bit of a rant today

[Jigsawged]

I'm moored on the Coventry just a little north of Hopwas. The towpath where I am and for some considerable distance, is brilliant. The grass has been recently cut and the bank is nice and tidy; even the hedgerows are neat and compact. The actual track through the grass is about a foot wide and it is very compact, providing a good solid surface.

 

Sitting by the open hatch, enjoying the last of the evening sun, the odd train clatters by a little way off, all is peaceful as two bikers whizz by one shouting back to t'other "I don't remember the towpath being this bad here" Words fail me.

[Pykebird]

I must say the tour de france we used to have to endure , on the grand union is not something I now miss! Most people used the cycle path sensibly, but you would get the odd, coated in lycra from head to toe one, that must have hit over 20mph!

It was always the other people who had to get out of the way, no one was safe.

To be fair, they would use their bell, but as they never slowed down, if you blinked, you would have missed it.

The only good thing was you got used to the times they flew past and whilst you were moored there, you avoided going out at those times.

[DHutch]

This topic comes round often, and I had to admit, while I see both sides of it, I dont know why its something to post about.

- Odd cyclists are inconsiderate to boaters.

- Odd boaters are inconsiderate to cyclists.

- Some people take umbridge at just about anything.

- Most people actually nice people just living there life.

 

Same with everything else!

 

 

 

Casually pulling your centre rope across the towpath at about waist height, as if you are adjusting your mooring, may help to slow them down. It has worked for me.

 

I have to admit, if you did that to me I would have some thing to say about it, and if I got wind you did it intentionality I would be minded to take it further, like to the police.

I mainly use the canals by boat, but do cycle on them very occasional as well as when on the boat with a bike. When i do i try to be considerate to boaters but they also don't help themselves.

 

The story posted by LadyMuck is in my mind, aside from anything else, mainly a reminder of how important it is to take someone who has had a serious (or unknown size) impact to the head.

 

Daniel

[luctor et emergo]

I cycle sometimes down the towpath, to get to the car. I don't know how anybody can cycle at speed, I am out of breath before I even get half way.... I only get to the car, because the alternative is to fall over, and stay in the hedge. And believe you me, that has been tempting.

[hopefulboater]

I suppose that you could say the same thing if he crashed into a fence - look where you're going and you'll be safe. If you were driving a car and came to an obstruction you wouldn't drive straight through it, would you? You would slow down and assess the situation. I can't see why cyclists should do anything different.

 

I have noticed that some of these sports bikes do not appear to be fitted with a bell or other audible warning. is this legal? I suppose that, as towpaths are private property, it may be.

A bike legally cannot be sold without a bell but I dont think its a legal requirement for the cyclist to keep it on the bike....

[Jerra]

A bike legally cannot be sold without a bell but I dont think its a legal requirement for the cyclist to keep it on the bike....

As I understand it you are correct.

[Phil Ambrose]

A bike legally cannot be sold without a bell but I dont think its a legal requirement for the cyclist to keep it on the bike....

When I was much younger (much,much) I used to race and when I first started it was compulsory to race with a bell, that would have been about 50 odd years ago, however that slipped away over the years. But even in those days many of us did wear helmets because we would average about 25 mph so at times down hill we would reach 40 mph

Phil

[John Williamson 1955]

So, there I was on my Mountain Bike Shaped Object, hurtling along the towpath at very nearly 8 mph, according to the speedo, and came up behind a gaggle of Ramblers. I slowed down behind them, politely said "Excuse me", and was greeted by "Why don't you get a bell?" I'd already rung it a number of times to no effect....

 

Which sort of answers that question, I thought.

 

I'm thinking of getting one of the hand operated "Arooga!, Arooga!!" klaxons. A least *I'd* get a laugh out of it.

[Jigsawged]

While I agree with education I feel a few obstacles which require a serious slow down or even dismount would have more effect.

Wholeheartedly agree. I found myself in danger of being mown down a couple of times this summer. My hearing is not as acute as it was but I can still hear a bell or a horn! The majority of speeding bikers that I saw had no warning apparatus and they are so fast it's almost impossible to remonstrate. Obstacles seem to be the only way to deal with this problem. I can't condone setting traps across the towpath though.

