Cyclists go too fast on Bristol-Bath railway path, says cyclist injured by speeding cyclist

The growth in cycling is a wonderful problem to have and we know a little about this!

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/see-and-do/cycling/share-the-space-drop-yo...

It's vital that everyone uses Greenways with consideration for others.

Greenways, such as this one, which are spaced use spaces - often with a pedestrian priority - are becoming more heavily used, especially for commuting, as many people perceived the road networks around them are not safe enough.

This isn't really what they are designed for, however, and routes like this can only do so much to absorb this growth. Highways agencies MUST do more to cater for the changing demands of road users and provide range of suitable safe routes for all.

This is why we, at Canal & River Trust, are actively working with TFL and London boroughs to promote alternative routes around Towpath Greenways.

http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/job/4518447/strategic-cycle-routes-coordinator/

The Regents' Canal - for example - can sometimes experience 500 cyclists in an hour at peak commuting times (The towpath is less than 2 meters wide in places and often overwhelmed) and there is evidence that many people no longer feel safe to walk or cycle there as a result.

Our fantastic Volunteer Towpath Ranger team work hard to encourage considerate use by all towpath visitors and with TFL's help we have implemented a wide range of physical measures on the towpath (including signage, speed bumps, chicanes, better surfacing, widening and more subtle design features) to improve the experience for all users of the towpath. (Over the past 5 years we have invested some £4 million across the 100 mile London network in this way.)

Dick Vincent
London Towpath Ranger

Bit more on the mayoral candidates' attitudes to cycling here:

http://www.greaterbristol.com/pages/75questions.html#eleven

All of them seem fairly wishy-washy to be honest, but Jon Roger's invocation of antisocial cycling is worrying, and he seems to be promoting the feeble (and blame-shifting) "let's all be nice to each other" ethos over actual street level improvements for walkers and cyclists.

There's a mayoral hustings on transport and active travel on 30 October. You have to pre-register but if you're interested in cycling it might be good to go along and ask them a few awkward questions.

http://www.lifecycleuk.org.uk/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=498

It's only a matter of time before the press get hold of this... and paint all cyclists as... nuts with no regard for others safety

Ahem. I take it you don't read the local papers much?

Not a fan of Strava, but isn't it just the latest manifestation of the long-standing phenomenon of competitive urges being indulged outside a formally organised and marshalled race?

See also speedometers, Cat 6 racing ("The Game"), alleycats, and various other things that have failed to bring about the end of cycling. Even the sole organised TT I've done was held on open roads without a marshall in sight.

a.jumper, you can read cycling-focused interviews with all of Bristol's mayoral candidates here:

http://www.lifecycleuk.org.uk/node/154

Jon Rogers is a big supporter of Bristol cycling. Unfortunately he's also the sole mayoral candidate who supports the Council's ill-thought-out scheme to drive a high speed bus route through South Bristol, which would involve degrading or even removing a lot of the semi-decent cycle infrastructure there:

http://stopbrt2.org.uk/

Strava. Hmmmm. It's only a matter of time before the press get hold of this and paint it as illegal road racing and paint all cyclists as TT nuts with no regard for others safety.

Aside it being anti-social for other road users to be honest I can't see the point of Strava. When I go out on my local training run it's me against my clock and the weather that day. I don't what to know what time someone else is doing on another day.

Advertisers keep pushing social media links to these Apps because they hope to grow their client lists in order to sell the company for a profit - it has nothing to do with all being together in a happy racing fraternity.

Risking your life to beat the time of someone you don't know and will probably never meet who set the time on a different day with different conditions and different gearing just seems pointless and a bit sad.

Go join a club, meet people you don't like and kick their arse in person each week. It's much more satisfying believe me.

I'm out of the saddle now. Unfortunately.

We live on a cul-de-sac that backs onto the path. At weekends it fills up with cars with bike racks on, overspill from the car park at the steam railway. The path is rammed at weekends with people who just want a quiet place to ride their bike, and rammed at commuter time with people who want a traffic- and hill-free ride to work.

