In reply to davidjglover:
> (In reply to Tony the Blade) Thanks for your reply. I wish we could all share these open spaces and be tolerant with one another but it’s very difficult to be tolerant of people who show complete disregard for other peoples safety. Or is it that they just don’t see the obvious danger that they’re putting themselves / Walkers in?
I'm not sure it's that they don't see it, I think it's more a matter of perspective. Much in the same way that if a car is approaching a pedestrian at speed, it will worry the pedestrian until they see signs of the driver reacting/taking avoiding action/slowing down where as the car driver may be very sure they'll be able to stop, I think the difference is that many regular cyclists ride their bikes a lot faster than a non-cyclist would ride, and therefore it is incomprehinsible to the walker that a bike coming towards them at "that" speed, with brakes squeeling etc could actually be under a great deal of control and easily be able to stop or take avoiding action. (That doesn't mean it's acceptable to go around blind bends at speed)
I know I've scared walkers in the past, mainly making them jump coming up behind them slowly rather than terrifying them, but at no point have I been unable to stop in time, and I am always courteous to other trail users (although it doesn't stop me getting wound-up about other people's behaviour on the trails)
I do feel it needs saying that there is a small (but vocal) element of walkers in the countryside that seem to go out of their way to annoy other trail users, and rightly or wrongly, I associate most of these individuals with the ramblers association. (I've even been pushed off my bike by a walker convinced he was on a footpath - he wasn't it was a bridleway - it caused me to crash breaking my arm, and my front forks) - these incidents are few and far between thankfully in the 20 years I've been riding this was the most serious, and I can only recall a couple of other incidents.
An example for you is last year when my mtb club decided to have a go at riding up and down snowdon following the lifting of the voluntary restrictions at the end of the summer season. On the whole it was a great trip, and most people we met were friendly and encouraging, yet one older gentleman decided it was his duty to berate every cyclist he saw about how "huge numbers" of walkers are hurt each year on Snowdon by cyclists, and that we shouldn't be there etc etc including vocally trying to get other walkers to do the same. We had the misfortune of meeting him on the way up which meant meeting him multiple times as we stopped and waited for slower members of out party etc. He ranted at me on 4 seperate occasions, to the extent that if he had chosen someone else he might not have gone home with all his teeth. Each time, we talked to him calmly and made it clear we understood his concerns, and explained we had no intention of coming back down the Llanberis path anyway for the very reason that it was too busy with walkers, yet still he kept on.
To me this kind of behaviour is just as bad whoever it comes from... cyclists ranting at motorcyclists on byways, walkers having a go at horseriders, horseriders with cyclists, car drivers and cyclists etc.
FWIW I never ride FPs in this country, however when riding in the Alps in france (where cyclists are allowed to use footpaths) I have to say the atmosphere was spectacularly different and mutually respectful (This could of course be lucky or just because there's more space), but I got the impression that there just wasn't the same animosity between trail users