Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

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Heltor Chasca
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Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by Heltor Chasca »

arnsider wrote:Well carry on with your heads up your backsides!
It really beggars belief the state of mind of some people that rant on about dogs and ped's.
I'm beyond all this strife.
Roads and cycle tracks are not places where Automatons prevail.
Thank God!!!


Based on this and your earlier post: Yes it can change! If we don't voice our disgruntlement at a less than ideal scenario, nothing will change. Being polite and having a stiff upper lip and a 'just deal with it' attitude will change nowt.

Don't forget the Dutch had a similar infrastructure to ours. Now look at the NL. It is nearly ideal for cycles and peds. I assume things aren't bad for the dogs either. I didn't take mine so I can't comment.

I'm a long term dog owner, cyclist and walker. So there is no way I am going to stop campaigning in any way I can for a better infrastructure for all of us. Campaigning or ranting. Call it what you like....b
ANTONISH
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by ANTONISH »

In Saturday's "Times" there was a heart warming story in the Doggy Births and Deaths section about a pooch that had suffered severe internal injuries due to a collision with a cyclist.
The dog was restored to health (hurrah) by extensive veterinary surgery .
The article didn't mention how the cyclist came out of the incident.
greyingbeard
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by greyingbeard »

get some mudguards
ossie
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by ossie »

Im afraid we (well some) are still our own worst enemy. I live on NCN25 which (much to the consternation of some cyclists) is actually a shared facility in many places. That means people can walk dogs and kids. Even a dog on a lead is unpredictable (as is a young child) so why is it vast numbers of cyclists refuse to have a bell on their bike and insist on approaching pedestrians and dog walkers (who arent blessed with eyes in the back of their head) at speed without warning.

This often leads to confrontation -As a dog walker a friendly ' its worth fitting a bell' usually results in complete silence or an aggressive response.

That aside its far worse in France and Germany where many cyclists on these shared facilities will often barge their way through without slowing,warning and without thanking anyone- they think they own these paths and pedestrians and dog walkers are treated as a nuisance by a sizeable majority. The looks of disbelief I got from ringing my bell and thanking people over 1500 miles of mainly off road / shared facility riding had to be seen to be believed...most people were shocked (and thankful) that I'd gone to the trouble .NL was different, the population were more cycle aware and the dedicated cycle paths were just that in many cases but not all. I still saw a fair bit of inconsiderate cycling on top of many of the shared paths that run along the river defences.
brooksby
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by brooksby »

Heltor Chasca wrote:Go into Bristol and all the peds are walking in the cycle lanes rather than on the pavement. AND tutting at the cyclists weaving around them.


Definitely - especially that new one on Baldwin Street. You know, the one separated from the road by a kerb. The one with cycle logos and a centre line. The one with a completely different surface to the footpath and which separated from the footpath by a line of kerbstones too. And yet pedestrians apparently can't tell the difference: it's not got motor vehicles on it, so it must be a footpath. :x
karlt
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by karlt »

Bells? Bloody useless. I've yet to meet the dog walker who is apparently able to hear one.
Bicycler
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by Bicycler »

The vast majority of our road network is shared but that doesn't translate to people and dogs meandering around without regard to vehicular traffic. A driver might expect to have to slow to pass pedestrians only on very minor routes and pedestrianised areas. Elsewhere routes are generally adequately wide and there is an expectation that people will be aware of their surroundings. Driving to work or the supermarket on a main road we wouldn't generally expect to be delayed whilst we alert others to our presence or whilst dogs are called to heel.

An extreme comparison perhaps, but if our main cycle routes are to play a role in making cycling as a convenient everyday form of transport then they need to be convenient and quick, like the car trip. I fully agree with those who call for us to take care when near those more vulnerable than ourselves - that is our duty - but I think a promoted cycle route should be designed to cater to the needs of cyclists, their speed and convenience. Just like the narrow country lane or bumpy access track for drivers, narrow shared use should only be considered adequate where used by low volumes of cyclists or pedestrians for leisure, not the main (cycle) route into town.
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661-Pete
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by 661-Pete »

Has anyone actually had any experience of the Dog Dazer? I've read some reports that say they're ineffectual and a waste of money, but others may take a different view.
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mjr
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by mjr »

ossie wrote:Im afraid we (well some) are still our own worst enemy. I live on NCN25 which (much to the consternation of some cyclists) is actually a shared facility in many places. That means people can walk dogs and kids.

The A30 is also shared, yet people don't let dogs and kids run amok on it as much.

Even a dog on a lead is unpredictable (as is a young child) so why is it vast numbers of cyclists refuse to have a bell on their bike and insist on approaching pedestrians and dog walkers (who arent blessed with eyes in the back of their head) at speed without warning.

I can't explain the reluctance to have bells. I have one and use it.

This often leads to confrontation -As a dog walker a friendly ' its worth fitting a bell' usually results in complete silence or an aggressive response.

