by cyclists, but presumably that doesn't matter to you) I agree, don't respond to aggressive cyclists by jumping out of the way. But if the path is wide enough for you to step to one side -- or just not walk down the middle! -- to let a cyclist past who has slowed down and warned you of their approach, why not do it -- is it really such a hardship to have any kind of give-and-take in your life instead of digging your heels in and "standing up for your rights" like the Daily Wail loves to see?

Some cyclists need reminding that just ringing their bell does not entitle them to unimpeded passage!

But of course if the towpath was wide enough and you'd heard them coming, if you were being considerate you should have moved aside to let them pass, shouldn't you? At least, that's probably how it seemed to them...😉 I'm in no way excusing inconsiderate or aggressive behaviour by cyclists because I've seen it too, but on the other side I've certainly encountered inconsiderate or obstructive behaviour by pedestrians as well -- usually accidental (didn't hear you), sometimes their own fault (deaf with headphones), and occasionally just deliberately bloody-minded and obstructive -- and I suspect boaters are the usual culprits here, since many seem to have an inbuilt hatred of cyclists, including some posters on CWDF. In fact isn't that the real problem, people being tribal and divisive and assuming they're always in the right and the other guy -- in another "tribe" like cyclists -- is always in the wrong, ignoring the fact that there are people who behave like selfish gits in all tribes? 🙂 Such division certainly seems to be encouraged by the right-wing press and TV and online channels, and some of our government (e.g. Cruella), and some posters on CWDF... 😞

Deaf as I am, and worse after a day above the engine, I can't hear bike bells although I don't think many cyclists bother with them anyway. The frequency is too high for my ears - I can't hear most birdsong or the dishwasher telling me it's done its stuff. I tend to lurch a bit these days when walking, too, and work on the principle that a cyclist is just going to have to get round me. Me and the stick take up a fair bit of space. Back home on a walkway between houses, I did put a cyclist into the hedge a month or so back. Not intentionally, she was belting round a blind corner in the dark, no lights, I never saw or heard her coming. She saw me at the last moment, swerved, and crash. Didn't get any sympathy. My right ear hasnt worked properly for fifty years, so I don't get stereo or directions.

I didn't say the cyclist in your case was in the right, I said that both cyclists and pedestrians have equal rights to use the towpath, pedestrians don't have right of way -- and neither do cyclists. Aggressive or ignorant/stupid behaviour is wrong no matter which side it comes from. In your case it indeed sounds as if the blame was with the cyclist -- but if they were "ringing a bell for ages" and you took no notice (or didn't hear) and didn't move to let them past (assuming these was room...) then they could have good reason for getting annoyed with you -- but then cyclists need to allow for pedestrians who may be hard of hearing too. There are two sides to every story... 😉

It does have the Bolinders engine still in there.

This is how we brought our barge in Belgium. It’s seems that following this thread and other on here that proof of boat ownership or of it being free of debt is a minefield and surely it is time for a registration scheme but not SSR as this is very loose with no checks. The monetary value of quite humble narrow boats certainly makes it open to scammers especially with the people desperate to find somewhere to live who have zero knowledge apart from watching some U tube channel. Over 60 years we brought 3 nbs and had one built, the one from British Waterways came with no paperwork except a receipt and likewise the one from Willow Wren but it was fair to assume they owned them the private one was well known and had been in the same ownership for years. The barge in Belgium was the only one we had a survey on as it was 80 years old and had obviously been a bit neglected as well as having little knowledge of these craft. The surveyor found some thin places and the need for a new shaft and bearings which the owner (as per the contract) has the option of putting right or we had the option of pulling out with our deposit returned. The owner had some of the work put right and a sum was deducted from the final payment for the other bits to be put right later.

As you know they 'fully identified' the money tree they would be using - however, their lack of horticultural skills in growing the identified money tree meant that they actually spent more money employing an ever growing group of aborculturalists, nurturing and maintaining said money, tree than the money tree ever produced. It appears that they may have chosen the wrong species of money tree, (there are other varieties available which may bear more fruit).

I was being towed in my Mini down Northallerton High street when a pedestrian tried to cross, he managed to jump over, but it must have been exciting for him, it certainly was for me!

Quite honestly I don't see anything wrong with disliking widebeam boats. There is no reason why we should all like the same thing and life would be pretty boring if we did. Some folk like dogs and others don't. Some like BMW cars and others dont. Some like Dutch barges and others don't. What's so special about wide beams that we should all like them ? Personally, I have yet to see one which has nice lines but that's just my view and the fact that they tend to moor and navigate where conditions are more suitable for thin boats do nothing to make me like them. Each to his own.

And the increase in size of the boat is also proportional to the number of people watching.....