How many times do you meet bikers where they should not legally be? In towns, villages; on footpaths and on the mountains.
You can walk through the streets of Kendal and have a bike coming towards you; they ’jump’ the traffic lights by going onto the pavements, causing problems for pedestrians.
Even young people are being brought up to ride on pavements – you should only push your bike on the pavement. In my opinion the dual use of pavements does not work, they go too fast and don’t have bells !
On the footpaths in the valleys they ride freely - you notice this by the tyre marks. Recently on Skiddaw I met a mountain biker, complete with head-cam. He had the legal right to be on the summit for it is a bridleway (BW).
We met off the BW on open access land (again only for pedestrians). I introduced myself as a volunteer park ranger, explaining the legal situation. He said he understood the law. Further on we looked back and he was riding down the footpath.
You must think I’m a right old ‘moaner’(I'm 75 years old) but we all have to obey the laws of the land and this applies to public rights of way in the countryside.
I do not ride a bike but wholeheartedly support cycling as a healthy sport. Please, cycling generally, get you house in order !
D. Birkett
Kendal
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