They seem totally oblivious, I mean they don’t seem to stand there (in your way) because they are obnoxious or ignorant, but that’s how it comes across to some?

Whilst working yesterday I saw a group of 6 or 7 walkers, standing there, chatting and made a cyclist go on the grass, off the path to go round them, my work colleage, who isn’t a cyclist was totally taken aback at how rude the walkers appeared.

He was even more shocked when I told him that’s just what they seem to do.

My wife, who rarely rides, was equally taken aback when out riding on our holiday at how ignorant walkers appear to be when a cyclist approaches. She was even more shocked when I replied that’s just how they are, live with it, it won’t change.

It kind of makes me think though, is it that their pace is so slow that a cyclist just appears quicker than they can’t register their presence until its too late?

I’m sure they aren’t ALL that ignorant to the existence of cyclists?

Thoughts please?

because all user groups hate each other.

why do cyclist jump red lights, why do drivers speed, why do walkers walk in cycle paths?

People see what they want to see and seem to respond as they see fit.

is it that their pace is so slow that a cyclist just appears quicker than they can’t register their presence until its too late?

This and not willing to collide with 30lbs of unpredictable moving Alu/Carbon/Ti/Steel, its better for them to let you do what you need to.

A scattered crowd is a bigger and moving obstacle for you to negotiate.

cows & horses in the new forest are the same on or off road

stupidity – that’s what it boils down to

(should add, it’s by no means all walkers – very many are really nice but some are just oblivious to what’s going on. Pedestrians too; if they’re having a chat it’s like nothing else exists arund them)

The human race ….bizarre

Just wait for the replies giving it “but the cyclist shouldn’t be there” or “if it’s a footpath, obey the rules, follow the guidelines for living”…

Just to add, it was a canal tow path.

It must be very dependant on where you ride..

30 odd years of riding around here have seen me only encounter a handful of ignorant walkers, and one confrontational guy.. the vast majority are courteous, overly keen to assist, complimentary and interested, although they all appear to get their (very) limited repertoire of cringe inducing banter from the same pamphlet..

I was very disappointed by a walker in the lakes once. granted it wasn’t a bridleway but she had no right to hold open a gate and shout “go on son, no need to stop !”

Bitch. I was dying.

My theory is that when you get more then four humans together they take over a space and become oblivious to other humans not in that group, mainly because they all want to look at and interact with each other, no one wants to be periphery not making eye contact, us bikers do it at the end of a trail, students do it on the pavement and train platform, I really don’t think anyone is being malicious, just attention diverted.

By George I think rewski might have it.

This.

it was a canal tow path

Our local towpath also attracts a particularly gormless subspecies of pedestrian, dunno why. You just have to slow right down and ride round them carefully whilst making soothing noises so as not to spook them. It’s also the only path I’ve been bollocked for riding on in the past five years or so, even though every cyclist for miles around uses it to get up and down the valley and most of it is designated multi-use bike path. 🙄

Did they not hear his bell?

i think the answers above cover most of the likelihoods. I once rode the Long Mynd and the walkers there were by a country mile the nicest ever – a teacher shouting at the kids to get off the path, others eating a sarnie leaping up to open a gate on a descent and so on. Really noticeable. Mainly I think it is just that walkers are in a world of their own, chatting to each other or themselves and as someone says, standing still and letting us go around seems the best / easiest plan. They don’t appreciate that we cant get out of ruts or deep bits or through thick tussock grass very easily.

To be totaly honest i dont have a problem with walkers in the peaks. Most will chat and say hello if you smkle and be polite. After all walking is harder than biking.
My problem is horse riders, one clearly ran me off the path on the way to hope cross from the roman road. A wide path and she went straight towards me. I’d have rode in the middle but it was churned up with hoof print. It a shame as a few times ive held the gates for the pony trekers but not anymore.

Also has anyone notice an increase in jittery horses this year? I normaly approch very slowly and try to make sure they hear me from a long way off, but they still seem to want to bolt.

Now dog walkers are ignorant. Just stand there and let the dog wander around or the best is the dog runs directly at you the they say “dont worry it safe”.

pedestrian version of critical mass

I’m sure they aren’t ALL that ignorant to the existence of cyclists?

Thoughts please?

insert any mikeconnor quote you see fit here 😉

It’s particularily noticable for me, just now, because we’re not long back from France where people smiled to see you on a bike, kids said bonjour!, people got out of the way, even gave you encouragement on tricky bits. Then came home and got a mile from the house before someone got angry at me for daring to use my bell, while they wandered 3 abreast along the canal path blocking the whole thing. “Why should we have to move for you?”

made a cyclist go on the grass, off the path to go round them

If someone is stationary and I’m moving then it seems to me the onus is on me to go around someone, not for them to get out of my way

I in FACT believe they are doing the DO like Betty Boo and there’s nothing you can DO. it’s bloody great big unmoveable rocks in the way that get on my nips though. I’m trying to ride a bike FFS!

extrapolating this slightly……. its been tourist season round here (gower) lately and they are skinny country roads, but two vans can squeese through no probs normally. now i dont mind hedging my van, its not some shiny vw t5 🙄 but why would anyone think that a head on collision is better then letting some leaves brush their paintwork? seriously, the tourist traffic is bang in the middle of the road, watching the hedge while i am in the ditch trying to avoid them. i only want to get to work. are they as suicidal as the sheep? is that waht having kids does to you? so far so good but jesus they scare me

Kevevs- you are through.

