Bikes that pass on the right...

[archy sturmer]

On cycle paths and "shared use" paths, an awful lot of cyclists coming the opposite direction seem determined to pass on the right.
Being aware of this tendency, I stick to the left until it's obvious the oncoming bike is a "right sider", and steer right to avoid the inevitable head-on.
I get the impression that some of them think they would be giving way by passing on the left.
Presumably they don't do this in the road.
Any thoughts on this phenomenon?
Archy

[reohn2]

I've also had occerences of this phenomina too and I'm bemused by it also, the natural thing would surely be to ride as one would on the road ie keep left.

[Mick F]

As an aside, when on the canals or the river whilst passing, you pass port side to port side. ie to the right.

Perhaps these riders are sailors!

[Mrs Tortoise]

As an aside, when on the canals or the river whilst passing, you pass port side to port side. ie to the right.

Perhaps these riders are sailors!

More likely cowboys!

[Ron]

Any thoughts on this phenomenon?
Archy

You have just highlighted one of the factors which make "cycle facilities" more dangerous than the roads, and the reason for much of the opposition to provision of such facilities.
There may be a lot of rule breakers on the roads, but there is still considerably more discipline displayed than there is on cycle and joint user paths where there are no rules to follow.

[meic]

I am unaware of any rules about how you should cycle on cycle paths. Maybee they saw a dual use sign that had a cycle on the right side and thought the left side was for pedestrians. I dont know how we can say someone is doing the wrong thing when we have no information about what is the right thing to do.
The council probably will say we should dismount and walk around each other!

[AlbionLass]

I always remember when I was training as a riding instructer we were taught to pass other horse riders left hand side to left hand side, I wasn't aware of the custom for cycles. You learn something new every day.

[pigman]

.... and I'm bemused by it also, the natural thing would surely be to ride as one would on the road ie keep left.

when in school (walking!), you are taught to keep to the right on corridors and conform "to the standard european convention" - at least we were told this some 30 yrs ago, and watching kids in school today, they still keep to the right in corridors. This behaviour is likely being reproduced on cycle paths - travelling on the left doesn't become convention until one learns to drive (maybe)

[Mick F]

At Shevington Secondary, when I was there, '64 to '69, the teachers used to shout in the corridors and stair-cases, "We drive on the LEFT in this country!"

[rower40]

Nightmare scenario.

North/South Cyclepath, 2m of tarmac, with mud beyond. I'm cycling North, on my left. Travelling South towards me are a pedestrian and a cyclist. The pedestrian is walking on their right, and the cyclist on their left. The pedestrian doesn't know that the cyclist is there, behind him.

If I stay on my left, the pedestrian will move to their left, into the path of the cyclist. If I move to the right, then I will have a head-on collision with the cyclist.

So I stop on my left, and put a foot down into the mud. Hopefully that will indicate to the pedestrian that the other side of the path (my right, his left) is currently not a good place to be.

Whereas, IF the pedestrian were on the left to start with, then the priority is clear - the Southbound cyclist must give way to me to overtake the pedestrian.

Ride on the left. Walk on the left. Move right to overtake IF it is clear.

Trains drive on the left. Even in France, which must be a bit confusing for French train drivers who use a car to get from home to their depot.

[Mister Paul]

I don't see it being much of a problem for train drivers. You can't exactly get it wrong can you?

[Mrs Tortoise]

I don't see it being much of a problem for train drivers. You can't exactly get it wrong can you?

When they get it wrong it tends to have serious consequences!

[pigman]

how can they get it wrong - they only go faster or slower - they don't steer the beasts

[rower40]

What I meant (by referring to trains) was that (French) train drivers get conditioned to seeing oncoming vehicles passing on their right-hand side for an entire shift, then have to get back behind the wheel of their car, and then adjust to driving on the right.

That's when they're not on strike.

[montmorency]

I am unaware of any rules about how you should cycle on cycle paths. Maybee they saw a dual use sign that had a cycle on the right side and thought the left side was for pedestrians. I dont know how we can say someone is doing the wrong thing when we have no information about what is the right thing to do.
The council probably will say we should dismount and walk around each other!

This is precisely the point about off-road cycle paths; there are no rules. If there were, many people would not obey them ("it's only a cycle path...").

If you ride on the road a lot, and especially if you are also a motor vehicle driver/rider, you instinctively cycle on the left on cycle paths as well.

When I learned to drive (late 60s), I was taught one simple rule: "The rule of the road is 'keep to the Left'". There are some other rules in driving, but that is the single, simple, most important one. However, a simple rule like that can't work on off-road cycle paths, at least not the way they are at the moment.....all shapes and sizes and different orientations (pedestrians on the outside, pedestrians on the inside, shared or "segregated" (by a white line, easily crossed).

Do I keep to the left of the cycle part of the path, or do I go completely over to the left into the pedestrian part? If no peds, then that gives me much more room (since they are never wide enough).

Oh but hang on, there are peds in the ped section, and also in the bike section....only thing I can do is to escape onto the grass verge which fortunately is there and firm and level enough to take a bike..
....etc, etc, and so it goes.



A significant number of the younger generation have grown up not cycling on the roads, not for any significant time anyway. They leap from pavement to pavement, or cycleway to pavement, etc. When they are on the roads they are bewildered and helpless and dangerous to themselves and others. They have no instinct about keeping left.

I am not really criticising them...it is what they have grown up to; a generation where a bike is a toy or an accessory, rather than a means of transport or a vehicle. (Why you now see so many of them left flat on pavements....does so annoy me). Their parents were probably from the generation where bike use was falling and car use was growing and in general were not there to set the example.


Regards,
M.