We enjoyed the Greenway walk from Radstock to Midsomer norton last week,and stopped to talk to some friends, Then all hell let loose, as a racer cyclist was bearing down on us, and with no advanced warning ( ie bell or sounder) nearly caught my friend with his shoulder, he stopped about 50 metres on and gave us verbal abuse, for no good reason. It was only because the four of us stood up to him, saying that the greenway was not a racing track, that he continued on his way , I hate to think what could have happened if someone had been on there own. What a horrible aggressive pig he was. Maybe other walkers have encountered the same experience as we had ,and we would be pleased to hear from them so we can get together to ban him from this dangerous act. He is dangerous.

Probably the best strategy when using a shared use car-free path is to preempt any potential conflict and don't block the passage of others and step to one side of the path when chatting to friends. After all, one wouldn't expect to stand in the middle of the road having a chat - something not possible since the Great Car Infestation - and it is surely not unreasonable to expect to find people riding bikes on a section of the National Cycle Network. http://tinyurl.com/46sbyku
No way is this any attempt to condone the cyclist's behaviour - far from it, he was obviously very rude and thoughtless - but it takes two to cause conflict and I know from experience that many walkers either can't or won't take any notice of bike bells or even polite verbal warnings. In my view bike bells are the most useless component on bikes - never heard by anyone, especially amongst motor traffic, and unusable when braking. In short, remember this is a shared route for all non-motorised traffic so it pays to keep your eyes and ears open.

Absolutely agree. Re-read my comment. No way does it condone that cyclist's behaviour.

Thanks for all the comments regarding racer cyclists, But, what if the pedestrians were deaf or disabled? also one doesnt get a chance to get out of the way of a RACING CYCLIST, they are up your back before you know it. I think politeness is missing from all the younger generation,everywhere. Senior Citizen

Perhaps cyclists should be banned from the Greenway? They are, after all, supposed to use the road. I think there is a perfectly good road which would work as an alternative ;-)

You are indeed correct, MrLemon. There is a perfectly good road. Sadly many of current and probably all potential cyclists won't use the road because they consider it too dangerous to do so because of too many bad, inconsiderate and thoughtless drivers. Would you be happy to allow an 11 year old to cycle to school along Somervale Road? I for one would be delighted to see the Greenway rendered redundant and left to grumpy old fogeys moaning about everyone younger than themselves, but while traffic laws remain largely unenforced and road design continues to favour just one form of road transport to the de facto exclusion of all others it ain't gonna happen any time soon.
David Hembrow sums the situation up - it's all about subjective safety: http://tinyurl.com/6k9lrvz
As for the "ill-mannered young" - has it not ever been thus since time began? They just become the "ill-mannered old". I blame the parents. ;-)

jackiebur6 you are so wrong. If you are a council tax payer you should know that the local council is responsible for highway maintenance - typically 6% of your council tax is budgeted for the roads. The tax you pay on your car is effectively, a pollution penalty - the more polluting your car the more you pay. Bikes don't pollute. Second: roads and bikes both pre-exist cars. In the late 19th Century roads were improved to make cycling easier. Cars came along and took advantage of those newly smooth surfaced roads. Without those smooth roads the development of the car might have taken a lot longer to come about. Read more on the ipayroadtax.com. Cyclists are not a separate species - there is no "they" - it's perfectly ok and legal to own both a car and a bicycle, you know, and most of us bike riders do own both (the adults, anyway). As for cyclists being "losers" - you seem to be sadly misinformed. Lord Sugar is a very keen cyclist. Loser? Really? Sir Edmund King, president of the AA - cyclist. Loser? Jeremy Paxman, broadcaster - cyclist. Loser? I have a friend whose bike cost more than my car and I'm certainly no "loser". I could go on but I think you get my drift. Finally, get yourself a bike and join in the fun. It'll do your black mood a power of good.

Your sadly misinformed Howard and obviously impressed by these so called celebrities that you seem to hold in high esteem! You need to open your eyes and look around you and listen to the majority of people who are so often ignored nowadays!! Your going with the flow like so many weak minded people. Being a realist in todays world is considered a "black mood" eh? I consider progress in this world is important and its people like yourself that would have us living in caves still! You think your right and I think Im right.. thank god for freedom eh.. thats another thing to come from our modern world.

You obviously have more time than me if you think that i want to sit and write "lists and point by point" details of sources etc. Im am not anti bike as you inferred but just a realist and and not a bigot! It would be interesting to see what happens if you get knocked off your bike and have to wait for a pedal powered vehicle to take you to hospital!

:-)

:-P