Cycline Ettiquette

Lee

Hi there.

Just a quick question. I am cycling down a cycle path and another cyclist approaches

Its a fairly narrow cycle path and i wondered if there was a correct way to move out of the way
(i.e. left or right).

Seems like a daft question now its written down but im curious!

Lee

Anonymous

"Lee" <gnippernospampleasemuchly@nospampleasemuchlyverymuch.btinternet.com>
wrote in message news:103osvbd309vt21@corp.supernews.com...
> Hi there.
>
> Just a quick question. I am cycling down a cycle path and another cyclist approaches
>
> Its a fairly narrow cycle path and i wondered if there was a correct way
to
> move out of the way (i.e. left or right).
>
> Seems like a daft question now its written down but im curious!

Ok, how about considering this question:

I'm cycling down a country lane. Another cyclist approaches. Which way do I pass the cyclist?

Then apply the same to the cycle path.

(yes, there do appear to be people who think that cycle paths work the opposite way to roads for
some bizarre reason!)

cheers, clive

Lee

news:c1hsti$pfb$1@news6.svr.pol.co.uk...

> I'm cycling down a country lane. Another cyclist approaches. Which way do
I
> pass the cyclist?
>
> Then apply the same to the cycle path.
>
> (yes, there do appear to be people who think that cycle paths work the opposite way to roads for
> some bizarre reason!)
>
> cheers, clive
>
>

Ok, so what you are saying is, treat it like a road and pass on the left?

Tony Raven

Lee wrote:

> news:c1hsti$pfb$1@news6.svr.pol.co.uk...
>
>> I'm cycling down a country lane. Another cyclist approaches. Which way do
> I
>> pass the cyclist?
>>
>> Then apply the same to the cycle path.
>>
>> (yes, there do appear to be people who think that cycle paths work the opposite way to roads for
>> some bizarre reason!)
>>
>> cheers, clive
>>
>>
>
> Ok, so what you are saying is, treat it like a road and pass on the left?

Unless you are in Europe, USA etc

Tony]

Anonymous

Tony Raven

Clive George wrote:
>
> Can you think of any reason for doing otherwise?
>

Personally I always pass them on the right. But that's because I'm on the road and they are on the
cycle path to my left ;-)

Tony

Elyob

"Lee" <gnippernospampleasemuchly@nospampleasemuchlyverymuch.btinternet.com>
wrote in message news:103p0vbsmbs8i66@corp.supernews.com...
>

> news:c1hsti$pfb$1@news6.svr.pol.co.uk...
>
> > I'm cycling down a country lane. Another cyclist approaches. Which way
do
> I
> > pass the cyclist?
> >
> > Then apply the same to the cycle path.
> >
> > (yes, there do appear to be people who think that cycle paths work the opposite way to roads for
> > some bizarre reason!)
> >
> > cheers, clive
> >
> >
>
> Ok, so what you are saying is, treat it like a road and pass on the left?
>
>

Yes, except in special circumstances. (i.e. when somebody is approaching and not concentrating or
are very young).

How about joggers? Most pass the same way, however I have been told that good joggers like to be
passed on the same side as you wuold on the road.
i.e. they would be running against the traffic. This definitely is not the case 80% of the
time though !

Lee

news:c1i17b$p87$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk...
>

> Yup.
>
> Can you think of any reason for doing otherwise?
>
> cheers, clive
>
>

No, seems quite obvious the more i think about it...

told you it was a daft question

:-p

Jeremy Parker

"Lee"
<gnippernospampleasemuchly@nospampleasemuchlyverymuch.btinternet.com>
wrote in message news:103osvbd309vt21@corp.supernews.com...
> Hi there.
>
> Just a quick question. I am cycling down a cycle path and another
cyclist
> approaches
>
> Its a fairly narrow cycle path and i wondered if there was a
correct way to
> move out of the way (i.e. left or right).
>
> Seems like a daft question now its written down but im curious!
>

Not a daft question, but one easy to answer.

Bicycles are vehicles. Bicycles are vehicular traffic. Bicycles, like other vehicles, should follow
vehicular rules.

Vehicles in Britain normally keep left.

Actually, I'm not sure there's any law requiring vehicles to keep left. On the street in front of
London's Savoy Hotel, they keep right.

Jeremy Parker

Geraint Jones

"Jeremy Parker" <JeremyParker@compuserve.com> wrote: ( Bicycles are vehicles. Bicycles are vehicular
traffic. Bicycles, ) like other vehicles, should follow vehicular rules. ( ) Vehicles in Britain
normally keep left. ( ) Actually, I'm not sure there's any law requiring vehicles to keep ( left.

There isn't.

There is a rule in the Highway Code that tells you to keep to the left. It's in "Using the Road"
under "General Rules":

Once moving you should
* keep to the left, unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise. The exceptions are when
you want to overtake, turn right or pass parked vehicles or pedestrians in the road ...

It's only a "should", though, not a "must".

Mind you, the rest of that rule is fairly specific to motor vehicles with steering wheels and
able to slow down by using a lower gear, so it seems to be out of place in the General Rules for
Using the Road.

Geraint Jones

"Tony Raven" <junk@raven-family.com> wrote:
> Unless you are in Europe, ...

Point of Information, Mr Chairman...

> Can you think of any reason for doing otherwise?
>

Canal towpaths - whoever gets over to the side away from the water first stays there!

