Bicycler wrote:I think we agree.
For me avoiding rubbish farcilities is pragmatic rather than ideological. If they are a better option than the road I'll use them.
It isn't necessarily wrong to allow bikes to use narrow paths like you are showing. I'd probably draw a distinction between existing paths we wish to permit cyclists to use and routes intended for cyclists. Many towpaths and bridleways are similar in width to the path in your picture and can make great leisure routes as long as we are content to ride more slowly and submissively than on the roads. Where such paths are used for gentle leisure rides, where pedestrian usage is low, or where such paths make up a very small part of the journey this is no great problem. Where routes are promoted as cycle routes and used by commuters and utility cyclists as a genuine alternative to roads (or where there is high pedestrian usage) narrow shared use is totally inadequate and confrontation will likely occur
In fact, on sections of NCN routes where cyclists have to negotiate a blind bend or other situations with a potential for danger, there are blue signs encouraging cyclists to use their bell - the rather amusing 'Ding- Dong' signs. No substitute for common sense and courtesy on both sides where walkers & cyclists share though.