Having read recent letters about the rudeness of cyclists, I feel it is time somebody presented the other side of the coin.

As a cyclist I do very occasionally ride on the pavements for my own safety, but I always give way to pedestrians, dismounting when necessary, particularly if children are around.

Although I have yet to be criticised for this, pedestrians have reprimanded me for cycling in High Street where bikes are clearly permitted, crossing at a pedestrian/cyclist crossing and even cycling along a road (not by a crossing) when they wanted to cross.

I have lost count of the number of times pedestrians have blocked the cycling lanes.

Although most of them move to let me through, I have received more than my fair share of abuse from young and old.

One day I was cycling along the top of Rosehill, where a grassy bank separates two lanes. Two elderly women were walking towards me, blocking the lane and forcing me to dismount. On pointing out that it was a cycling lane, I was told that I should have moved into the pedestrian lane to make way for them!

On another occasion I was cycling though a park where the two lanes were separated only by a white line. A woman was walking in front of me in the cycling lane, but there was nobody else in sight. I decided not to make a fuss and quietly moved out to overtake her. At that moment, she realised she was in the wrong lane and she too moved over, knocking me off my bike.

My right arm was covered with very nasty cuts and bruises.

That was the first and last time I ever gave in to an erring pedestrian. Please give us cyclists a break and remember that we too have rights.

MRS M R BLEKSLEY Stayton Road Sutton