Dave Kahn

"Lee" <gnippernospampleasemuchly@nospampleasemuchlyverymuch.btinternet.com> wrote in message news:<103p31ug6fe439a@corp.supernews.com>...

> No, seems quite obvious the more i think about it...
>
> told you it was a daft question

It's not daft at all. This confusion is one of the things that makes cycle paths so dangerous. If
you're slogging up the hill and some moron comes flying down it and decides to pass you on the right
things can get unpleasant very quickly.

--
Dave...

Simon Brooke

in message <dfd34f42.0402251008.37cb8c57@posting.google.com>, SW
('allbrankeepsyougoing@hotmail.com') wrote:

>>
>> Can you think of any reason for doing otherwise?
>>
>
> Canal towpaths - whoever gets over to the side away from the water first stays there!

Vessels navigating narrow passages shall pass to starboard of one another.

--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Do not sail on uphill water.
- Bill Lee

John Mallard

"SW" <allbrankeepsyougoing@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:dfd34f42.0402251008.37cb8c57@posting.google.com...
>
> Canal towpaths - whoever gets over to the side away from the water first stays there!

They'll end up playing "chicken" with me then. I pass on the left and I DON'T give way or stop
if some prannett wants to pass on the wrong side. (I do make exceptions for small children on
tow paths)

--
Cheerful Peddling John Mallard

Sandy Morton

In article <a8jvg1-bur.ln1@gododdin.internal.jasmine.org.uk>, Simon
Brooke <simon@jasmine.org.uk> wrote:
> Canal towpaths - whoever gets over to the side away from the water
> > first stays there!

> Vessels navigating narrow passages shall pass to starboard of one another.

I thought that the bigger one had right of way :-))

--
A T (Sandy) Morton on the Bicycle Island In the Global Village http://www.millport.net (http://www.millport.net/)

Iarocu

"John Mallard" <not_me@all> wrote in message news:<403d2a6e_2@mk-nntp-1.news.uk.worldonline.com>...
> "SW" <allbrankeepsyougoing@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:dfd34f42.0402251008.37cb8c57@posting.google.com...
> >
> > Canal towpaths - whoever gets over to the side away from the water first stays there!
>
> They'll end up playing "chicken" with me then. I pass on the left and I DON'T give way or stop
> if some prannett wants to pass on the wrong side. (I do make exceptions for small children on
> tow paths)

I keep left and if the approaching cyclist doesn,t go to his left I get further left onto the verge
if necessary. Only on 1 occassion has this not been enough and both the approaching cyclist and me
came to a complete halt facing each other on the extreme left hand (for me) edge of the towpath..
Followed a second later by his companion crashing into the back of his bike.

Ben

On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 09:58:46 -0000, "Lee"
<gnippernospampleasemuchly@nospampleasemuchlyverymuch.btinternet.com>
wrote:

>Hi there.
>
>Just a quick question. I am cycling down a cycle path and another cyclist approaches
>
>Its a fairly narrow cycle path and i wondered if there was a correct way to move out of the way
>(i.e. left or right).
>
>Seems like a daft question now its written down but im curious!

Keep left, slow down, be ready to stop and don't change direction. Don't make the mistake of
moving one way or the other because Sod's Law says you'll both end up moving the same way and hit
each other.
--
"We take these risks, not to escape from life, but to prevent life escaping from us."
http://www.bensales.com (http://www.bensales.com/)

Mike Sales

From: "Ben"

> On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 09:58:46 -0000, "Lee"
> <gnippernospampleasemuchly@nospampleasemuchlyverymuch.btinternet.com> wrote:
>
> >Hi there.
> >
> >Just a quick question. I am cycling down a cycle path and another
cyclist
> >approaches
> >
> >Its a fairly narrow cycle path and i wondered if there was a correct way
to
> >move out of the way (i.e. left or right).
> >
> >Seems like a daft question now its written down but im curious!
>
> Keep left, slow down, be ready to stop and don't change direction. Don't make the mistake of
> moving one way or the other because Sod's Law says you'll both end up moving the same way and hit
> each other.
I was cycling on a path with a friend. A mountain biker came too fast down the track ( thick
vegetation at sides, curve so visibility limited ) on the wrong side. We automatically singled out,
but I, in front, did not realise the stupid oaf was not intending to move to his left. At the last
moment I and then my friend flicked out of the way. Then the next appeared, also on the wrong side.
I stayed on the left and began shouting "Left, left, left". He moved over. It is much easier, safer
and more convenient to have a convention about which side to ride on a path just as on the road. It
makes obvious sense that it should be the same as the road. Mike Sales

Lee

"Dave Kahn" <dkahn400@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:57db8bde.0402251136.781bda3@posting.google.com... daft question
>
> It's not daft at all. This confusion is one of the things that makes cycle paths so dangerous. If
> you're slogging up the hill and some moron comes flying down it and decides to pass you on the
> right things can get unpleasant very quickly.
>
> --
> Dave...

Like what happened to me last night - im sloggin up a hill on a cycle path and 2 people come down
riding side by side (taking up the WHOLE path).

They see me and make ABSOLUTELY no effort to move single file (theres no need for them to stop) - i
get to within 5m of them and one of them slams his breaks on and blocks the path right accross so i
have to stop too - not a "sorry" just a look at me like i shouldnt be there.

tossers