PhilofCas
pfm Member
As well as increased foot traffic, I'm meeting increasing numbers of cyclists on local FOOTPATHS. In fairness.. most are polite and will give way to a clearly miserable and curmudgeonly old fart like me.. but...
....As I understand it, footpaths are meant to be just that. Paths for people to walk.. on foot.
Also... as I understand it.. it is 'a Civil Wrong' to Cycle on a Footpath and I have so far found nothing which distinguishes between the 'sidewalks' or 'pavements' alongside roads, and those Public Footpaths which cross our wider countryside.
Even some bloke representing Cyclists on the Telly the other night said that Cyclists should NOT be riding on FOOTpaths.
Bridleways are different.
It's all here..:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rights_of_way_in_England_and_Wales#Public_footpaths
So.. cyclists are demanding safety on the roads, and cycle paths, and Bridleways, and Mountain Biking Trails.
We also have 'Off Roaders' demanding vehicular access to anywhere and everywhere.
So.. is anywhere left for those who actually just want a walk?.. In peace?.. without a polite but excruciating 'Ding Ding'.. 'excuse me mate'.. every few yards?
Views?
It’s a very tricky one Mull. I’m a long time cyclist (and car driver ), I’ve done both road riding and mountain biking, though after years of feeling more and more unsafe on roads I only do mountain biking now.
I really didn’t like the constant ‘battle’ with cars, vans, lorries, I always road with courtesy and safety in mind, but very frequently I was subjected to moments of lack of care by motorists, making me feel very vulnerable and fearing my personal safety.
The problem we have in this country is lack of infrastructure for cyclists, this applies not only to public highways but also off-road, you simply cannot put together a ride without some use of footpaths (not a pavement as others have mentioned), so people use footpaths to link various routes together. Some are very obviously ‘footpaths’, clearly signed as such, others are not clear at all, in fact I’ve just looked up some locals off-road tracks I use regularly use and was very surprised some are footpaths and not bridleways/permissive footpaths etc.
Vast majority of people I come across don’t seem to have any problem with a passing cyclist, often welcoming a ‘ding-ding’ and appreciating a ‘thank you’ in return.
For me, it’s all about being respectful over the use of the off-road network we currently have and all of us trying to make the best of it. Like I say, ultimately it comes back to (lack of) infrastructure. I know there are initiatives at play (Sustrans have done some great work locally) but it seems to be well down our country’s priorities, which for many who enjoy the countryside is such a shame.