Well, "it's worth fitting a bell" sounds like sarcasm to me and would get an odd response. I prefer to shout a more straightforward "use your bell!" at offenders.

That aside its far worse in France and Germany where many cyclists on these shared facilities will often barge their way through without slowing,warning and without thanking anyone- they think they own these paths ...

No, it's far better in Germany, where pedestrians are expected to share and not act as if they're taking part in some new lunatic walking supremacist movement! :lol: And I write that as someone who was harshly-but-correctly shouted at for failing to share while walking on a German cycle track well before I cycled there :)
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Then there are people who react aggressively to those who *have* bells.
Frankly I already have an audible warning system - it's called my voice.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by mjr »

[XAP]Bob wrote:Then there are people who react aggressively to those who *have* bells.
Frankly I already have an audible warning system - it's called my voice.

My voice doesn't work well and definitely can't be heard over motorists roaring along a nearby A road, so I use my bells. Most have a musical quality and I get thanked far more than I get aggressive reactions. The aggressive reactions have dwindled to almost nothing over the last few years.
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ossie
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by ossie »

mjr wrote:
ossie wrote:Im afraid we (well some) are still our own worst enemy. I live on NCN25 which (much to the consternation of some cyclists) is actually a shared facility in many places. That means people can walk dogs and kids.

The A30 is also shared, yet people don't let dogs and kids run amok on it as much.

You have a sense of the ridiculous

Even a dog on a lead is unpredictable (as is a young child) so why is it vast numbers of cyclists refuse to have a bell on their bike and insist on approaching pedestrians and dog walkers (who arent blessed with eyes in the back of their head) at speed without warning.

I can't explain the reluctance to have bells. I have one and use it.

Many dont - hence my point

This often leads to confrontation -As a dog walker a friendly ' its worth fitting a bell' usually results in complete silence or an aggressive response.

Well, "it's worth fitting a bell" sounds like sarcasm to me and would get an odd response. I prefer to shout a more straightforward "use your bell!" at offenders.

Anything with drop bars wont have a bell - its not in "the rules"

That aside its far worse in France and Germany where many cyclists on these shared facilities will often barge their way through without slowing,warning and without thanking anyone- they think they own these paths ...

No, it's far better in Germany, where pedestrians are expected to share and not act as if they're taking part in some new lunatic walking supremacist movement! :lol: And I write that as someone who was harshly-but-correctly shouted at for failing to share while walking on a German cycle track well before I cycled there :)


Good point and Its probably why it works..pedestrians are far more aware, I guess they have to be as getting run down by a peloton of electric bikes on a sunday morning would ruin the day.
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by mjr »

ossie wrote:
mjr wrote:
ossie wrote:Im afraid we (well some) are still our own worst enemy. I live on NCN25 which (much to the consternation of some cyclists) is actually a shared facility in many places. That means people can walk dogs and kids.

The A30 is also shared, yet people don't let dogs and kids run amok on it as much.


You have a sense of the ridiculous


Why is it ridiculous to expect people to share NCR 25 and not hog it all?

Good point and Its probably why it works..pedestrians are far more aware, I guess they have to be as getting run down by a peloton of electric bikes on a sunday morning would ruin the day.

Yes, British cyclists are just too dashed polite and it's a very rare one who will even shout at a track-hogging walker, let alone hit them. While walking in Italy a couple of years ago, I noticed cyclists crash into people and things left in their way much more often.
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by MikeF »

661-Pete wrote:Has anyone actually had any experience of the Dog Dazer? I've read some reports that say they're ineffectual and a waste of money, but others may take a different view.
Yes. We were issued with them at work. They emit a sound at about 22KHz which most humans can't hear. However when I was changing the battery one day one of our daughters who was sitting in the chair reading suddenly said "Ooh. What are you doing?" so she could clearly hear it. They are intended to be used against aggressive dogs, and fortunately I never had to use it in this situation, but a colleague of mine did, and said it kept the dog a short distance away, but still close for comfort. I don't know what the reports found, but almost all dogs encountered on a bike are not aggressive towards the cyclist/bike.

I've never used it whilst riding a bike, as I've never had any major problem with coping with dogs whilst cycling on shared paths; it would be very difficult to use anyway.
I think the problem is attitude of cyclists. Shared paths are not exclusive cycle paths.
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Re: Dogs on cycle paths - how many where you live?

Post by MikeF »

mjr wrote:
Why is it ridiculous to expect people to share NCR 25 and not hog it all?


Just like a cyclist riding in primary position??? :wink:
The problem is sharing means different things to different users.

Yes, British cyclists are just too dashed polite and it's a very rare one who will even shout at a track-hogging walker, let alone hit them. While walking in Italy a couple of years ago, I noticed cyclists crash into people and things left in their way much more often.


It seems some car drivers also like to do that. :cry:
"It takes a genius to spot the obvious" - my old physics master.
I don't peddle bikes.
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