Stay kind, slow down?

[Ray T]

I wonder how many cyclists will watch this and pay attention?

 

Yesterday I took Belle for a walk along the Hatton locks starting at the bottom. About a dozen cyclists passed us, of these only two rang a bell to warn of their approach. 

Belle is always on a lead as we have little recall. She does not like cyclists near her. I always appreciate a little warning so I can pull her to one side. Often I get little or too late warning of a fast bike coming from behind and of course it is the dogs fault when she lurches at a cyclist.

 

 

Edited September 21, 2020 by Ray T

[Richard10002]

I'd guess there will be no change whatsoever. I keep Poppy on  lead for similar reasons, and we both often jump out of our skin when a cyclist passes, with no warning, no bell.

 

I sometimes feel like saying something, but they've gone before you know it, and I'd guess there is more chance of confrontation than a change in cyclist behaviour.

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, Richard10002 said:

I'd guess there will be no change whatsoever. I keep Poppy on  lead for similar reasons, and we both often jump out of our skin when a cyclist passes, with no warning, no bell.

 

I sometimes feel like saying something, but they've gone before you know it, and I'd guess there is more chance of confrontation than a change in cyclist behaviour.

Luckily we at present moor on a stretch of the Oxford with a fairly bumpy towpath and its quite overgrown at times. We therefore see very very few cyclists and often go all day without so much as even one on the towpath side where we walk the dog. Too many towpaths have been ( over repaired ) around the country much to the detriment of boaters and walkers alike.

[Hudds Lad]

How would a cyclist, or cycle commuter, or Strava hunter, know about it to be able to see it?

 

CRT can splash as much cash as they like on making videos and it'll all be wasted until they can find a way of putting it in front of their target audience.

[mrsmelly]

14 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

How would a cyclist, or cycle commuter, or Strava hunter, know about it to be able to see it?

 

CRT can splash as much cash as they like on making videos and it'll all be wasted until they can find a way of putting it in front of their target audience.

Quite correct, 99.9999999999 percent of cyclists neither know who CART are or care anyway. Remember cyclists can cycle anywhere without contributing to cost.

[Hudds Lad]

Just now, mrsmelly said:

Remember cyclists can cycle anywhere without contributing to cost.

are you going to start ranting about "road tax" and not stopping for red lights next?  

 

anyone who pays tax "contributes" as you put it

[mrsmelly]

4 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

are you going to start ranting about "road tax" and not stopping for red lights next?  

 

anyone who pays tax "contributes" as you put it

Yes and er NO. Yes we all contribute re tax contribution, however to use the canal system I pay lots for the privelige I also pay to use the road system etc etc but cyclists pay nowt whatsoever and do indeed for instance destroy the towpaths when its raining with zero contribution to their upkeep caused by direct use of their cycle. 

[Ray T]

50 minutes ago, Richard10002 said:

I'd guess there will be no change whatsoever. I keep Poppy on  lead for similar reasons, and we both often jump out of our skin when a cyclist passes, with no warning, no bell.

 

I sometimes feel like saying something, but they've gone before you know it, and I'd guess there is more chance of confrontation than a change in cyclist behaviour.

Near to where the mother in law lives is a disused railway with a long slope from the road to the old track bed. At the top and bottom of the slope is a notice telling cyclists to dismount on the ramp. 

A couple of weeks ago I was walking Belle down the ramp and a young couple with their daughter (about 7) were riding their bikes behind me. The man yelled "Oi get out of the way."

I turned and suggested he may like to read the signs at the top and bottom of the ramp. He then suggested I might like sex and travel. although these were not the words he used.

I said "What a magnificent example of a father you are." 
I then got the finger as they disappeared into the distance.

 

There are of course a few who do dismount and I always thank them.

 

Edited September 21, 2020 by Ray T

[alias]

1 hour ago, Ray T said:

Near to where the mother in law lives is a disused railway with a long slope from the road to the old track bed. At the top and bottom of the slope is a notice telling cyclists to dismount on the ramp. 

A couple of weeks ago I was walking Belle down the ramp and a young couple with their daughter (about 7) were riding their bikes behind me. The man yelled "Oi get out of the way."

I turned and suggested he may like to read the signs at the top and bottom of the ramp. He then suggested I might like sex and travel. although these were not the words he used.

I said "What a magnificent example of a father you are." 
I then got the finger as they disappeared into the distance.

 

There are of course a few who do dismount and I always thank them.

 

On the coast path, and many other paths near me, any such signs are usually within a week of being put up spray painted over, or where possible unscrewed and removed. 

[Movin' on]

2 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Quite correct, 99.9999999999 percent of cyclists neither know who CART are or care anyway. Remember cyclists can cycle anywhere without contributing to cost.

 

Cyclists Are Rightful Travellers - just came to me

 

A variation on the old standard Cyclists And Ramblers Trust

[restlessnomad]

I ride faster when its empty and slow right down when I see kids or puppies (or small dog).... 

sometimes I think there is enough space for me to overtake a walking person but he/she might move, and its too late to ring the bell....

I also think people find it rude to ring bell, dont know why.

Edited September 21, 2020 by restlessnomad

[Arthur Marshall]

Bollington today, guy walking on towpath, cyclist belts up behind him, shouts "excuse me". Old walking guy is either deaf (like me) or has had enough, keeps walking in the centre of the path. There's no room to overtake, cyclist hasn't got a bell, so a hundred yards later as they go round the corner out of sight, old deaf chap is still trudging slowly along with the cyclist behind him. Of course  pedal boy could have got off the bike and politely pushed it past him, but obviously never thought of it.

Made me laugh, anyway.