[Retro69]

on the leeds and Liverpool a cyclist ran over my dogs paw I didn't here her coming no warning no bell not even a sorry she knew she hit him as he yelped out if I knew she was coming I would have made moved out of the way hes ok by the way but it could have been worse

[Athy]

I have to admit, if you did that to me I would have some thing to say about it, and if I got wind you did it intentionality I would be minded to take it further, like to the police.

 

Daniel

[quote

 

 

 

 

 

And what, pray, would you say to them? "Officer, I was not looking where I was going and was cycling recklessly fast. Please arrest that pedestrian". I am sure that you would get a sympathetic hearing, as of course they have not got anything more important or worthwhile to do.

So, if you were driving along a road and saw a car blocking your way, you would crash into it rather than slowing down, would you?

[patty-ann]

We have lots of towpaths around us and they are to narrow to sustain a herd of stampeding lycra clad cyclists whose only desire appears to be how fast one can get from A to B. Bells and Lights not cool additions since it seems to be a extreme sport for some so has to have challenging aspects. I do not think they cycle to see wildlife.

All to soon bikes will take over towpaths and rambling aimlessly will be a thing of the past.

Fortunately they are banned from riding up the side of the stairway, but I have seen them try.

I cycle, have helmet and bell and probably womble along at an uncool speed. Towpaths are pleasant and they are there for us all. WE just need to have respect for other users.

[Québec]

We were moored at Vale Royal on the Weaver a while back. It's a lovely spot, with a wide, open grassed area with woodland either side. We were standing around the towpath, as you do, chatting with other boaters. There were children and dogs running around. Suddenly, a lone cyclist burst out of the woodland, at full pelt, screaming "I don't f*****g stop for anyone!", and shot through us as we flung ourselves out of the way shouting "I f*****warned you!" and disappeared in a cloud of anger.

 

I suppose his defence would be that he gave fair warning.

[patty-ann]

Not sure "fair" is quite the descriptive word I would use, "abusive, aggressive" seem to fit the scene. Some people do not stop but hurtle through life as "the end is nigh" . Each to their own.

[luctor et emergo]

We were moored at Vale Royal on the Weaver a while back. It's a lovely spot, with a wide, open grassed area with woodland either side. We were standing around the towpath, as you do, chatting with other boaters. There were children and dogs running around. Suddenly, a lone cyclist burst out of the woodland, at full pelt, screaming "I don't f*****g stop for anyone!", and shot through us as we flung ourselves out of the way shouting "I f*****warned you!" and disappeared in a cloud of anger.

 

I suppose his defence would be that he gave fair warning.

 

 

In that instance, a startled and frightened bystander may accidentally drop a walking stick..

[Barry]

Accompanied by

 

"You do now"

[Polishicebreaker]

This is not just a problem on the canal tow paths. There was a politician on the telly the other day talking about a cyclist friend of his that had been hit by a car and had suffered serious head injuries. One of the things he said was that it was okay for cyclists to cycle on the roads 2 abreast and that this was not an illegal thing to do. Cyclists need to do it so that they can converse with each other and interaction with each other. I would have thought that anyone using the roads in this day and age would need to fully concentrate on what they were doing and not chatting to each other. Cyclists also do not just ride 2 abreast. They ride four or five abreast sometimes. This, more or less, completely blocks one lane of a road. Riding anything other than one cyclist wide is going to be extremely dangerous on todays roads IMO and for a politician to be condoning the practice of riding side by side and chatting instead of concentrating on the roads is criminal but then that is politicians for you.

I do volunteer work for The Canal and River Trust Educational Volunteers at Bingley Five Rise. I have seen cyclists riding down the tow path slope there at what I estimate to be 20 or 30 miles an hour. It's all very well to say do not tar all cyclists/fishermen/boaters/walkers etc with the same brush but that is inevitable and nothing will be done until someone is seriously injured or killed on the tow paths. In my opinion that is an accident that is just waiting to happen.

