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This morning right before 8am (11th Aug 2020), I was blocked from riding my bicycle by two aggressive pedestrians (blond female & dark-haired male, 20’s) on what I believed was part of the cycle path going up Milton Hill right past Milton Park Roundabout. Mind you, I was cycling uphill very slowly with two heavy paniers just trying to be a good cyclist and indicating from a distance that I’d be sticking to one side of the paved path. There was plenty of room for all of us to pass safely. As I moved further to one side, they purposely moved in my line of movement and blocked me from going any further. When I politely said that I was trying to indicate to them that I was sticking to one side, they were angry at me and said “NO! Cyclists are OBLIGATED to cycle in the road!” Am I wrong, or is the wide paved path just after you cross all the Milton Park Roundabout crossings, going up Milton Hill – a cycle path? 2 minutes later I stopped a cyclists coming down the hill on the same path and I asked him. He didn’t know either…ANY suggestions on how to handle this type of situation in the future?? I have a picture of their backs because frankly I really didn’t know what to do and a bit shaken (why are they so angry??)…
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I think that’s dual-use cycle/ped’n path. Perhaps have a look on google street maps to check signage.
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No, you are not in the wrong . It is a shared use path.
They are probably angry because bicycles are awesome and they weren’t on one.
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Hi,
Sorry to hear about your bad experience.
You asked “any suggestions on how to handle this type of situation in the future??”Keep in mind that you are not responsible if people act in an aggressive or abusive way. That is their choice, and not a reflection on you or your conduct. The sad fact is, cyclists are the target of abuse from motorists and pedestrians who think the road space is theirs alone.
Top priority is your own safety and well-being. If it looks like the situation could turn nasty, retreat and call the police.
From what you wrote, you acted reasonably on a shared path by warning pedestrians of your approach and moving aside. Possibly the pedestrians did not know it was a shared path, which indicates poor signage or markings. I’d also hazard a guess the path does not meet the latest standards for shared use paths.
Finally, posting here is a way of sharing the stress and reporting what happened.
Overall, I think the majority of people are polite. On my Sunday cycle ride last weekend I experienced amazing courtesy from drivers and a cheery “hello” from a horse rider!
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