Campaigner photographs cyclists on pavements

“Amazingly, all the cyclists in those photos appear to have their saddles set much too low - witness the two standing up to pedal.
They're in need of training if only to show them how to use a hex key.”

“Absolutely loving the comments about how we should be thinking about things like third world poverty rather than pavement cyclists :D By that logic we should ignore petty theft and mugging as well because they're not quite as serious as global warming!

Larger problems require larger, often longer term, solutions that we must deal with together as a society. I'm sure that in the meantime there will be a few people left to deal with the smaller issues....I mean, when they're not out of the country protecting penguins or whatever.

Just because dangerous behaviour isn't the biggest problem in the world doesn't mean that it can't or shouldn't be dealt with. Start being realistic, and stop trying to find excuses!”

“@Tody123

Thank you for the "it matters not what your opinion is" comment. Very helpful. Why all this hostility towards cyclists? What are really the biggest problems in the country? I would say overpopulation, pollution, inequality, expensive public transport and all the mistakes being made now by the older generation that the younger generations will have to pay for. I would say it does matter what my opinion is, as my children will be living here when I'm gone, and I love this city as much as anyone.

Would someone please reassure me that cyclists are valued, atleast for how much they cut down on traffic, pollution, road accidents and FirstBus' big fat wallet?”

“@ItIsntBristol – "Let's have a bit of perspective, shall we?"


Perspective is fine, I think everyone should be aware of problems in the big wide world.

However I would not expect to discuss nuclear war in the comments section of this story. Neither would I expect anyone obsessing about your list of problems to be too worried about cyclists breaking the law, but . . .

For those who are more concerned about getting to and from the local shops without breaking a hip; cyclists who think that they are saving the world and think that excuses them from acting socially and responsibly, might be more of a threat to their peace of mind, comfort and survival than the sun exploding sometime in their lifetime!

You're not by any chance a cyclist who thinks it's ok to ride on pavements are you?”

“Below is a list of things that are problems:

Cancer, losing a limb, sea levels rising and drowning anyone who can't afford a boat, meteors the size of Wales, Alzheimer's, deforestation, stokes, running out of clean drinking water, not having any clean drinking water in the first place, hurricanes, tornado's, tsunami's, nuclear war, civil war, genocide, rape, murder, racism, ageism, discrimination in general, the supervolcano lying dormant underneath the lake district that could erupt and annihilate mankind, losing a loved one, Iran, the sun exploding, and of course death.

Now here is another list:

Cyclists on pavements, having to take a union jack flag down, houses being built on land NEAR your house, £1 parking charges at Ashton Court, cars parking on pavements, pedestrianization of town centres, sticky-outy bus stops, the GBBN, I could go on and on and on and............

Let's have a bit of perspective, shall we? One of the above lists is full of real problems that could affect any one of us. The other is a list of inconveniences that probably only directly affect a handful of people.


Do you know which is which?”

“DM Fishponds. As you probably know full well my comparison was made to highlight the fact that issues with cyclists are far less than the bigger problem of reckless and irresponsible drivers. The amount of stories in this paper about cyclists is so disproportionate to the issue in hand. If someone can provide a stat about how many people in bristol have been killed or seriously injured by a law breaking cyclist when compared to the number injured by cars I will take notice.

I don't agree with cyclists breaking the law and I hate to see it myself when I'm cycling. I just think the amount of anger and resentment towards cyclists is just ridiculously over the top in Bristol.”

“@Katachua - "How much of that money was spent on glossy brochures and jaunts to foreign cities, I wonder?"


Some of the cycling city money was spent on the 20 mph test zones which were a failure.

Average speeds reduced by only 1.4 mph and injuries increased.

The council would have us believe that this test was so successful it should be rolled-out to the rest of the city at an additional cost of £2.8 million!”

“@DM_Fishponds

Are you saying that the £22.5 million that the council spent on 'Cycling City' was money well wasted?"

Well, clearly it was, because there are now more cyclists on the pavement, not fewer. How much of that money was spent on glossy brochures and jaunts to foreign cities, I wonder?”

“Last weekend I took a walk along a path beside the Thames in Oxford (they call it the Isis, but that's not relevant).

Every cyclist who came up behind me had a bell, and used it to let me know he or she was coming. Cyclists approaching gave me plenty of space, as I did to them, and generally also a friendly greeting.

How very different from the Lycra louts in Bristol! "Feck of out of my way, you old winker" is more their style.”

“@CothamSteve - "If we had some half-decent cycling infrastructure here where people on a bicycle would be safely kept away from cars and pedestrians kept away from cyclists then everyone would be happy."


Are you saying that the £22.5 million that the council spent on 'Cycling City' was money well wasted?”