I cycled part of the C2C route last weekend – into Whitehaven from Keswick. I was amazed at the number of cyclists on the wrong side of the road – even on the twisty bits. On a couple of occasions I had to take avoiding action as they were 4-5 abreast.

was driving back with some mates from Snowdon today along A470 to the coast, there was a time trial road race thing going on

Driver: good, that’s all ok, they’re in single file
Me: mmnhmm.

later… we have to slow down for 2 roadies NOT in single file and taking up the lane on a wide 2 lane road.

Driver: oh ffs that get’s on my tits, why do they do this, bloody cyclists etc, highway code etc (you get the gist)
Me: cos you have to give a cyclist the same room as a vehicle, didn’t you know this? highway code etc, they are taking less width than a vehicle and we have slowed down for them which makes everything safer y’know, for people.. You’d slow for a tractor going at this speed no?
Driver: erm, err, ahhmm but etc

Why do cyclists stand in the way?

Lost count of the number of times a ride is interrupted by bunches of riders who stop as soon as a Gnar section levels out, in order to compare fork coatings with one another, only to get in the way of people carrying momentum to the next bit.

Or they line up next to the start of a section for 15 minutes, leaving only a 12cm gap for anyone with the audacity to go past them, usually forcing the need for a 13 point, right angled turn onto the trail, avoiding discarded bikes.

When we’re not those people, we don’t want them there. When we are them, we don’t really realise.

This is something I just don’t get. I have never met a single arsey walker. Every single one has been polite, got out of the way, chatted, smiled or just been amazed to see you. There’s been the odd one that didn’t say hello back but they’ve never got in my way. In total contrast I’ve met bikers in the hills that are so full of themselves, or preoccupied with their form or whatever that they haven’t even acknowledged you and nearly run you off the path as they seemed unwilling to slow down and share a shared path. Nowt as queer as folk.

It’d be cool of you could classify annoying groups of human beings into detailed subsections. Then find a formula to connect certain annoyances to each other that’d cancel each other out in a puff of compassion and empathy. That’d be good.

I think it’s reasonable for them to stand still and let you get around. Its not aggression or ignorance.
I’ve been in many situations where the walker tries to get out of the way whilst you take evasive action, but you both veer off in the same direction which is worse.

I was riding home up a track this week and these two runners were in front of me.

They reached the gate, opened it, saw me coming and held it open for me.

The girl was one of the prettiest girls I have ever met in real life and she smiled at me.

Just had to tell someone that.

They have a sense of entitlement.

The girl was one of the prettiest girls I have ever met in real life and she smiled at me.

I love moments like that!

I must say that I have also found a better reception on the trails in France than the UK. The worst was in the Lakes on the Ullswater bridleway -some “helpful” lady looked at me and two freinds, turned her back then deliberately moved into our path. When we stopped she say ” I didn’t see you, why dont you have a bell?”

I would also agree about the negative comments about some of the cycling community, particularly about gathering at the start of new sections of trail and then not liking the fact that you just want to carry on past them.

Nowt as strange as folk.

” I didn’t see you, why dont you have a bell?”

IME bells don’t help much – you ring your bell, they hear it, stop and turn toward the noise to see what it is, ie. directly into your path, so they then see a cyclist heading straight at them and get alarmed (even though you’re already prepared to stop before you hit them of course).

Maybe the solution is some sort of rally style scandinavian flick while ringing the bell, sell em a dummy on the left and dive to the right screaming ‘Strava!’ as you pass….

[edit]except of course for the majority of perfectly well mannered walkers who engage in a bit of banter, or see/hear you coming and courteously move aside, or even hold open gates regardless of their prettiness.

The girl was one of the prettiest girls I have ever met in real life and she smiled at me

Was she in a red dress?Then you are in the matrix…..

To be fair, Samuri has only ever met 3 girls.

/jokes

I live in the Brecon Beacon National Park and have a bit of abuse from walkers; but only ever on a bank holiday weekend.

I’ve tried riding with and without a bell and both seem to cause offence.

If you ring a bell it seems to be perceived as “get out of my way”, and you get sarky comments if you don’t ring. Especially on the cycle track that runs past my house. I can be cycling to my local shops on a signposted national route and people who have driven out of town to park by the path and empty their dogs outside my front door seem to think they have some sort of moral highground over me!

I always assume walkers will behave unpredictably. Like sheep but without the ability to bolt off into the heather when they make the wrong choice. To be honest, it’s better if they stand still, unless they’re on the only rideable line.

I’ve never had anyone actually hear a bell.

Its just people IMO. I’ve given up getting cross with dozy walkers who’s reaction to “Good Morning” is to turn round and fan out across a track.

Always amuses me if there walkers only on the left side of the path, and I call out “hello can I pass you on the right please” they all step to the right. Often considered calling out the opposite, all Darren Brown etc…

Generally I slow down, shout excuse me, they move, I thank them and ride on.

Balance and harmony restored.

+1 @composite

They have a sense of entitlement.

If done deliberately, yep. The sense of entitlement is the biggest issue in this country, it’s our worst national characteristic and MTBers very very occasionally <ahem ahem> have it too!

As a road user/commuter I’ve vanned, driven, motorbiked, cycled, and walked (not so much on the road when walking) and as a countryside enjoyerer from the age of about 6 I’ve walked, run, built camps and played 40 40 in, cycled, motorbiked and even horsed a bit.

I don’t get pissy with or try to stop anyone, and I think it’s cos aside from driving an HGV or a landrover, I’ve been in all the other shoes. It’s called zen or something. Om.