this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2025
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if you're a cyclist you just can't win lol
I always cycle on the pavement. it's less busy than the road most of the time and if there's someone in front of me I ring my bell to alert them just in case
If I'm walking on the pavement and a cyclist rings their bell to make me get out of their way, I'm gonna get mad
I know cars suck. But you're meant to cycle on the road - You're not supposed to cycle on the pavement. I don't care if you do if the road is horrible, fair play, but ringing your bell at me? It's my right of way, so no thanks
Literally the bike bell is a courtesy to let you know someone is there to avoid collision, it's not to force you out of the way. At least that's how it is for me. Sharing the path you're on is a shared expectation regardless of if it's another walker, runner, someone on roller blades, a skateboard, or a bike.
My toddler has a little bell for this reason, and you can get bent if you expect me to put a 4 year old on a busy street.
Don't be a dick is the first rule, and you're already failing by being so self centered around shared pathways.
Plenty of paths, the same width as your sidewalk, are MEANT for all pedestrians, including bikes. And we get a long just fine.
And since your city doesn't have safe pedestrian oriented infrastructure, like one with dedicated walking & cycling paths. Bikes are forced onto sidewalks.
Mate idk where you live but in the UK you aren't allowed to cycle on pavements. Call me a dick if you want but it's just how it is.
If you wanna use the pavement, get off your bike and walk. Dont get mad at me cos you don't like cycling on the road. Neither do I. So I walk.
Bicycle bells are to make people aware of your presence, not to tell them to get out of the way.
This is not true everywhere.
If you're biking at the appropriate speed for being near pedestrians, you don't need to alert of your presence because you are no danger.
You only need to alert your presence if you're going faster than what is safe to do, which is being a dick and pedestrians are right to be mad at you.
Cycling on the pavement can be a lot safer. people on bikes have been knocked over by buses and cars when they're cycling on the road. i ring my bell if there's someone in front of me walking with their back turned and can't see me
Cyclists ringing their bell at pedestrians on the pavement is like cars honking their horns at cyclists in a bike lane
It's not your space, so don't impose on the people using it properly
I'm sorry that roads can be bad for cyclists, but making the pavement bad for pedestrians isn't the answer
Some pavements in the UK are shared right of way with cyclists and ringing your bell is the correct thing to do and that's why it's there, so you don't sneak up on someone and cause an accident.
To be clear, you're complaining about entitled drivers while demanding pedestrians get out of your way on a highway you're not supposed to be on in the first place?
I ring the bell to get their attention so they know I'm coming. if they're walking in front of me and have their back turned the bell gets their attention. as I said cyclists just can't win no matter what they do lol. also I'm a petite woman with an equally tiny bike so it's not like I take up the whole pavement
I get shocked when I'm on a pavement and a cyclist rings a bell at me, so if I'm cycling on a pavement I either stop and wait till the person is past me or dismount and walk past the pavement. Pedestrian priority.