On 08/07/2019 13:02, T i m wrote:
On Mon, 8 Jul 2019 12:07:17 +0100 (GMT+01:00), "Graham."
wrote:

snip

AIUI the towpaths of the Canal & River Trust are not rights of way.

I think you will find he was referring to common sense priority of
pedestrian over cycle and not the legal status of the route
itself.

Quite. ;-)

I endorse lots of the points mentioned he

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-...drop-your-pace

Particularly:

"If you're running or cycling even at a leisurely pace, you will still
be traveling a lot faster than other towpath visitors. The towpath is
not the place for time trials or getting your PB, so please do this
elsewhere."

"This is why towpaths have a pedestrian priority and it is especially
important for those moving quickly (cyclists and joggers) to slow down
and take care going under bridges or in other places where the sight
line maybe poor."

And I'd say (round here anyway), most people do ... and there is
generally a friendly atmosphere between dog walkers (we have made many
acquaintances though this), cyclists and boaters alike.

Yes, when I used to cycle a lot more than I do these days, I often used
a couple of public footpaths that were both shortcuts and away from busy
roads. Now I knew bikes were prohibited, but I just pulled to one side
and stopped if a pedestrian came the other way or waited patiently until
a pedestrian going the same way did the same for me - no one ever
complained. A bit of polite cooperation goes a long way.

SteveW