THE beachside path on top of the Preston Beach Road wall is shared use. The whole community, including cyclists, can use it at any time of the year.

I’m a keen cyclist. Riding a bike along a long clear path with an amazing view, can be one of the best things in life. Having said that, can I make a public "note to self" and a request to all cyclists?

Many people walking along the path are lost in the spectacular view, are elderly, infirm, have young children or are exercising their dogs. They’re not necessarily expecting to see cyclists and can be more sensitive to risk than cyclists expect.

As a cyclist, it can be hard to put oneself in the shoes of people who have, for some reason, opted to walk. However, it’s really important we all respect one another and do our best to get along.

Good practice for a cyclist would be to slow right down when approaching and passing pedestrians. Visibly reducing speed will reassure nervous pedestrians that everything’s going to be OK. It may also prevent some of the minor scrapes that have been reported to me as the local ward councillor.

If the path is clearly very busy, it’s better to use the path along Lodmoor, even if it is slightly less scenic.

I do hope that, with a little extra consideration given, everyone can continue to enjoy this brilliant facility together.

Cllr James Farquharson

Preston

Weymouth