The solution isn't white lines down the middle of the path (you can still see the faded remnants of these in places) or nagging laminated notices, it's more high-spec traffic-free paths to cater to this demand.

It would also help if they were a bit more direct than the Railway Path; there's a tendency for commuters to ride as fast as they can in order to try and make up for the extra distance, and the fiddly way it links into town at the Bristol end.

shared dogs on leads racing for strava segments are the REAL problem. when will someone take down these sick, segment-chasing stray hounds.

Dogs this, people that..............you would think they were trespassing on a cycle only path. Its open to all so we just have to live with it and stop saying everyone else is in the wrong.

Just sounds like a one-sided story. I have no idea what the relevance of the cyclist wearing 'full racing gear' is, nor that she was out of her saddle.

I have to say that the 'victims' complaints don't make her sound strong at all. A better argument would be made if it was combined with facts and data about other cyclists and the likelihood of a fatal crash. It looks like a colourful bruise, but hardly life threatening.

Hopefully this nice young lady will get a better perspective on it all and begin to enjoy cycling again.

Would love to hear the alternative perspective.

Hmm, I am a very considerate cyclist and I love Strava, It doesn't make me rush through zebra crossings, traffic lights etc, it's the poor cyclist that chooses to do that.

To anyone who would fly around a blind bend too fast, just think how you would feel if you hit some mothers toddler because you were going too fast to avoid the collision and now slow the f*** down.

Bottom line; be considerate

Near sunderland there is a hardpack path among trees with a few blind turns and while it is very fun to fly past them at top speed, once you actually think of what could happen it's not hard to slow down.

etc etc etc

I've been ridden into by a rather large gentleman travelling at speed squeezed into his race gear on the Railway Path. He blamed me for being in the way when he was coming the other way. Still, I'm sure having several holes in my ankle from my chain-ring puncturing it, shredding my shoes and ripping a pair of jeans was worth it if it meant he got nearer the top of the Strava leaderboard!

As has already been said, there's a time and a place, and blind corners and intersections with schools and local neighbourhoods on a shared use path isn't it.

andybwhite wrote:

Rule #5 !

Agreed. Also see rule #81.

Have to say I resent dogs off the lead on a shared path, and ts got nothing to do with strava or speeding. Why does curtious behaviour only sit on the shoulders of the cyclist? Whetger you are riding at ten or twenty mph, a loose dog is a damn right pain in the arse. If they arent trying to run under your wheels, they are trying to bite you.
A shared path is after all a public highway of sorts, and no dog owner would let their dog loose on a road with cars hey?
I say, want rag along on your bike... Find a road, want to let your dog off the lead, find a footpath or field.

point taken regarding mamil/nodder - it was a flippant comment. however, i think you're overly defensive here. it's not like it's inaccurate - the middle aged man in lycra is one of the singular defining features of the current bike boom - or offensive. we're getting our fair share of mamils and nodders into the bristol clubs these days and they are all entirely welcome. if we were keeping the flame we'd be riding fixed over the tourmalet and whispering 'assassins' at the organisers.

anyway - club cyclist, nodder, chopper, racing whippet, etc - they all need to ride slowly and considerately on the cycle path or ride on the road. unfortunately it just doesn't happen.

on a separate note, strava is the fucking pits. i hate it.

I blame strava too. completely ridiculous to have a segment along the path. it should be removed. in fact i've tried to report it in the past

I blame Strava

All this comments seem to miss the point that Ms Tanner appears to have been riding a bike actually.

The newspaper photo shows her in cycling garb holding her bike, and the text clearly states "knocked off"

Does look like the other party was at fault based on the onesided evidence given.

I find it a bit depressing that commentators are in turn knocking pedestrians. Surely the duty of care and consideration extends from the 'stronger' to the less strong. So in general, motorists should yield for cyclists, and in turn cyclists should yield for pedestrians.

There's actually nothing wrong with dogs off the leads, or children playing. Slow down -if you want to speed along get on the road or a non shared use path