[smiler]

A stick through the front spokes slows 'em down a bit............allegedly .?

[restlessnomad]

4 hours ago, Richard10002 said:

I'd guess there will be no change whatsoever. I keep Poppy on  lead for similar reasons, and we both often jump out of our skin when a cyclist passes, with no warning, no bell.

 

I sometimes feel like saying something, but they've gone before you know it, and I'd guess there is more chance of confrontation than a change in cyclist behaviour.

I think many cyclists are ignorant or oblivious to the danger they pose to others... I think I ride responsibly but I dont ride at leisurely pace (unless I see a child or a dog or really narrow path under bridge).. hope nobody is judging me.

[Jerra]

2 minutes ago, restlessnomad said:

I think many cyclists are ignorant or oblivious to the danger they pose to others... I think I ride responsibly but I dont ride at leisurely pace (unless I see a child or a dog or really narrow path under bridge).. hope nobody is judging me.

Providing you are anticipating footpaths which join the towpath and your speed is such that if you can't see far ahead you can stop in time, I can't see why anybody should judge you. 

[Richard10002]

5 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Luckily we at present moor on a stretch of the Oxford with a fairly bumpy towpath and its quite overgrown at times. We therefore see very very few cyclists and often go all day without so much as even one on the towpath side where we walk the dog. Too many towpaths have been ( over repaired ) around the country much to the detriment of boaters and walkers alike.

The “repair” of a lot of the towpath on The Bridgewater has been funded by Sustrans - they care for, and celebrate, “The National Cycle Network”  

[cuthound]

2 hours ago, smiler said:

A stick through the front spokes slows 'em down a bit............allegedly .?

 

Yes you must be careful when handling mooring pins when getting off the boat too ?

[David Mack]

5 hours ago, alias said:

On the coast path, and many other paths near me, any such signs are usually within a week of being put up spray painted over, or where possible unscrewed and removed. 

A neighbour has got fed up with mountain bikes hurtling through his steeply sloping woodland. Last week he blocked a couple of the well used routes. I wonder how long these will stay in place.

[Guest]

Out walking our dog last week a cyclist came up behind us and neither me nor the dog heard him untill he was just about upon us. 

 

As he hurtled past us the dog lunged at him barking loudly. The cyclist startled veered away and fell quite hard onto the ground. He did get up quickly and started to square up to me which indicated to me he wasnt badly hurt.

 

'And what?' I said.

 

''Your dog is dangerous' he said.

 

'No,  idiots that ride their bikes recklessly are dangerous' I said. "so best ride on......"

 

He did, complete with the backside ripped out of his obviously expensive lycra ballet outfit.

 

Idiots lots of them.

[Jerra]

24 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

Out walking our dog last week a cyclist came up behind us and neither me nor the dog heard him untill he was just about upon us. 

 

As he hurtled past us the dog lunged at him barking loudly. The cyclist startled veered away and fell quite hard onto the ground. He did get up quickly and started to square up to me which indicated to me he wasnt badly hurt.

 

'And what?' I said.

 

''Your dog is dangerous' he said.

 

'No,  idiots that ride their bikes recklessly are dangerous' I said. "so best ride on......"

 

He did, complete with the backside ripped out of his obviously expensive lycra ballet outfit.

 

Idiots lots of them.

This not hearing is a problem for me, I admit I am slightly deaf.  In the last week I have had 2 close shaves.   

 

The first, a cyclist came up behind and spoke, but only when their front wheel was about to pass me.  Result I involuntarily jumped, fortunately the right way.

 

The second was the clown who rode between myself at the end of a moving balance beam and a passing pedestrian.   No warning and no more than 10 cm (4 inches for the dinosaurs) and the end of each handlebar and a human body.

[TheBiscuits]

1 hour ago, David Mack said:

A neighbour has got fed up with mountain bikes hurtling through his steeply sloping woodland. Last week he blocked a couple of the well used routes. I wonder how long these will stay in place.

 

Are they just frequently used bits of private land or public rights of way?

 

I strongly approve in one case but not the other!

[TheBiscuits]

3 hours ago, Richard10002 said:

The “repair” of a lot of the towpath on The Bridgewater has been funded by Sustrans - they care for, and celebrate, “The National Cycle Network”  

 

... who have contributed millions of pounds to towpath upgrades around the country.  With a decent mountain bike, you can still get the idiots coming past at 30mph on unimproved towpaths, and they splatter your boat with mud out of the puddles as they come past.

 

Yes, there are idiots that go too fast on the improved towpaths, and we all note them, but I still think the upgraded towpath is a benefit to boaters. 

 

My only objection to the funding being spent is where they "forget" to either leave or add mooring provision.   We are quite vocal about this at CRT pissups corporate events, and also online via twitter.

 

Here's our most recent contribution on the topic:

 

 

 

[Chris Lowe]

The camp site i stayed on a couple of weeks ago had signs all round the toilet/shower blocks saying no cycling, still a knob head in lycra cycled there and nearly took out a  chap exiting the door, knob head didn't stop or apologise.

[Richard10002]

6 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

... who have contributed millions of pounds to towpath upgrades around the country. 

 

But have no interest in encouraging cyclists to obey the towpath rules. On The Bridgewater, the rule is that cyclists give way to pedestrians, (and animals I think). 

 

Several dogs have been run over, but it is probably going to take the death of a person to generate some proper enforcement.

[David Mack]

8 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Are they just frequently used bits of private land or public rights of way?

 

I strongly approve in one case but not the other!

This is private land. The mountain bikes have created downhill runs in areas where there were previously no paths. Elsewhere locally they come hurtling down paths which are rights of way on foot only.