Trail question.....

[4500_rider]

....quite a pedantic one too, but i'm a socialist and like everything in order so...

3 or 4x a week I cycle to work, follow the basingstoke canal path for those of you in England, the path is wide enough to accomodate 2 way traffic and there is always 2 way traffic - cyclists, joggers, people walking there dogs...

My question is a "rules of the road" one... what side of the path do you cycle on?  In england we drive on the left, its logical to cycle on the left, but it would seem that when on this path and I have oncoming traffic they move to their right, ie. head-on to me, so I have to move to the right...

is there some kind of agreed unspoken switch over I dont know about?

[orange]

That's so funny coz I've found the exact same thing!! I cycle to work along a tow path between Derby and Nottingham and the number of times I've had to swerve at the last minute because people walking stay on their right - it's really annoying! It does seem to be an unwritten rule (along with several others)

e.g. if a person is walking on the path in the same direction as you they always walk in the middle making it impossible for you to pass wihtout slowing down. Then they jump out of their skins as they 'didn't hear you coming' (walk to one side mate and it wouldn't be an issue!!!). Another rule is that dogs will always seem to be plotting a straight path as you approach until the very last minute when they veer into your oncoming path... I could go on, but this is a particular soap box of mine which I will now step off for fear of ranting for several minutes when really I should be concentrating on work...!

[seanzzo]

Why concentrate on work orange  [smiley=laughing.gif]

[Simon]

Don't know why but

as I understand it if you walk on a road without a
pavement (sidewalk) you are supposed to walk
against the flow of traffic,so now the pedestrians
are on the right,

so maybe sublimally thats why this happens  

Simon.

[Carbon_Angus]

the rule of the road seems to be avoid peds and dogs on leashes at all costs [smiley=laughing.gif]

and get a bike bell

[smiley=beer.gif]