 

Pete

Cyclists have every right to cycle 2 abreast, in the middle of the road or as slow as they like.

The amount of cyclists being killed on our roads is into epidemic proportions. Our whole infastructure needs radical change, our country is completely backward when it comes to cycling and we need to learn massively from other countries.

 

However, cycling on towpaths is completely different and lets not obscure the issue. A lot of The cyclists that ride on towpaths treat it like some speedy shortcut and refuse to give way to anyone. I would say don't be bullied and stand your ground, especially if someone is 'ting tinging ' their annoying bell at you.

However, when we see proper cycle lanes and infastructure in cities, this may aid the towpath situation.

As for mountain bikers in the sticks, that's another issue entirely. Soon they'll all be riding horses so that could be even worse!!

[mayalld]

Cyclists have every right to cycle 2 abreast, in the middle of the road or as slow as they like.

 

 

Actually, they may not have that right!

 

Section 29, RTA 1988;

if a person rides a cycle on a road without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road, he is guilty of an offence

 

Riding two abreast, in the middle of the road, and slowly, so as to hinder other road users from making progress, when the cyclist could ride in such a way as to allow people to make progress;

 

The Highway code says;

66

You should

• keep both hands on the handlebars except when signalling or changing gear
• keep both feet on the pedals
• never ride more than two abreast, and ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends
• not ride close behind another vehicle
• not carry anything which will affect your balance or may get tangled up with your wheels or chain
• be considerate of other road users, particularly blind and partially sighted pedestrians. Let them know you are there when necessary, for example, by ringing your bell if you have one. It is recommended that a bell be fitted.

Now, failing to observe a rule in the Highway Code is not of itself an offence, but it is persuasive as to whether a lack of "reasonable consideration" was shown.

[andywatson]

I assume everyone on here commenting on what speed cyclists ride at has never gone over the speed limit in a car...

[Guest]

Cyclists have every right to cycle 2 abreast, in the middle of the road or as slow as they like.

 

Really?

 

If you are being serious - if so it is exactly the kind of attitude that is the cause of such animosity that exists between some cyclists and some motorists and vice versa when motorists display poor driving around cyclists.

 

Bad riding/driving is inexcusable whoever is doing it.

[Barry]

Bad riding/driving is inexcusable whoever is doing it.

 

I agree. And I think that people driving at up to twenty miles an hour slower than than the speed limit, despite there being a queue of ten or fifteen cars plainly visible in their rear view mirror are equally guilty of bad driving

[Polishicebreaker]

Part of your problem here is failing to acknowledge some basic truths that we should consider at all times when having a cycling debate.

Cycling in cities is better than driving for individuals and society as a whole. It's cleaner, more efficient and of course safer. A cyclist may occasionally hit a pedestrian, a car or truck can wipe out an entire family in a second. The highway code is a nonsense and is completely irrelevant to whats happening to cyclists on the streets.

It's not an even debate. The whole argument needs completely re-framing to accommodate the REAL impacts of our cycle policy.

I love the face we are discussing this on a boaters forum. That's the beauty of the Internet.

[Athy]

It's not an even debate. The whole argument needs completely re-framing to accommodate the REAL impacts of our cycle policy.

 

I rather think that the aim is to avoid impacts rather than accommodating them.

 

This reminds me that there was, and may still be, a firm in Stanmore, Mx, called Impact School Of Motoring.

[patty-ann]

I do not think that people are anti cyclist I think the issues are that cycling at speed along towpaths can be dangerous and also a bit irresponsible as indicates a lack of regard to other users, Towpaths are not designed to be used as racing tracks, nor should they be. Pedestrians and cyclists can co-exist as can motorists and cyclists, people just need a little understanding about needs of each other.

[Phil Ambrose]

I rather think that the aim is to avoid impacts rather than accommodating them.

 

This reminds me that there was, and may still be, a firm in Stanmore, Mx, called Impact School Of Motoring.

I used to live in Stanmore and that driving school always made me chuckle.

Phil